Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

“Today John Kennedy lives on in the immortal words and works that he left behind. He lives on in the mind and memories of mankind” (Swanson 203). When Lyndon Johnson addressed this in his speech, he was exactly right. John F. Kennedy will always be in the memories of his family members, but also in all the lives of the United States citizens because he was such a tremendous president. The day John F. Kennedy died was a nightmare for not only Jacqueline Kennedy, but also for Caroline Kennedy and John Kennedy, Jr. The next months were the worst for the Kennedy family. Even though the Kennedys were devastated by John F. Kennedy’s death, they had many grateful memories to cherish in the time of mourning. In looking back upon those cherishable

Mary Wollstonecraft was known as the “first feminist” and was a leader to many women during a time where woman’s rights were not important to many people. She lead woman through treacherous times filled with sexism and misogyny. During the enlightenment period, people came up with new ideas no one had thought of before and Mary was one of these people. Wollstonecraft thought women were just as important as men were and thought that women and men should be equal. Mary impacted the world with her philosophical ideas. She wrote works concerning jobs and schooling for women. To be a valuable thinker you must be able to influence many countries and bring completely new ideas to the world. Mary

In this journal, I will be questioning whether Pi will survive in the ocean. First, Pi has animals to keep him company aboard the raft. Even though the animals like to fight with each other it still makes Pi feel less lonely, and therefore more willing to try and survive. This shows how Pi will survive because he is determined to. Secondly, Pi begins to learn how to gather food and water to survive. “With time and experience I became a better hunter” (Martel 173). Pi begins to eat quality amounts of fish and turtles, and feeds Richard Parker the tiger some of the fish. This shows how Pi will learn to survive and adapt to the climate around him. Lastly, Pi is realizing what he has to do to survive. Pi was a vegetarian before he became stranded, so having to eat fish is different to him.

Bengali polymath, Rabindranath Tagore, once said “you can’t cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water.” In the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the protagonist, Pi, faces many challenges at sea while being accompanied by a tiger by the name of Richard Parker. This tiger, though a nuisance, proves to be essential in the role of Pi’s survival. Throughout the story, Richard Parker symbolizes survival, a reflection of Pi, and a being of God.

The experience in the lifeboat made Pi understand that the same way animals are never free from compulsion and necessity is the same Humans are enchained in the territory of their minds and hearts as they are controlled, by their consciousness,

In Yann Martel’s famous novel Life of Pi, Piscine Molitor Patel used various methods of survival to endure a severe trial set by God while lost at sea. With this in mind, he would pray and follow a simple routine to keep himself occupied every day. For fear that he might die; he felt horror and anguish towards the four hundred fifty pound Bengal Tiger which kept him away from thinking of his family as well as the pain he experienced. As time went on, his fear towards Richard Parker turned into love, but fear, love and hope alone was not enough to keep Pi alive. His unusual visit to Algae Island gave him the resources he needed to gain strength and return back to civilization. His faith towards God, his fear towards Richard Parker and his visit to the unusual island all played a crucial part in Pi’s survival.

An animal’s instinct to survive has been honed over millions of years to ensure the livelihood of their species. Humans also bear this instinct for survival. The evolution of humans created a focus on mental prowess, rather than brute force for survival. However, humans are put into unknown situations, the mind is rendered incapable and primal survival instincts take over. The unbelievable story, Life Of Pi, revolves around the voyage of Piscine Molitor Patel. Stranded on a lifeboat with limited supplies and a diverse group of zoo animals, Pi must survive the life as a castaway at sea. The author, Yann Martel, suggests that the desire to survive is more powerful than any set of beliefs, morals, or rationality, as shown through the loss

Pi has to battle against odds and constantly be put through the challenge of withstanding harsh environments along his journey. The most obvious harsh environment he had to go through is the ocean he was stranded in itself. Pi has to not only survive on a small lifeboat and a raft but he also has to endure the big waves, storms, and weather complications such as scorching heat and the rain. Another harsh environment presented to pi was the carnivorous island. Although pi finds nourishment on the carnivorous island, it eventually comes to pi’s realization that whatever the island gives guring the day it takes away at night.

