Life Of Pi Symbolism Essay

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Throughout the novel, “Life of Pi”, there are various, brilliant examples of symbolism hidden within the chapters. Although they may not be the most obvious, these symbols are most evident within the animals that Pi encounters inside the lifeboat adrift at sea. Each wild creature symbolizes a person that Pi has created to embody the many traits and diversities within the actions of the animals. The feeble and injured zebra aboard the boat is considered to be a youthful, Chinese “Sailor”, representing the vulnerabilities and struggles of everyday survival. The ferocious and menacing hyena signifies the immense malevolence of the world, and is referred to as the “Cook”. The kind and caring orangutan, Orange Juice is seen as a caretaker in …show more content…

Last of all, the large, domineering Bengal tiger, Richard Parker essentially portrays the power and strength that grows within Pi as he fights and persists on the vast Pacific Ocean. We can see how difficult it is for Pi to continue his endurance in Chapter 41 as the story reads, “I began to wait. My thoughts swung wildly. I was either fixed on practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain, weeping silently, my mouth open and my hands at my head.” The grief that Pi feels from the loss of his family and the fear he has of Richard Parker makes it particularly challenging for him to maintain his inner fight for survival. It seems entirely too complicated to truly discern whether the symbols within the animals are intended to be taken factually or whether they point to a greater purpose. Was Pi actually stuck on a lifeboat with four zoo animals? Were they possibly real people that Pi somehow morphed into these creatures to cope with his sufferings? Or did they even exist at all…maybe Pi was alone on the boat the whole time? Which account that Pi told to the interviewers when he is rescued are we supposed to believe? These are the complex questions that this novel poses to its readers, which is what makes the narrative of Pi’s life so captivating

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