Yann Martel Survival

After meeting one’s physical needs, in order to survive they must meet their emotional needs to keep their sanity, they must also keep their spiritual needs, to keep tranquility in the midst of their survival. Yann Martel’s The Life of Pi the story of Piscine Molitor Patel, a man who survives 227 days in the pacific with the company of a bengal tiger after a ship carrying him and his family sank. Yann Martel shows how Pi’s knowledge and unique beliefs help him meet his various needs, and this is the main reason he is able to survive his ordeal.
In order to meet his physical needs Pi must use his knowledge and resources to the best of his advantages. The lifeboat survival kit is equipped with vital resources such as: A fishing kit, solar stills
In order for Pi to survive he must be hydrated, it is more likely for one to die at sea because of dehydration rather than starvation. One of Pi’s resources is the solar stills. Solar stills turn seawater to freshwater in a matter of days. These are vital to Pi’s survival. Pi discovers the importance of these stills in chapter 62 he proclaims “The solar stills were the only other possible source of drinkable water. I looked at them doubtfully. They had been out two days now. I noticed that one of them had lost a little air. I pulled on the rope to tend it. I topped off its cone with air. Without any real expectations I reached underwater for the distillate pouch that was clipped to the round buoyancy chamber. My fingers took hold of a bag the was unexpectedly fat” (Martel 187) Pi knows that without these stills to provide water he would eventually die of thirst, they are crucial to his survival. Pi’s emotional state is always in jeopardy, without things to keep him busy he would go insane. Pi has several things in the boat with him to keep him busy. One of these things is Richard Parker. Pi fears for his life constantly because of Richard Parker, Richard Parker also keeps Pi from loneliness and isolation. After thinking of plans to kill Richard Parker, Pi realizes that he can use his knowledge to train him, Pi comes up with his
The first training session was over. It was a resounding success. I stopped whistling and sat down heavily on raft, out of breath and exhausted. And so it came to be: Plan Number Seven: Keep Him Alive” (Martel 166) This quote focuses on Pi’s realization of how important Richard Parker is to his survival. Though Richard Parker is a