In the Skin of a lion

In the novel, In The Skin Of A Lion, by Michael Ondaatje, Patrick Lewis is put through events and has certain expectations placed on him that greatly affect his perception and his method of handling situations that he is placed in. Patrick Lewis is always expected to be compassionate and affectionate towards others no matter what the situation, this leads him making some dramatic decisions in the book. He grew up in a very isolated area which always made him an immigrant towards wherever he went and this alienated him from everyone around him. Lastly, Patrick develops a relationship with Alice Gull which exposes him to a whole new world. Their relationship changes his perspective towards the people around him and his view of the world. Michal Ondaatje uses the expectations placed on Patrick, his life in isolation, and his important relationship with Alice to show Patrick`s journey of self discovery and the idea of adaptation and change. Michael Ondaatje starts the book off by introducing and expanding on a very key element towards showing Patrick’s self discovery and adaptation, his environment. Patrick Lewis is born and raised in a very isolated environment which causes him to make some decisions and learn live lessons in a very distinctive way. From his young years, Patrick is always isolated from the world, “He was born into a region which did not appear on a map until 1910, though his family had worked there for twenty years and the land had been homesteaded since 1816. In the school atlas the place is a pale green and nameless.”(Ondaatje 10). This quote clearly states how isolated Patrick is from the world as it was not even recognized on the map. Due to his isolation he is going to have no knowledge of the outside world causing him to be an immigrant to where ever he goes. The quote: “In the way he steps from the dark house and at the doorway of the glowing kitchen says to the empty fields, I am here. Come visit me” (Ondaatje 10) explains that due to a