Ondaatje's primary focus is on the "organ of fire"—the heart—and how it responds when "smashed" or "revealed in a new light." He doesn't aim to depict the essence of goodness, the triumph of virtue over evil, the healing power of love, or the toll of war. Instead, he explores how the heart reacts to different life situations, whether they are harsh or tender. Personal experiences like betrayal, loss, or love affect us more deeply than global conflicts. Count Almasy, who eventually becomes the English patient, burned beyond recognition after his plane is shot down, is initially a proud and independent desert explorer. His life changes when he falls in love with the married Katherine Clifton, feeling "disassembled by her." This revelation shifts his perspective, as he understands that "a man in a desert can hold absence in his cupped hands, knowing it nourishes him more than water."