Storytelling as a Means of Survival in Yann Martel's Life of Pi

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From Novel to Film: Storytelling as a means of survival in Life of Pi As Frank Herbert once said, “how often it is that the angry man rages denial of what his inner self is telling him.” In Yann Martel’s, Life of PI, the inner beast of Pi Patel, with the use of storytelling, is fabricated and given to the reader as a tiger. By the end, the novel leaves the reader with an appreciation of storytelling as being a means of survival, and the movie of the same name is able to capture the essence of that through the use of cinematic techniques, symbolism and characterization. In Ang Lee’s masterpiece, the flawless cinematography, in combination with the use of symbolic visuals and avid characterization, successfully delineate storytelling as being an effective method in a survival situation. In film, one of the most important channels of theme communication is through the use of cinematic techniques. The avid artistry displayed in Life of Pi, with a magic realism approach, amplified the influence of the camera angles in proving that storytelling is a means of survival. In the novel, Pi des...

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