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Richard Parker's 'Puzzle For Understanding Life Of Pi'

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Richard Parker's 'Puzzle For Understanding Life Of Pi'
"Life of Pi" is so compelling to read and yet so difficult to truly understand. As I keep looking through the themes of religion vs. animal, I get even more confused. What is the meaning behind the animal story if the human story is true? What is the meaning behind the human story if the animal story is true?
I myself believe that the human story was true and that the animal story was his metaphor for his experiences, but I am yet to figure out what each symbol means in the novel's moral/theme. On another note, I have pieced together the animals in my "Puzzle for Understanding Life of Pi." There is significance as to why Pi (and/or Richard Parker) survived on the boat, while the others perished (hyena, frenchman, Pi's mother, etc.) Here it goes: The hyena represented manliness on one level. He also was a carnivore, which was the essence of his personality. He constantly let his killing instinct drive him.
The hyena was described as disgusting and ugly. The Frenchman/French Cook was also male, and carnivorous, and disgusting. He devoured two human beings and ate practically everything he could get his hands on (like the hyena, again.) Like the hyena, he let his killing instincts drive him and rarely had a chance to pause and think about morals and his terrible …show more content…
He was carnivorous and male, orange and had stripes. (Possibly a slightly flattened noses and narrow eyes.) While he was carnivorous, he also had a kind, friendly side to him. Most of the time, he was calm and quiet, and very much like the three-toed sloth. He'd regularly 'nap' in a semi-conscious state, watching everybody else. He was fairly young and helpless in many ways, as he depended upon Pi for food during the boat ride. Because of this mix, Richard Parker was feared by the other animals. He was also able to balance 'manliness' with humbleness. Otherwise, Richard Parker could've become very proud and develop an unappealing nature similar to the
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