The English Patient (3) & The Sweet Hereafter Trauma and the Communities “ beyond ” the Boundaries

Outline The English Patient Plot Summary and QuestionsPlot Summary and Questions EP ’ s re- interpretationsEP ’ s re- interpretations nomads vs. nations;nomads vs. nations Kip ’ s Changes;Kip ’ s Changes Hana ’ s Homecoming.Hana ’ s Homecoming The Sweet Hereafter Starting Questions Pied Piper Different Parents Different Parents and Difficulties in Communication The role of the LawyerThe role of the Lawyer; Wild Nature vs. Enclosed Space The Sweet Hereafter

Plot Summary Chap VI: the Buried Plane -- Caravaggio ’ s intrusion into the EP ’ s storytelling--the ending of 1942 told the first time. (p. 175) Chap VII: In Situ (meaning: in the natural or original position or place 1940) -- Kip ’ s story of being trained as a sapper; Kip vs. his brother; Erith, where Lord Suffolk die;

Plot Summary Chap VIII: The Holy Forest: Kip ’ s experience; Kip and Hana (217 - ). Chap IX: The Cave of Swimmers -- EP ’ s story of love re-told to Caravaggio (with two endings/interpretations of the ending) Chap X: August --the endings: birthday party; Hana and Kip ’ s communication; Kip ’ s experience of defusing bombs in Naples, Kip ’ s sudden departure, Hana ’ s homecoming.

Questions How are the EP ’ s views of his love for Katherine and the latter ’ s death changed over time? How does he “ heal ” himself? Besides being used by the nations, and physically and emotionally traumatized by the war, how are these “ international bastards ” influenced by national boundaries? What do you think about Kip ’ s radical response to the nuclear bomb? How is Hana ’ s homecoming different from Kip ’ s? Are there connections among the three remaining characters?

EP ’ s re-interpretations of their Relationships Chap IX – a lot clearer than the previous account; “ Death means you are in the third person ” ; re-ordering events (247-48) Their relationships: Reasons for their mutual attraction the story of Candaules pp conflicts -- e.g. p. 238;

EP ’ s re-interpretations of Katherine ’ s death Put paints on her body Alternating between self-questioning and broader views of time, desert space and life and death. Self-questioning-- curse pp. 257; demon-lover 260 Every person a gift in life; 257 “ jackal ” and “ historian ” ; One ’ s own body as a communal book 261

Nation vs. International Bastards [Madox – died because of nations 243; EP – “ wrong name ” 251 Caravaggio and EP – thief as a spy vs. intellectual turned into a vacuum ; Kip: marked (199) but invisible (196);

Kip ’ s changes Before the news of the nuclear bomb: agile, moves in relation to things ; danger and peace: always concentrated on defusing bombs and admiring the statues and paintings in churches; e.g. 273; Mutual support and communication between him and Hana 270

Kip ’ s changes After the news of the nuclear bombs in Japan: 283 – refusing EP; Brown races vs. Englishman 2886; Traveling against the direction of invasion 290; 295

Hana ’ s Homecoming The letter she writes to Clara her ability to connect and to face her father ’ s death; her vision of “ home ” and “ mother ” : confirms their plainness and independence.

Connections in the Endings Caravaggio – remembers Kip 208; EP – imagines Kip ’ s presence 298; Kip and Hana – lose contact after he does not respond for a year; Kip – still sees and thinks of Hana 300; Hana – the author still leaves space for her independence; The final connection – or lack of connection?

The Sweet Hereafter By Atom Egoyan; Adapted from the namesake novel by Russel Banks, who likes Egoyan ’ s adaptation a lot. (e.g. the addition of “ The Pied Piper. ” ) A film about the effects of deaths and losses. In the film, the children are all “ dead ” to their parents. For some critics, it is typical of Canadian films to not see death as an ending or a heroic closure, but as a process or an absent presence in life.

Questions What ’ s the significance of “ The Pied Piper ” ? What do the opening and ending images and the title of the film mean? How many “ fathers ” or parents are there in the film? How do they each relate to their children? What does Stephens try to do as a lawyer for the victims ’ families? Is he justified to do so? Why does Nicole lie in testifying? Whose fault is the car accident?

Opening

Ending

“ The Pied Piper ” The adults ’ betrayal; Children ’ s being lead an adult by the piper to a beautiful land with no return; One lame child stays behind. Possible contemporary allusions (in Middle Ages): black death; children ’ s crusade

“ The Pied Piper ” – The film ’ s adaptation not an allegory The adults, not breaking promises, but mostly unhappy; The pied piper in the film – not a revengeful figure, but one that (wants to) leads a group/a child. Death, Mr. Stephens, Sam Dolores? Billy, follows but not leading.

The Powerless: Dolores With an invalid husband; A loving person, her love for the kids shown on the photos she put on her wall; sees picking up the kids as picking up red berries to put in her basket.

The Powerless (2): The Ottos

The Powerless and Troubled Parents Billy – finding refuge in adultery, when actually he is obsessed by the past. Risa and Wendell – Risa, does not know how to deal with her son; the two always fighting

Fathers Betraying or Betrayed? Mr. Stephens & Sam

Stephens and Zoe Happy family life in Zoe ’ s childhood: dangers lurking underneath the happy surface

Stephens and Zoe distance between them, after many many disappointments which turns sadness into “ steaming piss. ”

Stephens and Zoe final communication: Still filled with tension but ending with their sharing of fear.

Sam and Nicole

Stephens as a lawyer believes that there is a reason for everything; transfer his grief onto the victims.

The Role of Snowy Landscape a contrast to the enclosed spaces of the car, the hotel room, the school bus and the airplane.

The Role of Snowy Landscape Smallness of human beings

The Sweet Hereafter

a space of sobriety and maturity after the experience of traumas. And everything is strange and new...