Influence, Inspiration, and Hard Work in Life of Pi Novel - Essay Example

Life of Pi Introduction: 'Life of Pi' is a novel where three most basic elements: influence, inspiration and hard work came into play. Plot outline of this novel is as follows: The novel begins when Pi's father, a zookeeper, moves his family and the zoo's animals by ship to Canada for a new start. The ship sinks, however, and Pi finds himself lost at sea on a lifeboat. He soon discovers, to his terror, that he shares the 26-foot vessel with a female orangutan, a spotted hyena, an injured zebra, and a three-year-old adult Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. What follows is a tale of survival in its rawest form, as Pi must deal with immediate human needs such as thirst, hunger, and shelter, all under the watchful eyes of a predator. The book has three parts, but works as a whole as well. The first part is a young boy's rumination on spirituality and Indian life. The second part (comprising most of the text) is a blend of a detailed and realistic survival memoir and a fantastic allegory in a medieval style. The last part, when Pi is rescued and the truth of his entire experience at sea is called into question, offers more insight into the dual thirst for survival and faith. The last part also offers the reader a choice to actually choose the story version they prefer. Martel shows two ways of looking at the same reality and requires a leap of faith to choose the "better" story. In his introductory note Yann Martel says, "This book was born as I was hungry." There was some sort of emotional nourishment that led the author to go for Life of Pi. Pondicherry is described as an anomaly, the former capital of what was once French India. In terms of storytelling, the facts that make this town an appropriate choice for Pi's upbringing are religions and zoology. Yann Martel recalls that many Pondicherry residents provided him with stories, but he was most intrigued by this tale because Mr. Adirubasamy said it would make him believe in God. Early in the novel, we discover that the narrator majored in religious studies and zoology, with particular interests in a sixteenth-century Kabbalist and the admirable three-toed sloth. In subsequent chapters, he explains the ways in which religions and zoos are both steeped in illusion. Yann Martel sprinkles the novel with italicized memories of the "real" Pi Patel and wonders in his author's note whether fiction is "the selective transforming of reality, the twisting of it to bring out its essence Pi's full name, Piscine Molitor Patel, was inspired by a Parisian swimming pool that "the gods would have delighted to swim in." The shortened form refers to the ratio of a circle's circumference divided by its diameter. From general convention. This is an unusual name of main character. One reviewer said the novel contains hints of The Old Man and the Sea, and Pi himself measures his experience in relation to history's most famous castaways. Considering that Pi's shipwreck is the first to focus on a boy and his tiger, Life of Pi compares to other maritime novels and films. Pi sparks a lively debate when all three of his spiritual advisors try to claim him. At the heart of this confrontation is Pi's insistence that he cannot accept an exclusively Hindu, Christian, or Muslim faith; he can only be content with all three. Among Yann Martel's gifts is a rich descriptive palette. Regarding religion, he observes the green elements that represent Islam and the orange tones of Hinduism. Features of Pi: In the initial part of the novel we see pi as a child, his childhood was just as that of any other small town Indian kid except for the fact that he had the privilege of staying and growing up more close to nature than his other counterparts. The other fact that differentiated him from other kids at his school was his peculiar name. His name was the constant subject of humiliation for him and amusement for the other children. He expresses his feelings as "though it was a headache to his father, the owner of the zoo, it was paradise on earth for him", growing up in a zoo amidst nature and learning its secret laws and rules with the help of some of his fellow beings on this planet was the greatest pleasure to him at his tender age. We see that he puts forward a very clear image of how the animals are safe in the zoos than in the wild, and he philosophically compares the different psychological and reflexes of the animals with humans, trying to bridge the gap between the most civilized animal, human beings, and the other less fortunate animals. He closely observes that animals and human are very likely in behavior when it comes to the dwelling place or the place called home. He explains this observation with a very apt example: he says that when however wise, strong and independent a man maybe, he'll never wander away from his dwellings and known territory, leaving away his friends and family, then why would an animal do so when its not as intelligent as a human and very much more conservative and vulnerable to its surrounding dangers with limited defense By this comparison he dwells in a philosophical as well as animalistic way to support his believe. Piscine Molitor Patel is the protagonist and, for most of the novel, the narrator. In the chapters that frame the main story, Pi, as a shy, graying, middle-aged man, tells the author about his early childhood and the shipwreck that changed his life. This narrative device distances the reader from the truth. We don't know whether Pi's story is accurate or what pieces to believe. This effect is intentional; throughout Pi emphasizes the importance of choosing the better story, believing that imagination trumps cold, hard facts. As a child, he reads widely and embraces many religions and their rich narratives that provide meaning and dimension to life. In his interviews with the Japanese investigators after his rescue, he offers first the more fanciful version of his time at sea. But, at their behest, he then provides an alternative version that is more realistic but ultimately less appealing to both himself and his questioners. The structure of the novel both illustrates Pi's defining characteristic, his dependence on and love of stories, and highlights the inherent difficulties in trusting his version of events. Though the narrative jumps back and forth in time, the novel traces Pi's development and maturation in a traditional coming-of-age story. Pi is an eager, outgoing, and excitable child, dependent on his family for protection and guidance. In school, his primary concerns involve preventing his schoolmates from mispronouncing his name and learning as much as he can about religion and zoology. But when the ship