Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The English Patient-8

 The story has moved on to Kip's. He explains how he came to be a bomb defuser, the relationship with his mentor, Lord Suffolk, how he was killed and how he came to flee to Italy. Lord Suffolk, who taught him Indian man Kip not only about how to defuse the bomb but also about English culture, died during the mission. He was then promoted to the leadership position, but refused it and moved to Italy. While working under Lord Suffolk, he began to like English and their culture. Lord Suffolk has been kind to him obviously, but I personally cannot understand how he likes the country which conquered and devastated his own country. By the time the story was taken, India was under British control, and Britain did unimaginably cruel deeds to Indians. Relating this to me, I do not hate the country itself that invaded my country a few decades ago, but I still cannot forgive it for what it did to my country and ancestors. I do not hate it,  but I do not like it, either. While reading this part of the book, I thought that maybe Kip is more forgiving and flexible in nature than I am. He easily melts into foreign culture and likes it.

4 comments:

  1. Since I am Korean too, I can also relate to what you are thinking

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  2. Are you saying you have not melted into Canadian culture? Do you not like it? Are all immigrants of this mindset? or do you think this changes over time as one stays in a country?

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    1. I understand why there was confusion, I wrote the last sentence in a wrong way... What I tried to say is that Kip is more forgiving in nature because he can actually become fond of culture of the country that invaded and haunted his own country.

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    2. And for your question, since I came to Canada relatively lately (it has been two years), I cannot say that I'm perfectly melted into Canadian culture. There are many aspects that I'm still not used to live with. But I also think some aspects in Canada are better than those in Korea. I think I'll become more and more familiar with Canadian culture as I stay here longer.

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