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Essay / Prove that history, reality and memory are essential through In the Skin of a Lion
The central idea of In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje is the presentation of the marginalized voice, which is consistent with his motivation to write postcolonial fiction texts. It offers an alternative version of events to reveal the truth experienced by a particular group of people. In this case, it is about the Canadian migrant who fights for political, cultural and social sovereignty in an effort of solidarity and a presence faithfully recorded in history. However, this text can also be read as postmodern because it explores different perspectives through the triumphs and tribulations of the main characters, who present different versions of reality, while being connected in time and space. Through this metafictional work, Ondaatje asserts that reality, history and memory are inevitably subjective. This is the essential quality of the text. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Ondaatje reveals the untold stories of the marginalized through protagonist Patrick Lewis and the intersections of his life with other characters. To this end, a disjointed narrative technique free of strict chronological sequence is used. Through the poetic prose, we sense Patrick's quiet voice, his "easy to control" character, and his isolation from "a heat that is the smell of men." Like the Finns who only have the warmth of cows to feel a connection with humanity, Patrick feels “deliriously anonymous” in his own country and plays the ocarina “to give himself a voice”. Later, as an "immigrant" to Toronto, Patrick is inspired by the migrant workers who head to the waterworks "silently" but emerge "out of the darkness, like a moth... [with] noise and light” to create a puppet show. This show is not only a celebration of humanity and multiculturalism, but also the mechanism by which Ondaatje gives forgotten migrants a voice to tell their struggles, lost in blinding capitalist visions. Patrick, here, always considers himself “the third person in the picture”. But thanks to Alice, who gives him “energy, confidence”, he manages to recognize that “everyone has their moment when… they take responsibility for the story”. From Patrick's involvement with migrant workers, he is presented with the first snapshot of the political life in which he chooses to become involved. The shy and reserved boy is suddenly thrust into a world where individuals must claim their rightful place. The author thus shows that unofficial histories constitute a source of identity for the excluded. Patrick's encounters with the personal and profound versions of history activate his sense of political interest. This interest translates into action when Patrick eventually confronts Commissioner Harris at the symbolically cleansing waterworks to tell his story and reserve a place in history. Ondaatje uses the imagery created by the "lights" at the end of the text to illustrate how Patrick, like the recurring motif of the moths, emerged from the darkness and silence of the tunnels to live with solidarity and a faithfully recorded presence in history. The presentation of alternative histories of people in the text, which differ from the official histories, facilitates a postcolonial reading of the narrative. Exploring postmodernist concerns and emphasizing that “never again will a single story be told as if it were the only one.” », Ondaatje integrates stories.