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In the Skin of a Lion
by Michael Ondaatje
This unit was prepared by Marilyn Pretorius,
Brigidine College, St Ives.
Writing tasks and essay questions
Writing Tasks
- How has growing up in the context of Australia in the latter part of the 20th century influenced your reading, or, the meaning for you, of In the Skin of a Lion?
- Ondaatje wrote about the immigrant experience in the first three decades of the 20th century in In the Skin of a Lion. How does this have relevance to you in Australia today?
Essay questions
- Can In the Skin of a Lion be said to have textual
integrity?
Critically analyse the novel in terms of the
definition of textual integrity given in the English Stage 6
Syllabus (i.e. "the unity of a text; its coherent use of
form and language to produce an integrated whole in terms of
meaning and value." page 143).
2. The following extract from the novel and following comment, is from a review of In the Skin of a Lion by reviewer, George Packer:
"The woman's bare feet rested one on top of the other on the stained-wood floor. A lamp on the desk, a mattress on the floor. In this light, and with all the small panes around her, she was inside a diamond, mothlike on the edge of burning kerosene, caught in the centre of all the facets."
According to Packer "the image of light
helps bind the unruly plot, as do other leitmotifs: explosions,
the colours of dyes and paints, human and animal skins,
labour." (George Packer (1987), 'Refractions' a
review of In the Skin of a Lion, in The Nation
October 17)
Do you agree?
3. "In the Skin of a Lion is worth reading and sticking with."
Do you agree?
4. Read the following extract from the above mentioned review of In the Skin of a Lion by George Packer:
"(At the end of the novel) Patrick and Hana set off on the drive that begins the book: they are going in search of Clara, and the man is telling the girl this very convoluted story. More convoluted in fact, than any summary, for Ondaatje always jump cuts, moves ahead, circles back, criss-crosses. A plot as twisted and fabulous as this is not in itself a bad idea. Where Ondaatje goes wrong is in not inventing madly enough. Patrick is the nexus of all the stories, "a prism that refracted their lives." Though forever setting off after a woman or trying to blow something up, he is basically a passive figure, alive for sensation rather than connection and action."
Evaluate the novel in the light of this
criticism.
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