LIfe of Pi

Yann Martel’s Use of Tone Yann Martel uses different tones in Life of Pi to portray his opinions of Pi Patel. He uses Pi to show humor, curiosity, savage, despair, philosophy, and definitely horror throughout the novel. Pi is forced to live with a tiger in such a confined space that he must find a way to train Richard Parker. Pi comforts himself by pretending he is a tiger trainer in “THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH!” (Martel 208). This is Martel’s way of showing how Pi Patel is humorous even in troubling situations. Pi is also confronted with hunger, so to quench himself he must revert to a primitive state of eating anything he can find, including the tiger’s feces. Yann Martel shows Pi’s strong motivation to live by making him seem savage, but also letting the reader know that Pi is curious so he can survive by trying anything. After Pi Patel is rescued, he is confronted with interviewers about his journey. Yann shows Pi’s philosophical side when he explains that “Isn’t telling something—using words, English or Japanese—already something of an invention?” (380). Martel shows Pi as horrified when he copes with dangerous animals in a confined space. Yann Martel lets the reader know that Pi is still fearful of wild animals, just as anyone would, even though he works and lives with them daily. Pi’s horror evolves into despair when he becomes weak and blind. “By the next morning I had lost all fear of death and I resolved to die” (Martel 305). Yann portrays Pi as despairing, to show the immense pain and emotional desolation he has to go through. Yann Martel uses Pi Patel to express many tones throughout the novel to help the reader understand the character on a much deeper level.