The English Patient

Various symbols have reoccurred consistently in the novel, affecting the outcome of the plot. As we can see, the desert extends beyond time and connects the fragments of life that are present in an everlasting cycle, very similar to the circle of life.

The war provides the climax of the story when Kip hears that an atomic bomb has been dropped on Japan. His previous beliefs are reverted, and he now sees the war as a battle due to greed and the hunger for power and domination; the same perception as his Indian brother, who sits in jail as he refused to help the English forces. Michael Ondaatje very cleverly uses the idea of mental instability during the war to stimulate the sudden changes in one’s identity, beliefs and personality as seen in Kip. In the final section of the novel, he clearly sets the stage for a heightened and emotional climax that is later resolved. Over the course of time, Hana has fallen in love with the physical and mental toughness of Kip. As this occurs, we are able to see Ondaatje’s magic at work once again, as Hana take the role of the English patient; telling the story of her past while she is vulnerable as Kip listens on. We are able to see Kip’s true identity later, as he rips all military insignias from his clothes symbolizing the rejection of western ideals forever. His faith in western society is also lost, in which he hastily leaves Italy without looking back.

The story of “The English Patient” takes place at the end of World War II (1945) as divergent characters come together to form a way of life. His own beliefs that were shaped by the war have been shattered, as the good done in disarming explosives have been counteracted with the dropping of the bomb in Hiroshima. They spend many nights together talking about their homes, families and other personal issues. In an instance later, we see Kip holding his rifle at the English Patient’s head only to blame the deed on him.