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In the Skin of a Lion Anaylsis Essay
Discuss the ways in which textual forms and features shape your understanding of In the Skin of a Lion.
Michael Ondaatje's postmodern exploration of the early, developmental years of Canada, In the Skin of a Lion, is expressed through multiple
perspectives, with no dominant perspective or omniscient narrator. The narrative is presented as fragmented and contains interruptions from intersecting
perspectives. The presence of class conflict forces the characters to experience extreme adversity, with their contributions to building the society going
unnoticed until Ondaatje has addressed their social exclusion. Through reinterpretations of motifs and symbols, Ondaatje adds new dimensions to
events in history and characterizations, whilst the...show more content...
Whilst Harris perceives it as symbol of life and creation, water ironically takes the lives of the workers in the Waterworks with the water "heaving in,
shouldering them aside in a fast death" if they dig "just one degree up." The harsh and tedious conditions of the work, "pissing where they work, eating
where someone else left there shit", dehumanizes the workers, insulting their inherent dignity and contrasting the imagery of opulent structure they are
building. Harris notes the "Egyptian feel" of the palace, equating his works to that of the pyramids which coincidentally draws a link to the cruel
treatment of the workers and how bodies have similarly been entombed in the structure during construction. Ondaatje, however, recognizes their
contribution in revealing glimpses of certain characters; the voiceless and marginalized become recognizable as the novel progresses
Ondaatje presents Patrick Lewis as character amongst the lower class to demonstrate the fluidity of identity, through the journey he undertakes, which
allows him to emerge from passivity. Patrick's quest to gain enlightenment is reflected in the prologue, as he drives through the "unbetrayed"
countryside, introducing implications of hope and maturation whilst isolation and alienation is indicated through the prevailing image of darkness.
This sense of isolation is further expressed through Patrick's childhood. Ondaatje addressed the roots of his "abashed"
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
The Lion King Movie Analysis Essay examples
Today's world requires leadership to compete and succeed. The rapidly changing conditions in the workplace demand adaptive leadership styles, and
the success of an organization relies on leaders evaluating and applying effective leadership styles before workplace failures occur. The Disney's
animated movie "The Lion King" portrays a combination of leadership styles and changing conditions. We chose to analyze Mufasa, King of Pride
Rock, and explain his use of the Path–Goal Theory and its different leadership approaches based on who he was leading and the situation. Additionally,
French and Raven's Five Bases of Power is presented in order to highlight Mufasa's success in leading the Pride Rock Kingdom, while simultaneously
using the...show more content...
The theory asserts that there are five main forms of power: Reward, Referent, Legitimate, Expert, and Coercive. These five bases fall into two
categories: Personal Power, which results from a leader's individual characteristics, and Positional Power, which stems from the leader's
hierarchical position2. Mufasa was more successful in leading his subordinates when he used personal power as opposed to when positional
power. For example, Mufasa succeeded in teaching Simba to pounce, using a referent relationship with Simba as well as his own expertise in
pouncing to guide his son4. He however failed as a leader when he commanded Simba not to explore the elephant graveyard5 (see Exhibit 3). He
would have been more effective if he provided expert reasoning to Simba in a friendly tone, and explained that there were ruthless and murderous
hyenas that lived in graveyard. French and Raven's Five Principles of Social Power offer a useful insight into Mufasa's successful and unsuccessful
leadership of the Pride Rock Kingdom.
Zazu acted as a counselor to Mufasa in the same way Tom Hagen did to The Don. They had a relational and psychological contract between them, in
addition to a trusting relationship. Zazu portrayed all three components of trustworthiness to Mufasa – competence in the way he carried out his tasks,
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
Descriptive Essay On Lion
Cherry Mae Colong
Professor Gina Crawford
English 101
29 October 2017
Lions (A Descriptive Essay)
Majestic, noble, and brave, this famous iconic wild animal on the planet has captivated the people since the beginning of time. They are most feared by
other animals thus, known as the king of the jungle – no other than the lions. Member of the genus Panthera, the lion is one of the big cats in the Felidae
family. A lion's head and body size average about 4.5 to 6.5 feet and tail of about 26 to 40 inches in length. A lion also weighs about 265 up to 420
pounds and a size relative to a 6–foot human. These mammals are also carnivores. Lions have always seen hunting in groups called pride. While lions
generally avoid a full–grown elephant, lions still prefer their preys large like the zebras, buffaloes, and giraffes. Poised as the top animal in the
ecological pyramid, lions have strong physical qualities, fascinating reputation, and an unfortunate decreasing number of population.
