War

The English Patient is centered around the events of World War II, but markedly absent from its narrative is any mention—save the bombing of Hiroshima, which has great personal significance to the character Kip—of any of the major action or history of the war itself. Rather, it focuses on the personal experiences of war of the four main characters and, in doing so, portrays war as an endeavor that results not in glory, but destruction and, ultimately, betrayal to those who take part. Hana's letter to her stepmother Clara at the end of the novel most clearly states the betrayal of the war towards those who joined its efforts; Clara was the only one of Hana's family not to join the war effort, and Hana asks of her, “How were you not fooled like us?” What Hana—and the others—were “fooled” by was the sense...