skin imagery: insects
October 24th, 2008 by 
parrishka
Your comment should contain:
- a relevant quotation, properly referenced
- an original observation or original quotation to support someone else’s observation
- engaging commentary about how your quotation :
- supports or develops an idea about an ongoing image pattern, theme or motif
- introduces a new idea about an ongoing image pattern, theme or motif
Posted in skin imagery | 
October 26th, 2008 at 12:25 am
I feel the image of the moth and its attraction to light can be related to Patrick. Moths are described as insect’s which are attracted to light and bask in its glory. In many instances in the opening chapter, Patrick has been searching for or noticing light. One instance is in the ice scene and Patrick’s obsession with the ice skaters. The narrator notes, “The ice shone with light. … Something joyous. A gift.”(21). This shows Patrick’s attraction to light – the ice - and his basking in its glory – admiring the wonderful ice skaters. The narrator continues on “There were about ten men skating, part of a game. One chased the others and soon as someone was touched he became the chaser. … This is what lit the ice…”(21). I feel that Patrick obsession with the light is very similar to that of which he notices on the window earlier and that the moth can very well foil our protagonist Patrick.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:24 pm
In the darkness of Patrick’s surroundings, he seems to notice the noise and the image of the insects on the window of the kitchen very profoundly. These little creatures on the kitchen window seem to grab a lot of his attention. ”Throughout the summer he records their visits and sketches the repeaters” (9). He also gives these creatures fictional names which show his interest in these creatures. He makes sketches of these tiny creatures. He even seems to understand the calls of these insects and yearns to be able to understand their language and be able to have a conversation with them which can be seen when the narrator tells us “He knows the robust calls form the small bodies of cicadas, but he wants conversation” (10). From my personal experience I also feel that he seems to be so interested in these creatures because of his feeling of loneliness. He turns towards this form of life to be able to communicate and share his feeling.
November 2nd, 2008 at 3:07 am
One thing that caught my attention that related to insects was the description of Nicholas “free-falling like a dead star” (35). This immediately reminded me of a Japanese animated movie, called “Hotaru no Haka” (Grave of the Fireflies), a story that took place in Japan showcasing the suffering of the civilians near the end of World War II. What caught my attention was how the narrator described Nicholas like a falling dead star. In the Japanese movie, the name ‘hotaru’ (firefly) is written with the characters ‘fire’ and ‘to dangle down’. As such, when reading the description in the book, it made me think of Nicholas as an insect, a firefly, and it made me think back to chapter one, where Patrick thought he saw the light of fireflies, but it turned out to be workers playing on the ice (20-21). As such, I`m starting to believe that insects aren`t just a fascination that Patrick has in the book, but I think that it`s starting to represent the lives of everyone. On one thought, this can be an interpretation that, even though humans are very powerful creatures, compared to everything that`s going in the world, we are as just as small as those fireflies - we contribute to the world, and when we die, the world and everything in it will still move on without us. Another thought that`s up for interpretation is if we look back on when the mention of any insect is present, we can see that the insects are usually mentioned when there`s the laboured, hard working people around in the story. The ones who are of lower class, who aren`t powerful in society, the ones who struggle in life in order to survive – to rich people or any other person(s) who hold all the power, these people are like insects. As such, it`s because of these thoughts that I can agree with what Afsar said about Patrick. He said how Patrick had this obsession with light, and how “the moth can very well foil our protagonist”. And I, too, think that, because to me, the insects symbolize everyone, especially the lower-classed, hard working people in the story, like Patrick, and like Nicholas.
