Loneliness In Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

Loneliness is one of the strongest emotions to a human. It affects how a person views themselves and the world around them. This emotion has a direct impact on a person’s central belief system. It can influence the choices someone makes and if given the power, it can dictate a person’s life. In Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi”, Pi’s psychological state of loneliness causes him to negatively impact his relationship with God, contaminates Richard Parker with loneliness, and as a result leaves him with mental and physical signs of depression. It is evident that Pi becomes exiled from the world around him due to his loneliness. The character suffers from dejection which leaves him feeling more isolated than ever.
“Loneliness impacts our perceptions [...] …show more content…
“Loneliness is contagious. Studies of social networks found that over time lonely people ‘infect’ those around them” (Winch Ph.D, Psychology Today). Pi’s loneliness contaminants Richard Parker and that can be shown by his lack of motivation to food. “I threw him his share, I expected him to catch it in his mouth smartly. It crashed into his blank face” (Martel, 267). Richard Parker not having the energy for food, creates a specific mood for the reader. The atmosphere suggests that like Pi, Richard Parker has also lost all hope. Rejecting and being uninspired to eat food has a strong link to loneliness. Richard Parker exhibits this sign just after Pi had made statements about being alone; the timing is remarkable. “We perished away. It happened slowly [...] But I noticed it regularly” (Martel, 265). The fact that Richard Parker was a victim of Pi’s loneliness shows that Pi is suffering from it. Pi’s use of the word ‘we’ demonstrates that his loneliness hasn’t just affected him, but also infected Richard Parker as well. The main reason why Richard Parker shows signs of loneliness is because he had caught it from Pi himself which proves Pi is lonely. “Aches and pains were the part of our diet that was abundant” (Martel, 267), Pi’s continuous pattern of referring to himself and Richard Parker as one, while discussing symptoms of loneliness further determines that it is evident. There needs to be loneliness in the first …show more content…
His suicidal thoughts, feelings of numbness, and his lack of physical movement all align with someone who is suffering from depression. Pi’s thinking evolves negatively and leans into suicidal thoughts. His loneliness makes him seek death as a possible solution for his problems, “Only death excited [my] emotions” (Martel, 241). This demonstrates that Pi’s mental state has been greatly affected by loneliness around him. Thinking about death as a potential solution is very common for patients suffering from depression. Pi later begins to explain his emotions with strong words such as ‘numbness’ and ‘giving up’. “Terror became monotonous and it was replaced by numbness and a complete giving up” (Martel, 241). By saying he feels numb, Pi is conveying that he isn’t able to feel other emotions such as happiness and joy. The language he uses, has a strong correlation with someone who might actually be suffering from depression. “I spent many hours doing nothing but lying on my side” (Martel, 219) The imagery painted by the author presents a human figure that has no will to do anything in life. This quote gives the reader more insight into Pi’s physical state. He is unmotivated and lacking the ambition to function as a healthy human being. Loneliness is a disease; if Pi was truly in a healthy state, he would not be having suicidal thoughts, feelings of numbness