Sunday, September 28, 2008

#3 Blog Question for In the Skin of a Lion

1.       Is tragic flaw an issue in this novel? Choose one character and explore how their tragic flaw resulted in disaster.

Yes, tragic flaw is an issue in this novel. In fact, I would daresay that tragic flaw is one of the most important elements of this novel; it shapes the characters and the storyline, creates a sense of pathos, and most importantly leaves a message of the universal human condition for the readers.

The protagonist of the novel, Patrick, copes with numerous tragedies in the novel. From the betrayal of Clara to the death of Alice, Patrick loses a loved one more than once. Each time Patrick deals with loss, he has an extremely difficult time overcoming the ordeal. Thus, his tragic flaw turns out to be his inability to cope with loss. This flaw throws Patrick into a state of despair after he loses Clara, and a state of madness (somewhat) after Alice dies. Although Patrick was more than hindered by this flaw, readers must understand that it was this very flaw that helped Patrick to find a sense of identity. It was at times unbearable to watch Patrick deal with his loss; and his grievance created a sense of pathos towards his state. Nevertheless, his flaw never led him to total destruction. At times, he was definitely in a disastrous state, yet as time passed by Patrick gradually built himself up.

At the end of the book, Patrick actually comes back to Hana after his release at prison and his attempt to destroy the waterworks. In the end, Patrick decides to take care of Hana which was his ultimate decision to let Hana complete his identity. Throughout the novel, Patrick was in need of another person to be satisfied and complete. Each time he lost his counterpart, he was utterly devastated, and it was the same after he was released from prison. However, Patrick decides during his phone call with Clara that he will take care of the only remain of his former love Alice. Thus, Hana becomes the person that completes Patrick as a person and gives him a sense of identity.

The character Patrick actually makes me wonder if a tragic flaw is necessary to make advancements in life. It seems that perfection will never result in improving one’s self, and only mistakes and shortcomings can lead to some sort of revelation. Perhaps this is the universal human experience that Ondaatje points out in the novel. Each character is equipped with a flaw that brings them to near destruction, and sometimes actual downfall. Yet, his or her tragic flaw enables the character to find a bigger truth in life and helps him or her advance forward in his or her, conscious or unconscious, search for a sense of purpose and identity. An interesting theory I believe, and in my opinion it holds some truth—maybe a lot of truth. Just like Paul said in Corinthians, God’s power is made perfect in weakness. Perhaps, we should all acknowledge the value of weakness and appreciate its existence. For without it, we would be nothing more than an arrogant group of people wandering around in a meaningless world without any human growth.

1 comment:

Mr and Mrs L said...

John, I like your thoughts on how tragic flaw might be essential in terms of understanding oneself and growing as a person. I have thought about this a lot and, over time, have come to realize that my darkest periods of experience (resulting from my own poor choices and fundamental character flaws) have been my best teachers. I have learned so much about myself, and about God, as I have done things that have exposed those flaws that run into the essence of core of who I am. You're right - perhaps God is only to work with us and mold us as we are humbled by this sort of true self-knowledge.