How Does Pi Survive In An Extreme Environment

Pi’s life before the boat crashing was full of hope and wonder. His presence was ethereal, making a purpose out of everything around him. His family ran a zoo, which gave him a tight-knit relationship with animals. Pi loved to try new things. He met new people which led to his exploration

When Pi is in life/death situations he takes extreme measures to survive. After weeks at sea Pi is forced to hunt because he is starving for food and he wants to survive. “By the end of my journey I was eating everything a turtle had to offer.” (Martel, 213). Pi had to go against his believes because he was a vegetarian and now he had to eat animals. He also ate everything he could find because his stock of food was empty.Pi changed from vegetarian to eating animals and he had to kill to survive.

Pi's story of survival is one based on and very similar to two stories in the bible. The first is David and Goliath, a story of overcoming overwhelming odds. David, just like Pi ,was a young teenager at the time and managed to kill a powerfully known giant, Goliath. What are the chances? Same goes for Pi, a youth who survived 227 days with a tiger. He too overcame the odds, so much so, it was unbelievable. Even the investigators said, "In an lifeboat? Come on, Mr. Patel it's just too hard to believe!...We just don't believe there was a tiger on your lifeboat" (Martel, 163). Jonah and the whale is another biblical story that illustrates similar motives in Pi. Jonah refused to let his life "end" and get eaten by the whale. The same case with Pi, but instead of a whale, it was a tiger he refused to get eaten by. He set out a plan to tame Richard Parker until one day "...the lifeboat was resembling a zoo enclosure more and more: Richard Parker had his sheltered area for sleeping and resting, his food stash, his lookout, and now his water hole" (Mantel,101). From the beginning of the story, Pi spent a significant amount of time studying religion. One in particular was Christianity, a religion that teaches both these stories. If one overcame the odds and the other managed not to get swallowed by the whale, what were the chances he would merit to be just like them?

Being an epitome of The Hero’s Journey, Life of Pi displays the first stage, the Call to Adventure, when the Tsimtsum (ship) sinks and Pi is ultimately left with only a Bengal Tiger and his wits to survive. Due to the rich and diverse experiences he had with his family and friends, he is well prepared to take this journey.

In the Life Of Pi Excerpt and The Story Of Keesh, both characters share many similarities, such as survival and worst circumstances. In The Story Keesh, Keesh faces a variety of situations while hunting in the Arctic. In the Life Of Pi, Pi undergoes many obstacles in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Life in the extreme environment is very challenging and life threatening.

Some characteristics that keesh shows in ‘the story of keesh” is that he shows bravery,and he never gives up. These characteristics show what inspires the will to survive in extreme environments. additionally in “the life of pi”Pi has characteristics which are fierce,and he also has inner strength. Both“The Story of Keesh” and Life of Pi contain characters that are courageous and don’t give up when faced with surviving in an extreme environment. First keesh demonstrates bravery by living in a very harsh environment.

In Life of PI and The Story of Keesh both environments have a hostile feel. “... a 450-pound bengal tiger in a lifeboat twenty-six feet long was a conundrum I would crack later…”pg.80. Evidence shows that in the Life of Pi there was a predator that endangered the protagonist’s life. “The father of Keesh had been a very brave man, but he had met his death in a time of famine, when he sought to save the lives of his people by taking the life of a great polar bear” pg.61. In The Story of Keesh, Keesh’s father was killed by a polar bear in the time of famine . In both stories Keesh and Pi face a predator that threatens their way of life but may benefit them in the future.

Not all of Pi’s methods helped him in the long run; despite the fact that some methods helped him in his journey. Having being pushed to his limits he did whatever it took to survive no matter how horrible it was. The methods that he used to build resilience are kills animals for food, when he tamed the tiger, and parents and religious leaders not understanding Pi’s religious view.

In order to survive in tough environments you need willpower and passion. In the “Story of Keesh”, Keesh goes against his council to get his village more food, himself. In the Life of Pi, Pi has the will to tame the tiger and survive with him. In “The Story of Keesh” and Life of Pi, the characters encounters problems in their environments and use their survival skills to stay alive.

Pi needs “..to tame him” (Richard Parker) in order to survive with Richard Parker (Martel 92). Pi’s desire for water, over powered his “..thoughts of Richard Parker” so he “..went exploring for fresh water” (Martel 81). Pi’s quick thinking, shows how he was able to figure out how to open the cans and apportion the water, and tame the tiger into passivity. Overall, Pi was thinking

In a short story named “The Story of Keesh” and a novel excerpt named “The Life of Pi” both authors, Jack London and Yann Martel, develop certain qualities in characters who find the strength in themselves to want to survive when in extreme situations. Both Keesh and Pi obtain three traits that help them survive in these extreme environments such as bravery, intelligence and strategic plans.

In his eagerness he came to close grapples with the bear, and his bones were crushed; but the bear had much meat on him and the people were saved.” This shows that due to the setting people had to resort to facing off intimidating polar bears, in a pursuit of food. In most situations, (for example: Keesh’s father) people had died or ended up seriously injured from just trying to get some food to eat! Throughout this excerpt, Keesh and the villagers have to survive the harsh conditions of the arctic, hunger, and terrifying predators.

His only hope was Richard Parker, as he was taking care of him, he had things to do during the day and took his mind off of the darker side, which is him being stranded in the Pacific Ocean with absolutely nothing for a long period of time. He created a raft immediately with life jackets to get a good distance from the tiger and the lifeboat and claimed: “I felt like a prisoner being pushed off a plank by pirates. ”(83) Pi had a list of steps to train Richard Parker; he had to mark his territory for Parker to somehow understand that one side is his and the other side is Pi’s. After a long time, realizing that they are all each other have, Pi creates comfort towards Richard Parker and expresses love for his companion through his habit of taking care of the

It is known that one of the most difficult things to do, is survive on sea in terms of a survival situation. (Grade Saver). Surviving on sea is one difficult thing to do on your own although imagine doing it with a Bengal tiger? Not imaginable, but it did happen with Piscine Molitor Patel of Pondicherry India. Pi survives on sea for seven months (227) days from India to the coast of Mexico mentally and physically because he had hope, Richard Parker, and religion. Without these three things- he may not have survived because he speaks about the importance of these things to him and the role that they play in his life and the influence they have on him on this treacherous, lengthy journey.

Pi’s and Keesh’s environment is very harsh and life threatening because they need to use what they have around their habitat. Keesh lived near the rim of the polar sea and Pi was orphaned in the middle of the Pacific sea. Both of the survivors have to deal with animals that are very dangerous and vicious.