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:31 am
As my peers have stated above darkness in the novel “In the Skin of a Lion” can be either positive or negative image. Why do many fear the darkness? Or is because the darkness renders our sense of sight useless making us feel limited or handicap. Maybe it is because within it anything can lurk and lays many mysterious. In my opinion a balance between light and darkness is required for the world to exist. This is similar to the Ying-Yang sign the Chinese use to describe the balance of light and Darkness. I believe both Temelcoff and Patrick are deep within the darkness. They don’t have a balance between the light and the darkness which they seem to be in search of. In little seeds as a place where he is within the light and it is the kitchen but it isn’t permanent. While Temelcoff finds light within the Nun which also isn’t permanent. Both Patrick and Temelcoff search for a person who cares and will be the light by there side. Here darkness can resemble the loneliness Temelcoff feels and yet the blackness can symbolize the costume of the Nun. The black she wears covers her up engulfs her and makes her sacrifice who she is. It seems like she tries to find a balance of who she is when the narrator notes, “…who looked through his belt-satchel while he slept, found his wide wire shears, and used them to cut away the black lengths of her habit” (48). It seems as if he she was trying to balance her dress or in other words the white and black in her dress. A Nun’s dress has a balance of light and darkness which I find similar to the Ying-Yang sign even though the dress has mostly black. It seems the darkness surrounding Temelcoff has vanished because of the light providing by the Nun. The darkness may seem like just negative image throughout this chapter but if you really think about it the darkness may have been the one too make her fall of the bridge but it also gave her the chance to be reborn as someone new confidentially.
November 2nd, 2008 at 4:36 am
Image of Ying-Yang sign of Chinese Culture:
http://www.webdesign.org/img_articles/4912/ying-yang.jpg
November 2nd, 2008 at 10:38 am
sorry disregard post supposed to be posted in darkness section
November 11th, 2008 at 1:44 am
So far in the novel, and especially throughout Little Seeds, insects have been a recurring image that has been emphasized. As we discussed in class, Ondaatje tends to repeat ideas so that we can pick up on the bigger picture that he is trying to inform us about. We know that Patrick has always been interested in insects and bugs, and spent most of his time with them. Even though we have finished Book I, my mind was still stuck on the part in the Little Seeds where the moth appears in the light and disappears all of a sudden, leaving Patrick curious (20). We know from our class discussion that moths and other insects are attracted to light, however that light can “burn” or “kill” them. So why go and take a risk at something when it’s harmful? Well, that’s the thought I have stuck in my mind. In the Little Seeds the narrator notes, “A blue moth had appeared on the screen, bathed briefly in light, and then disappeared into darkness. He did not think it would go far. He picked up the kerosene lamp and went out” (20). In this particular quote the moth appears in light since it’s attracted to it, and Patrick goes out in the “dark” when the moth vanishes. As I have stated above, moths are attracted to light but that same light can burn and kill them, so why bother going towards it? Even at the risk of losing its life, the moth is cautious in following its path of light. This may also serve as a moral, reminding us to be cautious, yet it still comes closer to light.
Some research presented me with information stating that in some cultures and through ancient readings, the moth in Tassograph symbolises a Dangerous attraction leading to unhappiness. Tassograph or Tassology is the art of divination (reading the future) by interpreting the signs and symbols found in a cup (usually a tea cup) after the inquirer has drained a cup of loose-leaf tea or coffee in which the grounds are allowed to float freely. Commonly associated with gypsies and witches but in fact practiced by many people. Tassograph was at its peak in Victorian England. Therefore after doing this research I thought that since moth is attracted to light, similarly to as Patrick is attracted to Clara. I thought of a moth representing Clara because when the moth vanished, Patrick was curious and went searching for it even in the cold dark night. Similarly Patrick is attracted to Clara and is curious even when he was with her and after she left. However, since the research states that “moth symbolises Dangerous attraction leading to unhappiness”, I feel that being too attracted to (moth=Clara) Patrick’s life might take a miserable turn affecting him negatively. Lastly, we have already noticed the sign of his life taking a downturn when he gets hurt badly after getting into a fight with Ambrose Small and I think that is because he is exceedingly attracted to Clara.
November 11th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Sorry, I forgot to mention my source of information/research.
here it is;
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_moth_symbolize
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_Tassography