2. One of the main conflicts of the Life of Pi is that between Pi and himself. For 227 days, Pi was at sea with thoughts to himself thinking of how he “was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the Pacific” (Martel 107). Being by yourself in the ocean with no idea of if you are going to survive can lead to negative thoughts. Especially since Pi could only rely on himself. While he did have Richard Parker, he couldn't “talk” to Richard and expect a reply. His conversations were too himself and he had to remain sane through this internal conflict. Along with this, he has a conflict with himself and his lack of knowledge on how to survive at sea. Pi had many questions on his survival like “What would I eat? What would I drink? How would I keep the sharks away? How would I keep warm? How would I know which way to go?” (Martel 147). The answers to all of his questions were things

Pi had been stuck on a lifeboat with a tiger for over 200 days, and yet every day he seemed to survive. Pi’s freshwater spilled in a freak storm, but then he found two solar stills. Pi had missed a rescue ship, but then he found an island. Pi also believed he was going to die on the lifeboat, but then a little while after he arrived on the shore of Mexico. While on the boat not every thing went in Pi’s favor, yet he still seemed to get up every time something seemed to strike him down. Yann shows that through all of Pi’s ups and downs that you must overcome each obstacle you face, because things must get worse in order to get

Although Pi was rescued from the island in the end, he had something even more significant happen to him. He was a changed person. In the very beginning, Piscine Molitor Patel was just your average 16 year old. While on his 227 day journey, he developed into a better version of himself solely through faith. Martel hints at this in the author’s note when the elderly man says, “I have a story for you that will make you believe

Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi, tells a miraculous survival story that everyone will want to believe. He tells readers about the life a boy, who later in the story gets stuck on a lifeboat with fierce companions for 227 days. Piscine Molitor Patel, otherwise known as “Pi”, accompanies his family in moving to Canada from India, though the ship sinks and he then tells his journey twice. Pi told his journey in two versions, an animal version, and a human version. In both versions Pi is accompanied with a zebra/sailor, a hyena/cook, his own mother/orangutan, and himself/tiger (Martel 311). Though the characters in the novel, like Pi, the Chinese officials, and the writer, preferred the animal version, the preferred version would be the human version.

A story of life, resilience, and awe is Yann Martel's masterpiece Life of Pi. In this book Martel splits the story of a boy lost at sea into 3 parts and if you look hard enough you can see the genius connection between all of them. Yann Martel connects Pi’s beliefs from part 1 to part 2 that life will always defend itself, animals are safer in zoos,and things always escape something not somewhere.

“Survival is the ability to swim in strange water” (Frank Herbert). Pi demonstrated life on the Pacific as a test of all aspects. Life on the Pacific tested his physical endurance, he was lost for two-hundred and seventy seven days. In that time, Pi demonstrates his faith towards God, himself, and Richard Parker. Pi develops a robust bond with Richard Parker, then connecting spiritually. Survival in the novel Life of Pi is etched in the deepest parts of the story. These aspects of the novel are depicted through personal and self-reflection within himself. Pi survives because of his strength, faith and a close relationship with Richard Parker.

Pi has a definite reason to go on this journey. He explains his shock upon discovering the sinking ship, “I couldn’t believe my eyes. What was this water doing here?… Down there was where my family was” (Martel 129). It was that he had no choice. Pi’s life was thrown head first into a shipwreck, his happiness ground to a halt. He lost his family in his call to adventure. He has nothing to lose, until his shock drives him to near insanity, “Ravi was right. Truly I was to be the next goat. I had a wet, trembling, half-drowned, heaving and coughing three-year-old adult Bengal tiger in my lifeboat” (Martel 124). Shock is a powerful thing. Pi was so stunned he did not realize that he was helping a tiger into his lifeboat until it was too late. There is now absolutely no way Pi will not have an adventure. Staying alive is adventure enough. That is not to say Pi wants an adventure.