Literary Analysis Passion

Literary Analysis Passion

There is a difference between loving something, and having a passion for a passion can include many different emotions at once. A Passion, according to Dicitonary.com, is any strong or compelling emotion or feeling, as love or hate. Love is defined as a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for an object, activity, or person. Love and passion are both very prominent in the novel Bel Canto by Ann Patchett, but people's passions seem to stand out the most. Many characters newfound passions discovered through music, unexpected relationships, and already existing ones, give them hope and comfort while being held hostage in the story.

Music is a universal language that everyone can understand and be passionate about. In Bel Canto, music was a major part of the household for both hostages, and terrorists. Roxanne Coss, an extremely talented and universally loved opera singer, happens to be one of the hostages in the story, and her passion for singing brings joy to both her, and everyone in the house throughout the entire book. Her new accompanist, Kato, just discovering his passion for piano, and her share this passion for producing music, and even though they speak completely different languages, they use their talents to communicate with each other. On page 200, the narrator explains how "they circled each other, each one oblivious to feeling, each caring only for the music", showing how attached they both are to creating this beautiful music. However, they are not the only ones in the house who have discovered this new love for making music. A young terrorist named Cesar has just realized he actually has a lovely voice, and can sing very well. Everyone in the house sees the potential he has, even Roxanne, and when finding this out, he thinks to himself "how brilliant it was to sing! How wonderful to hear his own voice now" (Patchett 266). This newfound passion talent is extremely exciting to Cesar, and he hopes to pursue it when they eventually leave the house, showing that passion for music is most definitely present in these situations.

New and unexpected relationships are developing every which way in the house, and some even lead to love. Carmen and Gen are one of these relationships. Being from completely different parts of the world, and on different sides in the house, who would have expected they would fall so passionately in love with each other? On page 262, the narrator explains an intimate experience the two had, and how "he doesn't know to want for more because nothing in his life has been as much as this. At that moment he could have taken her away, he is pulling her closer". Gen feels this girl could be the love of his life, and he so passionately wants to run away with her forever. Another couple that developed in the house was Roxanne and Mr. Hosokawa. Although Mr. Hosokawas passion about Roxanne