Anthhropomorphism In Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

The novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a fantastical work in which the main character, Pi, who is the son of a zoo owner in India, recounts the story of how he was stranded at sea in a lifeboat with a zebra, orangutan, hyena, and a large carnivorous tiger. Having been around animals his whole life, the lead protagonist, Pi, presents anthropomorphism in the early stages of the novel. Through anthropomorphism and magical realism we are provided with the fantastical side of Pi’s journey. Anthropomorphism is seen throughout the novel through Pi’s description of the animals’ behavior, description of his environment, and his comparison of the animals to people he knows. All of these descriptions play into the fantastical nature of the novel. In one section of the novel, Pi remarks that the orangutan was “... bearing an expression profoundly sad and mournful” (Martel 156). This quote is an example of anthropomorphism in the

He uses this technique when describing Pi’s experience on the island, which is first portrayed as a heavenly island with pools of fresh water, an abundance of sweet algae for food and loads of innocent meerkats for Richard Parker. As Pi’s stay progresses on the island, he grows suspicious of the paradise and discovers that it is carnivorous. After being at sea for so long, the reader and Pi somewhat lose a sense of reality. They may not believe the story at first, but they believe this enigma as true. Nobody would believe the existence of a carnivorous island but by placing it in the middle of the uncertain ocean, they begin to consider that it may just have been overlooked. Also, by reasoning the occurrences on the island the reader wants to believe the events as true because it makes the story more interesting. By embedding some magical elements into the realistic fiction, the reader believes them to be true because the magic grips them and draws them into the