Life of Pi: An Innocent Boy’s Awakening Throughout the story of Life of Pi, the main protagonist, Pi, goes from an innocent little teenager to a well-disciplined and highly respectable individual. Pi’s sidekick for most of the story is Richard Parker, a Bengal Tiger who tags along with Pi for most of the story’s duration. In addition, the main theme responsible for Pi’s great character development remains the Loss of Innocence, as Pi adapts to the true, harsh world. From experiencing thunderstorms adrift in the sea to coexisting with a tiger on a lifeboat, Pi is involved in incidents that completely alter his initially innocent character. Moreover, Pi, the main protagonist of Life of Pi, confronts the immense challenge of surviving the uncontrollable …show more content…
“I will not die”. I refuse to do it. I will make it through this nightmare” (Martel 163). This quote reveals Pi's fierce determination to defy the odds and emerge victorious from his battle against all the forces of nature. Through his unwavering determination and resilience, Pi confronts the raging sea with courage and fortitude, refusing to give in to the overwhelming forces set against him. Additionally, Pi navigates the complexities of coexisting with Richard Parker, recognizing the tiger as both a potential threat and an ally in his struggle for survival. “I had a chance so long as he [Richard Parker] did not sense me. If he did, he would kill me right away” (Martel 119). Pi's recognition of the potential threat posed by Richard Parker highlights the tricky nature of their relationship, characterised by a constant struggle for dominance and survival. “Then Richard Parker, companion of my torment, awful, fierce thing that kept me alive, moved forward and disappeared forever from my life.” (Martel …show more content…
“I was sixteen years old, a harmless boy, bookish and religious, and now I had blood on my hands.” (Martel 203). Pi's reflection on his lost innocence highlights the impact of his journey on his sense of self as he struggles with the brutal realities of survival at sea. “Tell me I'm still in my bunk on the Tsimtsum, and I'm tossing and turning, and soon I'll wake up from this nightmare.” (Martel 107). The protagonist, Pi, expresses desperate hope that the surreal and extreme events he's facing are simply a bad dream aboard a ship. Through the obstacles he faces on his journey, Pi confronts the brutal realities of nature with courage and resilience, ultimately emerging from his nightmare forever changed by the harsh truths he has witnessed. Through his journey of survival at sea, Pi confronts the brutal realities of nature, navigates the complexities of coexisting with a ferocious tiger, and grapples with the profound psychological toll of his experiences, ultimately coming out forever changed by the brutal truths he has
The protagonist, Pi is initially apprehensive to accept Richard Parker on the raft, but later comes to appreciate the tiger once he realizes this animal’s presence is crucial for his survival on the boat. First, Pi is scared and reluctant to accept his shadow self because it conflicts with his character and complicates his beliefs. This is evident when he says, “Together? We’ll be together? Have I gone mad? I woke up to what I was doing […]. Let go […] Richard Parker […] I don’t want you here […]. Get lost. Drown! Drown!!” (Martel 123). Though Pi recognizes his shadow self by encouraging Richard Parker to come on the boat, he soon realizes that he is about to accept his shadow self. He instantly regrets his decision and throws an oar at him in an effort to stop Richard Parker. His action symbolizes his denial and confusion he feels towards the extent of br...
...uals death by drowning. This is also shown through the psychological lens and the id versus ego. If one fears to go with his gut and always follows societal expectations, he will end up in danger. One should always go with his instinct to survive. Fear leading to death is also shown through the Marxist lens and taming Richard Parker. If one has total control of a situation and is fearless, he will survive. Lastly, this concept is shown through the deconstruction lens and his transformation through a reverse hero’s journey. If one who is prim and proper gets stuck in a situation like Pi’s, he can’t be afraid to revert to old primitive practices such as hunting and gathering. If one fears to do so in such a situation, he won’t live. This is fear versus life in the Life of Pi.
An id and ego split is also shown between Pi and Richard Parker. Richard Parker is an imaginary tiger that is created by Pi in order to keep him alive and focused on staying alive. Pi eventually abandons his superego and partakes in eating meat, even though he was a strict vegetarian prior to being lost at sea. Over the duration of Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, the story relates to Freud’s theories in several ways that are made blatantly obvious; these relations are what makes this story come together to keep the reader involved and interested. Works Cited Martel, Yann.
