The English Patient | Ideas for Group Discussion
Set against the larger context of a world war, The English Patient focuses closely on the lives and characters of only three men and a woman. A fruitful topic for discussion is how these two emphases work together, how the circumstances of war help define these four individuals and how their actions and interaction help convey a sense of the scope and the human cost of war. The chapter "In Situ" is an example of how well Ondaatje is able to present both at once. An account of Kip's early training as a sapper under the guidance of Lord Suffolk, an eccentric English aristocrat, the...
[The entire page is 514 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
Tell a friend about The English Patient at eNotes.
