This section explores the theme of religion and belief in God, “God, give me the time…” (page 150) The reference to God at this point is significant as it shows the readers that Pi is in desperation for support and strength. Pi is very religious and practices the three religions simultaneously: Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. He is a believer and has a very strong view towards religion, “Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and Vishnu!” (page 150) At his time of need Pi calls onto all of his Gods and wants their help and guidance in order to help him face the dreadful ordeal. The religious imagery which is used here shows that religion plays an important part in Pi’s life and is a central theme in the novel. Belief in God could have been one of the ways in which Pi was able to survive the trauma at sea.
From page 151, Pi begins to analyse every angle of Richard Parker and Yann Martel uses very detailed and descriptive language to effectively describe Richard Parker’s appearance and Pi’s amazement to help readers share both of Pi’s moments of incredible joy and his times of absolute despair, “He was incredibly muscular”, “His body, bright brownish orange streaked with black vertical stripes, was incomparably beautiful…” The wide use of adjectives clearly shows how astounded Pi is about the tiger’s appearance. This part also makes the reader feel that Pi is giving into his darker side and is starting to accept Richard Parker. The in depth analysis of Richard Parker’s appearance allows readers to believe that Pi looks up to the tiger and considers him to be superior, like a God. As Pi is a true believer, he has a wide imagination and would believe in anything if it could help him stay alive. The repetition of the pronoun ‘he’ is also significant as it represents Pi’s continuous reference to Richard Parker and the way he looks and moves, “He was panting…”, “He raised his head high…” and “His feet were wide apart.” The sentences at this point are very simple and short as well which creates tension and speeds up the pace of the story which is effective in this section as it could symbolize Pi’s racing heartbeat.
A lot of imagery is used in this chapter to give a more vivid, clearer description about Richard Parker, “His carrot orange face had a broad bridge and a pink nose, and it was made up with brazen flair.” The versatile use of imagery creates a piece that captivates the reader because the reader is able to clearly see what the writer is trying to describe. Several similes are also used for a sense of imagery as it describes something to be like something else, “Atop the head were small, expressive ears shaped like perfect arches.” This simile is used to emphasize a certain characteristic of Richard Parker and expresses Pi’s opinion and emotion at that time.
The rat which appears in this chapter is very significant as it reflects Pi’s feeling at that moment, “Out of nowhere, a scrawny brown rat materialized on the side bench, nervous and breathless.” It could be seen that the rat is in fact Pi at this point because Pi feels the same way as the rat and compared to Richard Parker they are both little and afraid. Also, Pi and the rat are the tiger’s prey and they have no way of defending themselves. The phrase ‘out of nowhere’ gives the implication that Pi is surprised to have a weaker side, if the rat is a reflection of Pi himself. The rat is a symbol for Pi and it shows the readers that people could have two different sides of them: a darker side and a weaker side. However, Pi doesn’t give into his weaker side as he does with Richard Parker, “I grabbed the rat and threw it his way”. This sentence implies that Pi is essentially throwing away a part of him which he doesn’t want to give into because if he does then he will not survive. Furthermore, Pi seems to have been forced to give up the weaker side of him, “He seemed satisfied with the offering”. This shows that Pi has offered himself to Richard Parker and from here on Richard Parker will be in control.
Richard Parker taking over Pi links to the theme of survival because Pi is forced to accept his darker side if he wants to survive this ordeal. He knows that he needs the tiger because he depends on him for companionship and strength, “I looked about the sea. Only great, gentle swells.” There was nothing left for Pi at sea; all he had was Richard Parker. Although, at first Pi is afraid of Richard Parker, he grows to learn that he is similar to his companion and this makes his fear gradually erase. As Pi starts to act cannibalistically in order to stay alive, he is starting to become Richard Parker, a tiger, and he loses his innocence because he knows that the will to survive is vital at this point in his life.
‘Life of Pi’ is an entrancing, adventurous story where humans and animals are seen as superior to one another. This section of the novel clearly proves that Pi is wanting or is in desperate need to become Richard Parker. Yann Martel is able to provide readers with imagination and belief. He allows the readers to decide whether or not they believe that Pi is in fact Richard Parker. When Pi no longer needs his survival instincts, Richard Parker disappears as Pi is rescued and no longer requires his presence.
Word Count: 1,173