The projection of Richard Parker helps Pi to be aware of this current situation, which was him being stranded in the ocean on a lifeboat in comparison to his beliefs in his religions. His fear towards Richard Parker was one of the reasons of his survival. Pi says, “Fear and reason fought over answer. Fear said yes. He was a fierce, 450-pound carnivore. Each of his claws was sharp as a knife” (Martel 108). Pi describes Richard Parker as an extremely dangerous, fearful, and vicious predator. This causes Pi keep aware because he is on a boat with a deadly carnivore. He tries to keep awake at night while being on the lifeboat with Richard Parker from the fear of being attacked and eaten by the Bengal tiger. However, since Richard Parker is Pi’s id, it was actually him keeping himself aware and alive. Pi states, “If I still had the will to live, it was thanks to Richard Parker. He kept me from thinking too much about my family and my tragic circumstances” (Martel 164). This shows how Richard Parker occupies Pi’s mind and influences his thoughts about the tragic incident that has happened. The will to live for Pi is no longer his family, but Richard Parker, his id. Richard Parker taught Pi how to survive based on his instincts an...
Richard Parker in the novel represents more than what he is portrayed in the novel as. Richard Parker represents Pi’s aggressive and nonhuman side while surviving on the life boat. Richard Parker is portrayed as a killer that will kill anything that is harmful in his way. The story can be either interpreted as Richard Parker is simply a tiger or Richard Parker being Pi’s imagination as his killer side. Pi throughout the story is presented with many difficult tasks as a teenager surviving in the ocean all by himself. He takes on many of these tasks with the form of Richard Parker alongside using his killer instinct side to solve many problems. Richard Parker is portrayed as vicious, animalistic, and having this killer instinct to survive. These
His experience of being stranded on a life boat in the middle of the vast Pacific Ocean with the sole company of a 300 pound Bengali tiger was unimaginably difficult however he built character by observing his situations and finding solutions to overcome them. Pi learnt numerous advanced survival skills and developed a lot of quick thinking abilities to successfully survive for 225 days. Completing the hero’s journey is important in everyone’s lives, not just fictional characters as it allows opportunities for learning new skills and overcoming your biggest fears. Through the hardest stage of tests / allies / enemies Pi developed these skills by using the limited resources available to him and created life-saving equipment such as the raft to aid in his survival. Pi shows his extensive knowledge about animals as he manages to manipulate Richard Parker into allowing them to have equal territories on the lifeboat. His personal development is seen through his unshakable faith in his three Gods and his devotion to his religions. Throughout his struggles Pi does not once blame his God for the situation he is put in; rather, he thanks Him whenever he feels a sign has been given such as the storm or the two
This alternate ending plays a key role in understanding how to view the novel through Freudian lenses. Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis clarifies many troubling issues raised in the novel Life of Pi. Martel’s novel is about the journey of a young man being forced to test his limits in order to survive the unthinkable predicament of being lost at sea alongside an adult Bengal tiger. Life of Pi starts out by introducing an anonymous author on a quest to find his next big story and goes to a man by the name of Piscine Molitor Patel who supposedly has a story worth hearing. Patel begins his story talking about his childhood and the main events that shaped him such as his family’s zoo, the constant curiosity in religion he sought as a young boy and also how he got his nickname Pi.
Pi was afraid and surprised that Richard Parker was in the boat once he had lifted the blanket. Then Richard Parker had roared at him and tried to attack by his claws ,but pi had gotten away as soon as he did. Pi and Richard Parker started to roamed slowly around the boat in the middle of the ocean. Pi didn't trust Richard Parker because he knows that he only wanted to kill and eat pi. Pi tried to get rid of the tiger and then he tried avoiding the tiger, but as time goes on he got tired of trying get rid of Richard Parker. So then he began tame the tiger by using his whistle he had gotten from his locker. As he and Richard Parker started to get along through the past days,they have become really close friends.
