The English Patient

How does the landscape and setting of the novel—specifically the Villa San Girolamo and the country around it—reflect the inner lives of the characters? What significance does Tuscany hold in the novel?

How does the novel use cartography to talk about ideas like identity, community, and history? What does geography mean to different characters throughout the text?

Analyze Caravaggio’s character arc throughout the novel. How is he shaped by his professional identity as a thief and his reactions to the concepts of intimacy and community? What is his role and significance in The English Patient as a whole?