The human pyramid represents the Ondaatje family legacy and Michael Ondaatje’s place in it. After spending a day with his Aunt Phyllis, listening to her memories of their family history, Ondaatje envisions himself stretched out like a star, standing on the shoulders of his relatives in the midst of a human pyramid. He stands near the top of the pyramid, though a few people stand on his shoulders as well. Ondaatje’s position amidst the pyramid of relatives suggests that he recognizes himself not just as an individual, but in the broader context of his family ancestry—one person amidst hundreds. His position near the top of the pyramid, standing on others’ shoulders symbolizes how his life is built on the legacies of those who’ve gone before him. Likewise, the people standing on his shoulders represent his own children, whose lives will similarly be built on the legacy Ondaatje himself leaves behind.
The Human Pyramid Quotes in Running in the Family
I see my own straining body which stands shaped like a star and realize gradually that I am part of a human pyramid. Below me there are other bodies that I am standing on and above me there are several more, though I am quite near the top. With cumbersome slowness we are walking from one end of the huge living room to another.
Ceylon falls on a map and its outline is the shape of a tear. After the spaces of India and Canada it is so small. A miniature. Drive ten miles and you are in a landscape so different that by rights it should belong to another country.
The Human Pyramid Symbol Timeline in Running in the Family
