In The Skin Of A Lion Essay -- essays research papers

When studying a novel it sometimes helps to olfactory sensation at the language used in a specific passage. In the novel In The Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje, this coming is extremely helpful. It will help you better down the stairsstand the characters and give you a cle atomic number 18r idea of what the author is trying to say. Within the novel, the passage entitled &8220The glide Scene, where Patrick observes the loggers skating late at dark, is stylistically interesting. By looking at metaphors, symbolism and diction, we can gain a better understanding of the characters and bugger off connections in spite of appearance the scene and then to the novel as a whole.In &8220The Skating Scene many metaphors are used throughout, making is very poetic. unmatched very brawny metaphor seen in this passage is &8220This was against the night ( pageboy 22). This emphasizes the light and vestige imagery found in this passage. Ondaatje points out that for Patrick day is work and night is rest, however, he sees the loggers skating and having fun at night. They are going against what Patrick has been taught. In a steering they are showing him a new place to life and he is transfixed. This sense of excitement is also shown in the yard of the passage. As the loggers are skating the pace gets faster, and then starts to slow work through when he goes back home to his routine life. By going against the night, the loggers are essentially breaking the rules &8220Their lanterns replaced them with new rushes which let them go further outgoing boundaries (page 22). This idea of going past boundaries reminds us of a part afterward in the novel. Patrick goes past boundaries when he sets fire to the Muskoka Hotel on page 168. preferably of being an observer like he always is, he really steps in and goes &8220against the night. By comparing Patrick in &8220The Skating Scene to when he goes to the Muskoka Hotel, we can see how he grows and changes throughout the co urse of the novel. Another powerful metaphor in this busy scene is &8220And a moon deep in thought(p) in the thickness of clouds so it did not shine a passage for him towards the heads (page 20). This metaphor again emphasizes the light and dark imagery in the scene. all the same though there is no path for Patrick to follow, he still finds his way to the skaters by travelling towards the light from their l... ...ple, &8220&8230.they could leap into the air and crash subjugate and it would hold the, (page 22), &8220When they collided sparks fell into the ice&8230. (page 21), and &8220their lanterns&8230..let them go further past boundaries (page 22). avatar is also used to show that the skaters have magical powers &8220A tree branch reached out, its hand frozen in the ice, and one of them skating under it (page 21). The idea of witches and magic reminds us of a quote on page 93. Patrick talks about Clara and says &8220 Something about her cast a spell on me&8230I don&8217t k now what is it. It seems that Patrick is fascinated with people who take these magical qualities.It is evident that by doing a stylistic analysis of a passage, we can get a better understanding of characters and make connections within the passage and then to the rest of the novel. This is certainly the case with &8220The Skating Scene in Michael Ondaatje&8217s In The Skin of Lion. The metaphors, symbols and diction he uses in this particular passage clearly show that he is truly a splendid writer.