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| == '''BOOK ONE''' == | == '''BOOK ONE''' == | ||
| By, '''Abhinav.Kanaya''' ] 00:31, 10 November 2006 (UTC) | |||
| ===LITTLE SEEDS=== | ===LITTLE SEEDS=== | ||
Revision as of 00:35, 10 November 2006
In the Skin of a Lion, a novel set mainly in Toronto, Ontario, Canada by Michael Ondaatje, tells a story of immigrants who built Toronto. Ondaatje's later and more famous novel The English Patient is in part a sequel to In the Skin of a Lion; continuing the characters of Hana and Caravaggio.
An important aspect of the novel is its depiction of Toronto in the 1920s. Ondaatje spent many months in the archives of the City of Toronto and newspapers of the era. Prominence is given to the construction of Toronto landmarks, such as the Prince Edward Viaduct and the R.C. Harris Filtration Plant, and focuses on the lives of the immigrant workers. By doing so, he gives a voice to the blood, sweat and tears of these workers who have never been recognized by 'official' history. The plot incorporates a number of true stories of the time, examples being the falling of the nun, the disappearance of Ambrose Small and the murder of labour union organizers Rosvall and Voutilainen.
The structure of the novel may be described as cubist, and/or post-modern in that Ondaatje uses many voices, images, and re-organizes time to tell the stories. Thematically, the book may be categorized as post-colonial with its focus on immigrants and their native cultures and languages.
The novel's title is a line from The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Character list
- Patrick Lewis
- Ambrose Small
- Alice Gull
- Hana Gull
- Clara Dickens
- David Caravaggio
- Nicholas Temelcoff
- Commissioner Rowland Harris
- Cato
- Giannetta
- Hazen Lewis
BOOK ONE
LITTLE SEEDS
Starts off as the end of the book. Patrick is going to tell Hana about his story... Patrick has a father called Hazen Lewis. Both father and son tie the rope around the cow and help it out of the frozen water. Hazen Lewis goes to Rathbun Timber Headquarters to show idea of dynamite explosion. In April it is the melting of the lake. Patrick absorbed knowledge from a distance. When Patrick was 11, he went after a rare blue moth in winter. Patrick wants to join a group of loggers who are skating on the ice, but does not trust himself or them in the end.
Little seeds designates the growing years of the main character, Patrick Lewis, whence the seeds were planted for his subsiquent actions in the novel. For example, as a young boy in depot creek, Ontario, Patrick watches the loggers come to town in the winter, and work in the mills in the other seasons. He watches the loggers skating on the river. His father, a worker, works for two or three farms. When Patrick was 15, Hazen Lewis became a dynamiter who was meticulus in washing his clothes every evening in case there were remnants, little seeds of explosives on his apperal. All of these elements are the little seeds of the subsequent narrative: depot creek, the loggers skating, learning about dynamite, etc.
THE BRIDGE
The bridge links the east with the centre of the city and will carry traffic, water and electricity across the Don Valley. 4000 photographs were taken from various angles of the bridge. Located on Bloor Street between Castle Frank and Broadview. Rowland Harris is the commissioner of Public works. Pomphrey is an architect from England who would also design the city's grandest building called the water filtration plant. Water was Harris's biggest passion. 5 Nuns walk on the unfinished bridge and one falls off the bridge. Nicholas Temelcoff, a worker on the bridge, saves the Nun. He takes her to a restaurant called 'Ohrida Lake' & Offers her brandy. Temelcoff is famous on the bridge since he does the most dangerous jobs. He earns $1 a day and $1.25 at night. Kosta is the owner of the restaurant. Nicholas likes being near the Nun and he tells her about the various scars he had got. Both start to like each other. Alicia was the parrot in the restaurant. Nicholas sings to himself and doesn't bother about other conversations going on. Daniel Stoyanoff, a fraud, had tempted them all. Dedora was the tailor who had stitched Daniels arm. Nicholas rode on the boat 'La Siciliana' as he travelled all the way, illegally, to Canada. He Learnt English in school while working at night. He wakes up from his dream and a doctor is treating his arm. The nun has disappeared. Nicholas wants to open a bakery with the money he has saved.
The Bridge in short - Temelcoff saves the nun, Titled 'The Bridge', because it is between Patrick's life. It introduces Caravaggio. At the time, Patrick is not in Toronto
THE SEARCHER
Patrick's childhood letters were all that remained with him as he arrives at Union Train Station. Ambrose Small is a millionaire who is missing. Small bought the Grand Opera Theatre at age 28 and married Theresa Kormann. He then fell in love with actress Clara Dickens. The Press called Small a 'Jackal'. Patrick meets Clara Dickens and tries to seduce her, but she does it in the end. Clara drops Patrick back to the Arlington hotel and then the next day they set off together for a few days to Clara's friend's farmhouse. Alice is introduced as Clara's friend. Clara fell in love aged 16 with a boy named Stump Jones. Patrick has a dream of Small asking him to cut off the grey peacock from his back and he does it with a penknife.