Without a doubt, lions have strong physical qualities. One, in particular, is the lions' amazingly strong forepaws. So strong and powerful that a lion
could kill a hyena in just one blow. Also, a lion's muscular body has less bone mass compared to the other animals, which makes it responsible for its
graceful movements. Each of their paws is equipped with soft pads, making them soundless as they move. A lions' eyes are well–adapted in low light,
an advantage for them to go hunting at night. A
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
"In the Skin of a Lion," by Michael Ondaatje
In the novel, "In the Skin of a Lion," by Michael Ondaatje, the main character, Patrick Lewis, searches for identity and light. Without these elements,
he lacks love and cannot survive the world. A passage in chapter three describes him as a lonely man that is isolated from the world around him.
"Clara and Ambrose and Alice and Temelcoff and Cato
– this cluster made up a drama without him. And he himself was noting but a prism that
refracted their lives. He searched out things, he collected things. He was an abashed man, an inheritance from his father. Born in Abashed, Ontario.
What did the word mean? Something that suggested there was a terrible horizon in him beyond which he couldn't leap....show more content...
He has no purpose in life; he just searches. The thing that he is looking for is light. This ambiguous concept of light Ondaatje presents throughout the
novel is not ordinary light, but one that illuminates the void of darkness. Just like the moths that Patrick is intrigued by that only tend toward light at
night, Patrick only seeks light when there is none around him. Patrick continues his eternal search for light because he has none of his own to emit.
The central theme behind many stories is the loss and regaining of identity. Patrick has no identity of his own, and his only way of gaining a
temporary one is through light. "And he himself was nothing but a prism that refracted their lives." (Ondaatje, pg.157) A prism, by definition,
refracts light into a spectrum of colors. Correspondingly, Patrick contorts other characters' identities as his own. The readers are introduced to this
concept of reflecting light even before the novel begins. This is indicated by, "(D)riving the four hours to Marmora under six stars and a moon."
Patrick is the moon; he can only reflect a star's light. When reflecting light from the six stars, the main characters in the novel, Patrick is able to gain a
temporary identity. This is what Patrick is searching for– his true identity. Throughout the novel, Patrick becomes like the people he associates with,
and he gains a temporary identity and purpose. He takes on Alice's quest to dissolve the
Get more content on HelpWriting.net
In the Skin of a Lion Essay
In the Skin of a Lion Historical Obliviousness in Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion
Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion narrates the forgotten stories of those who contributed to the building of the city Toronto, particularly
immigrants and marginal individuals. In the very first page of the novel, Ondaatje stresses the concern with personal narratives and the act of
storytelling: "This is the story a young girl gathers in a car during the early hours of the morning [...] She listens to the man as he picks up and brings
together various corners of the story..." (4). Similar to Crossing the River, there is a framework story, that of a man telling a story to a girl, that opens
and ends the novel and gives coherence to...show more content...
However instead of employing historical contexts to create the tension, Ondaatje makes subtle but explicit comments on historical oblivion to
individuals and their stories. History is implicitly considered as a master narrative that allows no space to articulate local narratives and to account for
the richness, variety and complexity of human experience. To counterbalance the omissions and partiality of the historical master narrative, the
alternative Ondaatje proposes is to privilege and celebrate a plurality of private and local narratives that give voice to the forgotten of History.
