Life of Pi, written by Yann Martel, is one of Canada's most acclaimed books. It tells the story of sixteen-year-old Pi Patel's journey as he discovers religion and his own determination and strength. This book is highly recommended for many reasons, including the insightful views expressed on religion and life, the interesting facts on zoology, and the author's unique talent in making something that at first glance seemed totally unrealistic become reality - humor inserted along the way!
First of all, it is obvious that Pi Patel learns to have a very open mind when it comes to religion as he has embraced three of them, resulting in a unique Hindu-Christian-Muslim identity. His interesting views on the different religions lead the readers to broaden their horizons and have an open mind to different religions. His analogies were also quite humorous. For example, when comparing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ to his father feeding him to the lions because the latter killed two llamas, a black buck, a camel, painted storks, grey herons, and "who's to say for sure who snacked on our golden agouti?"
In addition, Pi Patel's journey helped him have a great view of life and its value, allowing him to give many anecdotes that make the reader stop and think. For example, "I have nothing to say of my working life, only that a tie is a noose, and inverted though it is, it will hang a man nonetheless if he's not careful."
Secondly, this book is packed with zoological information, including mating, hunting, and sleeping habits of a variety of animals from hippopotamuses to "meerkats" (small African carnivorous burrowing mammals). It also includes many circus trainer tactics for lions and tigers, such as using foreign surroundings, having an erect posture, a calm demeanor, a steady gaze, a fearless step forward, a strange roar, etc. Pi Patel's very original view on how animals are indeed happy in a zoo was very enlightening for anyone who has ever felt sorry for the entrapped animals, feeling that the latter were not "free." According to this boy, animals in the wild are driven by necessity in an environment where the supply of fear is high and the supply of food is low, whereas the environment in a zoo is quite the contrary. Also, animals are quite territorial (no matter what the territory is) and they protect it, not because they are prisoners of it, but because they are landholders of it.
Each author has the same purpose in writing about the elephant studies and there are many similarities and differences in which the elephants behaved.
Miss Brill and Pi posses the ability to emotionally attach themselves to a fur and an animal. Miss Brill connects with a fur. She is so close to her fox fur, that she sees herself in it. It is just as old and useless as she is to the world. Except when she goes out on Sundays. It gives her comfort. It is her closest thing to a friend in the cruel world she lives her life in. Pi befriends a tiger. Richard Parker becomes Pi’s only companion. He was there through the good and the bad. All they had was each other for months. When he looses his friend, it seems to be more than he can bear. “I wept like a child. It was not because I was overcome at having survived my ordeal, though I was. Nor was it the presence of my brothers and sisters, though that too was very moving. I was weeping because Richard Parker had left me…(...
Sports are entertaining to watch and play. The athletes are having the time of their lives playing the sport they enjoy. However, playing sports come with a disadvantage. Concussions are apart of the list of disadvantages. Concussions are a result of a traumatic brain injury. Symptoms of concussions can be headache, dizziness, and even lack of consciousness. Some collisions can cause permanent damage, sometimes even death. Unfortunately, there are many sports where concussions are very common. High school athletes are more susceptable to concussions, although they occur at any age and in any sport. Agencies should enforce rules to prevent the amount of concussions occuring as a result of high contact sports and provide adequate funds for adequate safety equipment.
Martel’s novel is about the journey of a young man being forced to test his limits in order to survive the unthinkable predicament of being lost at sea alongside an adult Bengal tiger. Life of Pi starts out by introducing an anonymous author on a quest to find his next big story and goes to a man by the name of Piscine Molitor Patel who supposedly has a story worth hearing. Patel begins his story talking about his childhood and the main events that shaped him such as his family’s zoo, the constant curiosity in religion he sought as a young boy and also how he got his nickname Pi. Mr. Patel continues explaining how his father contracts a Japanese ship to transport his family, along with a number of their zoo animals, from India to Canada in order to avoid political upheaval. While traveling the ship began sinking and Pi was the only one to manage to make it onto the life boat and survive the wreck. The disaster left Pi along with a fe...
The history of change regarding the varying displays of animals has been gradual yet profound. A clear shift has been evident surrounding the role and nature of a zoo’s position within society. When assessing zoological history it seems that there are three distinct phases. From the early collections where animals were kept and used for religion, hunting and entertainment to the private menageries in which wild animals were contained as a sign of wealth, dominance and privilege and more recently the development of zoos as modern ins...
Many famous athletes have had life altering occurrences as a result of incurring a concussion from the sport they play. While this is mostly associated with football, there are many other sports in which concussions can and do occur. Awareness of the activities which may cause a concussion as well as ensuring that symptoms of the concussion are identified are critical to ensuring the safety of sports participants. Currently, 47% of all athletes fail to report that they are having symptoms of a concussion. In 2012, 3,800,000 concussions were reported which was double the amount reported just ten years earlier. Due to increased public awareness, this number has increased over time but is still a very low rate for such a serious, life threatening injury. Although, it is simply the nature of sports that concussions will occur, prevention is definitely something which can be enhanced through improved coaching of sports techniques and having athletes educated to the dangers associated with a concussion. Interestingly enough, not all concussions are caused at the actual competitive sporting event with one third occurring at a sports
Athletics provide and develop kids with invaluable skills such as teamwork and determination. However, with some of those benefits comes the potential of a serious injury. Recently, concussions have been a major topic of discussion in the sports world. Many retired players of contact sports, including but not limited to, the National Football League (NFL) and the National Hockey League (NHL), have reported experiencing changes in their lifestyle both physically and psychologically. Concussions are a serious injury as they not only impact one’s life immediately but can also impact his or her future. It is important that we understand the science behind concussions and formulate ways to protect ourselves against them.
