Life Of Pi And Cast Away Analysis

One of the most fundamental aspects of humanity, is the need for community. The process of socialization is crucial for survival. In Yann Martel 's Life of Pi and the movie Cast Away, the severe effects of social isolation are depicted. Pi Patel is a young Indian boy in search of faith and Chuck Noland is a grown man whose identity revolves around the concept of time. Between the two narratives lies a similar message regarding man 's will to live. Both protagonists reach extreme points of despair in which they consider suicide. Throughout the film and the book, faith is what leads each character to rescue. Comparisons within the two include, the concept of time, the use of personification and a sense of hopelessness. A major difference between Chuck Noland and Pi Patel is their perspective of time. Pi believes time encourages false hope. Although he relies strongly on faith, he understands that time is a human construct and should not have the power to dictate one 's life. By using time as a crutch, Pi feels that he will live in a constant state of waiting rather than making the most of what he has until he is rescued. In particular Pi says, "And I survived because I made a point of forgetting. My story started on a calendar day- July 2nd, 1977- and ended on a calendar day- February 14th, 1978- but in between there was no calendar. I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. Time is an illusion …show more content…
Both characters unwillingly find themselves in extreme predicaments, devoid of human contact. As a result, they must do what they can in order to remain sane and hopeful. Pi avoids time, while Chuck thrives off of it. Pi has Richard Parker and Chuck has Wilson. They both lose all hope, and then eventually regain their sense of purpose. It is clear that if one has strong conviction with their faith, they can conquer any