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.