sinks, Pi is torn from his family and left alone on a lifeboat with wild animals. The disaster serves as the catalyst in his emotional growth; he must now become self-sufficient. Though he mourns the loss of his family and fears for his life, he rises to the challenge. He finds a survival guide and emergency provisions. Questioning his own values, he decides that his vegetarianism is a luxury under the conditions and learns to fish. He capably protects himself from Rochard Parker and even assumes a parental relationship with the tiger, providing him with food and keeping him in line. The devastating shipwreck turns Pi into an adult, able to fend for himself out in the world alone. Pi's belief in God inspires him as a child and helps sustain him while at sea. In Pondicherry, his atheistic biology teacher challenges his Hindu faith in God, making him realize the positive power of belief, the need to overcome the otherwise bleakness of the universe. Motivated to learn more, Pi starts practicing Christianity and Islam, realizing these religions all share the same foundation: belief in a loving higher power. His burgeoning need for spiritual connection deepens while at sea. In his first days on the lifeboat, he almost gives up, unable to bear the loss of his family and unwilling to face the difficulties that still await him. At that point, however, he realizes that the fact he is still alive means that God is with him; he has been given a miracle. This thought gives him strength, and he decides to fight to remain alive. Throughout his adventure, he prays regularly, which provides him with solace, a sense of connection to something greater, and a way to pass the time. Richard Parker and Pi: Pi's companion throughout his ordeal at sea is Richard Parker, a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. Unlike many novels in which animals speak or act like humans, Richard Parker is portrayed as a real animal that acts in ways true to his species. It can be difficult to accept that a tiger and a boy could exist on a lifeboat alone; however, in the context of the novel, it seems plausible. Captured as a cub, Parker grew up in the zoo and is accustomed to a life in captivity. He is used to zookeepers training and providing for him, so he is able to respond to cues from Pi and submit to his dominance. However, he is no docile house cat. He has been tamed, but he still acts instinctually, swimming for the lifeboat in search of shelter and killing the hyena and the blind castaway for food. When the two wash up on the shore of Mexico, Richard Parker doesn't draw out his parting with Pi, he simply runs off into the jungle, never to be seen again. Though Richard Parker is quite fearsome, ironically his presence helps Pi stay alive. Alone on the lifeboat, Pi has many issues to face in addition to the tiger onboard: lack of food and water, predatory marine life, treacherous sea currents, and exposure to the elements. Overwhelmed by the circumstances and terrified of dying, Pi becomes distraught and unable to take action. However, he soon realizes that his most immediate threat is Richard Parker. His other problems now temporarily forgotten, Pi manages, through several training exercises, to dominate Parker. This success gives him confidence, making his other obstacles seem less insurmountable. Renewed, Pi is able to take concrete steps toward ensuring his continued existence: searching for food and keeping himself motivated. Caring and providing for Richard Parker keeps Pi busy and passes the time. Without Richard Parker to challenge and distract him, Pi might have given up on life. After he washes up on land in Mexico, he thanks the tiger for keeping him alive. Richard Parker symbolizes Pi's most animalistic instincts. Out on the lifeboat, Pi must perform many actions to stay alive that he would have found unimaginable in his normal life. An avowed vegetarian, he must kill fish and eat their flesh. As time progresses, he becomes more brutish about it, tearing apart birds and greedily stuffing them in his mouth, the way Richard Parker does. After Richard Parker mauls the blind Frenchman, Pi uses the man's flesh for bait and even eats some of it, becoming cannibalistic in his unrelenting hunger. In his second story to the Japanese investigators, Pi is Richard Parker. He kills his mother's murderer. Parker is the version of himself that Pi has invented to make his story more palatable, both to himself and to his audience. The brutality of his mother's death and his own shocking act of revenge are too much for Pi to deal with, and he finds it easier to imagine a tiger as the killer, rather than himself in that role. Pi very rightly says that everybody is born like Catholics, without any religion, unless some figure introduces us to god It's the path that we follow and the rites and rituals that we practice to reach the Almighty, and appreciate and thank Him is what comprises and defines a religion. As a child he is first introduced to a religion by his auntie. He describes it as the seeds of Hinduism was sown in him as a toddler and instead of remaining dormant, it germinated and kept growing within him in full fledge. Pi even though was a Hindu his whole life long he practiced many religions. He very rightly said that religion is more of rite tan rituals, he also mentions that although there are many paths to liberation the fact common in all of them the Path of Karma, precisely, that a balance sheet is maintained which keeps account of all our good and bad deeds, and consequently we move forward or backward in the path to liberation as per our actions. Conclusion: This novel tells the story of a seven month long journey over the Pacific Ocean, a boy and a tiger in a lifeboat. Pi is a 16-year-old boy who lives in India. Although his parents are atheists religion is something that fascinates him. His love for God is so great that he cannot choose only one religion. He is a Christian, a Muslim and a Hindu. Life of Pi is a fascinating story about survival, belief, animal behavior, hope and hopelessness. The young boy struggles to survive in a very tough environment. A hyena, a tiger, lack of food and water, the sun, the salty water and sharks are some of challenges he has to face in a very limited space. However, the beginning of this book is everything but fascinating. This first part deals with his upbringing in India, which is all about his religious beliefs and the animals in their zoological park. References: 1) 'Life of Pi' Introduction. http://www.enotes.com/life-pi 2) Martel, Yann. (2001). "Life of Pi". 1st Edition. 3) Plot Summary. 'Life of Pi'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Pi 4) Life of Pi. Summary and Analysis. http://www.enotes.com/life-pi/s168 Read More