Water In Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

Water was, as Pi put it, “Liquid life.” When Pi finds himself stranded on a lifeboat with only the tiger Richard Parker for company, he soon starts to experience the effects of dehydration. The lack of water numbs his thoughts, makes him feel like “a dried out lizard,” and prevents him from functioning fully. Thus, when he discovers the locker and the supply of fresh water, his reactions is that he finds solace in it and is elated. He describes the fresh water as “a pearl of water,” showing just how valuable water has become to him. Water is so important to him that he goes to extreme measures to collect and conserve as much fresh water as possible. In one instance, when he notices some specks floating in his water, he dismisses the thought of potentially deadly bacteria instantly. His constant thirst for water dismisses all things of lesser importance. Over time in Pi’s journey, his appreciation and wants for water has escalated to the point where he considers the fresh water to be of equal value to diamonds and rubies. At one point, Pi even considers to drink his urine, describing it as “a glass of apple juice.” This comparison shows just how much his value of water has changed. Water is his lifeline, keeping him alive. However, water also represents an entirely different thing; his isolation.
Pi describes the sea around him as “flatness and infinity, an endless panorama of blue.” The …show more content…
It it his hope and it is his despair. It helps him, and it defeats him. To be surrounded by only water for 227 days is something akin to that of torture perhaps. Sometimes the sea is calm, sometimes it is angry. At any given moment, the sea could have chosen to capsize Pi’s boat and taken his life, but it didn’t. Instead, it brought fresh water to him, fish and turtles for food, and an everlasting sight of despair. The sea is both a gracious and terrible thing. Ultimately, the sea has ensured that it has become a huge part of Pi’s