Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
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Review of "Life of Pi"
In Life of Pi, Yann Martel effectively portrays the will to live through his main character, Pi Patel. Pi has an undying determination to survive his 277-day voyage through the Pacific Ocean. Martel tells the audience about Pi’s background, and he begins his novel with a flashback to Pi’s boyhood. Martel relays Pi’s views on life through his explanation of Pi’s family life and his interests in religion and zoology. Pi has a great interest in animals since he was raised on a zoo and developed an open mind which helps him on his journey in the ocean.
During part two, Martel introduces Richard Parker, the one and only Bengal tiger confined to the lifeboat with Pi. The audience doesn't have a lot of information about Richard Parker. As Part Three begins, we see that something has changed as Martel uses Richard Parker to mimic some of Pi’s moods and thoughts. Richard Parker is not only a tiger anymore, but something much more significant; Richard Parker is the sole reason Pi was able to survive these past 277 days on the Pacific Ocean.
Martel’s novel, Life of Pi starts off in Pondicherry, India- his family’s hometown with Pi set as a young and innocent boy. While he may have started off as a young boy who grew up on a zoo, the ocean and the hardships presented have turned Pi into a courageous, determined man. This harsh setting sets Pi up to fail, but somehow through his undying will to live, he pushed through and grows into a better, and stronger individual.