Yann Martel's Development In Life Of Pi

Being more comfortable around such a beast, however, later proves to be a fault of Pi’s. The unpredictable behavior of such a wild animal causes a huge threat to Pi. Richard Parker exemplifies this wild behavior by “bursting over the ridge at full gallop…coming [Pi’s] way high speed” (Martel 263). Pi describes this event as a “rapid and direct approach of a known killer” which casts a different image of Richard Parker than the previous seemingly harmless companion (Martel 236). Pi’s reaction to his fear is using his method of whistle which causes more anger within Richard Parker. Richard Parker’s unexpected reaction to the training method proves how capricious a personality of an animal is. Thus, attempted taming of a wild animal was merely a distant goal Pi thought he had accomplished.

Humans generally face struggles in their lifetime. Such struggles could be within themselves or with someone or something else but commonly stem from some sort of opposition in lifestyle. In Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, Pi’s passion for personal survival conflicts with his moral obligations to himself internally, morphing his external character.

To simply be alive consists of the acts of breathing and having blood pump through the body, but to be a human being consists of much more complexity. The nature composed of a human being involves having self sovereignty on our own emotions, opinions, desires, faiths as well as having a moral subconscious. Yet, what occurs when a situation allows an individual to react in a behaviour that doesn’t follow these defining factors of human nature? In Yann Martel 's Life of Pi, he creates the conflict of a cargo ship sinking, and the only notable survivors on the life raft consists of a hyena, a zebra with a broken leg, an orangutan, and a 16-year-old Indian boy. The protagonist of the novel, Pi Patel, is faced with a personal survival conflict

Though Richard Parker proves vital for survival, he also reflects Pi’s character and helps further develop it throughout the novel. When first introduced, Pi was a teenaged boy curious in many different belief systems and also vegetarian. However, his experience with this tiger aboard a lifeboat after a shipwreck leads to necessary changes in Pi’s lifestyle and these dramatic changes in way of life are characterized through the tiger itself. For example, Richard Parker instinctively tears at animals and eats them in a barbaric manner in means of survival. Though Pi is disgusted by his animal-like behavior, he later resorts to the same methods of eating, “noisy, frantic, unchewing wolfing-down…exactly the way Richard Parker ate” for his own survival (Martel 225). As a previous vegetarian, Pi is not comfortable with the idea of killing animals to eat them but realizes “it is simple and brutal: a person can get used to anything, even to killing” (Martel 185). He even, later, uses human flesh from a passenger that Richard Parker killed for means of survival and food. He also kills birds by “[breaking] its neck [and] leveraging [their] heads backwards”, a harsh and violent murder (Martel 231). Pi’s ability to adapt to a more vicious yet necessary way of life reveals his inner animal

Damaged people are dangerous Because they know they can survive. This quote was said by Josephine Hart. I have chosen this quote to express the idea that people who have gone through something usually are able to find closure and get past that obstacle. “Life Of Pi by Yann Martel” describes a teenage boy named Pi whose parents died in a shipwreck. After that tragedy it landed Pi on a Lifeboat with Richard Parker a Bengal tiger, Orange Juice a Hyena and a Zebra in the Middle of the Pacific ocean.In order for Pi to survive, he has to use intelligence and creativity. Although both the film and the book show pi overcoming his obstacles. The film does not stay faithful to text Life Of Pi because there were many differences and few similarities.

In Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, the idea of good versus evil and animal versus human nature is shown to be an integral part of the storyline. Martel questions the boundaries between human and animal nature and makes powerful statements for both sides. These themes are critical to the human condition, through this Martel is able to create a balance between the opposing sides.

In part 1 of the novel “Life of Pi” the reader learns about many different components of Pi Patel’s identity; however there are 3 specific branches of his identity that help him during his shipwreck. The main 3 that aid him are his knowledge of animals, his religious beliefs, and his ability to think logically. Each of these factors contribute to Pi’s survival on the ocean and this is why.

In order for Pi to feel safe he must keep his distance from the Bengal Tiger but this hard for him being on such a small liferaft. Pi eventually shows that he has dominance on one side of the ship by peeing on a tarp on the boat and laying it over his side to make Richard Parker aware of his smell and his territory. To keep himself safe as well Pi must keep Richard Parker satisfied. Every day Pi must go fishing off the side of their life raft in order to keep Richard Parker happy and to keep him from turning on him and eating him for his next meal. The theme of Territorial dominance can be symbolized as Pi having control over his inner animal. Once Pi’s mother was brutally murdered by the French cook he took revenge in the heat of the moment and let out his inner animal to fight for his will to live. Once his inner animal was out he had to control it and not let himself slip and become completely savageous just like the French cook. Pi keeping his distance from Richard Parker and showing dominance relates directly to him having to keep sane and alive. Having to feed him can also be symbolized, Pi has now murdered in order to avenge his mother’s life and also has blood on his hands. Now that Pi has had the taste of blood he now knows what it means to kill and he has to now kill in order to survive. He won’t be killing the same as he did when he had to avenge his mother’s death but it

