...Life of Pi Literary Research Essay In the novel, Life of Pi, Yann Martel uses Pi’s uses of survival that are throughout the novel to show how he overcame his dangerous journey. The use of physical survival was shown by getting food and water to live. Spiritual survival by believing in god and giving up his beliefs and religions to live. And also biological survival and how his uncle was an excellent swimmer which made Pi one too. First, there is the necessity of physical survival: he must keep his body alive. This requires food and water, both in short supply, as well as protection from the elements. Pi knows he must defend himself from the immediate threat, Richard Parker, but he is also aware that there is a whole host of dangers waiting to do him in. Ocean storms, huge waves, sharks, sunstroke, dehydration, drowning—any and all of these things pose a risk to his life. Pi’s inventiveness and resourcefulness (he covers himself with wet clothes to protect his skin from the sun and builds a raft from oars and lifejackets to keep him at a safe distance from both the tiger and sharks) enable him to remain physically safe. As Martel makes clear in his novel, living creatures will often do extraordinary, unexpected, and sometimes heroic things to survive. However, they will also do shameful and barbaric things if pressed. "I will confess that I caught one of his arms with the gaff and used his flesh as bait. I will further confess that driven by the extremity of my need and...
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...Anthony Pulicicchio Mr. Cook ENG4U Tuesday, January 12th, 2016 Pi and his Religious Survival Throughout many novels such as, The Lord of the Flies, The Road, and Then We Were None, there were many instances where God and the values of religion came into play, as the characters had to subdue their loneliness. Many of these novels had characters whom survived solely on the life skills they were taught as a kid, or they were given assistance from God. This ideology of God relates to the novel The Life of Pi. The novel incorporates and explains the central theme of the nature of faith, and how faith is one. This is shown as the novel’s protagonist, Piscine ‘Pi’ Patel, a character that dedicates himself and practices many different types of religions such as Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. Yann Martel makes a clear indication on how faith brings a person together and how faith and religion brought Pi to the person he is today. These 3 religions play an important role in Pi’s life as Pi refers to God many times throughout his devastating journey on the lifeboat. The novel, The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel offers and gives the reader the most accurate definition of religion, which is incorporated by simply and basically having faith. At the beginning of the novel Francis Adirubasamy states that Pi’s story of survival is “…a story that will make you believe in God” (Martel. 21). This story makes you believe the ideology of religion and notion of God due to the fact that Pi’s devotion...
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...The Divine comedy Summarry By: Dante Alighieri At the age of thirty-five, on the night of Good Friday in the year 1300, Dante finds himself lost in a dark wood and full of fear. He sees a sun-drenched mountain in the distance, and he tries to climb it, but three beasts, a leopard, a lion, and a she-wolf, stand in his way. Dante is forced to return to the forest where he meets the spirit of Virgil, who promises to lead him on a journey through Hell so that he may be able to enter Paradise. Dante agrees to the journey and follows Virgil through the gates of Hell. The two poets enter the vestibule of Hell where the souls of the uncommitted are tormented by biting insects and damned to chase a blank banner around for eternity. The poets reach the banks of the river Acheron where souls await passage into Hell proper. The ferryman, Charon, reluctantly agrees to take the poets across the river to Limbo, the first circle of Hell, where Virgil permanently resides. In Limbo, the poets stop to speak with other great poets, Homer, Ovid, Horace, and Lucan, and then enter a great citadel where philosophers reside. Dante and Virgil enter Hell proper, the second circle, where monster, Minos, sits in judgment of all of the damned, and sends them to the proper circle according to their sin. Here, Dante meets Paolo and Francesca, the two unfaithful lovers buffeted about in a windy storm. The poets move on to the third circle, the Gluttons, who are guarded by the monster Cerberus. These sinners...
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...Josh Johnstone Ms. Lough ENG 3U1.70 22 February 2017 ISU Proposal Novel: Life of Pi by Yann Martel Premise: Piscine Molitor Patel grew up being bullied for his name so he decided to go by Pi. Pi grew up in Pondicherry India where his parents owned a zoo. He was raised Hindu in India, but decided to become a follower of Christianity and Islam too. Issues with the Indian government led his father to selling the zoo and packing up his wife, sons, and animals on a boat bound for Canada. However, things went awry a few days out from the Philippines as a massive storm hit, and the ship sank. Pi managed to escape on a life boat along with an Orangutan, a Zebra with a jacked-up leg, and a spotted Hyena. The Hyena killed the other two animals, and Pi...
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...very exciting. The first reason why I like the first story is because it was more in depth. Pi included lots of little details and it was easy to picture the story in your mind. He included lots of details that weren’t needed but it was cool to be able to picture it. The second story that Pi told the Japanese Investigators was only about a page or two long and was short and to the point. Pi left out details about the magic island and meeting up with another man in a lifeboat while on the Pacific. While this might have never happened we do not know for sure. Mr. Okamoto said, “ Mr. Patel, we don’t believe your story” (Martel 292). This was right after Pi told the investigators the story with the animals, they quickly laughed and asked for what really happened. They didn’t believe Pi whatsoever....
