In The Skin Of A Lion

The dyers "leapt into different colours as if into different countries", but the colour was disrobed from them in a matter of minutes. This attitude is one that Ondaatje aims to challenge in the novel. Even when the book is finished, there is no distinct closure and finality of the narrative; the story itself is in the process of being told. An emphasis is placed on the story that comes from different viewpoints and angles - the "chaos", and then structures it so that its order of history is "very faint, very human" as opposed to official histories. Poetic devices are in the scene of the puppet-show. "Meander if you want to get to town". " The prologue only makes sense once the end is reached, and the bits in between all mingle and melt into one another until most of the completed narrative is achieved. He gained new friends, was admired and had to learn a new culture. When Patrick sees the loggers skate across ice holding fires, "his mind raced ahead of his body. Imagery, figurative language and emotive words abound whenever he is being descriptive, or making a point. Authors, painters, singers and actors all feature highly in a book about peoples’ creation of their lives and history. he has been exposed to a realisation outside of his world. There are constant ties and recurrent images in the narrative, and even if the sequence of the events are not in chronological order, there is no doubt that every significant event has been covered and cross-referenced.