Throughout our lives, as individuals, it comes to our realization that the hardships one has to confront turn out to be the building blocks of our identities. In the novel ‘Life of Pi’ by Yann Martel we are introduced to the main character Piscine Molitor Patel, a young boy who journeys through revolution and the loss of his innocence. On his way from India to Canada along with his family, he encounters unbelievable circumstances.These circumstances force him to do act like he never thought he would in order to cope with the adversities presented. Overall in the novel, we are shown that physical and spiritual adversities play an important role in shaping an individual's identity as they influence one’s ability to adapt to different circumstances

Throughout the fictional novel titled Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, the reader is prompted to question whether or not Pi’s story on him surviving a shipwreck at sea for two hundred twenty seven days with a carnivorous Bengal tiger, was a real story. Towards the end of the book, Martel truly tests this theory by having Pi narrate a completely different story, which substitutes all of the animals on board with actual human beings. Life of Pi relates directly to Martel’s quote on the reality of the world, which states that “...Reality is an interpretation, a choice of readings, a choice of stories.” I would agree with this quote on reality’s stance because I believe Martel is stating that an individual's perspective on reality is able to be influenced

Yann Martel keeps the story of Pi's long voyage moving at an interesting pace. You know from the beginning that Pi will survive, which can disturb the curiosity authors usually want from the audience regarding to the ending. But at times you wonder how he will overcome each challenge he faces. Martel doesn't allow Richard Parker’s character to develop, he is nothing more than a dangerous Bengal tiger and Pi was never more than a desperate boy lost at sea. The first section of the book was very fast paced, and middle section is their entire life boat ride, their survival adventure dragged on so long I was desperate to skip some pages and skip straight to the climax. Martel set a pattern of repetitiveness throughout the entire book, leaving

Desperate times call for desperate measures. Surviving a tragic situation is a true test of one’s strength. It requires both external and internal strength, with the latter being more important. Using mental strength is what allows many people to conquer several obstacles throughout a difficult journey. The novel Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, allows readers to imagine a young Indian boy named Piscine Patel trying to survive a shipwreck using everything that he learns and experiences throughout his childhood. He endures many hardships on this difficult journey of survival, such as: dehydration, starvation, living on a lifeboat with dangerous animals, drowning, and crashing on a foreign island. Piscine’s endurance and survival of such rough conditions

Despite being an animal, Richard Parker serves as a teacher for Pi on their journey across the Pacific Ocean. When Pi is a child, his father finds it necessary to teach him a scarring lesson about the savageness of predatory animals. He places a goat in the cage of a hungry tiger and makes sure Pi and his brother, Ravi, see how fast the goat is devoured. The purpose of his lesson was to teach the boys that, “Every animal is ferocious and dangerous” (Martel 38). On the journey with Richard Parker, Pi remembers the lesson his father had taught him as a child and becomes aware that the tiger is to be respected. When aboard the lifeboat, Pi attempts to train Richard Parker to abide on one side of the boat so that Pi may remain aboard the boat also. While attempting to train the tiger, Pi recollects from his father’s lesson and from his experience of owning a zoo that, “The animal in front of you must know where it stands, whether above you or below you” (43). When Pi succeeds in training the tiger, the confidence he needed to survive is boosted. The principle lesson Richard Parker teaches Pi is that he is to be respected and left alone.

Setting contributes to character development by causing characters to encounter new people, animals, and/or things which cause them to rethink their current ideologies and to develop. This is seen in Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, and William Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet.

After reading Life of Pi, it was evident to notice a number of themes and motifs there were. All of them really enhanced the storytelling in this novel. What stood out was one of the major theme in this novel, which is survival. Yann Martel emphasizes the challenges of surviving on different levels. Not to mention, the most important motif is the causes and reasons for survival in Pi’s journey. We see that many factors help Pi survive in his journey but I truly think “purpose” motivates Pi on his long trek. Purpose helps Pi think before he takes action. The restriction of Pi will be displayed through purposeful thinking. And lastly, with the support of purpose, Pi is able to make any clever decisions when he is in a struggling situation. Even though the theme of survival is a central importance, no one would choose to survive without a purpose. Martel depicts how purpose assists Pi the protagonist to survive in the struggle throughout his journey.