In the Skin of a Lion

by

Michael Ondaatje

Teachers and parents! Our Teacher Edition on In the Skin of a Lion makes teaching easy.

Rowland Harris Character Analysis

Commissioner Harris believes in the beauty of his work and trusts that the projects he is in charge of, such as the construction of the Bloor Street Viaduct and the waterworks, will be glorious additions to the city of Toronto. Despite these lofty ambitions, Harris proves indifferent to the plight of the many workers whose lives he presides over. He prefers to invent excuses for the workers’ exploitation than to actually confront the problem head-on.

Rowland Harris Quotes in In the Skin of a Lion

The In the Skin of a Lion quotes below are all either spoken by Rowland Harris or refer to Rowland Harris. 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 3: Chapter 2: Maritime Theatre Quotes

- You watch, in fifty years they’re going to come here and gape at the herringbone and the copper roofs. We need excess, something to live up to. I fought tooth and nail for that herringbone.

- You fought. You fought. Think about those who built the intake tunnels. Do you know how many of us died in there?

- There was no record kept.

Related Characters: Patrick Lewis (speaker), Rowland Harris (speaker)
Related Symbols: Dynamite
Page Number: 236
Explanation and Analysis:

You must realize you are like these places, Patrick. You’re as much of the fabric as the aldermen and the millionaires. But you’re among the dwarfs of enterprise who never get accepted or acknowledged. Mongrel company. You’re a lost heir. So you stay in the woods. You reject power. And this is how the bland fools – the politicians and press and mayors and their advisers – become the spokesmen for the age.

Related Characters: Rowland Harris (speaker), Patrick Lewis
Related Symbols: Dynamite
Page Number: 238
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire In the Skin of a Lion LitChart as a printable PDF.
In the Skin of a Lion PDF

Rowland Harris Quotes in In the Skin of a Lion

The In the Skin of a Lion quotes below are all either spoken by Rowland Harris or refer to Rowland Harris. 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 3: Chapter 2: Maritime Theatre Quotes

- You watch, in fifty years they’re going to come here and gape at the herringbone and the copper roofs. We need excess, something to live up to. I fought tooth and nail for that herringbone.

- You fought. You fought. Think about those who built the intake tunnels. Do you know how many of us died in there?

- There was no record kept.

Related Characters: Patrick Lewis (speaker), Rowland Harris (speaker)
Related Symbols: Dynamite
Page Number: 236
Explanation and Analysis:

You must realize you are like these places, Patrick. You’re as much of the fabric as the aldermen and the millionaires. But you’re among the dwarfs of enterprise who never get accepted or acknowledged. Mongrel company. You’re a lost heir. So you stay in the woods. You reject power. And this is how the bland fools – the politicians and press and mayors and their advisers – become the spokesmen for the age.

Related Characters: Rowland Harris (speaker), Patrick Lewis
Related Symbols: Dynamite
Page Number: 238
Explanation and Analysis: