Identity and Personality

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   In The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje presents few but significant incidents when people mistake one's identities as one's personalities or vice versa. It is the prejudice that is deeply rooted in human nature, often called "Judging the book by its cover". Everyone in villa assumes the identity of Almasy as English because they are convinced by how Almasy behaves and talks. However, Almasy is like English because he has his education there, not because he is English. He is actually Hungarian. He calls himself and Kip "International bastards". Kip is a character who is judged by his identity, not his personalities. Because of his exotic looks and skin colour, he is mistaken as incomprehensible and quixotic man. However, he is actually devoted to helping Britain, not growing hatred due to oppression. Kip feels left out in the society and adopts self-sufficiency to protect himself from others. Kip, however, makes mistakes, too. When he hears the dropping of atomic bomb on Japan, he goes mad and threatens to kill Almasy, who he thinks as a symbol of white men. Kip runs away without killing Almasy and after few years, he wonders about Hana. This ending is not what I expected, but I understand that it was necessary to have this ending to make us feel uneasy. If this novel ended with a plain happy ending with Hana marrying the Kip, then it wouldn't have deep insight to our lives. However, by making Kip go back to his own society and follow the rules there, Ondaatje illustrates how people can be so easily mistaken and decieved. However, I do not think that Kip's decision is good. I think he should have thought about how it was necessary for U.S. to drop an atomic bomb on Japan to end the war.

Interesting Character - Madox

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   As I read on, I found one character very interesting. Madox is a friend of Almasy who goes to the desert for exploration like Almasy. He always carries a book called Anna Katherina, just like Almasy carries Histories. Even though his book is about adultery, Madox stays faithful to his wife. He expresses his feelings very openly and directly. This maybe the reason why he shoots himself right at the church when he realizes the church was promoting the idea of war. Almasy's comment, "Madox was a man who died because of nations" (pg.242) describes Madox as a man of his beliefs. While reading this part, I was absolutely shocked how he would just kill himself while listening to the sermon with his wife. If I were Madox with such beliefs, then I would just shoot the priest and claim that the priest is no interpreter of God because he promotes the idea of mass murder. I would not want my wife to see me suicide and my body lying there, crushed and transformed into a red ragged doll. In wars of propaganda, people like Madox are the victims of the war because they would do anything for their beliefs, which might have been adulterated by media. R.I.P. Madox.