Life Experiences & Human Behavior: A Study of Pi and Past the Shallows

This essay explores how life experiences significantly influence human behavior, drawing examples from Yann Martel's 'Life of Pi' and Favel Parrett's 'Past the Shallows.' It examines how characters' interactions and decisions are shaped by their past, illustrating the concept of cognitive dissonance, where inconsistencies in thoughts and motivations drive behavioral changes. The analysis focuses on Pi Patel's dual nature of goodness and savagery shaped by his experiences, and the impact of a fractured family on the brothers in 'Past the Shallows.' The essay concludes that understanding these influences is crucial for comprehending human actions and responses to various life situations.

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English Literature

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Life experiences have a significant impact on human behaviour, and it shapes how people
interact with others. I will explain the importance of human experience and how it influences
their decisions in life by evaluating the examples of Life of Pi and Past the Shallows. It is
important to understand that human behaviours are governed by the theory of cognitive
dissonance, which means inconsistency in human behaviour and their motivations. Cognitive
Dissonance refers to the human state where a human experiences inconsistent thoughts or
attitudes, on the lines of the behavioural changes and the motivation to move forward in life.
This inconsistency exists due to difference between the life experiences of individuals which
influence how a person will take a decision in his/her life. In order to succeed in one's goals
and objectives, one must need to be in aware of the various kinds of external and internal
factors such as the ideas, beliefs and motivations, behind an attitude or behaviour. These
external and internal factors are influenced by experiences which a human face during his/her
lifetime. The better the understanding of the causes of one’s own behaviour, the better the
individuals can work in line with the desired goals and objectives which highlights the
importance of human experiences.
The first example is from the movie Life of Pi in which the lead character, Pi Patel, show two
sides of his character. One side is good, and the other one is savagery. These sides are
affected by the life experiences of Pi Patel. The metaphors of this movie described Patel’s
adventure when he stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger for 227 days and how he uses
his past experiences in life to keep himself and Richard Parker (the tiger) alive for this period.
The different sides of Patel’s behaviour are further identified through these two pictures. In
the first picture, Patel is afraid, and he is on the other side of the boat while fearing for his
life. The animals are fighting with each other whereas Patel just wanted to save his life.
However, in the next picture, it is seen that Patel has befriended the tiger and he is not afraid
anymore. The good side of Patel is described through alliteration in the movie because there
were many incidents where he was good towards animals even when it was dangerous for his
life.
These alliterations are further explained in the movie through different incidents which shows
how the life experiences of Patel influence his decisions and responses. For example, Patel’s
mother had a caring and loving nature which reflects on the behaviour of Patel as well. While
stuck on the boat, he cares for other animals just like his mother which shows his good side.
He was also caring towards Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger, who could have eaten him alive.
This side of Patel is alliterated throughout the movie because Patel continuous to care for the

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animals who were in the boat with him even if they were dangerous. This is showing in the
second picture where on Patel and the tiger is left of the boat, however, Patel did not throw
him off the boat and helped him instead to stay alive.
This shows how life experiences of Patel have influenced his decision. The savagery side of
Patel came from his experiences with his father that taught him how to protect himself and
handle himself new dangerous animals. There is a scene in the movie where Patel’s father
shows him how caring for the Bengal tiger could have a negative impact on his life. He
taught him a lesson by showing how the tiger kills his prey and how cruel he can be. This
experience teaches Patel never to trust the tiger and this response kept him alive in the movie.
The experiences which Patel had on the boat and his life teach him the lesson regarding how
to be brave and how to do the right thing in life. Both these pictures link together to show that
human experiences matter because they influence the behaviour and response of individuals
towards different situated in life which also affects their outcomes.
Another good example is from the novel Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett. This novel tells
the story of two brothers who were growing up in a fractured family on the wild Tasmanian
coast. Their father was a hard drinker whose mood frequently shifts towards his sons in both
positive and negative manner which affected their childhood. The positive side of their father
was seen in an example where the father brushed Harry’s hair back so that they did not get
knotted. This was a positive experience of the children with their father which reflects on his
positive side. The savagery side of the father was seen in another example when “he threw
Joe hard across the room, and Joe hit the kitchen bench, and there was a terrible crack”.
These experiences influence the behaviour of both sons, and they started to avoid their father
by being invisible from his site. These examples depict the inconsistencies in the behaviour
of human beings and how the same person can have two sets of behaviour and attitude
towards two person or different life situations. These differences in behaviour and attitude are
a result of human experiences which shapes a person’s response to the world.
In conclusion, the examples from Life of Pi and Past the Shallows assist in understanding that
human experiences affect the behaviour and attitude of a person towards another person.
These experiences also influence how they respond to different situations in life which
ultimately affect the outcomes of the situations. Therefore, human experiences are an
important part of a person’s learning experience which makes who he/she is in life.