Character Surrogacy and Vicarious Storytelling Yann Martel’s critically acclaimed and academically revered novel, Life of Pi, offers a formative insight into themes of the nature of religion; exploration of faith; the natural world; and above all, the art of storytelling, cementing his contribution to the literary community as a precedent for the application of narrative techniques. While all narrative techniques present themselves in this late 20th Century magnum opus, one may identify that the most prevalent of these for the advancement of the narrative include: backstory, foreshadowing, and frame story. In the expository chapters of Life of Pi, Yann Martel introduces himself as a character in the story; a nuanced examination of how an author …show more content…
One instance of this follows Pi’s father, the manager of the Pondicherry Zoo, Santosh Patel, demonstrating the fundamental laws of survival by feeding a goat to a starving tiger. He stresses the dangers of wild animals to his children in fear of their curiosity jeopardizing their safety. After the traumatic events that transpired, he candidly remarks “‘I want you to remember this lesson for the rest of your lives’” (Martel 34). After further inspection, it becomes clear that the purpose of including this story holds more relevance to the larger plot than what appears on the surface; it introduces a lingering conflict for our protagonist in the future. Additionally, another conflict presents itself to the protagonists shortly after. Set in the 1970s, this fictitious family faces a very legitimate threat to India at the time when Mrs. Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India, planned for the suspension of civil liberties to subvert the power to herself while she was in office. A political statue of this nature would hypothetically compromise Santosh Patel’s …show more content…
And the New India, or the family of it, would decide to move to Canada)” (Martel 75). It becomes inherently clear that, for better or for worse, the Patel family must uproot themselves and assimilate into a new country and a new culture, posing conflict for the future events of the story where much of Pi’s suffering occurs. By taking the time to thoroughly prepare his audience by establishing vital elements of his story, Martel demonstrates the extent of his craft to develop an extensive world and a cohesive chain of events. In essence, critics should not overlook Yann Martel’s narrative technique; in only the first third of the story, he exhibits clear expertise in the art of storytelling and world building. By implementing devices such as background, foreshadowing, and framestory, he augments an illusion of an authentic interview, or docufiction of a fabricated character who possesses visceral human qualities that parallel life, and struggles that offer an allegory for perseverance and acceptance and adaptation of one’s afflictions, such as that of the animals he symbolizes in his esteemed
future. In Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi, after the protagonist Pi survives months stranded in the ocean, the author claims his story has a happy ending. For Pi, his strategy to overcome his grief is through storytelling, using it to tell two contrasting narratives, one with animals and strong faith, the other more scientifically accurate with humans. Storytelling and belief in Pi is the ability to cope, control, and then create; the story with the animals allows Pi to write his own happy ending
We have survived. Can you believe it? I owe you more gratitude than I can express I couldn't have done it without you. I would like to say it formally: Richard Parker, thank you. Thank you for saving my life. And now go where you must. You have known the confined freedom of a zoo most of your life; now you will know the free confinement of a jungle. I wish you all the best with it. Watch out for Man. He is not your friend. But I hope you will remember me as a friend. I will never forget you, that
There are many ways that as humans we try to understand and make sense of the world around us. One of the ways we simplify our reality is using metaphors, they allow us to turn unfamiliar and complex concepts into explicit terms. In the Life of Pi the author, Yann Martel, uses metaphors to familiarize distant concepts with the reader. He allows the reader to understand and relate to incomprehensible events. After a cargo ship sinks in the middle of the Pacific ocean, a single lifeboat is all that
Piscine Patel in a extreme journey that he has never witnessed. In the novel Life of Pi written by Yann Martel, Oi Patel goes through suffering after barely surviving a ship wreck. His family had plans to move to Canada since India was stuck in a crisis and the Patel family was afraid that they would lose their zoo. They took a ship and set sail when they found themselves in a dangerous storm causing the ship to wreck. Pi finds himself the only survivor with an orangutan, a hyena, and a zebra with
Emma Kallenbach English 21 A Story About Storytelling In the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the sinking of a ship begins Pi’s journey through the Pacific Ocean in a lifeboat. Yann Martel writes through the eyes of Pi as he experiences an epic 227 day journey with a Bengal tiger as his companion. The novel, however, is known for its double-story ending. When Pi is finally safe on land and getting interviewed about his adventure, he reveals an alternative story about what happened, one that involves
novel, Life of Pi. Life of Pi is the story of Pi Patel, an Indian boy with unique experiences with religion and animals, surviving 227 days as a castaway with animals after the cargo ship transporting Pi and the zoo creatures makes an unscheduled stop at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Martel uses a philosophical, reflective tone as he illustrates the monumental changes Pi undergoes as his time at sea increases. CLAIM – In Life of Pi, Yann Martel uses symbolism to develop themes
Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a thrilling look into how far one’s belief in G-d can carry someone who otherwise would give up. Piscine Molitor "Pi" Patel, the novel’s protagonist, is an Indian man whose life is explored from childhood, both from his own point of view and the point of view of the author, who is interviewing after the events of the book. Pi believes in three different religions: Hinduism, the religion he grew up in, Christianity, the religion he found next, and Islam, which he found
Life of Pi by Yann Martel Pi, an irrational number, has never really been used to represent irrationality in a symbolistic manner in literature until it was cleverly paired with quite an irrational story in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. The book, published in 2012, takes place in India, Mexico, Canada, and in the Pacific, and is an astounding work of metaphors, hardship, and philosophical ideas about life and its irrationality. Perhaps pulling from his background of extensive travel and Philosophy
Life of Pi The daily struggles that one may face in life provide a basis of potential for self-discovery and personal growth. Many people will overcome these conflicts and emerge with a sense of empowerment and self-assurance. Canadian author, Yann Martel, showcases these interpersonal achievements through the eyes of Pi in his recent award winning novel, Life of Pi. Martel describes not only the emotional and physical struggles, but also the moral and spiritual struggles Pi must face as he fights