The "paranoia and claustrophobia of hidden love" inevitably exact a significant toll, impacting not just the lovers but also their families, friends, and eventually, the war effort itself. The author doesn't provide a straightforward moral lesson. Instead, he poses questions. As the severely burned patient shares his story with Caravaggio while under the influence of morphine, he asks, "What had our relationship been? A betrayal of those around us, or the desire for another life?" Even after Katherine's husband's suicide and the forsaking of loyalties to colleagues and country, the dying man reflects, "What is so terrible in what I did? Don't we forgive everything of a lover? We forgive selfishness, desire, guile." Ondaatje's aim is not to pass judgment but to explore the heart's journey. We witness each character, whether physically wounded or emotionally guarded, trying to navigate pain and loss, seeking connection with those around them. Their capacity to do so is a testament to the heart's power to renew.