Paintings and allusions in English Patients Essay

Paintings and allusions in English Patients - Essay Example The essay "Paintings and allusions in English Patients" explores The English Patient, a recipient of the Man Booker Prize and the Governor General’s Award, written by a Sri Lankan-Canadian novelist, Michael Ondaatji. The reference comes to light when Kip surveys the chapel with his rifle telescope, â€Å"reached the great face and was stilled by it, the face like a spear, wise, unforgiving. (77)†. When Kip asks a fellow soldier about the true identity of the face, he learns that it is indeed the â€Å"great face† of Isaiah. The painting is a clear depicting of the catastrophic prophecies of Isaiah with regards to the Satanic bombing of Japan. The novel thus challenges the apocalypse (the nuclear bombing) by highlighting a community oriented eschatological society (through the means of Kip). The Queen of Sheeba, also known as â€Å"queen of the south† in the Hebrew bible, is in reality from a South African origin, which apart from other things, talks of kin g Solomon. In the book, The English Patient, her chastity is symbolized by the statue of Virgin Mary. In the passage from Isaiah 60:0; â€Å"And they from Sheeba shall come; they shall bring forth gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the lord.† This is a clear indication that Sheeba is indeed a provider of wealth and a friendly giver. Out here, the chastity of Kip was given a tight joust when catastrophe struck on Japan in the form of an atomic bomb. David and Goliath is a painting by Master Caravaggio, who happened to be an Italian Baroque master.