Life of Pi Project: Analysis of Introductory Paragraph - ENG 1213

This essay provides a detailed analysis of the introductory paragraph from Yann Martel's novel, "Life of Pi." The essay explores the significance of a chosen passage, examining how it crystallizes key themes and problems within the novel, and how it illuminates the character's perspective. The analysis focuses on the selected passage's role as a microcosm of the entire work. The essay delves into the themes of survival, faith, and the loss of innocence, highlighting the protagonist's journey and the profound impact of traumatic experiences. The analysis also touches upon the character's emotional state, demonstrating the complexities of the narrative and its underlying philosophical questions. The essay also examines the author's use of language, imagery, and narrative structure to convey these themes effectively. The paper also explores the protagonist's relationship with the tiger, Richard Parker, and its symbolic significance in the context of the novel's broader themes. The analysis uses textual evidence to support its claims, offering a comprehensive understanding of the chosen passage's importance within the overall narrative.

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“This was the terrible cost of Richard Parker. He gave me a life, my own, but at the
expense of taking one. He ripped the flesh off the man’s frame and cracked his bones.
The smell of blood filled my nose. Something in me died then that has never come back
to life.” (Martel)
Yann Martel's Life of Pi is, as we all know, story of a young boy who stays in a
terrifying voyage and has been cruising for months with a large Bengal tiger called Richard
Parker. Pi's adolescence and youth are the heart of the novel. His family owns a zoo, and his
father focuses on being mindful of the wildness and true existence of wildlife (Leys, 20).
The connection is actually in between the two prime subjects, Zoology and Religion.
That is in fact rendered again by Pi. He sees the human proclivity to self-centricity as harmful
in both fields. According to Christianity, what Pi is doing can trigger a lack of belief on God;
in zoological research, it contributes to an apparent tragic confusion of dangerous animals or
an inherently harmless animal's cruel treatment. Pi relates both to his dad feeding Richard
Parker a goat, and to that of Richard Parker murdering the man from French. Nevertheless, it
is quite interesting to note the feelings of Pi when he tells about Richard Parker's leaving him
to him (Storey & Storey, 209-226). There, it looks like, Pi has Richard Parker's

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anthropomorphism; he is wounded, as he sees a reflection in him, by Richard Parker. Pi
himself, however, did not do it, although he said he studied this important lesson.
It is very much significant in the book Life of Pi, as it betrays a gore moment from
Pi's past life. Pi has demonstrated optimistic and good actions as a human accepting of many
various faiths throughout the book. He was a curious boy and keen to learn other philosophies
and traditions and widen his horizons. As the story progresses tothe stage where Pi is alone
on a lifeboat, he moves to an autonomous behavior. Pi starts to ask the boat's morals and
ideals as the tragic conditions appear to him to exist without hope (Squire, 228).
Pi and Richard Parker endured several problems, temporary blindness was one of
them. All appear gaunt because their rations are rising and food for sustenance becomes
harder to catch. The complot thickens as Richard Parker and Pi meet the French person in the
adventure. In spite of his attempt to attack Richard Parker, Pi identifies the French as a threat.
Richard Parker kills the guy while defending of Pi against a perceived threat and Pi feels
guilty and sad for that, because for him to live, a human had to die. He felt partially
responsible for killing the guy because he could not alert the man on the plane. As he says, "I
pray for his soul every day", Pi is still guilty.
The portion betrays further development in character in Richard Parker and Pi. The
animal act of protecting territory is recalled as writers. Richard Parker portrays instinctive
acts to transcend the conduct under influence at that time of life or death for protection and
safety. Despite his traumatic experience throughout the story, Pi always stands up to the
situations and emerge victorious. The dead man's body as a lure for hunting is acknowledged
to cannibalism. Pi believes that God was not interested in his existence because he had such
terrible acts to perform. at time of the lowest points of Pi's existence, the final sentence
illumines how his journey and his entire life affect this moment.

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We are likely to undergo periods of agonizing experiences as we grow old. When we
come to these situations, most of us will try to run away (Roberts). Individuals can sometimes
not locate the origin of pain, however, they realize how much does it hurts. That awareness is
most essential, whether physical or mental, whenever we experience any kind of trauma.
When that happens we may lose a bit of our soul because of unbearable pain from an
unknown existence. We often try unsuccessfully to deal with the suffering. Then, I've never
had the remorse that Pi feels partly responsible for another man's death. I'm young and I'm
grateful to escape a tragic event such as the one Pi encounters. In today’s time a lot of young
people are unaware of hard life and tragic life situations. In other terms, I could have
sympathized with Pi but somehow being a product of today’s society I could not relate with
him. The final section of the passage tells me that parents are smart. The passage of time
opens up more opportunities for a disaster (Payne, 15 - 18). We are created by disasters in a
manner we cannot foresee. Throughout periods of change of life, the pain we are
experiencing will tear away parts of our spirit. We need to know how to deal with the
suffering and pain to show our true strength and continue the process of healing.

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Works Cited
Leys, Dave. "Life of Pi: Towards a holistic understanding." Metaphor 2 (2017): 20.
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. New York: Harcourt, Inc. (2001): 255
Payne, Chris. "Life of PI." English teaching professional 122 (2019): 15-18.
Roberts, Gillian. "Cross-Border Film Adaptation and Life of Pi." 2018.
Squire, Louise. "Circles unrounded: sustainability, subject and necessity in Yann Martel’s
Life of Pi." Literature and sustainability (2017): 228.
Storey, Françoise, and Jeff Storey. "Transcending Postcolonial Identity Through Myth: Yann
Martel’s Life of Pi." Literary Location and Dislocation of Myth in the Post/Colonial
Anglophone World. Brill Rodopi, 2017. 209-226.