When Pi first spots his teacher at the zoo, he describes Mr. Kumar as having a “triangular form”. It is somewhat ironic that Pi describes Mr. Kumar as triangular. Triangles can symbolize spirit, divinity, and the holy trinity. Mr. Kumar being an atheist, having a triangle describe him is very unfitting. Mr. Kumar’s triangular form is described by Pi as “teetering and tottering”. This shows Mr. Kumar’s instability in his beliefs and thoughts on life.
Mr. Kumar remains a respected person in Pi’s perspective. Pi realizes that atheists are his brothers and sisters of another faith. The whole experience was a bit much for Pi. He feared that he might lose something he loved. Throughout all of this, Pi is intrigued, angered, and just plain confused by everything Mr. Kumar has said and the thoughts that has provoked in Pi’s head.
Pi's Actions Response
While out at sea, lost just as he has been for months, Pi hears a voice, speaking to him. They chat and ask each other questions, fantasizing about what they would eat, if they could have anything in the world. Pi talks about his whole buffet that he would have when the voice reccomends boiled beef tongue with a mustard sauce. After this comment, Pi responds and after some time, realizes that in fact he is talking to Richard Parker. Being a vegitarian, this makes Pi feel sick and finds it unfair for the madness in his brain to go to his stomach. Pi's actions are results from both a malnourished body and mind balencing on the edge of death.
Focusing on what you want, in Pi's case food, strains and stresses you brain and body. This applies to us in life, always going after what you want, and going crazy. Pi asks us to examine the line between "want" and "need". Pi talking to Richard Parker is also metaphorically symbolizing that what is viewed as evil in your life, comes after you and tricks you into thinking that they are good, until you find out what they really are.
Pi has been trying to survive on this life boat for months, and just about given up on any hope of living. To Pi, any sort of want becomes a need. His actions tell us to examine our own lives and not to end up like him.
Life of Pi Final Essay
As the great big truck moves forever farther away, you wonder what life will be like. You know that there is no going back now, no turning back the clock. There is no going back to your old life, whatever life there was, so maybe this will be okay. Maybe this will turn out for the better. Here I will begin a new future. Nomatter what challenges you face in life, make the best of things in your life.
In The Life of Pi, Pi Patel and his family move from Pondicherry, India to Toronto, Canada. This is a challenging time for Pi. Even though the boat sinks, he never loses hope that his family has miraculously survived. Living on the life boat with Richard Parker, the tiger from Pi’s father’s zoo, who survived with him, Pi immediately Pi goes to work to produce a living situation without the danger of the Tiger, Richard Parker. Throughout Pi’s journey across the ocean, Pi finds ways to survive and to keep hope even when and where it is the hardest.
Just like Pi’s journey, we can make the best of situations in our own lives. Moving to a new home or new community can be a tough situation; leaving your friends, school, basically your whole life. To find the good of this one out of many, many situations, view it as a chance to start over, with no reputation holding you back. If Pi can move half way around the world and not give up hope, we can make it through the day focusing on the positive aspects of life.
Even in the middle of the ocean, living in a lifeboat, and training a tiger, Pi can find ways to get on with life until he is rescued and makes it to land. We can do the same. Although we are not in the ocean or living in a lifeboat with a tiger, features of our lives may not meet our standards, we can find the good in every situation. No matter what happens throughout your life, no matter what comes your way, have a positive outlook and find good in every situation.
