A quest in literary works, as defined by the book How to Read Literature Like a Professor by Thomas C. Foster, habitually encompasses such five elements as “(a) a quester, (b) a place to go, (c) a stated reason to go there, (d) challenges and trials en route, and (e) a real reason to go there.” These features of a quest can be utilized to establish a correlation between said elements in the book to any quest tale. Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, emulates the conventions of a quest in its incorporation of a quester in the protagonist, Pi, moving to Canada due to deficient governance in his home country on a ship that sank, which leaves him stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger seeking for the will to survive through faith, and along the
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Pi reasons “people move in hope for a better life” regarding their departure from home (Martel 77). Pi’s declaration parallels the “stated reason” component of Foster’s five key elements of a quest. Pi explains that his family relocates in search “for a better life” (Martel 77). Pi and his family experience a shipwreck as they travel via the Tsimtsum cargo ship from India to Toronto, Canada (“place to go”) on sea. The incident leaves Pi stranded on a lifeboat in the company of a hyena, a orangutan, a zebra, and a tiger. This marks the commencement of Pi’s ordeal at sea. Pi, the quester and protagonist, now partakes on a quest for survival as he faces hardships procuring food, fresh water, and shelter. In addition to these “challenges”, Pi acclimates to his situation rather hastily whilst under the constant and immediate threat of the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. Pi not only develops required survival skills during his time being stranded, he also matures emotionally. His religious endeavors seem to alleviate the cannibalistic actions he undertakes and the breaking of his ethical and moral codes. Keeping God near, Pi learns that faith bestow upon him the will to live on and remain level headed when he expresses, out of desperation, that “[he] should turn to God” (Martel 314). The quest reveals his most primal animalistic instincts as he realizes his capabilities, which lie
Pi reasons “people move in hope for a better life” regarding their departure from home (Martel 77). Pi’s declaration parallels the “stated reason” component of Foster’s five key elements of a quest. Pi explains that his family relocates in search “for a better life” (Martel 77). Pi and his family experience a shipwreck as they travel via the Tsimtsum cargo ship from India to Toronto, Canada (“place to go”) on sea. The incident leaves Pi stranded on a lifeboat in the company of a hyena, a orangutan, a zebra, and a tiger. This marks the commencement of Pi’s ordeal at sea. Pi, the quester and protagonist, now partakes on a quest for survival as he faces hardships procuring food, fresh water, and shelter. In addition to these “challenges”, Pi acclimates to his situation rather hastily whilst under the constant and immediate threat of the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. Pi not only develops required survival skills during his time being stranded, he also matures emotionally. His religious endeavors seem to alleviate the cannibalistic actions he undertakes and the breaking of his ethical and moral codes. Keeping God near, Pi learns that faith bestow upon him the will to live on and remain level headed when he expresses, out of desperation, that “[he] should turn to God” (Martel 314). The quest reveals his most primal animalistic instincts as he realizes his capabilities, which lie