Grief In Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

"Without Richard Parker, I wouldn't be alive today to tell you my story."(164) This quote was spoken by Pi, it was said because Pi realized how much Richard Parker helped him. Richard Parker kept Pi from thinking too much about the tragedy of the ship sinking and his family. Richard Parker also kept Pi from being lonely and kept Pi busy to pass time. I also think Richard Parker kept Pi connected with his family and was encouraging him. "The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar."(283) This quote was spoken by Pi, it was said because Pi was giving up and he was at his lowest point. He goes to faith and imagination to help him get through this. He soon lands on a beach in Mexico after that happened. I think the author wanted to show us that being faithful can be effective even in this situation. "You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it."(91) This was spoken by Pi, it was said because things didn't turn out how Pi expected he would of never thought his family would move and sell all the animals. Later in the book more unexpected things happen and Pi keeps his head up. He keeps going on with his life even though they are major set backs. This shows that Pi is very optimistic about his life which is a good quality to

In the Life of Pi he must learn to rediscover himself because of the tragic accident that has happen to his family. Pi must learn to be able to get over the loss of his loved ones and quickly reconnect with himself in order to help him survive. Pi must turn himself around and remember to focus on the things that matter most, trying to survive. Pi rediscovers himself in Richard Parker because he uses the companion of the tiger to help keep himself calm. Pi has left his comfort zone of being under the care of his parents and must now discover his own values and beliefs in order to navigate and survive his life in the sea.

There are many instances in Pi’s story in which symbolism plays an important role in communicating meaning to readers. At the end of the novel, Pi reveals to Japanese investigators a story that details his journey of survival that replaces the animals with humans. In this retold story, Richard Parker is replaced by Pi. The idea of Pi and Richard Parker being one and the same indicates that a part of Richard Parker is present in Pi’s true character. Pi makes this comment on fear: “It is a clever, treacherous adversary...It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy” (Martel 161). This description of fear sounds an awful lot like how one could describe a feral tiger. Richard Parker, then, is symbolic of Pi’s fear and of how he is able to eventually control it. Another example of symbolism is the lifeboat. The lifeboat, his salvation from the perils of sea, is symbolic of his faith in God. He clings to the lifeboat when he is in need just as he clings to God in his time of dire need. The boat, and therefore his faith, is what eventually carries him to safety. Richard Parker and the lifeboat are examples of symbolism that reveal hidden aspects of Pi’s true

Had Pi been of the faint of heart he most likely would have not survived. The many atrocities that he faced helped bring to light his undauntable side. Tigers are up to any challenge and will not show fear. Richard Parker does not cower in a corner when frightened he roars and makes known his displeasure. When Pi starts blowing the whistle at him, Richard Parker has no idea what is going on, but still hisses and backlashes. Throughout the book Richard Parker is very calm, giving little insight to his emotions with his tough facade.The same bravery is seen in Pi, who has been thrown into a frightening situation. Pi is trapped on a boat with a life threatening beast and he decides to have a show of dominance against it. Pi exemplifies bravery in the following quote: “For two, perhaps three seconds, a terrific battle of minds for status and authority was waged between a boy and a tiger. He needed to make only the shortest of lunges to be on top of me. But I held my stare”(Martel 246-247). Pi stares down a tiger which would undeniably take a great amount of courage. Now having to be completely self-sufficient, Pi is dependant on his own being and faces all the obstacles thrown at him with his head held high. The amount of efficiency carried out by Pi and Richard Parker is very

The tiger that Pi refers to throughout his ordeal is could be perceived as the alter-ego of himself, “The tiger killed the hyena- and the blind Frenchman- just as he killed the cook” (311). While Pi was able to use his imagination to portray a tiger as himself, Richard Parker was never more than an extension of Pi’s imagination. Richard Parker simply symbolized Pi in the real world and could never

The component of the mind which is conscious and visible to see are the ego and superego, however the id is unconscious, hidden and is driven by things that make us feel satisfied and cannot control it due to the pleasure. Although Pi is an animal lover and would never harm anything there was an animal inside him that is demonstrated after the pressure of survival took control of his mind (ID). Pi says “It was a state of tense, breathless bored” (155). When a character is bored the id takes control to satisfy your demands. A reason that kept Pi alive is Richard Parker because Pi had to stay focused just in case he tried to attack him. To be a healthy individual you would need to have a balance between the id, ego, and the superego. In

He created an unknown bond with him and didn’t notice it until they departed. “Richard Parker escapes into the woods without even looking back”. This quote signifies Pi’s inner-emotions towards Richard Parker. When Pi is brought back to the modern world he notices he is not his same self. he is now a man. His mind is then fixed into a new mind-set of “survival” and “scarcity” making it an obsicle to re-adapt to civilization, limiting what he would usually do with his life as a kid to dispersing his new assets he didn’t know he ever

Even after he kills a fish in a seemingly careless fashion, in his sleep “[his] mind lit up by the…flickering of the dying [fish]” seems to haunt him with resentment (Martel 186). This subconscious image is a product of Pi’s internal conflict with his new methods of survival. Therefore, Pi is unable to completely eliminate his feelings while trying to survive due to his torn thoughts between morality and necessity.

The way Pi acts throughout his journey suggests that having faith is one of the most important practises to learn as it can give an individual hope. Pi has a strong connection to all his practising faiths: Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Society is set to have many unspoken rules that we must abide by to

"It's the plain truth: without Richard Parker, I would not be alive today to tell my story" (Martel 89). Richard Parker is, realistically and symbolically, what kept Pi alive throughout the novel, Life of Pi. Richard Parker not only illustrates Pi's emotions of innocence, fear, and savage, but he also symbolizes Pi's id. Id is a part of a human being's unconscious personality that is always present from birth. It is based off of the pleasure principle, which “is the idea that needs should be met immediately” (Cherry, What is the id?). Richard Parker symbolizes Pi's id and the dual nature of mankind by acting as a ‘little devil’ on Pi’s shoulder.

Therefore, many aspects of the tiger like his relationship with Pi and his physical attributions give Pi incentive to stay alive during his long journey.

Richard Parker, the tiger, is a symbol of Pi himself. Pi directly correlates himself with Richard Parker. If Richard Parker “give[s] up” (121) then Pi is giving up. When swimming toward the life boat Richard Parker “look[s] small and helpless” (121) much like Pi actually is. Next to the tiger, zebra, and hyena Pi is small and feeble; he has no way to defend himself against the other animals. Pi egging Richard Parker on, toward the boat; “keep[ing him] swimming” (122) shows Pi’s resilience for survival; determined for Richard Parker to survive, which is actually his determination to survive. It is often mistaken in the novel as to whether Pi is speaking of himself or of Richard Parker because they could be the same being.

Jakob Montemurno English Honors Summer Homework 1. Pi Patel A. Pi is a boy born in Pondicherry, India. He is lives in a zoo which is owned by his family. He is stuck on a lifeboat with an orangutan, tiger, hyena, and zebra after a ship to Canada sinks.

Another important part highlighting the motivation of Pi’s fear is when he is truly aware of his fear and what is going on. Martel shows that Pi has come to terms with this fear by saying “I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind, always” (2.56.178) This passage shows Pi’s awareness of his fear and suffering, as well as, that he knows he must go through much more in order to survive.

Furthermore, Pi confesses to wanting Richard Parker to live primarily for Pi’s own survival when he states, “A part of me did not want