What Is A Barrier In The Skin Of A Lion

The human need to develop relationships with other people is the need to connect with them and this is a desire within people that is very strong. The strength this need possesses is often strong enough to overcome many of the struggles that may come with developing relationships. Communication is essential in being able to foster meaningful relationships with other individuals and language barriers may put a strain on a relationship. However, the human need to make meaningful relationships is powerful and individuals are often able to find ways to overcome this adversity. In the excerpt from In the Skin of a Lion, written by Michael Ondaatje. The protagonist, Patrick lives in a place where he constantly feels isolated. All around him live
the Macedonians, but these people speak a different language and this makes him feel like an alien, until they are able to find a way to overcome this adversity.
The human need to obtain a meaningful relationship becomes so powerful that individuals are often forced to overcome obstacles in the way of developing these relationships.

Patrick works alongside immigrants that do not speak the same language that he does. He is constantly surrounded by people; however there is a separation between Patrick and the Macedonians. This disconnect is due to the lack of communication and understanding between them. The absence of companionship creates feelings of isolation and belittlement in Patrick. Patrick felt as though “he had reduced himself to almost nothing”. This feeling came from not being able to have meaningful relationships with the people around him. When Patrick is constantly alone and without anyone to connect with, it becomes very easy for him to start feeling less than, inferior. He feels as though he has reduced himself to practically nothing, because he is not able to express himself. The lack of expression means that the people around him are not truly able to know him. This emotion makes Patrick feel hollow. Nevertheless, Patrick does not feel this way for much longer because he and the Macedonians are able to find a point of interest, his suit, “and suddenly Patrick, surrounded by friendship, concern, was smiling,
feeling the tears on his face falling towards his stern Macedonian-style moustache”. Once Patrick is able to establish a relationship with the Macedonians, he is filled with joy. Longing for friendship is a feeling that as humans will never disappear, it is something that humans will always long for. After friendship is stripped away from Patrick for a long period of time, he is overwhelmed with its return. This becomes a very significant moment for Patrick. The human need in Patrick to have a meaningful relationship was so powerful that even though there was a significant barrier between them, they were able to find a way to communicate. Once a relationship was founded, Patrick learned their names and he was invited to lunch as their guest of honour. It was special to him because he was sitting at “a table of new friends”. This is something that Patrick hasn't had in a long time but it was exactly what he needed, despite the obstacle between them. The Macedonians accepted Patrick as a friend and Patrick feels grateful to have friends and to finally feel like he belongs.

Similarly to Patrick, I also have wanted to pursue a relationship where a language barrier had been placed.
A few years ago, my parents told me that we were going to be expecting some guests. I was told that my relatives were coming to visit. Our guests were a middle aged married couple; they were supposedly related to my mother in a way I don't quite understand. The couple was not from here, they were visiting from Lebanon, the country my parents are from. I was born here and I have never been to Lebanon. This distance has resulted in my poor Arabic language skills. I am able to speak at a basic, conversational level but asking elaborate questions and being able to fully decipher long stories is a challenge for me. My relatives did not know much English either. The lack of a shared language resulted in a disconnect between myself and my relatives. They were staying for a week and after meeting them I realized that I wanted to know them better, their different lifestyles and experiences intrigued me and I deeply wanted to be able to talk to them. I wanted to hear more about the other relatives that I have but have never met and about the country that I originate from. The language barrier I was faced with was eventually overcome. My parents played a role in helping me overcome this adversity. They were able to help me learn more and expand my vocabulary. They also helped me by translating what I was trying to ask my relatives. With this experience I was able to build a new
relationship, and I learned a lot from them as well. Despite the divide between us, we were able to find ways to overcome the adversity and nurture a meaningful relationship.

Relationships are a part of everyone’s life; each individual has some sort of a relationship whether that may be with family, friends or peers. These are the people in an individual’s life that help them get through the tough times but they are also there to share the happy times with. This makes having meaningful relationships important to people, as people often look forward to having someone by their side. Patrick is overwhelmed by the happiness that was introduced into his life from finally being understood by someone, despite the language barrier. I also felt happy due to the relationship I gained with my relatives. The need to obtain relationships that are meaningful is able to overcome any adversity that may hamper the development of a relationship.