Michael Ondaatje's historical fiction novel, The English Patient, conveys the struggle between love and realism through the dialogue between two characters, Caravaggio and Hana, and the setting of the passage. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay In the passage on pages 44-46, Caravaggio and Hana argue over Hana's relationship with another character, the unnamed English patient. The passage begins, “Caravaggio entered the kitchen and found Hana sitting leaning over the table” (44). The kitchen, more precisely the kitchen table, serves as a setting for the passage. The kitchen table is a traditional symbol of family, reflecting the relationship between Caravaggio and Hana, as Caravaggio was a friend of Hana's deceased father and therefore tries to protect her. The kitchen table setting reflects the dynamic between Caravaggio and Hana as he tries to protect her and she, on the other hand, does not want his help and advice. Another example of the passage's setting conveying the struggle between love and realism is seen when "She lifted herself...then stood against him as if to tear herself away from the magnet of the table" (44). By standing up to Caravaggio at the kitchen table, Hana demonstrates defiance and challenges Caravaggio's view of his relationship with the English patient. The metaphor of the magnetic table illustrates the tension between the two characters, through the setting. The setting of the kitchen table develops the struggle between Hana's love and Caravaggio's realism. This idea of ​​the struggle between love and realism is also manifested through the juxtaposition in the dialogue between the two characters. "'Why do you love him so much?' “I love him.” “You don’t love it, you love it.” (45). The back-and-forth nature of the dialogue conveys a sense of tension and conflict, as the characters compare love and adoration. The juxtaposition between love and adoration represents the conflict between Hana's carefree love and Caravaggio's harsh realism. Another example of juxtaposition in the passage's dialogue is "'You've become attached to a corpse for some reason.' » “He is a saint. I think. A desperate saint. (45) Caravaggio considers the English patient as a corpse while Hana glorifies him as a saint. The juxtaposition of these two views of the English patient reflects the two characters' conflicting ideals and the struggle between love and realism. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In conclusion, Ondaatje uses metaphors in the setting and juxtaposition in the dialogue to convey the conflict and struggle between Hana's obsessive love for the English patient and Caravaggio's realistic view of Hana's situation as way to protect her from her own love..