What techniques do the authors of two texts use to explore human nature?
In his novel, Life of Pi, Yan Martell uses similar techniques to George Orwell’s Animal Farm in order to explore human nature. Primarily, both authors use anthropomorphism to demonstrate to readers key features of characters’ behaviour. By utilising the stereotypes associated with certain animals, each author allows readers to explore the essential nature of people and of different classes. This anthropomorphism also enables for better understanding of traumatic events. Additionally, through comparisons between humans and animals each author draws different conclusions as to the true nature of humans. Symbolism is then used to explore human hope, with the structure of
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Each author takes advantage of the stereotypes associated with certain animals in order to explore the different elements of human behaviour. In Life of Pi, Martel reduces each of the shipwreck survivors into their base survival instincts. Each person is characterised by their actions, with the French cook being the “bear-like” (pg. 28) and “ugly beyond redemption” (pg. 30) hyena, Pi’s mother the “tentative” (pg. 27) and “gentle” (pg. 34) orang-utan and Pi the “fierce, 450-pound carnivore” (pg. 23), Richard Parker. In this, he illustrates to readers how people cope with traumatic events, and the elements of their nature that these events bring about. Pi understands his behaviour by comparing it to the actions of a tiger, therefore justifying his cannibalism as a basic survival instinct. Similarly, Orwell uses the characteristics of animals such as pigs and sheep to demonstrate how people behave when in positions of power or vulnerability. The “foolish” (pg. 3) horses, “cynical” (pg. 2) donkey, compliant sheep and greedy pigs serve to highlight the characteristics that separate the leaders from the general public, and the corruption, greed and cruelty that accompany these. Through anthropomorphism, complex ideas about human nature can be simplified into basic and universal concepts, shown through the behaviour of …show more content…
In particular, Martel uses the taming of Richard Parker by Pi to illustrate how the violent survival urges that are within all people can be controlled. Through this, he demonstrates a positive view about human nature and a person’s ability to perform acts of compassion and kindness within survival situation despite the prompting of base instincts. In addition to this, Martell also emphasises the importance of selfishness and greed in survival situations, as it is only through ensuring the survival of Richard Parker that Pi can survive. Crucially, in his story Pi states that “a part of [him] did not want Richard Parker to die at all, because if he died [Pi] would be left alone with despair, a foe even more formidable than a tiger” (pg. 94). It is only through taming his fear and his anger that Pi is able to endure his solitude. In contrast, the relationship between the human and pigs in Animal Farm shows Orwell’s negative views about the universally corrupting force of power and greed. That the former “slaves” (pg. 25), formerly full of anger and purpose, eventually grow to respect and interact with the masters who had made their lives full of “misery and slavery” (pg. 3) demonstrating how, through corruption, former enemies may become friends as their ideologies grow closer and closer together. Orwell differs here from Martel in the negative conclusions he makes about human
In George Orwell’s Novel, Animal Farm, Old Major delivers a speech to the animals on the farm. Major preaches on how the humans are weak, selfish, lazy thieves who steal from the farm animals. Lecturing on banning together and rebelling against the humans, Old Major uses pathos, ethos, asyndetons, and imagery to help sparks an uproar amongst the animals. Major uses these strategies to engage and convince them of who the real enemy is.
The novel ‘Animal Farm’ created by George Orwell heavily expresses the ideals of a prolonged cruel or unjust treatment and the exercise of authority. The exponential ignorance of the farm animals towards the actions and ideas of the pigs (Napoleon, Squealer and Snowball) prove the incentive that it is easier to conform to the ideals/ways of the ‘New England’, than to rebel, as well as through the exposure to propaganda and the distortion of reality. This therefore leaving them docile, numb, and oppressed.
The animals of Orwell’s novels often represent a much less clear-cut purpose than those of his reflections in Burma. Here the animals are fully symbolic, and appear not initially for accuracy of events, but to specifically bring meaning and significance to human plight or human interaction. Although Orwell invokes this animal symbolism in his earlier novels including Burmese Days, Orwell’s use of the nature of animals for political understanding and motivation is best seen in his last two novels, 1984 and Animal Farm.