Life of Pi, a book written by Yann Martel, is an inspiring tale of survival in a time of hardship and peril. The story follows a young boy ,named Piscine "Pi" Patel, through his early life and as he and his family make their journey to Canada aboard a cargo ship with many cages of zoo animals. However, halfway through their journey, their ship sinks and Pi's family perishes while he escapes on a lifeboat. However, he encourages a companion to climb onboard the lifeboat with him; a large tiger named Richard Parker. Thinking the tiger was gone after Pi found him missing, the large feline reappears some time later, much to Pi's dismay. Now, Pi has to survive not only the harsh conditions of nature, but also the malicious and feral instincts of
“A survival tale peels away the niceties and comforts of civilization. Suddenly, all the technology and education in the world means nothing. I think all of us wonder while reading a survival tale, 'What would I have done in this situation? Would I have made it?’” (Nathaniel Philbrick). Intermittently life unexpectedly thrusts unforeseen obstacles in ones way in which one does not foresee. Nonetheless, it is not the obstacle in which determines ones ultimate success, but the way in which they manage their desire and determination to overcome adversity. In the novel, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel the author exhibits how Pi’s dynamic charisma alleviates his fight for survival, while bring stranded with a Bengal Tiger in the Pacific. At the beginning of Life of Pi, Martel portrays Pi as a naive, virtuously youthful boy who soon becomes a very courageous, confident young man from the occurrence of unfortunate circumstances he encounters, in order to help him in his journey of survival. Pi is
As the reader examines the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the reader recognizes the similarities between the story of the animals and the factual story. The main character Piscine Molitor Patel, known as Pi, goes through many struggles once he is stuck on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean which are shown between both of his stories. Throughout the novel, Martel describes to the readers the relationships the Pi has between the animals in the story of animals and the real people in the factual story. In Life of Pi, Pi meets many different animals on his journey on the lifeboat that influence him in many ways, including the zebra, which represents the Taiwanese sailor; the hyena, which represents the chef; Orange Juice, the orangutan, which represents Pi’s mother; and the Royal Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, which represents Pi himself.
This is evident when Pi decides that he will not be bullied anymore or called “Pissing Patel.” When Pi moves to a different school, he tells the reader, “I planned my escape and the beginning of a new time for me.” This means that Pi is determined to stop the bullies and begin a new chapter of his life. One can perceive that persistence when he enunciates, “I repeated the stunt with every teacher,” referring to his approach of writing his name as the number pi (3.14) on the board. Pi adapts to his situation of enduring bullying through a strong sense of determination, allowing him to finally stop suffering the humiliation, and thus adjusting to his situation. Furthermore, Pi adapts to his situation of being afraid of Richard Parker through intense dedication. This is indicated when Pi, filled with courage, declares, “It was time to impose myself and carve out my territory.” Pi becomes determined to display to Richard Parker that he is his master, and to show him that he is not afraid of him. This is established when Pi tells the reader, “Then I made my point... my single-note language blasting from the whistle, and Richard Parker moaning and gasping…” He does
This unimaginable tale, is the course of events upon Pi’s journey in the Pacific ocean after the ship that Pi and his family were aboard crashes, leaving him stranded with a tiger named Richard Parker, an orangutan, a zebra, and a hyena. Pi loses everything he has and starts to question why this is happening to him. This is parallel to the story of Job. Job is left with nothing and is experiencing great suffering and he begins to demand answers from God. Both Pi and Job receive no answers, only being left with their faith and trust. To deal with this great suffering Pi begins to describe odd things which begin to get even more unbelievable and ultimately become utterly unrealistic when he reaches the cannibalistic island. Richard Parker’s companionship serves to help Pi through these events. When the reader first is intoduced to Richard Parker he emerges from the water, making this symbolic of the subconscious. Richard Parker is created to embody Pi’s alter ego. Ironically, each of these other animals that Pi is stranded with comes to symbolize another person. The orangutan represents Pi’s mother, the zebra represents the injured sailor, and the hyena represents the cook. Pi fabricated the people into animals in his mind to cope with the disillusion and trails that came upon him while stranded at the erratic and uncontrollable sea,
Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, is a fictional novel written in 2001 that explores the primacy of survival by employing symbolism, foreshadowing and motifs. This story follows the life of the protagonist, Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel, as he embarks on his journey as a castaway. After boarding the Tsimtsum which carries Pi and his family along with a menagerie of animals, an abysmal storm capsizes the ship leaving Pi as the only survivor, though he is not alone. The great Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, also survives the shipwreck and during the 227 days that Pi and Richard Parker are stranded at sea together, the two must learn to coexist and trust one another for survival. Through Pi and Richard Parker’s struggles to remain alive, Martel explores the primal idea of survival by employing literary techniques.
Having just experienced the sinking of his family’s ship, and being put onto a life boat with only a hyena, Pi felt completely lost and alone. When he sees Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger from his family’s zoo, it is a familiar face to him. His initial reaction is to save the life of his familiar friend so that he may have a companion, and a protector aboard the lifeboat. Suddenly Pi realizes just what he is doing. He is saving the life of Richard Parker, by welcoming him, a 450 pound Bengal tiger, onto the small lifeboat. He experiences a change of heart when helping the tiger onto the boat. Pi realizes that he is now posing a threat on his own life. With Richard Parker on the boat, Pi is faced with not only the fight to survive stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but the fight to survive living with a meat eating tiger. The change of heart that Pi experiences might possibly mean that he is an impulsive thinker. It may mean that he often does something on impulse without thinking it through, and then later regrets his actions.