Pi Animal Symbolism

As Pi reaches the second level of the hierarchy of needs, he finds himself on the level of safety he needs to figure out how to stay safe while on the life boat. While Pi was on the boat he was so scared of Richard Parker that he had jumped off the boat to go in the water, but then realizes that there are predators just as scary as Richard parker or maybe even worse that he has to avoid to staying safe. “I noticed the presence of sharks around the life boat…The sharks were makos-swift, point-snouted predators with long murderous teeth that protruded noticeable from their mouths” (Martel 179). Once Pi tries to overcome his fears and tames Richard like a zookeeper would do and once he does, he ends up having a companion that helps Pi get through the struggle to survive. Pi finds an island where he is safe and is able to regain his strength but as he finds a tooth in the algae, Pi

To overcome his constant fear of Richard Parker, Pi devises a system in an attempt to tame the wild beast. Pi realizes the tiger is important to keep around but he is frightened by his presence and killer instincts. His

As he identifies with the probable pain that the fish he has caught is going to suffer, he cannot bring himself to slaughter it, “I imagined what it would feel like if I were wrapped in a blanket and someone were trying to break my neck. I was appalled. I gave up a number of times” (183). This identification clearly makes Pi hesitate in killing the fish, as he puts himself in the place of the fish and what it might feel like to have someone “trying to break” his neck. It is an imaginative act, as Pi must have the capacity to imagine how another being will feel, in a situation which he has not

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.

The way in which Pi assumed this power over Richard Parker was by establishing himself as an equal to him. As Pi brought food to the tiger, Pi would use whistles to remind Richard Parker of who provided him with food and water: “…not forgetting to blow the whistle hard several times, to remind Richard Parker of who had so graciously provided him with fresh food” (Martel 206). This method Pi had developed proved to be successful on his mission to become equals with Richard Parker when Pi “stared into [Richard Parker’s] eyes, wide-eyed and defiant, and [they] faced off” (Martel 246). Pi knew that if he looked away and backed down, the tiger would never see him as an equal, because Richard Parker would see

In literature, symbols are used to represent something else beyond their original meaning. Many authors used symbols to portray the themes of their work without actually saying what their work is about. In “Symbolism in Literature,” it explains how symbols can have different meanings in literature and even in poetry. Claire McCarthy shows many symbols in her essay, “Dog Lab.” In “Dog Lab, “ McCarthy shows how symbols took full effect on her life and the decisions she made. Without the use of symbols, McCarthy’s argument about personal beliefs over studies wouldn’t have been expressed. McCarthy’s use of symbols, such as the dog, the television, and the rain, shows that it’s important to focus on your own personal beliefs rather than focusing

Many people seamlessly pass by objects not thinking much of them; in stories they’re just as easily overlooked but can hold great meanings and tell stories on their own. Symbolism in stories is commonly shown through objects and is meant to represent something outside its literal

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

Patel’s world is turned upside down when, as a child, he realises that the tiger known as Richard Parker isn’t always as tame and innocent as it seems, this was conveyed in the movie with the fathers defining remark, “When you look into the tigers eyes, you see your own emotions reflecting back at you.” When he sees the cruelty and danger of the tiger, Patel begins to see the world in a different way. Consequently, Patel undergoes a spiritual discovery, where he experiments with multiple religions which draws him further away from finding a purpose to life which ultimately leads to his life changing journey. On the boat Patel uses the tiger as a metaphor for himself to tell a story that engages the audience compared to one of much darker and emotionally disturbing nature. We can see Pi’s tiger like characteristics come out close to the end of the movie, where he begins to act much more savagely like a tiger, such as the way he eats his food, giving the effect of dehumanization.

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

“So the Taiwanese sailor is the Zebra, his mother is the orangutang, the cook is… the hyena- which means he’s the tiger” (Martel 311). In Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, the potential metaphorical significance of Pi’s journey is that he transforms from the scared goat into the ferocious and fearless tiger. In the start of the novel, Pi is scared and tries to flee from danger. As the novel progresses he loses his fear.

In order to free himself of the guilt, he imposes the blame on the tiger. As Pi and Richard Parker lie dangerously close to their death beds, Pi says “I was more affected by his imminent demise than I was by my own” (242). What developed as a coping strategy evolved into an addiction. Pi feels that he needs Richard Parker to live in order for him to live. They are, quite literally, in the same boat.

In the Life of Pi by Yann Martel, he cleverly creates two stories with completely different characters that tell the same story. In the story with the animals: the zebra is the injured Japanese sailor, the orangutan is Pi’s mother, the hyena is the cook, and the tiger is Pi. However, they seem to stand for more than just another character in a story. Each of their different actions appear to represent a separate part of Pi’s psyche.

Animal symbolism in medieval texts – ‘The Accounts of the Journeys of Ohthere and Wulfstan’

The film Life of Pi is an unsuccessful adaptation by reducing the contents of Pi’s knowledge of animals, scenes are made less scary, and the lack of presence of his peers. First, the film reduced the introduction a lot where it contains most of Pi’s knowledge about animals. In the movie, Pi is unable to tame Richard Parker who represents Pi’s animalistic instincts. Here, it shows how surviving in the wild makes Pi lose control of himself when he took the fish from the tiger, and dislike his carnivorous side as he tried many ways to kill Richard Parker for almost half of the film. Even though they remain a wary distrust towards one another, in the novel however, Pi and Richard Parker are shown with a loving trusting relationship when Richard