For my final blog on the Life of Pi I would like to venture back to the beginning of the book in order to understand the book as a whole. Shortly after the boat sinks, Pi believes that he should be on the brink of rescue and that everyone is searching for him and any surviving crew members.
“I was certain I wasn’t alone. It was inconceivable that the Tsimtsum should sink without eliciting a peep of concern. Right now in Tokyo, in Panama City, in Madras, in Honolulu, why, even in Winnipeg, red lights were blinking on consoles, alarm bells were ringing, eyes were opening wide in horror… Even submarines were swerving under water to join in the rescue effort. WE WOULD BE RESCUED SOON.”
In my opinion, I believe that Pi’s positive outlook on the whole situation is what kept fueling his fire which pushed him to survive. Without this idea of being rescued in the back of his mind, who knows how early he would have died off, he would have lost all motivation to undergo basic life processes ultimately ending his life at an early stage. I think that along with Pi’s continuous practice of religion and the pit stop he makes on the algae island (which I will get to later) are what kept him alive. When looking at this quote more in depth I discovered what may be another meaning; Pi thought that the world around him would stop everything in search for an Indian boy and his family, but in fact, just the opposite. If anything the search was called off after a day (if they even searched for survivors) which to me shows the sheer insensitivity of humanity. Nobody came looking for him but Pi didn’t know that. What propelled him to move on was the thought of being reunited with his family; that is most likely what allowed him to survive 227 days.
Continuing on, I would also like to talk about the algae island because the island itself has alternate meanings which seem to be really ironic. This island gives life by day and takes away life by night. If it wasn’t for this island, I am not quite sure how much longer Pi would have been able to make it. It renewed his hope along with Richard Parker’s life. The island symbolizes the different obstacles in life; some things can save you, while others can kill you. Pi knew this and shortly left the island after he found the human tooth inside the flower (symbolizing what I just said; if you stay there too long it will destroy you.)
In conclusion, I really loved the message that both the book and the movie Life of Pi portrayed. It was definitely a phenomenal book that inspired me to always appreciate my family, my faith and the things around me.
I don't agree with what you said about Pi being motivated to survive by hoping to be reunited with his family. I think that he knew his family was dead and he mentions this a few times. I think that he was more motivated by wanting to live out God's plan for him.
ReplyDeleteMaggie,
ReplyDeleteI realize you'll probably never look back here to see this comment, and I apologize for its lateness, but this is excellent work. You've done very well this year, particularly this last quarter. Thank you.