Truth In Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

We all have a dark side. Whether we embrace it or not, however, is another matter. In the case of Piscine Militor Patel or Pi he had no choice but to embrace his darkness in order to survive. The author Yann Martel has written a fictional story that is laced with truth in regards to overcoming Pi’s inner demon in the form of a Bengal tiger. Pi’s own inner tiger is Richard Parker. It is Richard Parker that teaches him to embrace his dark side, silence his childish fears and how to beat all odds and survive. Before Pi left society, he was a boy. When he returned, he was a man. After many months alone with only himself and Richard Parker, Pi became to admire and to some extent love the Tiger. Although Richard Parker was savage, brutal and did not take no for an answer, he was also pure powerful energy. At first Pi was frightened by the tiger, however, “You can get used to anything. Isn’t that what all the survivors say?” And because Richard Parker was only a representation of his darker side, as Pi accepted the Tiger he also accepted his darker half; the half that was savage, brutal and never took no for an answer. The final transition from boy to man takes place when Pi meets a young boy out at sea. This boy however in a materialization of his younger self, giving Pi …show more content…
Pi’s will materialized through Richard Parker. Richard Parker is an animal that lived purely off of animalistic instinct and one thought. This thought being, survival. In the wild only the strong survive against the elements. For Pi to beat all odds and survive against the elements he would need to stop fearing Richard Parker. “Fear is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat death.” Once Pi came to terms with Richard Parker, he also accepted his true animalistic instincts. As a result, Pi’s will became concentrated on one thought, survival. As a result, Richard Parker was the will that kept Pi alive for 227 days with an unforgivable