Essay On Symbolism In Life Of Pi

Over time society has come to recognize certain objects, like the Red Cross, flashing lights, and hospital signs, as being the universal symbols of aid. However, many of these symbols do not necessarily need to be tangible objects in order to represent something greater, but can be a concept even as subtle as a colour that, when repeatedly shown in certain contexts, comes to symbolize the same as an ambulance responding to an emergent call. Some of the strongest symbols in literature include this type of symbolism, which subtly makes a reading more interesting and powerful, even if the reader does not initially comprehend what the symbol is. In Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, the colour orange is a symbol that portrays Pi’s eventual return to safety, through the presence of various objects, animals, and a personification of Pi himself onto an unsuspecting wild creature. In essence, objects like life jackets and whistles are automatically a representation of hope and survival, however, within Life of Pi, both of these objects also appear as being the colour …show more content…
The duplicated images of this colour in Life of Pi conveys that each of the significant objects and animals that appear to Pi throughout his story will work to keep him safe until returning to safety. These various objects, animals, and the personification of Pi in Richard Parker, all use the colour orange as a symbol that represents the eventual return of Pi to safety, despite the fact that a specific colour is not normally associated with representing protection. Material objects are what more commonly represent safety, which ranges from emergency vehicles, to knee and elbow pads that a child may wear when initially learning how to ride a bike. Overall, even the subtlest of details may be able to reveal the greatest amount of understanding and