Life of Pi – Literary Essay
The important thing isn’t that we can live on love alone, but that life isn’t worth living without it. In the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the author shows that Richard Parker is part of Pi, and is necessary for his survival. This is shown at the end of the novel when Pi reaches Mexico with Richard Parker’s help of survival. However, there are two different versions to Pi’s story, and there is no physical proof of Richard’s existence other than his word. Life isn’t worth living without hope, Richard Parker is necessary for Pi’s survival because he gives him a reason to survive, provides companionship, keeps him from feeling hopelessness.
Firstly, Richard Parker is essential for Pi’s survival. He is essential for Pi’s survival because Richard Parker has the strength and viciousness necessary to survive. In the end of the book it is revealed that Richard Parker is Pi. Richard Parker is just a figment of Pi’s imagination a creation of Pi’s mind to help him cope with seeing his mother killed and the rest of the bad experiences he had after the ship sunk. Pi created Richard in order to conjure up those traits that he needs in order to survive; Richard is strong, fierce, and terrifying, whereas Pi is complete opposite. He creates a strong fierce animal with a personality that is capable of doing things he can’t, but has to in order to survive. Richard Parker is just Pi’s dark side. He keeps Pi sane, despite of his terrible deeds. In other words, he imagines that the tiger is talking to him, showing that he and Richard share one mind: “I laughed. I knew it. I wasn’t hearing voices. I hadn’t gone mad. It was Richard Parker who was speaking to me! The carnivorous rascal” (Martel 273). It is not possible for an animal to talk, thus it is Pi’s collective imagination that manifests this conversation. However, the two share many of the same needs and wants, so therefore their minds are able to collaborate subconsciously.
The Essay on Richard Parker Tiger Life Story
The son of a zookeeper, Pi Patel has an encyclopedic knowledge of animal behavior and a fervent love of stories. When Pi is sixteen, his family emigrates from India to North America aboard a Japanese cargo ship, along with their zoo animals bound for new homes. The ship sinks. Pi finds himself alone in a lifeboat, his only companions a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and Richard Parker, a ...
Formerly, Richard Parker was Pi’s companion throughout his long trial of 227 days marooned at sea. If it weren’t for Richard Parker Pi wouldn’t have survived. He would have gone insane because of the loneliness he felt from being by himself in the middle of the ocean. Pi stated, “It was Richard Parker who calmed me down. It is the irony of this story that the one who scared me witless to start with was the very same who brought me peace, purpose, I dare say even wholeness” (Martel, 162).
Richard Parker’s companionship helped Pi stay sane throughout his time at sea. Provided that, Richard Parker kept Pi alive until they arrived in Mexico. “Richard Parker, companion of my torment, awful, fierce thing that kept me alive, moved forward and disappeared forever from my life”(Martel, 413).
Consequently, seeing Richard Parker leaving from his life forever after they arrived in Mexico made Pi upset. To sum up, Richard Parker was Pi’s companion throughout their journey to Mexico.
Lastly, Richard Parker helps Pi overcome his hopelessness. Pi wants to survive because he believes his family has also been saved from the ship wreck. If Pi can survive his time out at sea, he can be reunited with his family. Richard Parker gives Pi a reason to survive with his presence. If Richard Parker wasn’t on the boat, Pi may have committed suicide because of the loneliness. By having another living creature aboard, Pi had the hope to survive. Pi’s relationship with Richard Parker developed into feelings of love, as Richard Parker helped give Pi the hope he needed to live. When Pi says, “I love you!” The words burst out pure and unfettered infinite. The feelings flooded my chest. ” Truly I do love you, Richard Parker. If I didn’t have you now, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t think I would make it. No, I wouldn’t. I would die of hopelessness” (Martel, 342).
The Essay on Life Of Pi Richard Parker 2
Life of PiP i Patel is on a ship to a whole new world. He's leaving his whole world behind except the zoo, it's on board with him. When awoken by a sound, Pi goes to explore. He finds that the ship is sinking and before he can wake his family he is thrown into a lifeboat. A zebra falls into the lifeboat, breaking its leg. Without truly realizing what he is doing, Pi helps Richard Parker onto the ...
Yann Martel shows how important Richard Parker is for Pi’s survival. Similarly, the presence of Richard Parker, though initially terrifying, eventually soothes him and saves him form utter existential loneliness. Moreover, the necessity of training and taking care of Richard Parker fills Pi’s long, empty days – staying busy helps the times pass. For instance, when Pi meets the blind man in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in the end the blind man tries to kill him. But Richard Parker “ripped the flesh off the man’s frame and cracked his bones” (Martel, 369).
However, after this event of Richard Parker saving Pi’s life they begin to develop a rapport between themselves. As a result, the reason Pi was able to survive 227 days at sea was because Richard Parker covered the void he had without his family there with him.
As hope gives meaning to life, the creation of Richard Parker as a figment of Pi’s imagination is necessary for Pi’s survival because he gives him a reason to survive, provides companionship, and keeps him from feeling hopeless. Overcoming hopelessness, is a good
