An Interpretation Of The English Patient From The Perspective Of Spatial Theory

Born in Sri Lanka,educated in Britain,settled in Canada,Michael Ondaatje,is one of the most great and influential writers in Canada.In 1992,his most famous work The English Patient,won the Booker Prize,which is the highest honor of English novel.It was adapted as a motion picture,which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1997.Literary works possess dimensions of space and time.Due to the spatial turn of narratological studies,novels attract more attention on its spatial issues.With the presentation of multiple themes of war,love,nation and identity,the writer shows his exquisite narrative technique.A great number of researchers study this novel from such perspectives,however,few analyze it from the perspective of space.This thesis attempts to analyze the spatial construction of The English Patient from both the content and the form.Applying Lefebvre's Spatial Theory,this thesis aims to study the spatial construction of The English Patient from the content,including: the physical space,psychological space and the social space.Firstly,the physical space: Villa San Girolamo,African desert and London,will be analyzed.They are not just the place where story happens.Switching back and forth between the three places contribute to the narrative advancement.“African desert”,and “London” being the mark of lost time,are respectively the place of Almasy's and Kip's memory,representing the past,while “the villa” represents the present.The space of African desert and London are not static spaces,behind them are the political intentions of imperialist.Secondly,the psychological space of Almasy,and Kip,will be explored.The damage of war and nationalism to the humans leads to their psychological changes and outward manifestation.At last,the social space,from the fusion between physical space and the psychological space,is discussed in detail.It points out that the main characters are oppressed in the physical space which leads to their psychological change,and through establishing interracial relationships,their traumas are cured.It is of great significance for constructing a harmonious society.Adopting Frank's theory of Spatial Form,explore the spatial construction of this novel from the point of form.With multiple point of view,juxtaposition and repetitious narration,spatiality is achieved,and the writer presents the novel spatially.The analysis of the spatial construction in The English Patient from both the content and the form,provides a new perspectives for readers of understanding this novel,and digs out the historical and political significance behind space.In addition,it helps to understand the relation between space and theme of Michael Ondaatje's novels.