Life of Pi
Uploaded by blkbelt121 on Feb 04, 2008
Psychological Reactions
Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a story about courage and survival. A young boy, Pi Patel, and his family decide to move their zoo from India to Canada. On their way to Canada Pi is woken by a loud boom. When he gets up to see what it is he realizes that part of the ship is higher than the other. As he tries to go get his parents he sees that the stairs from which he came are covered with water. Soon he finds some workers on the ship and they throw him overboard onto a lifeboat. Soon after he lands a zebra falls beside him. As he watches the ship sink he spots Richard Parker, a 400-pound Bengal tiger treading water. Without thinking he calls to Richard Parker and gets him into the boat. Soon he finds out this is a problem. Pi is now stuck on a lifeboat with a huge Bengal tiger, a zebra, a hyena and an orangutan. Throughout the novel Pi experiences many reactions to what has happened to him such as fear, anger, frustration, loneliness, and boredom.
At first, fear is the only thing Pi feels. The only company he has, after the course of a few weeks, is Richard Parker, whom he is stuck in a tiny lifeboat with. He has lost his whole family and does not know when he will be saved. Fear overpowers Pi for the longest time. He is afraid that Richard Parker might try to kill him. He is afraid of never finding his family again and most of all he is afraid he is going to die. The fact that he is in the middle of the ocean with nothing but a tiger, a lifeboat and a few needed supplies terrifies him. Pi watches the horizon for several weeks hoping he will see a ship but it never comes. By the time he realizes he should do something to try to survive he is near death. Somehow he overcomes his fear and moves on.
After awhile Pi’s fear turns into anger and frustration. He becomes angry that he saved Richard Parker. He begins to hate himself for helping him to the boat. Pi also gets extremely...