An All-in-one approach to Life of Pi
From cerebral excitement to tapestry of fictional Hercules—Discuss
with reference to Yan Martel’s Life of Pi
Cerebral excitement of the
highest caliber alloyed with massive prowess of creative mindset makes Life
of Pi a genuine adventure of tumultuous, soft, expressive and spectacular
force. Life of Pi is a gripping and marvelouslly assayed rumination
on God, man and beast. The novel has a misleadingly plain structure. Straightening
out the constitution of the novel is as daring as living with a wild animal for
several days. The, works- meditation- of- its-own, kind makes the novel more a meta narrative.
The story within a story and the blurring of fantasy and realism make the
novel complex nonetheless the narrative appears to be straightforward. The life
of the protagonist of the novel, Pi is adventurous be it on hydro or
terrestrial sphere. Heterogenity in his religious belief is not less than
adventure in the exploration of life’s ultimate significance. The narration
moves from existence to survival and from survival to identity.
Most part of the novel, schematized by the vast watery
extent of Pacific, dwells upon the aquatic aberration of Pi whose life dangles between
the depth of the Pacific and the life scaring existence with the big cat. In an
ironical twist he overpowers the big cat with his tact and taming skills—of
course homosapiens domesticated the wild ass to donkey(in this way Pi is a
no-mean member of that species).
Life of Pi is a story that makes one believe in the
soul-sustaining power of fiction and its human creators. Even the most
outrageous scenario can be presented with plausible life. The novel explores
all the fictional possibilities from magic realism to a sea faring likes of
Robinson Crusoe or Treasure Island. The novel has a range extending from Milan
Kundera to Kafka and a Rushdie to Peter Carey. Yet, amazing simplicity has made
it above the previous stated ones.
From swimming pool ,to the depths of the Pacific Ocean and
from Petit Seminair to St. Michael’s the novel has made a great bound in the
narration. The flow of the narration is sustained throughout. Apart from all
the campus life depicted in the novel with its elaborate details and more facts
on subjects such as Zoology and religion is more astonishing.
The novel is a great study in human relationship along with
animal, nature and God. All the cacophonic elements are yoked in to a
harmonious one in the novel. Such act requires an extraordinary craftsmanship
and ingenuity.
The novel being initiated in a Coffee House (not of London
but an ex-French colonial let out, reminds of the Queen Anne’s time where it
was an inspirational milieu of literary discussions and critical exchange of
thought and ideals besides being a place of recreation and refreshment— to
borrow the contemporary linguistic discourse) continues with Pi’s narrative in
the opening with his dual major in the university. Of course the anonymous author
would not have begun his novel but for Francis Adirubasamy. A tete-a-tete with
him launches the anonymous other into writing the story of Pi—a human,
sub-human and super-human discourse.
Locating the novel in the diverse realms of history,
politics, society and spirit Yan Martel has weaved a tapestry of fictional Hercules.
