Trace the character sketch of kip in The English patient
Get the full solved assignment PDF of MEG-12 of 2024-25 session now by clicking on above button.
Kip (Kirpal Singh) is a crucial character in Michael Ondaatje’s The English Patient, embodying complex themes of identity, loyalty, and dislocation. As a Sikh sapper working for the British Army during World War II, Kip is tasked with defusing bombs, and his character offers a striking contrast to the other main figures in the novel. His background, profession, and internal struggles bring out essential ideas about colonialism, race, and individual agency in a global war context. Below is a detailed character sketch of Kip, focusing on his role in the novel and his emotional and psychological journey.
1. Background and Identity
Kip, whose full name is Kirpal Singh, is a Sikh from India who joins the British Army during World War II as a sapper (a bomb disposal expert). His enlistment is a significant point of tension in the novel, highlighting his complicated relationship with both the British Empire and his Indian heritage. Kip’s identity as a colonial subject fighting for the empire introduces one of the novel’s central themes: the personal and political complexities of colonialism.
Kip’s decision to join the British forces is partly influenced by his older brother’s political activism and anti-colonial sentiments. Kip, however, chooses to serve the empire rather than resist it, a decision that isolates him from his brother and reflects his internal conflict. He is portrayed as someone who compartmentalizes his identity, putting aside his cultural background and focusing on his role as a professional soldier. This detachment can be seen in his interactions with his fellow soldiers and the other characters at the villa, where he is reserved, almost emotionally distant. Yet, his internal struggles with his identity as both Indian and British linger throughout the novel.
2. Professionalism and Duty
Kip is defined by his meticulous professionalism and sense of duty. As a sapper, he is responsible for defusing unexploded bombs, a job that requires precision, focus, and bravery. His work is solitary and dangerous, demanding an almost meditative calm, which contrasts sharply with the chaos of war. Kip’s calm and methodical approach to his work reflects his disciplined personality, but it also reveals his ability to emotionally detach himself from both the dangers of his job and the larger political context in which he operates.
Kip’s professionalism is a form of self-preservation. His identity as a sapper allows him to function within the British military system while maintaining a degree of distance from the colonial power structure that he serves. He remains emotionally and politically disengaged from the broader implications of the war and his role in it. By focusing solely on his technical duties, Kip avoids confronting the moral and ethical questions surrounding his participation in the war, particularly as a colonial subject.
3. Relationships and Emotional Distance
Kip’s emotional detachment extends to his relationships with the other characters in the novel. He forms a close but complex bond with Hana, the Canadian nurse who takes care of the English patient in the Italian villa. Their relationship is tender but fraught with unspoken tension. Kip’s reserved nature makes it difficult for him to fully open up to Hana, and their relationship never develops into a deep emotional connection, despite their physical closeness.
Kip’s reluctance to engage emotionally with Hana can be seen as a reflection of his broader struggle with intimacy and trust. As a colonial subject in the British Army, Kip has learned to keep himself at a distance from others, both to protect himself from the racial prejudices he encounters and to preserve his own sense of autonomy. His relationship with Hana is characterized by a sense of impermanence, as if Kip is always on the verge of leaving or withdrawing emotionally, reflecting his transient position as a soldier and outsider.
Kip also has a complex relationship with the English patient, who serves as a symbolic figure of colonial power. While Kip works closely with the English patient and respects his knowledge, particularly regarding geography and exploration, there is an underlying tension between them. The English patient, who turns out to be Almásy, represents the imperialist figure who moves through different cultures without truly belonging to them, an idea that resonates with Kip’s own feelings of alienation as a colonial subject.
4. Loyalty and Betrayal
Kip’s sense of loyalty is another defining characteristic, but it is also a source of inner conflict. He is loyal to his fellow soldiers, to his role as a sapper, and to the British Army, despite the complexities of serving a colonial power. However, this loyalty is tested when the United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Kip feels a profound sense of betrayal by the Western powers he has been serving, particularly because the victims of the bombings are non-white. This event marks a turning point for Kip, as it forces him to confront the racial and colonial dynamics that he has tried to suppress throughout the war.
The atomic bombings make Kip realize that, despite his service and loyalty, he will always be seen as an outsider in the Western world. This moment of realization leads to a powerful emotional breakdown, where Kip finally confronts the feelings of alienation and anger that he has long kept buried. His decision to leave the villa and abandon his role in the British Army reflects his rejection of the colonial power structure and his desire to reclaim his identity as an Indian.
5. Colonialism and Race
Kip’s character is central to the novel’s exploration of colonialism and race. As a Sikh soldier in the British Army, he embodies the contradictions of colonial service. On the one hand, Kip is an exemplary soldier, performing dangerous and vital work for the empire. On the other hand, his position as a colonial subject means that he is always seen as “other” by his British comrades, no matter how skilled or loyal he is.
Kip’s interactions with the other characters highlight the racial dynamics of the colonial relationship. While he is respected for his professionalism, he is also treated with a degree of condescension and exoticization. His British comrades often view him through the lens of his ethnicity, rather than seeing him as an individual. This tension is a source of pain for Kip, though he rarely expresses it openly. His quiet dignity in the face of these racial dynamics underscores the novel’s critique of colonialism and the way it dehumanizes individuals based on race.
6. Transformation and Return
Kip’s transformation at the end of the novel is significant. After the atomic bombings, he rejects the Western world and its values, returning to India to resume his life there. This decision reflects Kip’s desire to reconnect with his roots and his heritage, as well as his disillusionment with the Western powers he once served. His departure from the villa symbolizes a larger rejection of colonialism and the power structures that have defined much of his life.
In the final chapter, we see Kip years later, living a more traditional life in India, with a family and a sense of belonging that he never found in the West. However, his memories of Hana and the villa remain with him, suggesting that, despite his return to India, the emotional and psychological scars of his time in the British Army have not fully healed. Kip’s character arc, from a detached and loyal soldier to a man disillusioned by the betrayals of empire, underscores the novel’s exploration of the lasting impact of colonialism on individual lives.
Conclusion
Kip is one of the most nuanced and compelling characters in The English Patient. His journey reflects the personal and political complexities of being a colonial subject in a global war. Through Kip, Michael Ondaatje explores themes of identity, loyalty, race, and the impact of colonialism. His internal struggles with identity and belonging, his professionalism and emotional detachment, and his eventual rejection of the Western world all contribute to his portrayal as a deeply conflicted but ultimately self-aware character. Kip’s character highlights the novel’s broader themes of dislocation, betrayal, and the search for a place of belonging in a world shaped by war and empire.