Despite negative views from the society, isolation reveals and strengthens the good in an individual as they are not manipulated from their surroundings. As shown in Life of Pi, where the main character’s alienation has an impact on the nature of humankind, his identity and morality. First of all, human beings are capable of adapting to any changes, which is why Pi has become a better survivor and has overcome many difficulties when he was isolated on the lifeboat. Furthermore, a person can discover their true identity when faced with hardship. Pi’s true self is revealed as he remained faithful to God till the end. Lastly, when alienated, Pi is forced to choose between good or evil in order to stay alive, and he chooses to take care of Richard …show more content…
After Pi’s family is killed at sea aboard the shipwreck of the Tsimtsum, he is forced to turn to his survival instincts. Alone on the lifeboat, Pi has many issues to face in addition to the tiger onboard: lack of food and water, predatory sharks, and horrible sea currents. As soon as he soon realizes that his most immediate threat is Richard Parker, Pi must establish his control over certain zones in the lifeboat. He pours his urine over the tarp to designate a portion of the lifeboat as his territory, and he uses his whistle to ensure that Richard Parker stays within his designated space. This success gives him confidence, making his other obstacles seem less impossible. In Life of Pi, he mentions, “I had to tame him. It was at that moment that I realized this necessity. It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me.” (Martel, 181) It is at this moment that Pi realizes it is not an option to kill Richard Parker, but Pi must tame the tiger and gain dominance through forcefulness. Pi also uses his intelligence by consistently collecting fresh drinking water using the solar stills. Another way, Pi becomes a better survivor is by no longer choosing to be a
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...
Isolation happens all the time, whether it is someone staying home ignoring the populous or a teenager ignoring his family it isn’t something new. In the two novels we have read this past quarter The Great Gatsby and The Catcher in the Rye isolation is one topic that is continually brought up. Different themes and issues are used in each book as a way to bring up and show isolation. Even though both novels use this topic The Catcher in the Rye does a better job of getting the reader to understand isolation than The Great Gatsby.
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...
The impact of isolation on an individual and their resulting response is examined throughout two texts, John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. The two authors communicate the significant initial negative responses the characters have to their specific isolation. In their texts, both Boyne and Martel express how learning to trust others and building unlikely relationships can lessen the impact isolation has on an individual. The difference of behaviour as a result of isolation of an individual is distinct and the contrast between the behaviours of certain characters awakens the reader to the impacts isolation has on an individual.
Isolation is a popular theme in Ray Bradbury’s short stories. It is in all the short stories that were read in class. I, personally, can identify with this theme because i suffer from depression and anxiety. I know that it is sometimes easier to be alone then to deal with people. I know what it is like to not want or be able to leave the comfort of home.
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.
He lives in a zoo, and is surrounded and influenced by animals daily. His knowledge of animals grows as he does, and he learns and sees new things year after year at the zoo. One peculiar, yet crucial thing that Pi learns while living in the zoo, is the concept of zoomorphism. Zoomorphism, “is where an animal takes a human being or another animal, to be one of its kind”(84). He explains that within the zoo that he spent his childhood, there were many cases of zoomorphism, from the strange friendly relationship between the goats and the rhinoceroses, to the even stranger friendly predator-prey relationship between a viper and a mouse. Pi then says that the only explanation for zoomorphism is that the “measure of madness moves life in strange but saving ways”(85). The rhinoceros and goats get along because the rhinoceros, “[is] in need of companionship”(85), and without the goats, the rhinoceros would become depressed and die. This explanation of zoomorphism is major foreshadowing and background on why Richard Parker and Pi can live together on the lifeboat. Like the rhinoceros, both Pi and Richard Parker would have died without the company of another being. The “madness” that is the relationship between Richard Parker and Pi, scares Pi and causes him stress. However, this stress and fear keeps Pi alive, and ultimately saves his life. Therefore, the story with the animals is true, because
Ridley Scott’s The Martian and Yann Martel’s Life of Pi effectively explore the potential outcomes of isolation. Both texts encapsulate a valuable sense of ingenuity, as well as mental stability portrayed through unexpected companions. Whilst solitary conditions destroy the protagonists’ mental and physical wellbeing, persistence and determination is developed due to detachment from humanity. In the presence of isolation, the protagonists’ obtain the ability to adapt to foreign environments, as well as alter the human psyche.
When Pi is first on the lifeboat, he has no idea that Richard Parker is on it with him. After a short period of time, Pi learns about Richard Parker’s presence with him. The sudden appearance of Richard Parker represents the needs for survival that have suddenly come to attention. Richard Parker, at first, seemed like an unconquerable beast, but with diligence and courage, Pi is finally able to tame him. This is a metaphor for when Pi gets stranded on the lifeboat. Pi finds that the need for survival is very sudden but over time he is able to develop these skills.
In the first version of the story, Richard Parker is a violent creature that helps Pi survive by providing him with company so he does not get lonely or go crazy. Pi says, “If I still had a will to live, it was thanks to Richard Parker… if he died I would be left alone with despair, a foe even more formidable than a tiger” (Martel 164). Pi also makes it clear that Richard Parker “will swim as far as he has to, to catch the drifting raft and the food upon it” (Martel 161). Because of Richard Parker, Pi has a companion, otherwise, he would be left with nothing to do except wallow in sorrow about his pitiful condition. Richard Parker also keeps Pi alert and keeps him engaged throughout the day. In contradiction, Richard Parker also is a burden. He makes Pi exert energy, takes up unneeded space on the boat and is a constant threat to Pi’s life. Pi needs to constantly makes sure that Richard Parker does
What was missing here to tame Richard Parker?... Survival was at hand. And so it came to be: Plan Number Seven: Keep Him Alive. ”(Martel 81)Pi is trying to find ways to tame Richard Parker and keep him alive. Pi is intelligent because when he was trying to feed Richard Parker he was teaching himself how to fish to get food for Richard Parker also Pi was using a whistle to keep Richard Parker
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.
Imagine taking a trip to a faraway land to start a new life and getting lost at sea. Picture being in a small boat with a Bengal tiger for more than 200 days with a limited amount of food and water. Life of Pi by Yann Martel tells the story of a boy who was traveling to Canada with his family when their ship sunk. The boy, Piscine Patel, was thrown onto a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Piscine, or Pi, had to survive 227 days at sea on a small lifeboat with a tiger. He had to watch his food and water intake so that he would never run out and he had to avoid the Richard Parker. Life of Pi by Yann Martel is an extraordinary piece of literature that exhibits the difference of personalities between characters and broadens the
At first, when he’s on the boat with the other animals, he is the smallest and weakest of the bunch. After watching the hyena, zebra, orangutan, and Richard Parker brawling, Pi found himself hiding and kneeling. “Curiosity got the best of me. I had to see her better. Despite the rolling of the boat, I brought myself to a kneeling position” (Martel 121). After Pi is done hiding from all of the bigger, stronger animals, he gets up and decides to watch it all unfold. This shows his insignificance because he is aware that he is the smallest and weakest of all of the animals on the boat. Eventually all of the animals die off and it is just Pi and Richard Parker left. While he is having a brawl with the tiger over territory and power, he is still terrified. At this moment to stay alive and show he is relevant and has dominance over the tiger, he yells and waves his arms and blows his whistle as loud as he can. However, even though Pi now established dominance over Richard Parker, he is still insignificant. “I saw my suffering for what it was, finite and insignificant, and I was still” (Martel 177). In this quote, he realizes that even though he’s suffering now, all these things still mean nothing in comparison to all that’s around him like the moon, the bright stars, calm waters, and the vastness of the