StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel's Novel Life of Pi - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
This essay focuses on the symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel's Novel Life of Pi. The relationship between Piscine Patel and his name Pi are profound. The exploration of this relationship throughout the novel yields a nuanced understanding of the hero…
Download free paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.8% of users find it useful
Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martels Novel Life of Pi
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel's Novel Life of Pi"

Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel's Novel 'Life of Pi This paper makes an analysis of the name Pi's symbolism in the context of the novel 'Life of Pi' by Yann Martel, and in the context of the main character himself. The relationship between Piscine Patel, and his name Pi are profound. The exploration of this relationship throughout the novel yields a nuanced understanding of the hero. As in the infinity and irrationality that the number pi signifies, so too is the man-boy's psyche and character infinite in its depth His views of the world are as unconventional as the mathematics of pi. At the same time, the title of the novel too bears a likeness to aspects of infinity that the number pi suggests. The exploration of the life of the boy at sea, viewed from the subjective perspective of Pi, is the stuff of the novel. That stuff itself defies closure, in a way, in the same way that pi extends forever into infinity and does not seem to repeat itself. It has no end. Pi's views on who he is, what spirituality is and what the meaning of life is constantly shifts, and cannot rest on conclusion. Everything is touch and go, moves forward without pause and without repetition (Martel). For instance one take on pi as a number representing infinity is Pi's take on life and what reality is, as something that is grounded not on the intellect, reason, and the mental faculties, but on something infinite, It is based on love, with fuzzy and undefined boundaries, not something that cannot be grasped fully, but only lived (Martel 62): Words of divine consciousness: moral exaltation; lasting feelings of elevation, elation, joy; a quickening of the moral sense, which strikes one as more important than an intellectual understanding of things; an alignment of the universe along moral lines, not intellectual ones; a realization of the founding principle of existence is what we call love, which works itself out sometimes not clearly, not immediately ,nonetheless ineluctably (Martel 62) The worldview seems to not limited to a particular way of thinking about God, but includes and expands. Pi's views in fact goes beyond mere intellect, to include his conception of morality, and love. Love itself is not something fixed, not a definite reality like an ordinary number, but something hazy and extends into the beyond, like the number pi. In one passage his vision is a representation of this seemingly infinite reality too. It is as if Pi was incapable of thinking in ordinary terms, but could only see the world in accordance with an inner map that was all horizon everywhere he looked. Or it could be that he had to think that way in order to make sense of his fantastic circumstances at sea. With no boundary in sight but that endless void that pushed as far as the eye could see, he viewed his condition in terms of infinities (Martel 196): To be a castaway is to be a point perpetually at the centre of a circle. However much things may appear to change—the sea may shift from whisper to rage, the sky might go from fresh blue to blinding white to darkest black—the geometry never changes. Your gaze is always a radius. The circumference is ever great. In fact, the circles multiply. To be a castaway is to be caught in a harrowing ballet of circles. You are at the centre of one circle, while above you two opposing circles spin about (Martel 196) If Pi is not thinking and seeing the world in grand sweeps and infinities, he is looking at the world and living it aware of contradictions. His world is full of gray areas, and opposites that seem to juxtapose themselves at every turn, making life difficult in general. It is as unpredictable as the number pi in its progression. It makes him unable to rest at an idea or a vision of reality with which one can organize one's life and be at peace. Life for Pi, like his name, is made up of these irrationalities. Sometimes they are full of grim things (Martel 197): Otherwise, to be a castaway is to be caught up in grim and exhausting opposites. When it is light, the openness of the sea is blinding and frightening. When it is dark, the darkness is claustrophobic. When it is day, you are hot and wish to be cool and dream of ice cream and pour sea water on yourself. When it is night you are cold and wish to be warm and dream of hot curries; and wrap yourself in blankets...When there is food, there is too much of it and you must feast. When there is none, there is truly none and you starve (Martel 197). To understand the psyche of the hero Pi is to get a glimpse into the profound workings of the boy's consciousness. The context is that the great adventure of being a castaway at sea with a tiger, with nothing but his wits and his self-proddings to keep him together. The the unusual thought processes and vision of Pi reflects just how profound the whole situation is, and how fantastic. One almost gets used to the idea, after a time, of the boy being stuck at sea and surviving in the way that he did in spite of great odds. Yet page after page the reader encounters thoughts and events that jar one out of a sense of complacency. It is like the number itself, surprising with every digit because it cannot be predicted. Pi represents that part of life that gives no occasion for any ordinariness to seep in. The very nature of the adventure requires a consciousness that is as wide-ranging and absurd as Pi's. In the end that is what the name connotes, a refusal to settle down by necessity. It is an act of survival. The understanding that we get out of reading the character's life in terms of the number pi includes that his unusual thinking and psyche is something that was needed in order for Pi to survive like he did. When he wept in the end, we cry with him. We cry not because we fully understand but because we are like friends seeing a marvelous human being with a psyche that is as vast and wide as his name signifies. We cry because we share in his triumph (Martel 258): I wept like a child. It was not because I was overcome at having survived the ordeal, though I was. Nor was it the presence of my brothers and sisters, though that was very moving. I was weeping because Richard Parker had left me so unceremoniously...I wish I had said, “Richard Parker, it's over. We have survived. Can you believe it? I owe you more gratitude than I can express...You will always be with me, in my heart” (Martel 258) Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. 2003. Mariner Books Read More
Tags
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel's Novel Life of Pi Essay”, n.d.)
Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel's Novel Life of Pi Essay. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/literature/1468003-symbolism-of-the-name-pi-in-yann-martels-novel-life-of-pi
(Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel'S Novel Life of Pi Essay)
Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel'S Novel Life of Pi Essay. https://studentshare.org/literature/1468003-symbolism-of-the-name-pi-in-yann-martels-novel-life-of-pi.
“Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel'S Novel Life of Pi Essay”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/literature/1468003-symbolism-of-the-name-pi-in-yann-martels-novel-life-of-pi.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Symbolism of the Name Pi in Yann Martel's Novel Life of Pi

