Charles Sanders Peirce once said, “The essence of belief is the establishment of a habit; and different beliefs are distinguished by the different modes of action to which they give rise.” In other words, what one believes in is defined through the ways they act; Different courses of action leads to people with different beliefs. In the novel The Sea Wolf and the film Life of Pi, both works force their protagonists to adapt to the hardships of isolation; Humphrey Van Weyden focuses more towards philosophical conflicts, while Pi is forced to focus solely on physical survival. This difference in circumstance and central conflict causes each protagonist to undergo different changes in beliefs and personalities.
Both protagonists commence their …show more content…
Humphrey commences the novel believing in two ideas; All human life have value, and men should act on what they believe is morally correct. Upon being rescued by the Ghost, Humphrey is presented with a new reality, where its rules are completely opposite of what he lives by. For example, the first incident occured when a sailor was asked to do something life threatening.“They were capable of snapping a man off like a fly from a whip-lash. Harrison heard the order and understood what was demanded of him, but hesitated.” (London chapter 6) Humphrey could not comprehend as to why put a man’s life at risk. He further internally reasons that it was Harrison’s first voyage and he did nothing to deserve this lethal command. This leads the protagonist to consult Wolf Larsen, the captain of the Ghost, and discuss their different perceptions of their values of life. When Wolf Larsen questions Humphrey’s philosophy, that all life has value, he falters. “The sacredness of life I had accepted as axiomatic. That it was intrinsically valuable was a truism I had never questioned. But when he challenged the truism I was speechless.” (London, chapter 6) The protagonist soon realizes that he is in no match to Wolf Larsen’s philosophy, and must accept the realities that the captain had set on the ship. In addition, this event shows the dominance of Wolf Larsen as a character and how he can manipulate his powers to retain control of the members on the Ghost. Because of this, Humphrey keeps his beliefs silent within himself, unless it was Wolf Larsen who initiates the conversation. Humphrey’s second belief is questioned when he is in a philosophical argument with the captain. His money was stolen and is now in the possession of Wolf Larsen who believes he has all the right to keep the money.
Both protagonists commence their …show more content…
Humphrey commences the novel believing in two ideas; All human life have value, and men should act on what they believe is morally correct. Upon being rescued by the Ghost, Humphrey is presented with a new reality, where its rules are completely opposite of what he lives by. For example, the first incident occured when a sailor was asked to do something life threatening.“They were capable of snapping a man off like a fly from a whip-lash. Harrison heard the order and understood what was demanded of him, but hesitated.” (London chapter 6) Humphrey could not comprehend as to why put a man’s life at risk. He further internally reasons that it was Harrison’s first voyage and he did nothing to deserve this lethal command. This leads the protagonist to consult Wolf Larsen, the captain of the Ghost, and discuss their different perceptions of their values of life. When Wolf Larsen questions Humphrey’s philosophy, that all life has value, he falters. “The sacredness of life I had accepted as axiomatic. That it was intrinsically valuable was a truism I had never questioned. But when he challenged the truism I was speechless.” (London, chapter 6) The protagonist soon realizes that he is in no match to Wolf Larsen’s philosophy, and must accept the realities that the captain had set on the ship. In addition, this event shows the dominance of Wolf Larsen as a character and how he can manipulate his powers to retain control of the members on the Ghost. Because of this, Humphrey keeps his beliefs silent within himself, unless it was Wolf Larsen who initiates the conversation. Humphrey’s second belief is questioned when he is in a philosophical argument with the captain. His money was stolen and is now in the possession of Wolf Larsen who believes he has all the right to keep the money.