Two individuals may seem similar in appearance and outward self but it’s the inner character and diverse qualities of a person that distinguishes between two people. Many have the notion to think that since two people have the same outward identity then both will get along and be the best of friends, however, this is where the dilemma arises. George Orwell, an author of Animal Farm writes a tale about two pigs by the name of Snowball and Napoleon and how their bond destroys through disagreements and jealously towards each other which later on builds an eruption on the farm. Animal Farm is an allegory of the Russian Revolution that occurred between 1905 and lasted up to 1917 due to the controversies that occurred between the Bolsheviks
In Animal Farm, George Orwell uses satirical allegory throughout his novel to present the pessimistic view of human nature. The animal fable is used to demonstrate the issues of unfair treatment, exploitation and inequality in society. It is evident that this irony is particularly evident in the ending of both novels (Gulbin 88). The satirist irony is directed on the events of the Russian Revolution and on the totalitarian regime. Orwell uses political reason with creative reason to show his negative belief that people only change the dictators though revolutions but the systems stay the same. It is only a dream that people can gain a classless society through revolutions. Orwell believes that everyone wants equality, yet it is in one's nature as human beings to obtain power.
An author often writes a novel as a warning to mankind. In Animal Farm, George Orwell creates a world of animals that allegorically represent man. The intelligent pigs take advantage of the uneducated lower animals and take control of the farm. By showing the steady increase of the pigs' intellectual exploitation of the lower animals, Orwell warns the reader of the importance of an education.
Human nature in animals. Was this really shown in George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’? In fact, there were several messages about human nature reflected in ’Animal Farm’. The messages that were expressed through many different characters and their behaviours, gave an insight into human nature, and showed many characteristics of it.
In human and animal nature, many similarities are portrayed in Life of Pi as well as a strong relation between the two. In contrast, humans and animals share the same sort of lifestyle, just living a different life according to Pi’s thoughts. In a tragic situation that one is in, such as Pi they must find a way to pass time and keep themselves busy by using their circumstances,
George Orwell’s Animal Farm is a satirical allegory through which he presents his cynical view of human nature. He uses the animal fable effectively to expose the issues of injustice, exploitation and inequality in human society.
Yann Martel offers two accounts of Pi’s survival story so that Pi is able to personify animals and also give animalistic qualities to humans. This exchange is only seen after both accounts are read. The reader is able to determine which he or she accepts as reality, but since the facts of the story go unchanged and both tales are primarily the same, the sole purpose is to highlight the traits humans and animals posses. Yann Martel exemplifies human traits in animals and animal traits in people through his claim in passage A by telling the two stories of Pi’s survival.
“One cannot look deeply into the eyes of an animal and not see the same depth, complexity and feeling we humans lay exclusive claim to.” – Nan Sea Love. The discussion of the persona of animals and humans is an ongoing topic. Today, scientists with diverse worldviews influence both the young and old minds of individuals with their theories and philosophies based on observations and statistics. Society, as a whole, struggles with the connotation of animals portraying human traits and vice versa.
Animal farm is a renowned, allegorical novella written by George Orwell in 1945, which can be interpreted to have a hidden political meaning behind it referring to the Russian Revolution. Throughout this novella, the author purposely positions the audience to make judgements based on sensible, moral perception to show that Orwell effectively revealed how the pigs exploited a vast majority of propaganda techniques to deceptively manipulate the values, attitudes and beliefs of the other animals, with full intention of complete social control. This was exposed to the reader when the three main values of ‘Animalism’, as outlined in Old Major's speech, which consists of freedom, unity and equality, are abused for the pigs own advantage. This task
Whether is be the individualism of a zebra, the hope of an orangutan, the hatred of a hyena, or the determination of a tiger symbolism can be determined for any character. Pi’s journey obtains symbolism for each animal and a story of faith for himself through the sea and the rigors that he and the animals
In Animal Farm by George Orwell, he uses the animals to represent everyone in our society today. In this novel, satire is the use of animal characters as a representation to show the Russian Revolution. The humans, portrayed by animals, are being ridiculed and it shows the breakdown of political ideology, and the misuse of power. Each of the characters portray an individual in society that expresses how humans can act similarly to animals. We can be perceived as animals because we can be separated by classes, or by our appearances. We often become what we don’t want to be, as in the novel the animals make rules to not become humans. We soon find out that the pigs are standing and becoming just like humans. The pigs hold all the power, and everything is fitted around them.
The novel “Life of Pi” illustrates the life of a character named Pi during his 227 days lost at sea. There is a strong connection between the author Yann Martel and the characters and setting in the story “Life of Pi.” Martel’s time spent in India was the major influence for this book as many of the characters and story are influenced by his experiences in India. The animals in the book, which play a major part in the story, are influenced primarily from Martel’s visit to the Trivandrum Zoo, which contains all the animals in the story except the orangutan. Religion also plays a major role in the story, which is influenced from Martel’s visit to India as he learned about the religious culture of India. Although Martel did not directly experience the events that occurred in “Life of Pi,” his time spent in India helped to influence his work.