As I reach deeper into the book, I realize that the personalities and behaviors of the characters appear rather unfamiliar to me. Above all, they are going through the brutality of war, while I can only imagine the hardship of living under gunfire. The characters in the novel are somehow more cautious, calm, and tough-minded.
Hana, a young nurse who takes care of a critically
burned English patient, appears to me as the most complex character so far. She
does not reveal much about herself. Her stubborn and altruistic nature is
exposed as she refuses to leave the dangerous war zone and insists to look
after the burned patient. Most importantly, she never seems to be expecting
anything in return. Just like the old saying has stated: to give without any
reward has a special quality of its own. Suddenly, a new inquiry comes to me:
how many people in today’s society are willing to sacrifice themselves to help
others like Hana does?
The English patient has been a young, honorable
soldier, but is now all damaged by the inhumane war. His life is entirely
changed. Without the nurse, he is nothing more than a feeble, helpless, and
disabled man. However, I believe that he is unlucky and lucky at the same time.
It is his good fortune to meet such an altruistic nurse, who is willing to take
care of a severely burnt soldier without anything in return.
So far in the story, there is almost no dialogue,
not even many words exchanged between the two characters. However, through
subtle actions and gestures, a solid level of trust is shown between them.
Maybe this is another gist of the novel—communication does not always present
in a well-developed relationship.
All in all, the author keeps on
leaving massive space for the readers to imagine and explore what should be
grasped through the novel.
I definitely agree that communication does not always represent a well-developed relationship. As far as I can tell, mutual trust and respect for another proves to be a more important factor in order for relationships to thrive. Also, I took into consideration your inquiry question. Perhaps, that is why high schools and universities require the certain amount of voluntary hours. For instance, one can be very academically strong, but may lack the ability to cooperate and show contribution to their community or peers. Although of course, the volunteer hours we do are mandatory (in a sense), they are a starting ground for people to build on their altruistic character.
ReplyDeleteWhat I understand from your reading and personal relect on the book, I find out that communication is a very important tool. This tool is important because this tool is a way to communicate with people, friends, and family to talk about anything you are having troubles or any general ideas.
ReplyDeleteBeing a soldier out in the battle field is another biggest challenge that he or she could face, such as facing with fears with/toward the enemies, in order to survive through diseases and horrible conditions. Overall, this book might have some interesting facts or ideas that could possible happen in our lives, too.
Looking forward to seeing the action with your Inquiry Question!
ReplyDeleteKeep up the reflections...they're all due soon!