In the Skin of a Lion

by

Michael Ondaatje

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Cato Character Analysis

Alice Gull’s lover is a political activist who never appears directly in the novel. His political work forces him to keep a secret identity, and all that is known about him is that Cato is his war name. Alice and he share an intensely passionate relationship, marked by the secrecy of Cato’s work. He sacrifices his private life for the political cause he believes in, putting his own life at risk—and ultimately being killed—to organize unions and defend the rights of vulnerable members of the working class.

Cato Quotes in In the Skin of a Lion

The In the Skin of a Lion quotes below are all either spoken by Cato or refer to Cato. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Working Class vs. the Rich Theme Icon
).
Part 2: Chapter 1: Palace of Purification Quotes

His own life was no longer a single story but part of a mural, which was a falling together of accomplices.

Related Characters: Patrick Lewis, Alice Gull, Nicholas Temelcoff, Cato, Hana
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis:
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Cato Quotes in In the Skin of a Lion

The In the Skin of a Lion quotes below are all either spoken by Cato or refer to Cato. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
The Working Class vs. the Rich Theme Icon
).
Part 2: Chapter 1: Palace of Purification Quotes

His own life was no longer a single story but part of a mural, which was a falling together of accomplices.

Related Characters: Patrick Lewis, Alice Gull, Nicholas Temelcoff, Cato, Hana
Page Number: 145
Explanation and Analysis: