Life of Pi

Man’s best friend? 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 tells a story of Piscine “Pi” Molitor Patel, who is struggling with religious and psychological issues. In addition to that, after the ship sinks Pi must survive on a life boat with a tiger for 227 days in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The Bengal tiger, Richard Parker was named after an Edgar Allen Poe character from The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838). Pym and a friend leave Nantucket on a ship. It capsizes and the two find themselves on the hull of the ship with another survivor. Starvations lead them to killing him and eating him. The character that is lunched upon has the last name of Richard Parker. In Life of Pi, the author uses the symbolic character, Richard Parker to show that he is an essential part of Pi’s life. Richard Parker gives Pi hope and keeps Pi sane and together throughout the journey in the Pacific Ocean. When Pi and Richard Parker were settling down in the ocean, Pi says “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 wholeness” (Martel 204). Richard Parker is capable of keeping Pi together. The presence of Richard Parker provides a peaceful environment for Pi, which keeps him together despite the fact that Pi lost his family at the shipwreck. Although a 450-pound Bengal tiger is a threat to the life of an individual, it can also bring comfort to someone who is all alone. If it weren’t for Richard Parker, Pi wouldn’t have survived the 227 day out at sea. Richard Parker is essential because he provides Pi with a companion and a tool to keep Pi’s mind off of the loss of his family and other issues that happen on the lifeboat. While out at sea, Richard Parker and Pi’s bond becomes stronger. When an oil tanker