Book vs. Film(life of pi)

life of pi.... Name: Institution: life of pi is a novel written by Yann Martel about the fantasy adventure of a teenage boy named Piscine Molitor ‘Pi' Patel from Pondcherry.... There is also a film on the subject about the life of pi that depicts the boy's odyssey on the Pacific Ocean for 227 days on a life raft.... This paper seeks to discuss life of pi by focusing on several points and the spirit of survival, its impact and significance in life....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Influence, Inspiration, and Hard Work in Life of Pi Novel

Considering that Pi's shipwreck is the first to focus on a boy and his tiger, life of pi compares to other maritime novels and films.... Features of pi:In the initial part of the novel we see pi as a child, his childhood was just as that of any other small town Indian kid except for the fact that he had the privilege of staying and growing up more close to nature than his other counterparts.... ife of pi is a fascinating story about survival, belief, animal behavior, hope and hopelessness....
9 Pages (2250 words) Essay

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Japanese transport minister came to know whereabouts and to investigate as to what happened to the cargo ship Tsimtum and reasons for its sinking, of which pi was a passenger and sole survival.... And after two hundred and twenty-seven days adrift pi is the only survivor.... pi is cast adrift in a lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and a huge Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.... pi only hope for survival is to keep the tiger content and subservient to him....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

Film Analysis: Life of Pi

The movie shot in India… The movie is all about a guy who is 16 year old called “pi” and his encounter with rough sea in a boat accompanied by Tiger named “Richard Movie -Review -Life of -Pi life of pi is a movie released in which was based on a novel written by Yann Martel and directed adventurously by Ang Lee.... The movie showcases that nothing is impossible in life as the novel “life of pi” was in no way a filmable one.... In total, the movie” life of pi” is a complete entertainer which has crossed the imaginative boundaries and skill of directors and film industry....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Analysis of The Life of Pi Book by Yann Martel

This essay summarizes every chapter of the adventurous novel “life of pi” which is based on several fictional events.... This shows an unspoken friendship and bonding of pi towards animals.... In the chapters, 19-26, doubts raised in the mind of pi regarding the wild behavior of animals.... nbsp; In the first chapter, the birth and family life of Piscine Molitor Patel is explained.... Later Pi was convinced by the life of Christ and decided to follow Christianity....
6 Pages (1500 words) Book Report/Review

The Life of Pi and the Brokeback Mountain, Both Directed by Ang Lee

Ang Lee is an accomplished director of films, having directed many films in the past such as ‘life of pi', Tyrant, Brokeback Mountain, The Wedding Banquet, Pushing Hands, and Eat Drink Man Woman.... Two movies are being viewed in this paper are the life of pi and the… The life of pi is a tragic story about a boy named Pi whose family sets of from India to Canada together with various animals kept their zoo.... life of pi is a 2012 film...
14 Pages (3500 words) Essay

Life of PI by Yann Martel

Upon the dislike of pi's story by the two investigators, they insisted to know what happened exactly.... They do not understand how pi survived for all that long time living with a tiger in the boat. Okamoto says that Chiba commented and says that the tress pi mentioned were botanically impossible to occur.... pi told them another story an asked the investigators to choose the better story (Martel 295).... The two understand the similarities between the two stories and pi asked them which story they preferred....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

The Religious Symbolism and Metaphors in The Life of Pi

This essay is about "The Religious Symbolism and Metaphors in The life of pi".... In that case, the religious symbolism and metaphors in the life of pi help Martel to signify an essential virtue of faith stressed in the Bible.... A lot for authors have referred to spiritual comparisons and statements to designate the general metaphorical regarding the life of pi, whereby Yann Martel brings it up well.... Yann Martel uses the voyage of pi to signify a parable for a biblical journey to identifying the perspective of belief....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us