life of pi
Life of Pi in 2001, Yann Martel authored the fantasy adventure novel, Life of Pi. It is a story about how the narrator and his family are transporting some of the animals from their zoo, when suddenly the ship sinks, and we see how the narrator succeeds in saving the three old adult Bengal tiger, Richard Parker.
Throughout the novel Martel uses numerous references to religion, when he first spots Richard Parker he says “Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and Vishnu, how good to see you Richard Parker”. The narrator also refers to his Mother as his “tender guardian angel of wisdom”. He says a prayer in line 16 when he asks “Vishnu preserve me, Allah protect me, Christ save me”. I think that this theme has been used by Martel to show how if you believe, then anything is possible. While many people do not believe in religion, this novel primer-illy focus' on it and I believe that it is done to show that in your hour of need that; God, Allah and Vishnu will all be their to provide and assist you. However the narrator may wish that they had not done so; as it turns out that after saving the creature that he has to throw himself overboard in order to prevent being mauled by the tiger. Their is also a theme of irony in the novel. Throughout the whole novel until we are told otherwise, the reader preconceives Richard Parker for another human being; and then find out that he is a Bengal tiger. This is ironic as the narrator he helps Richard Parker as much as he can as he throws a lifebuoy to him and pulls him in, and he instructs him what to do when he is trying towards safety when he says “ One, Two. One, Two. One, Two”. I believe that this is ironic as, at this point the narrator is not thinking clearly as too what he is doing, and his natural goodness (which can be referred back to religion) takes over him in order to help the tiger. If, as we first though, Richard Parker was a human being then their would of be no hesitation in assisting him to safety and getting him on board
Throughout the novel Martel uses numerous references to religion, when he first spots Richard Parker he says “Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and Vishnu, how good to see you Richard Parker”. The narrator also refers to his Mother as his “tender guardian angel of wisdom”. He says a prayer in line 16 when he asks “Vishnu preserve me, Allah protect me, Christ save me”. I think that this theme has been used by Martel to show how if you believe, then anything is possible. While many people do not believe in religion, this novel primer-illy focus' on it and I believe that it is done to show that in your hour of need that; God, Allah and Vishnu will all be their to provide and assist you. However the narrator may wish that they had not done so; as it turns out that after saving the creature that he has to throw himself overboard in order to prevent being mauled by the tiger. Their is also a theme of irony in the novel. Throughout the whole novel until we are told otherwise, the reader preconceives Richard Parker for another human being; and then find out that he is a Bengal tiger. This is ironic as the narrator he helps Richard Parker as much as he can as he throws a lifebuoy to him and pulls him in, and he instructs him what to do when he is trying towards safety when he says “ One, Two. One, Two. One, Two”. I believe that this is ironic as, at this point the narrator is not thinking clearly as too what he is doing, and his natural goodness (which can be referred back to religion) takes over him in order to help the tiger. If, as we first though, Richard Parker was a human being then their would of be no hesitation in assisting him to safety and getting him on board