A lot of Romance. Patrick hears about Clara's history and about Small. Clara and Alice talk into the night until Patrick goes off to bed. Alice and Clara draw his portrait as he sleeps. Patrick says he liked Alice when asked by Clara and apreciates their artwork. Clara says that Alice is a way better actress than her on stage. Clara tells Patrick not to follow her as she goes to Ambrose Small. Clara had left a blind Iguana with him. Patrick writes many letters to Clara.Caravaggio is the neighbourhood thief. Alice visits Patrick unexpectedly. She tells him to go and look for Clara. Patrick has dinner with Clara's mother. She tells him that Stump Jones and Clara actually married and divorced. Patrick finds out where Clara is. Small and Patrick talk. Small spills drops of kerosene on Patrick and sets him on fire, but this ends up as a dream too! The Searcher is when Patrick is searching for the meaning of his life
BOOK 2
PALACE OF PURIFICATION
It is 1930. Patrick, along with the other workers, is digging up underneath the lake. It is a mad scheme by Commissioner Rowland Harris. Patrick dynamites the rock by using his father's skills. The Waterworks is being built on the old Victoria Park Forest. Patrick still has the Iguana Clara gave him. He stays in an apartment building. R.Harris's dream is to create a Palace of Water. Patrick eats most of his meals at the Thompson Grill. "Gooshter" is the Macedonian word for Iguana. Patrick felt ashamed to how the Macedonian friends knew so little about him. Kosta also works with dynamite. Kosta invites Patrick to a gathering where various nationalities meet and ilegally discuss politics and have fun. A performance of puppets where there is a lady performing as a puppet. The whole croud was with her. It was Alice Gull!
Patrick stopped Alice in this performance. Hana is a 9 year old girl staying with Alice, who is her mother. Cato was Alice's husband. Patrick gets a new job through Alice. Patrick could not stop thinking of her. Hana was similar to Alice Patrick was to shy to embrace her. They go to a bakery called 'Geranium Bakery' where Patrick meets Nicholas Temelkoff. Hana's favourite story was about Cato and the socks. Patrick was in Riverdale library looking at Commissioner Harris's bridge construction that took 2 years to complete. He thinks about Alice, if she was a nun. Patrick goes to visit Nicholas Temelkoff and ask him about his rescue of the nun. Patrick says he wants to look after Hana and is in deep love with Alice. Alice has purified Patrick from his past
REMORSE
Alice was happiest when she was pregnant. Patrick is travelling somewhere past Huntsville. He then boards the Algonquin steamer. There is an explosion in Muskoka Hotel. It was done by Patrick in love for Alice, since she is dead. Patrick meets a blind woman called Elizabeth. He knows he will be caught by the police soon...
BOOK 3
CARRAVAGGIO
Three prisoners, Buck, Lewis and Caravaggio are painting the roof of the jail. Patrick and Buck paint Caravaggio blue so that no one can see him. Caravaggio escapes. He breaks into a clothing store at night and changes there. Later, he hops onto a milk-train. Caravaggio survives on bits of chocolate a boy called Alfred gave him. Caravaggio spent many restless nights in his jail cell. Patrick and Caravaggio had spoken. Russet was Caravaggio's 'Red' dog who let him down. During his first robbery, he cracked his ankle, but stole a painting. He then hides in a mushroom factory and a young woman called Giannetta helps him by bringing him chicken. Then she and her friends help him escape by dressing him as a woman. Caravaggio returns to Giannetta, who in reality, is his wife
MARITIME THEATRE
Patrick is released from prison. He goes to the Geranium Bakery and embraces Nicholas Temelkoff. Meets Hana. Small tells Clara of all about what he has done in the past before he dies. Clara calls Patrick from Marmora. Ambrose Small is dead. Hana and Patrick will go and pick her up. NOT A DREAM!! - Harris has tight security for the Waterworks. He says anyone can poison the city or cut the supply of water. Caravaggio introduces Patrick to his wife. They sail on a stolen yacht called 'The Annalisa.' Patrick is going to dynamite the Filtration Plant, in the Waterworks with the help of Caravaggio. Harris hears a thump, but ignores it. Patrick goes into Harris's office. Alice Gull was killed by an 'anarchist' She carried the wrong bag with dynamite. Patrick falls asleep. A nurse tends to him... Patrick was dreaming. He goes with Hana to get Clara. Book ends with him saying 'Lights'
Awards and recognition
- In the Skin of a Lion was one of the selected books in the 2002 edition of Canada Reads, championed by Steven Page.