1. What passage did you find the most beautiful in this novel and why? Dig into setting here, and give us detail about why you have chosen your passage
I was most intrigued by the scene where Clara deserts Patrick to move on with her life. In this scene Michael Ondaatje is able to portray the theme of the story in such an effective manner and helps in the characterization of Patrick and also Clara. The setting is in Patrick’s room and occurs in the rising action of the novel. This scene enables us to understand Patrick’s falls well and is also a very poignant section of the novel. The reader is able to feel pathos for Clara as she is very lost and searches for the wrong things in life during her life journey. The reader is also moved to feel some sympathy for Patrick who tries very hard to erase the memories of his past but as we see is not very successful as he still leaves a corner untouched and the iguana as a constant reminder. Michael Ondaatje also uses symbols n literary devices very appropriately and meaningfully in this passage. He uses the iguana to self-reflect Patrick’s character and individual. He also uses the contrast between day and night to portray Patrick’s search for light and identity in such a clouded and obscure journey through life. Also, this passage is key in understanding not only the theme of the passage but also portraying and laying down the foundation for how the characters in the novel relate to each other and their journey throughout life. Here, the setting is also important as it occurs in Patrick’s room and he tries to get rid of all the memories here. The room is also significant as it relates to all the intimacy between them, it is where they would have had all their sexual relations and sensual intimacy, something so relevant and important to partners especially broken ones like Patrick who tries to rid of these memories. By washing his room, he not only just “cleans” it but he is also getting rid of all their intimacies in their relationship which is key in understanding the novel because it helps us understand how his journey through life searching for identity and light is filled with love, intimacy and betrayal or falls at times.
2. What character do you most identify with in this novel and why? Is pathos an element of your response to this character?
I think it’s easy to just compare yourself with someone of a similar gender or the main character of the passage as he/she would usually have enough things to relate to but personally I think I most identify with Clara. Clara is portrayed in this passage as a woman who is lost in her search for material things and is characterized as a “lost” individual as she doesn’t know what exactly she searches for. I feel the same way about myself sometimes I find myself unable to make certain decisions and like trapped between two ideas where I can’t necessarily think of the better or most ideal decision. Clara also “blows” it in this passage with Patrick but also with Ambrose, she only goes for material things like money which is part of why she leaves Patrick for the richer man Ambrose, I feel like the world has shaped my life in a way that is geared towards money. Money is very important and essential to life, and so I have also made decisions about my future like a future occupation based on the job’s pay though that may not be the best idea for me or exactly what I would love to do best. Clara is obviously character to feel pathos for and in my opinion even the most pathos for in this novel. She seems to be on this same life journey but without a specific goal or aim to gain an identity or light but instead to just gain riches, money and sexual desires which are all physical desires. She’s just portrayed as a shallow and superficial individual with nothing to really cherish or love. Even at the end after pursuing Ambrose for his money, and after his death she calls Patrick to try to reconcile their relationship but we can see how lost and messed up Clara really was. Instead of moving forward and advancing with life she’s so lost and confused that she even goes back to her past to even Patrick who was finding his light and identity with his life journey.
3. Is tragic flaw an issue in this novel? Choose one character and explore how their tragic flaw resulted in disaster.
Tragic flaw is of great value to this novel. Clara has a tragic flaw which leads to her ultimate downfall and disaster. Clara pursues the materialistic things in life and is portrayed as superficial and shallow. This way she left Patrick, someone who had actually loved her for Ambrose, a rich man whom she could get a lot of money from. However, Ambrose does die and then she realizes how much she was lost and confused, she then decides to try embrace Patrick once again but he had moved on with his life. In this sense she was left miserable, lacking true love and once again bitter chasing only the materialistic things of life. Her bad decisions even ultimately leads to her destruction at the end where she is left with no hope, no one to actually provide her materialistic needs like sex and money and then no true love which she had denied in favor of money.
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1. Research Atwood, Plath and Dickinson and find the poet you are most like (your similarities could be based on personality traits or on issues you are both interested in, or on themes emerging from the poet’s work and how those speak to you. Write about what you feel is common between you and the poet you have chosen.
Not trying to be anti-feminist but being a man, and considering the times these women lived in and some of the themes embedded in their poems, I find myself less similar to any of these poets. However, there are minor similarities that could be a reflection of my own self in each of these poets, like in Plath who uses symbolisms significantly to present strong messages through various scenarios, or Margaret Atwood who greatly influenced by her father’s profession lived in the wilderness area in Quebec, I too have been moving around the world because of my dad’s job but of all three Emily Dickinson is the most appealing to me. Not that I fancy recluses but her style of writing appeals to me in a higher level as I too can relate to it. Her often strong messages about death and immortality are brilliantly embedded in her poems. Emily Dickinson, growing up with a death-filled childhood, a pain-staking period in her life, changed the rest of her life and inspired her to write more on morbidity and stay segregated from society. However, her work remains remarkable and admirable, carrying powerful messages often delivered in a strong, persistent tone. Being a lyricist and rapper myself, I am able to relate to her style of delivering messages; she in her own way tries to incorporate slant rhymes to deliver a flow while delivering her messages. I often write love songs, rap songs, songs about life and of various topics with various themes using rhymes to even deepen the message of the song which is similar to the works of Emily Dickinson.
2. TPCASTT one poem and discover what it really says to you. Write about the poem and its theme, especially about how the poem’s message sheds light on the universal human condition/experience.
Of all the poems in this packet by all three of these poets, the one I liked the most was “Because I could not stop for death” by Emily Dickinson. This poem was very interesting, not too complex and she presents a profound theme not generally accepted by society. Using a very calm and relaxed tone and mood, she presented powerful messages about the gentle acceptance of death and immortality of humans by personifying death as a suitor (a gentle man). Using an optimistic yet quite sardonic tone, Emily Dickinson is able to symbolize life as a journey and death with a positive connotation. Also, her use of slant rhyme is very effective in adding meaning to the theme along with other literary device used like alliteration, paradox and conceit. She uses this poem to point out a message that really sheds light on the universal human experience; humans are generally concerned and fear death very much. Religious people often believe in an after-life yet they still fear death and people often regret these situations. Death is never portrayed in our society as a positive thing in fact, once people age and get older, women often start to do surgeries to feel and look younger, because the whole idea of being old and approaching death is a fearful thought in our society. However, Emil Dickinson is assuring the people of this world that its only inevitable and for the better life that continues after death which humans often neglect.
3. Think about Hamartia: find one poem that displays a tragic flaw in human nature (either human nature in general or in one human, as expressed in the poem). Write about whether or not the poem’s message is enhanced for you, as a reader, as you contemplate hamartia as it relates to the text.
On this topic I think “In the secular night” hits it on he nail. The poem by Margaret Atwood presents powerful messages about loneliness and despair that arises as a result of a lack of spiritual relationship or connections with others. Hence, the tragic flaw of people would be this desire to always have things so easy, a comforted life with enough things and people to satisfy them. Some people also turn to religion just as a meaning to life while others understanding this loss and despair it causes, don’t want to be a part of the darkness. When people end up battling to live this easy life or satisfactory life there’s often problems with other people leading to some sort of despair ultimately. Since everything on earth can’t come easy, there is a problem and people often tend to intimidate or manipulate other people to feel more comfortable, hence it also leads to patronizing other people. This poem also points out some weaknesses in me, I always want life to be easier and comfortable and a “bed of roses” and so when things don’t work out it could be quite frustrating and annoying, so this poem in a sense relates to me as a human too.
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