Essay on The English Patient

Identity is a group of characteristics, data or information that belongs exactly to one person or a group of people and that make it possible to establish differences between them. The consciousness that people have about themselves is part of their identity as well as what makes them unique. According to psychologists, identity is a consistent definition of one’s self as a unique individual, in terms of role, attitudes, beliefs and aspirations. Identity tries to define who people are, what they are, where they go or what they want to be or to do. Identity could depend on self-knowledge, self-esteem, or the ability of individuals to achieve their goals. Through self-analysis people can define who they are and who the people around them

When one talks about personal identity is often based on the prevailing belief that identity is constructed by morality, which forms within oneself. Although this is true, to create morality, one must look to outside influences. Using the novels, the Kite Runner and Mister Pip it can be proven that relationships, ethnicity, and important life events create a personal identity.

Personal identity is essential in the human experience. Identity is complex and can be broken down into two main groups: introspective identity, and bodily identity. Introspective identity is based off of the groups, mentalities, or beliefs that you align yourself with, and bodily identity is based off of the physical side of yourself. Whether physical or introspective, your identity impacts every action you take. Whether choices ranging from what colors you prefer to which college you want to attend are primarily based off of your introspective identity, which is a combination of both memory and consciousness, physical identity impacts how others perceive you. Consciousness is mainly the awareness of bodily identity as well as continuous introspective identify, while memory is awareness of introspective identity. These two different facets of identity are imperative in the distinction between bodily identity and introspective identity. In means of personal identity introspective identity (which is evident in memory), is essential, while bodily identity (based partially in consciousness) has less credit.

Society has played a dominant role for the personal identity of an individual based on where they are from or the culture they were raised with in. With an individual’s identity, one may encounter struggles or challenges. Based on where a person is from or their physical appearance, they may experience discrimination or prejudices in various forms and circumstances. In order to understand the basis of social identity, it is important to understand how social identities are formed and what they are, what social justice is and the process and goal for it to be achieved, and what the different types of oppressions are and where they can occur within society. Accordingly, social identity is made up of various components that may or may not result

Social identity is most commonly explained as a person’s awareness of who they are according to groups they assign themselves with (social class, teams, family, etc.). When I think about my own social identity I ask myself, “What defines me?” Social identities allow us to have a sense of belonging in a hectic world.

Personal identity is the idea a person develops about themself that evolves over the course of their life. One’s identity is created based upon their past experiences, how they view themself now, and what they will become in the future. Along with this, more ways identity could be created is by the choices one makes and what they believe in. People constantly change the way that they

Studies in social sciences offer other important insights about identities. Lemke (2008) presents five interesting perspectives on identities that can help us understand their relationship to beliefs and emotions. First, identities are multiple. It means that we behave differently in different situations (formal and informal) and settings (professional and intimate) and with different people (children or peers). Second, identities are multi-faceted and dynamic, they develop and change as who we are is constructed within the limitations of our interactions in different settings in our lives with different people. Third, identities are hybrid. Thus, sometimes we should act in more normalized ways than we would like to since there are some contradictions

Count Lazlo Almasy, the English Patient, is a man in an Imperial time and world. The people in this world live by Imperial rules and perpetuate Imperial stereotypes. The film takes place in World War II era Africa, and as the film portrays it, in the mysterious and exotic Sahara desert and in Cairo, Egypt. Count Almasy’s character lives in the desert among imperial explorers and in the desert environment full of natives who bring to life classic stereotypes full of ignorance and white prevalence and power. Ella Shohat and Robert Stam, authors of Unthinking Eurocentrism, believe that the Imperial attitudes that the British government and the Western imperial society initiated, continue today and are alive in the cinema. The film, “The

Identity in a sociological sense is more than individual genetics or individuality. Self identity is made up by many characteristics including; our personal experiences, beliefs, socio-economic status and other factors. Society plays a huge role in determining identity, although true identity generally isn’t a true reflection of an individual’s self identity. Over the generations there have been

Michael Ondaatje is a renowned Canadian author and poet known for his eloquent, lyrical style. His novel, The English Patient, published in 1992, serves as a commentary on the complexity of human relationships and the significance of national identities. The story is primarily set in Italy after World War II; however, it is impregnated with flashbacks from Kip, Caravaggio and most importantly the English patient. The flashbacks from the English patient, Almásy, are the most significant because they shed light on his mysterious past. He neglects to tell the other inhabitants of his past due to his hatred for ownership and nationalities. Much of Almásy’s non-injured existence revolves around his desert expeditions and his torrid love affair with

Taylor (2012, p 167) defines social identity as ‘an identity given by connections to other people and social situations. (Often contrasted with personal identity). Some examples are group and collective identities, situated identities, given by the immediate situation so liable to change, and relational identities, usually given by a two-sided, possibly unequal, relationship’. Taylor (2012) argues that a collective identity can be that of gender, race, age and many more. However, this does not mean that once a collective identity has been formed that all the people within that collective identity have something in common or share the same interests. People who form part of a collective identity will still have a personal identity ‘an idea of who she or he is’ (Taylor, 2012, p 170). Taylor (2012) argues that social identity is not completely separate from personal identity. For example some people would argue that being socially

In Michael Ondaatje’s "The English Patient," is set before World War II, critically illustrates four dissimilar characters who meet together at the Villa San Girolamo, an Italian monastery. Simultaneously, there is a groundbreaking love story happened among those four characters under that time frames. Those four main people are included, a burned Englishman Ladislaus de Almasy, a twenty-year old French-Canadian Army nurse Hana, a Sikh British Army sapper Kip, and Canadian thief David Caravaggio. However, the burned English man, was called “The English Patient,” who is being taken care by Hana in an abandoned Italian monastery. Then, there are two more characters, David Caravaggio, Kip, both come meet together at the villa.

One’s identity is who or what a person is and how they are perceived by themselves and others. Your identity defines who you are and where you fit in. It is a self-representation of your interests, relationship, social activity and much more. Some believe our sense of identity and belonging is shaped by various factors, including our experiences, relationships, and our environments. Conversely, others believe that personality is shaped by nature, and that one is defined by their biological characteristics and hereditary traits passed down from previous generations. Nevertheless a combination of both nature and nurture shapes us throughout life. For a majority of the population their journey to find their identity and belonging can often

Stets, J. E., & Burke, P. J. (2000). Identity Theory and Social Identity Theory. Social Psychology Quarterly , pp. 224-237. Retrieved from <

In the novel, a number of themes have been outlined by Ondaatje such as race, ethnicity, identity, history, nationalism, Western colonialism, romance, war, and the human body. The setting also shifts to different locations such as Cairo, deserts in Africa and England. The problem of identity is one of the most important issues for the post-modern epoch. The English Patient is a novel that questions the nation and nationalism that shape identities through colonial and anti-colonial nationalisms.