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...tiger in a life raft and tyrannical pigs can give readers a very strong message about their lives. Animal Farm was written as a warning about governmental collapse and tyrants taking advantage of power. Through the story of the rise of evil pigs in the hierarchy of a new system of government in the farm, it portrays a clear message about tyrannical government. Life of Pi also tries to get the reader’s attention, though it tries to urge the reader into having faith in religion rather than warn them. With animals and numbers, the story of a boy stuck at sea guides the reader into understanding the power that religion can give to those who have faith. Both Animal Farm and Life of Pi use the beast...
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...One of the most unexpected phrases in Life of Pi was used to describe Pi’s house in chapter 15. Once Yann Martel mentions that “[Pi’s] house is a temple” (Martel 45), a logical assumption is that Pi is a man of religion, who had devoted himself to one God that he cherishes. However, as the chapter goes on, it becomes clear that Pi follows multiple religions. There is the obvious presence of three major religions in the world - Christian, Muslim, and Hindu. All three tend to fight in the world, incapable of reaching compromise and coexisting in peace. With a child’s naivete, Pi tries to understand every religion he encounters and does not feel pressured to select one to guide him, but allows all thee to exist. When the priests of the three religions realize that their religion...
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...Miraculous Survivor: Humility and Pi In Life of Pi, Yann Martel uses the journey of Pi out in the ocean to show us the transformation Pi goes through from a boy who is angry about the situation he is currently in to a survivor trying to survive while taking care of Richard Parker. The article Miraculous Survivors: Why they live while others die, lists humility and humbleness as a trait of a survivor. The article applies to Life of Pi because of the transformation Pi goes through in which, humbleness allows Pi to learn to appreciate Richard Parker in helping him survive while also becoming his care taker. The reason Yann Martel displays such a transformation is to make us believe in God through showing how humbleness can allow people to appreciate what they have in any situation, and that people should just take what they get because it is all in the hands of God. Pi goes...
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...Reading between the lines The second story Pi was the truth leaving the first story as Pi’s way of coping with the traumatic events that happened in the life boat. Pi’s unique background gives life to all the symbolizing and double meanings, explain why the second story is true. Life of Pi is book with deep detail and description, giving a very full pictures. I think Martel uses this to his own advantage. Giving us such a layered story, makes the ending even more of a crash. With such realistic details, it seems impossible for anything other to be true. Pi also seems like a whole and true character, it makes no sense for him imagine it (Shmoop 1). Not only until I sat back ran through my notes did I realise it was staring me in the face the whole story. Almost the whole first part is about the abstraction of religion. The fact that he believes and worships three religions just screams imagination. Pi’s beliefs run wild throughout the entire book, giving his character flesh and blood. In part one, Pi tells us about his childhood. His father owned and ran a zoo, giving Pi a deep...
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...The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, published in 1945, and The Life of Pi, written by Yann Martel, and published in 2001, both focus on a teenage boy going on an adventure. The adventures each boy face are very different but also have many themes in common. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield gets kicked out of school and decides to stay in New York for a few days before the end of the semester, he discovers many things and has many new experiences. In The Life of Pi, while Pi and his family are moving to Canada from India by boat, the boat sinks in a storm which leaves Pi alone on a lifeboat with a bengal tiger. After many challenges and difficulties Pi eventually does make it to Canada where he lives out his life. The thing that makes these two...
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...Template I. Introduction A. Lead: The "Monomyth" is a simplistic pattern for stories that has been used for many years worldwide. Yann Martel's Life of Pi is an excellent story about the life altering journey of a 16 year old boy Pi Patel. B. Thesis Statement (Includes Life of Pi and poem that you close read): C. Life of Pi is an exquisite example of a Monomyth. Pi's journey is sequenced into 3 sections. Each containing one of the elements of the Monomyth; the Call to Adventure, the Initiation, and the Return. D. Three Supporting Arguments (Your Blueprint) : 1. Pi's vast and scholarly ambience allows him to measure up as the hero of the story and welcome the Call to Adventure with supervision from Supernatural Aid. 2. Pi's dedication to his faith allows him to endure the stage of Initiation with his monotonous indemnification with his Spiritual Father. 3. Pi's adequacy to acclimate and welcome the position he is in allows him to embark on the Return stage while using the point of view of Freedom to Live (Living within the moment). II. Body 1st Idea E. Topic sentence: Your topic sentence will consist of your Thesis and supporting argument. You must write out the entire topic sentence as it would appear in your actual essay. : F. Life of Pi is an exquisite example of a Monomyth. Pi's journey is sequenced into 3 sections. Each containing one of the elements of the Monomyth; the Call to Adventure, the...