Religion is and always has been a sensitive topic. Some choose to acknowledge that there is a God and some choose to deny this fact to the death. For those who deny the presence of a higher being, “Life of Pi” will most likely change your thought process concerning this issue. Yann Martel’s, “Life of Pi”, is a compelling story that shows the importance of obtaining religion and faith. Piscine (Pi) Patel is both the protagonist and the narrator of Martell’s religious eye-opener who undergoes a chain effect of unbelievable catastrophes. Each of these catastrophic events leaving him religiously stronger because he knows that in order to endure what he has endured, there has got to be a God somewhere.
Life of Pi begins with an author’s note in which Martel describes being told by the character Mamaji that Pi has “‘a story that will make you believe in God’” (ix). This essentially sets up the basis for the entire theme of the novel. The main character, Pi, claims to practice three religions simultaneously: Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam (Martel 81). Much of Pi’s explanation of his own childhood consists of his own religious journeys. He begins with an explanation of how his aunt introduced him to Hinduism upon ...
“The presence of God is the finest of rewards.” (Yann Martel, Life of Pi 63) In Yann Martel’s riveting novel “Life of Pi” The basic plot of survival unfolds, however, this essay will show how the hidden yet the dominant theme of religion throughout the story is what helped the main character Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi) survive.
Ethnography is used to characterize the characteristics of a population as fully as possible. For example, within the article India was characterized as an unsafe place for women. Therefore, it kept the women out of public areas, which lead to them being easier to control, then gave women characteristics of being sexually “immodest”. Slowly the ethnography began to show a change throughout India. Such as, women becoming more independent by campaigning and protesting for their freedoms. The cross cultural research method also is an effect within this article. This research method is to reveal variations across different groups of people or comparison between them. This article compares the past women violence experience to the present day events of violence in
Our nervous system is actively adjusted to adenosine levels through receptors. The adenosine binds those reactors, which slow down our brain activity. The more adenosine there is the more tired our brain feels. When adenosine levels reach a certain point in your brain and spinal cord, your body will start nudging you toward sleep, or at least taking it easy. (Purdy, 2010) Which make sense, the longer we awake, the more fatigue we become. Conversely, the concentration of adenosine decreases while we sleep; it helps blood vessels to dilate, most likely to let more oxygen into the brain during sleep. Then the wakefulness is gradually promoting during sleep. Caffeine, a bitter substance, which is found in coffee, plays the significant role in stimulating our central nervous system. It has effects on the body's metabolism, which can make us more alert and give us boost energy. However, it turns out that caffeine in our coffee is incredibly similar with adenosine in chemical structure (appendix1). From the appendix1, we can see that they are both organic chemical molecules with nitrogen rings (The nitrogen elements in the rings is marked in blue). The caffeine molecule works its way through our bloodstream and into our brain where it begins to compete and combine with the adenosine reactors. Plenty of caffeine molecules bind the receptors in our brain, which
"Zoos: Myth and Reality." Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale, July 2000. Web. 10 Nov. 2011.
When a person drinks coffee, the caffeine is absorbed into the bloodstream and then travels to the brain where it blocks an inhibitory neurotransmitter called Adenosine. When this happens, the amount of other neurotransmitters actually increases.
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel was a fascinating and exciting narrative that described the journey of a young boys life starting with the formation of his beliefs moving all the way through an adventure that changed his life forever. I found it extremely engaging on both a philosophical level and a psychological level as I saw Pi, a young boy, curious about life, discover both religion and go through an extremely traumatic experience. I found Pi's devotion to God to be an uplifting example that many people throughout the world should see. Although I do believe that Pi was confused about how to best love God, I admire his efforts and believe that his dedication is sincere. I also found the psychological aspect of Pi to be almost as fascinating as religion. I could see from the beginning that Pi was quite thoughtful and always tried to think before he acted. However, what I found even more fascinating than his pre-planning cognitive abilities was how he thought when he was under great stress. Perhaps the best example of how he coped with stress was towards the end of the book when he tells what may be the true story, and we can see that he may have represented everyone as an animal in order to deal with the situation. This provides valuable insight into Pi's mind and opens a whole new area of possibilities when considering how Pi thinks. This ending leaves how Pi thinks open to interpreting which adds a intriguing aspect to the book. Beyond the religious and theoretical aspects of the book, the adventure seen kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. Every time it seemed Pi was about to die or give up hope, an astounding miracle would suddenly save him. I found the effect of these suspenseful moments to cause me to want to...