Escapism In Life Of Pi

From modern civilisation to a purely primitive existence adrift on the Pacific Ocean, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi illustrates how knowledge, religion, companionship and routine can be successfully combined to promote survival against “the incredible odds.” Pi’s terrifying adversity challenged his humanity and faith and forced him to find courage and endurance in his battle to live. His hope for an escape from death drove him to make difficult decisions while clinging to his religious beliefs.

Pi’s upbringing at Pondicherry zoo which he describes as ‘paradise on earth’,

provides him with extensive knowledge and valuable lessons that subsequently help him to emotionally cope with his trauma. As a “zookeepers son”, Pi’s understanding that only

one person can reign supreme in any given territory allowed him to use his knowledge and experience with training animals to establish his dominance over the “bloodthirsty” tiger and become the “super alpha.” The wealth of knowledge Pi gathered from the zoo allowed him to “intimidate” his wild “opponent” and avoid becoming the “next goat” for Richard Parker. Pi’s prior knowledge of tigers allows him to comprehend the different noises and expressions that Richard Parker uses which enhances his safety and helps him maintain his social superiority. Pi’s father unknowingly prepares him for the ordeal when he explains the predatory nature of wild animals and the importance of dehumanising them. After witnessing a “vicious” tiger “effortlessly” slaughter an innocent goat, Pi learns that “an animal is an animal” who lives a life of “necessity and compulsion.” This is a truth that Pi himself is confronted with when he “descend[s] to a level of savagery” in his struggle to cling to life.

Pi’s ingrained belief in God and unwavering blind faith as a child allows him to divert his attention from reality during his time of great tribulation on the Pacific Ocean, inhibiting him from completely relinquishing his sanity and entering the turmoil of spiritual destruction.

He sought comfort through routine and the practice of religious rituals which “kept [him] busy.” His religious multiplicity and diminishing awareness of time were the “key to [his] survival” as it prevented him from a “lonely half-life of physical comfort and spiritual death.” His dependence on religion provides an element of escapism which helps him through his traumatic experience. Even when Pi is in ‘moral torture’ and his faith is severely tested, he is certain that God will not abandon him and is still watching over him. Religious devotion is the key to Pi’s will to

survive.

Richard Parker ultimately became Pi’s saviour throughout their savage ordeal on the Pacific Ocean.

Pi was able to externalize some of his horror through the presence of Richard Parker, whose existence provided Pi with ‘peace’, ‘wholeness’ and the ability to cope with ’unforgiving laws of nature’. The “450 pound tabby” prevented Pi from succumbing to his ‘mental delusion’ as he realized that he needed to be strong enough to tame the “bloodthirsty” creature and assert complete dominance on the boat. Pi’s “plan” to care for Richard Parker prolonged his survival and gave him reason to thrive. Their symbiotic relationship fundamentally enabled both characters to “make it through [their] nightmare.” The combined effort of feeding, taming and avoiding Richard Parker required such concentration that it forces Pi to remain focused and resilient which arguably saves his life. The fearsome tiger also diverted Pi’s attention from dwelling on the tragic loss of his family. In Pi’s story, not only does he enable Pi to mentally survive, but Richard Parker physically saves him by slaughtering the French castaway who tried to kill him. The horrendous events which both characters were forced to endure fostered an inseparable bond which Pi relied on as his greatest fear was to be ‘left alone with despair.’

Life of Pi is truly a story of loss, faith and the ‘terrible, selfish hunger for survival’. Tragic circumstances challenge Pi to abandon his beliefs and release his intrinsic demon as ‘life will

defend itself no matter how small it is’. Despite the horrors that confronted Pi on his journey, he was able to find the inner strength to survive.