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Space in the English Patient View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives Space in The English Patient By Nina C. Bache A Thesis presented to the Department of British American Studies the University of Oslo In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Cand. Philol. Degree Spring Term 2004 1 Acknowledgements I would like to thank a few people who have supported me in the writing of this thesis. First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor, Jakob Lothe, for all his time, inspiration, and indispensable guidance. Further, I would like to thank all my friends for putting up with me during this time. Finally, my thanks go to Magnus Bøckmann, for all his support, consideration, and encouragement. 2 Table of contents Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... 2 Table of contents ........................................................................................................................ 3 Chapter 1. Introductory comments............................................................................................. 4 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 4 Michael Ondaatje ................................................................................................................... 5 The English Patient ................................................................................................................ 6 Space ...................................................................................................................................... 9 Minghella and his adaptation of The English Patient .......................................................... 15 Narrative Theory .................................................................................................................. 19 Postcolonialism .................................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 2. The typographical space ......................................................................................... 26 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 26 The Villa San Girolamo ....................................................................................................... 27 Architecture.......................................................................................................................... 28 Trompe l’oeil........................................................................................................................ 32 Identity ................................................................................................................................. 33 The notion of change............................................................................................................ 44 The desert ............................................................................................................................. 45 A nomadic aspect ................................................................................................................. 49 Borders ................................................................................................................................. 51 Chapter 3. The metaphorical space .......................................................................................... 55 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 55 The commonplace book ....................................................................................................... 56 Deterritorialization ............................................................................................................... 59 Intertextuality ....................................................................................................................... 60 The fragmented text ............................................................................................................. 62 The novel’s literary self-consciousness................................................................................ 66 Analepsis – a space of the past............................................................................................. 69 Prolepsis – a space of the future........................................................................................... 70 Ellipsis.................................................................................................................................. 72 Chapter 4. Space within film.................................................................................................... 74 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 74 Film language....................................................................................................................... 75 Differences between the book and the film.......................................................................... 76 The creation of space within film......................................................................................... 79 The Villa San Girolamo ....................................................................................................... 82 The shifting of scenes........................................................................................................... 84 The uses of sound within film.............................................................................................. 85 The desert ............................................................................................................................. 90 The commonplace book ....................................................................................................... 93 Chapter 5. Conclusion.............................................................................................................. 98 References .............................................................................................................................. 106 3 Chapter 1. Introductory comments Introduction This thesis is going to deal with fiction and film, and the work I have chosen to analyse is The English Patient, book and film. I will try to explore how the written and the visual media present significant constituent aspects of space in the two works of art. The phenomenon I am particularly interested in is space. The aim of this thesis is to examine space and problems associated with, and prompted by, this term. However, many topics are related to the concept of space. It is not a simple term; it is highly complex and comprehensive. Space can be compared to the meaning it has in our daily language. It can be a country, a city within the country, a house within the city, a room inside the house, a box in the room, and so forth. Space conveys many layers of meanings. One can interpret and attribute characteristics to the protagonists (also to the narrator and author) in accordance to the space they are placed within. Such a topographical definition of space makes it adaptable to the real world. However, it is also applicable in fictional work, such as The English Patient. It is related to narrative theory, as it is a location in which to place the protagonists, the narrator(s), and the author. Once space moves away from its physical context, it becomes a metaphorical concept, which is applicable to any abstract source. A text or a fragment may have an intertextual or deterritorialized space. In other words, space is not just a location that can be mapped or measured; it also includes an abstract dimension, such as literary features, thoughts, and mental patterns. This thesis aims to explore the issues that arise when examining space as presented in The English Patient. I will discuss how space is executed and created. I will also consider its functions, and the impact this has upon the characters. Space as a literary and filmic phenomenon is created and used in a number of different ways. In order to analyse these issues further, it is important to clarify the term space. It is 4 also necessary to give a brief introduction to the terms: adaptation, narrative theory, and postcolonialism, in order to provide a contextual frame for The English Patient. I will also give an account of my method. But before I start doing so, I find it important to introduce Michael Ondaatje, the author, as well as the book in question. I will also give an account of Minghella and his adaptation of The English Patient. These introductory surveys will be presented section-wise, as the intention is to create a background for the examination of space in The English Patient. Michael Ondaatje The role of a camera is to capture the light and movement of a moment onto film; the role of an author is to capture the immensity of life’s moments onto text. Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje attempts such mystical conjuration in both his prose and poetic prints, while still remaining true to the rhythms of the geographic peoples he mimics in his narratives. (Chandler) Michael Ondaatje was born on 12 September 1943 in Colombo, Sri Lanka (former Ceylon). His father was a tea and rubber-plantation superintendent, but unfortunately also
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