Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

The ability to alter the way we do things to make ourselves more suitable for a situation is an essential characteristic of all life on Earth. Changes made to our lives, whether they are consciously made or not, are always stimulated by some external factor. This is exemplified in the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel in which Richard Parker becomes a quintessential animal and plays a key role in the survival of Piscine “Pi” Patel. An examination of Richard Parker's behavioral changes and his interactions with the environment will reveal that he symbolizes adaptation.

For the purpose of this paper, adaptation means the process of being adapted or changing to meet one’s needs. During the later part of the text, we see Richard Parker adapt to meet

Living in a zoo, he is not responsible for finding food. This dulls his animalistic character significantly. When Richard Parker found himself on the lifeboat, he needed to find food as Pi was not willing to provide for him. One way he did this was by killing fish. “Richard Parker was not familiar with sharks...turned and started clawing the shark’s head with his free front paw and biting it with his jaws, while his rear legs began tearing at its stomach and back...Richard Parker’s snarling was simply terrifying” (219-220). During his encounter with a shark caught by Pi, Richard Parker is using his animalistic abilities for what may be the first time in his life. We see that he initially struggles with the sharks because he is not familiar with prey. Admittedly, Richard Parker is an amateur when it comes to living on his own. Nevertheless, his animalistic instincts kick in and he begins viciously “tearing” at the sharks. Described as “simply terrifying,” Richard Parker has now fulfilled the character of the most feared animal on Earth. In just a few lines, Richard Parker has gone from a weak hunter to a menacing predator because he has changed to meet his new requirement for food. Richard

Viewing adaptation as the symbol of Richard Parker will allow you to ascertain why he and Pi change their lives depending on the situation. This makes for a better story because it connects the two characters’ journeys. For example, both go out of their comfort zones by becoming animalistic and savage. Failing to see Parker as adaptation will make you miss his connection with Pi and lose the meaning behind the characters changing. Additionally, if you do not see that Richard Parker symbolizes adaptation, you miss a major theme: Humans have an inherent will to survive. Understanding this theme is critical because it explains why Pi makes the choices he does. The theme also has implications for our own lives because it explains why humans change as well as animals. Understanding adaptation will allow you to see the parallels between Richard Parker and Pi in the way that they develop and will reveal a theme that may otherwise be