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...assumption is that you will consider both the similarities and differences; in other words, you will compare and contrast. Make sure you know the basis for comparison The assignment sheet may say exactly what you need to compare, or it may ask you to come up with a basis for comparison yourself. • Provided by the question: The question may ask that you consider the gradual loss of morals by major characters in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and George Orwell’s Animal Farm. The basis for comparison will be the loss of morals by central figures in each text. • Developed by you: The question may simply ask that you compare the two novels. If so, you will need to develop a basis for comparison, that is, a theme, concern, or device common to both works from which you can draw similarities and differences. Develop a list of similarities and differences Once you know your basis for comparison, think critically about the similarities and differences between the items you are comparing, and compile a list of them. For example, you might decide that in Life of Pi, Pi simultaneously experiences a gradual loss of morals as his chances of survival are put more and more at risk, whereas in Animal Farm, Napoleon always possessed questionable morals which become further corrupted as...
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...VISUAL ESSAY: LIFE OF PI To quote Pi Patel, "I will not die. I refuse it. I will make it through this nightmare", cites that when Pi is on the verge of giving up his inner monologue fuels his determination to live. The general argument made by Mr. Yann Martel in his work "Life of Pi" is that determination keeps you alive. More specifically, Martel argues that determination is significant in everyone's life to overcome challenges and achieve one's goal. Determination helps overcome one’s fear. As for Pi, fear is "life's only true opponent" that shakes your foundation which needs to be faced. Living in a lifeboat for 227 days in the middle of the ocean with a vicious Bengal tiger, one can learn to deal with fear in determination to survive. At the moment when Pi acknowledges his thirst he desperately looked for supplies in Richard Parker's den, "Thirst pushed me". Realizing that in order for him to survive he needs to live with Richard Parker in the boat. Pi took practical steps to deal with Richard Parker, “I had to tame him. It was at that moment that I realized this necessity”. Pi established his dominance to Richard Parker Pi and uses a whistle to serve as his taming device to Richard Parker. Pi doesn't just overcome his fear of Richard Parker but he unexpectedly made Richard Parker his sole companion, he "who brought me peace,purpose, I dare I say even wholeness". Religious faith gives strength to an individual’s determination to live. Pi was a very devout person who just...
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...WAT/PI PREPARATION MATERIAL ESSAY WRITING TUTORIAL a. What is an essay? An essay is a collection of ideas on a given topic. It explores various aspects of a given topic in a logical sequence and comes to a proper conclusion. A good essay is one which has captivating beginning, a comprehensive body, and a logical conclusion b. The basic structure of an essay Any essay should have the following parts: Introduction : Comprising the main idea Body : Comprising the supporting ideas Conclusion : The finale c. Steps to write an essay 1) Organize your ideas before starting to write. 2) Start brain-storming, linking facts, examples and your reading and experiences. 3) List your main idea, supporting ideas, and facts. 4) Write down the essay in an elaborate way with the inflexions of ideas. 5) Write the conclusion. d. First step – organizing Remember the first step in essay writing is organizing the ideas. While organizing you should evolve an outline of the essay by listing the ideas, leaving four or five lines in between each point. e. Steps to organizing 1. How do you wish to introduce the topic given? 2. What are the main points you want to cover in the essay? 3. Take only the salient features, not the universe. 4. What are the points you wish to add to support your main idea to build it into an essay? 5. What are the facts and examples you can add to support the ideas? 6. Once you have chosen the facts and ideas, ask yourself in which order to put them ...
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...Essay on the movie "Pi" (1997) written and directed by Darren Aronofsky. Pi is a black and white movie that fits into Classicism form of film. Mathematician Maximillian Cohen (played by Sean Gulette) is a genius who leads a strange and lonely life. He shares a small apartment with Euklid, his homemade supercomputer. He's a mathematical genius who suffers from head-splitting migraine attacks, hallucinations, extreme paranoia, and some form of social anxiety disorder . After many unsuccessful treatments, he has become addicted to several painkillers . He is obsessed to find a pattern within the number pi. He thinks Mathematics is the language of nature, and believes everything around us can be represented and understood through numbers and that if you graph the numbers properly patterns will emerge. Max meets Lenny Meyer (played by Ben Shenkman), a Hasidic Jew who does mathematical research on the Torah. Lenny explains to Max how some people believe that the Torah is a string of numbers that form a code sent by God. Lenny's research is similar to real mathematical theories, which intrigues Max. Lenny also mentions that he and his fellow researchers are searching for a 216-digit number that is repeated throughout the text of the Torah. Max finds the 216-digit number code that he thinks it will unlock patterns in the stock market to predict future changes of how stock will increase or decrease. A Wall Street businesswoman Marcy Dawson (played by Pamela Hart) and a group of...
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