Caravaggio, for example, is sadly aware of his being left out of the History of the city he has helped to build. Like Nicholas Temelcoff, he is
painfully conscious of his anonymity and marginality: "He was anonymous.[...] He would never leave his name where his skill had been. He was
one of those who have a fury or a sadness of only being described by someone else" (199). His story has never been legitimised. When Nicholas
Temelcoff realises "how he has been sewn into history. [He decides] he will begin to tell stories" (149) to appropriate his own life. As the title of the
novel indicates, to take responsibility for one's own story and for its narration is a way of legitimising and appropriating one's life in order to
compensate for historical omissions. Alice's explanation of the meaning of the title emphasises the importance of telling personal stories: "Each person
Get more content on HelpWriting.net

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In The Skin Of A Lion Anaylsis Essay

  • 1. In the Skin of a Lion Anaylsis Essay Discuss the ways in which textual forms and features shape your understanding of In the Skin of a Lion. Michael Ondaatje's postmodern exploration of the early, developmental years of Canada, In the Skin of a Lion, is expressed through multiple perspectives, with no dominant perspective or omniscient narrator. The narrative is presented as fragmented and contains interruptions from intersecting perspectives. The presence of class conflict forces the characters to experience extreme adversity, with their contributions to building the society going unnoticed until Ondaatje has addressed their social exclusion. Through reinterpretations of motifs and symbols, Ondaatje adds new dimensions to events in history and characterizations, whilst the...show more content... Whilst Harris perceives it as symbol of life and creation, water ironically takes the lives of the workers in the Waterworks with the water "heaving in, shouldering them aside in a fast death" if they dig "just one degree up." The harsh and tedious conditions of the work, "pissing where they work, eating where someone else left there shit", dehumanizes the workers, insulting their inherent dignity and contrasting the imagery of opulent structure they are building. Harris notes the "Egyptian feel" of the palace, equating his works to that of the pyramids which coincidentally draws a link to the cruel treatment of the workers and how bodies have similarly been entombed in the structure during construction. Ondaatje, however, recognizes their contribution in revealing glimpses of certain characters; the voiceless and marginalized become recognizable as the novel progresses Ondaatje presents Patrick Lewis as character amongst the lower class to demonstrate the fluidity of identity, through the journey he undertakes, which allows him to emerge from passivity. Patrick's quest to gain enlightenment is reflected in the prologue, as he drives through the "unbetrayed" countryside, introducing implications of hope and maturation whilst isolation and alienation is indicated through the prevailing image of darkness. This sense of isolation is further expressed through Patrick's childhood. Ondaatje addressed the roots of his "abashed" Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 2. The Lion King Movie Analysis Essay examples Today's world requires leadership to compete and succeed. The rapidly changing conditions in the workplace demand adaptive leadership styles, and the success of an organization relies on leaders evaluating and applying effective leadership styles before workplace failures occur. The Disney's animated movie "The Lion King" portrays a combination of leadership styles and changing conditions. We chose to analyze Mufasa, King of Pride Rock, and explain his use of the Path–Goal Theory and its different leadership approaches based on who he was leading and the situation. Additionally, French and Raven's Five Bases of Power is presented in order to highlight Mufasa's success in leading the Pride Rock Kingdom, while simultaneously using the...show more content... The theory asserts that there are five main forms of power: Reward, Referent, Legitimate, Expert, and Coercive. These five bases fall into two categories: Personal Power, which results from a leader's individual characteristics, and Positional Power, which stems from the leader's hierarchical position2. Mufasa was more successful in leading his subordinates when he used personal power as opposed to when positional power. For example, Mufasa succeeded in teaching Simba to pounce, using a referent relationship with Simba as well as his own expertise in pouncing to guide his son4. He however failed as a leader when he commanded Simba not to explore the elephant graveyard5 (see Exhibit 3). He would have been more effective if he provided expert reasoning to Simba in a friendly tone, and explained that there were ruthless and murderous hyenas that lived in graveyard. French and Raven's Five Principles of Social Power offer a useful insight into Mufasa's successful and unsuccessful leadership of the Pride Rock Kingdom. Zazu acted as a counselor to Mufasa in the same way Tom Hagen did to The Don. They had a relational and psychological contract between them, in addition to a trusting relationship. Zazu portrayed all three components of trustworthiness to Mufasa – competence in the way he carried out his tasks, Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 3. Descriptive Essay On Lion Cherry Mae Colong Professor Gina Crawford English 101 29 October 2017 Lions (A Descriptive Essay) Majestic, noble, and brave, this famous iconic wild animal on the planet has captivated the people since the beginning of time. They are most feared by other animals thus, known as the