Hana displays a sense of repetition and routine when caring for the patient, as displayed in: "she pours calamine lotion in stripes across his chest where he is less burned, where she can touch him- (Ondaatje 4). Ondaatje is writing as this event is taking place in the present, and then the patient begins to speak and tell stories of his past. The stories Ondaatje writes about Almásy's past are very vivid; it is as if the action is taking place in the present time.
They lie in each other's arms, the pulse and shadow of the fan on them. All morning he and Bermann have worked in the archaeological museum placing Arabic texts and European histories beside each other in an attempt to recognize echo, co-incidence, name changes " (Ondaatje 153).
Ondaatje writes in present tense about a past event. In this excerpt, Almásy is with Katherine in bed, enjoying their absurd affair. However, in reality, the English Patient is bedridden at the villa, because he is recovering from the intense burns, with Hana caring for him. Thus because the reader knows his state of being, it is impossible for this event to be taking place in present time. The postmodern aspect is a strong feature which adds to the confusion in the point of view of the novel. It becomes difficult to determine between past and present time in the way Ondaatje stylizes his work.
As a result of the third person omniscient point of view that the reader is able to learn the characters' histories and personalities. Ondaatje specifically creates the four characters in the novel to develop their own features. These features are used to support the corresponding characters and their corresponding plots. The English patient allows Hana to care for him, and Hana needs to feel needed. Caravaggio is Hana's anchor, and he provides insight into her history. At the same time, Caravaggio and Kip are allies, in that they are both from nations which are colonies, and allies in the war.
