Women's Different Destinies In The War-an Analysis Of The English Patient From The Perspective Of Spatial Criticism

Michael Ondaatje as a prestigious novelist in Canadian literature,specializes himself with his unique writing style as all his novels can be described as poetic novels.The English Patient is deemed as Ondaatje's masterpiece.After publication,it has been widely accepted by critics for its fragmented narrative and vivid description of the characters.Set in World War Two,The English Patient depicts the major characters' intricate life experiences of war in the novel through the elaboration of interrelated stories among the characters.Many critics are attracted by its fragmented and discontinuous narrative,and its unique style of breaking spatial and temporal boundaries.However,they have so far analyzed the novel from various perspectives,such as identity problems,post-colonialism,narratology,eco-criticism.There is still space for a further and deeper exploration from a new perspective like spatial criticism,especially concerning women's different destinies in the war.This thesis intends to analyze Hana's and Kathrine's destinies in the war in The English Patient in terms of physical space,social space and psychological space.Ondaatje reveals the two female characters' completely different destines in the novel:Kathrine loses her young life in the war;Hana heals her war-stricken heart and begins her new life.The author of the thesis first analyzes the different effects of spatial displacement on women's destinies in the war living in different physical spaces.Then it anatomizes the different women's destinies in different social spaces during the war,including the fatal effects of Kathrine's intricate love triangle and Hana's healing in a harmonious social relationship.Finally,it analyzes psychological changes and growths in both Kathrine and Hana due to their different war experiences,which result in their different destinies.By analyzing women's different destinies in the war from the perspective of spatial criticism,this thesis aims to emphasize women's different attitudes and behaviors in the cruel war.Although women have experienced enough of predicaments in the war,they should have a positive attitude to face it,just like what Hana does in the novel.This is also what Ondaatje attempts to express by delineating these two female characters' different destinies.