king of the jungle – no other than the lions. Member of the genus Panthera, the lion is one of the big cats in the Felidae family. A lion's head and body size average about 4.5 to 6.5 feet and tail of about 26 to 40 inches in length. A lion also weighs about 265 up to 420 pounds and a size relative to a 6–foot human. These mammals are also carnivores. Lions have always seen hunting in groups called pride. While lions generally avoid a full–grown elephant, lions still prefer their preys large like the zebras, buffaloes, and giraffes. Poised as the top animal in the ecological pyramid, lions have strong physical qualities, fascinating reputation, and an unfortunate decreasing number of population. Without a doubt, lions have strong physical qualities. One, in particular, is the lions' amazingly strong forepaws. So strong and powerful that a lion could kill a hyena in just one blow. Also, a lion's muscular body has less bone mass compared to the other animals, which makes it responsible for its graceful movements. Each of their paws is equipped with soft pads, making them soundless as they move. A lions' eyes are well–adapted in low light, an advantage for them to go hunting at night. A Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 4. "In the Skin of a Lion," by Michael Ondaatje In the novel, "In the Skin of a Lion," by Michael Ondaatje, the main character, Patrick Lewis, searches for identity and light. Without these elements, he lacks love and cannot survive the world. A passage in chapter three describes him as a lonely man that is isolated from the world around him. "Clara and Ambrose and Alice and Temelcoff and Cato – this cluster made up a drama without him. And he himself was noting but a prism that refracted their lives. He searched out things, he collected things. He was an abashed man, an inheritance from his father. Born in Abashed, Ontario. What did the word mean? Something that suggested there was a terrible horizon in him beyond which he couldn't leap....show more content... He has no purpose in life; he just searches. The thing that he is looking for is light. This ambiguous concept of light Ondaatje presents throughout the novel is not ordinary light, but one that illuminates the void of darkness. Just like the moths that Patrick is intrigued by that only tend toward light at night, Patrick only seeks light when there is none around him. Patrick continues his eternal search for light because he has none of his own to emit. The central theme behind many stories is the loss and regaining of identity. Patrick has no identity of his own, and his only way of gaining a temporary one is through light. "And he himself was nothing but a prism that refracted their lives." (Ondaatje, pg.157) A prism, by definition, refracts light into a spectrum of colors. Correspondingly, Patrick contorts other characters' identities as his own. The readers are introduced to this concept of reflecting light even before the novel begins. This is indicated by, "(D)riving the four hours to Marmora under six stars and a moon." Patrick is the moon; he can only reflect a star's light. When reflecting light from the six stars, the main characters in the novel, Patrick is able to gain a temporary identity. This is what Patrick is searching for– his true identity. Throughout the novel, Patrick becomes like the people he associates with, and he gains a temporary identity and purpose. He takes on Alice's quest to dissolve the Get more content on HelpWriting.net
  • 5. In the Skin of a Lion Essay In the Skin of a Lion Historical Obliviousness in Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion Michael Ondaatje's In the Skin of a Lion narrates the forgotten stories of those who contributed to the building of the city Toronto, particularly immigrants and marginal individuals. In the very first page of the novel, Ondaatje stresses the concern with personal narratives and the act of storytelling: "This is the story a young girl gathers in a car during the early hours of the morning [...] She listens to the man as he picks up and brings together various corners of the story..." (4). Similar to Crossing the River, there is a framework story, that of a man telling a story to a girl, that opens and ends the novel and gives coherence to...show more content... However instead of employing historical contexts to create the tension, Ondaatje makes subtle but explicit comments on historical oblivion to individuals and their stories. History is implicitly considered as a master narrative that allows no space to articulate local narratives and to account for the richness, variety and complexity of human experience. To counterbalance the omissions and partiality of the historical master narrative, the alternative Ondaatje proposes is to privilege and celebrate a plurality of private and local narratives that give voice to the forgotten of History. Caravaggio, for example, is sadly aware of his being left out of the History of the city he has helped to build. Like Nicholas Temelcoff, he is painfully conscious of his anonymity and marginality: "He was anonymous.[...] He would never leave his name where his skill had been. He was one of those who have a fury or a sadness of only being described by someone else" (199). His story has never been legitimised. When Nicholas Temelcoff realises "how he has been sewn into history. [He decides] he will begin to tell stories" (149) to appropriate his own life. As the title of the novel indicates, to take responsibility for one's own story and for its narration is a way of legitimising and appropriating one's life in order to compensate for historical omissions. Alice's explanation of the meaning of the title emphasises the importance of telling personal stories: "Each person Get more content on HelpWriting.net