Running in the Family - 3954 Words

Plot Summary A Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist and poet, Philip Michael Ondaatje, wrote Running in the Family. He is best known for writing The English Patient. But this book is not a work of fiction; instead, it is a memoir from his youth in Sri Lanka. The events happening in the book can be classified as creative non-fiction. The book is written in postmodern style, with writing from the perspective of different real-life individuals and refraining from stringing narrative together in an orderly fashion. The focus of the book is Michaels family. The Ondaatje family had lived in Ceylon for centuries, so he has a large number of relatives who live there. The main focus of the book is on his alcoholic father, Mervyn Ondaatje. He also†¦show more content†¦The third letter describes when one of Ondaatje’s siblings left for England. Their mother left the house to go to the port to say good-bye to her son. She couldn’t be out of the house for long, as her husband would wake up soon, and start drinking again. The fourth letter is from another sibling of Ondaatje and it describes how their father used all the pillows when he slept, and how he made his children massage his feet for ten minutes. The next letter is from a close friend or relative of Ondaatje and it describes when Mervyn’s wife had left him. She had acquired Para-typhoid, but Mervyn wouldn’t believe her. She convinced their servant that it was a serious illness and he went into town to phone person who wrote the letter. They arrived and took her to Colombo to put her in the Spittel’s Nursing Home. After she was released, she didn’t go back to Mervyn and lived with Noel and Zillah at Horton Place. The sixth letter is from a sibling of Ondaatje and it explains how he or she was lying in bed at night, and could hear the commotion from the other room. The next letter describes how Doris, Mervyn’s then ex-wife, had traveled to England after leaving Mervyn. She worked at the Mount Lavinia Hotel, and then the Grand Oriental Hotel. She would get frequent visits from her niece, Wendy, and about sixShow MoreRelatedAdvantage and Disadvange of Running a Family Business1181 Words   |  5 PagesBusiness The benefits of running of family business far outweigh the disadvantages. Relate this to your personal experience. Use specific examples and provide appropriate evidence to support your answer. The definition of family business is a group of family members have controlling shares in a business (IFC Corporate Governance). Today, most family has their own company or factory. The family business across the world and continue to be more hopeful. The research shows that family businesses are positiveRead MoreAnalysis Of Michael Ondaatje s Running Of The Family Essay927 Words   |  4 Pagesclassroom, instead could be found wandering about aimlessly. 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