Updated:

The Human and Animal Worlds in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi Thesis

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

The Archetypes of the Human World and the Hierarchy of the Animal World

Yann Martel explores the human archetypes and the way the society or rather human beings develop through the way animals on Pi’s boat behave. The analysis of these behaviours makes it clear that the author follows Major Darwin’s assumptions that that there is a great “difference in mind between man” and animals but it is the “one of degree and not of kind” (Darwin 151).

Thus, Martel stresses that all animals and, as seen from the book, humans have the strongest instinct of survival. The author puts it as follows, “Life will defend itself no matter how small it is” (Martel 41). Thus, the animals on the boat and their behaviour reveal the degree of similarity between the world of animals and humans.

Thus, the boat hosts a hyena, an injured zebra, an orangutan, a tiger and Pi. These animals can be seen as symbols and archetypes of humans. Thus, the injured zebra is an embodiment of a peaceful person. The wound it has makes it weak and the weak are often killed by stronger species. This is the manifestation of the hierarchy in the animal and human world, where the strongest and the fittest survive.

Thus, the zebra has to die and it is killed by the hyena. The orangutan is a symbol of the female and the ability or rather need to protect her offspring (as well as those in need). Interestingly, this animal also reveals that the degree of the difference between animals can be significant due to such concepts as morality, ethics, faith and so on. Of course, there are animals (as well as people) that focus on their basic needs. Hyena is such an animal that attacks to survive. Such people do not follow any principles and they do not think about others as they focus on their own survival.

Richard Parker as a Complex Analysis of Taming One’s It

Richard Parker and the way Pi and the tiger cohabited on the boat is a symbol of the human nature. The author explores the characteristic features of a person as well as the way humans develop through the depiction of the tiger and Pi’s attempts to tame him.

It is possible to draw lines between this process of taming and Freudian ideas on the nature of the human. Thus, humans still pertain to the animal world and their “instincts originate from the id” (Dickerson 47). Superego is, on the contrary, is a set of rules assigned by the society. The rules are based on beliefs, principles and morals that were developed throughout centuries in this or that society.

Likewise, Pi tries to tame the tiger or rather his own id. The boy tries to remain a human and keep his inner beast completely tamed. The boy tries to become “a strongly dominant male, a super-alpha male” to make the tiger “submit to his dominance” (Martel 47). It is clear that at the beginning of the book, the boy was unable to control his id as the tiger simply kills the hyena. The instinct of survival makes the boy forget about his religious beliefs, morality and ethical principles. He acts as a beast to survive.

However, later the boy chooses to remain a human and he tries to tame his inner beast even though it is very difficult. Notably, at the end of the story, the tiger leaves and vanishes in the woods. This can be a symbol of quite complete success of taming as the boy gets rid of his id. However, it is important to remember that the tiger is still out there and it can appear any time. Pi’s inner beast can reappear in the moments of danger.

Bibliography

Darwin, Charles. The Descent of Man: Selection in Relation to Sex. New York, NY: Penguin Classics, 2004. Print.

Dickerson, Leon. Freudian Concepts of Id, Ego and Superego Applied to Chemical and Other Addictions: Introducing Twelve-Step Programs as the Superego. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse, Inc., 2006. Print.

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Toronto, Ontario: Knopf Canada, 2009. Print.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2021, January 16). The Human and Animal Worlds in Yann Martel's Life of Pi. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-human-and-animal-worlds-in-yann-martels-life-of-pi/

Work Cited

"The Human and Animal Worlds in Yann Martel's Life of Pi." IvyPanda, 16 Jan. 2021, ivypanda.com/essays/the-human-and-animal-worlds-in-yann-martels-life-of-pi/.

References

IvyPanda. (2021) 'The Human and Animal Worlds in Yann Martel's Life of Pi'. 16 January.

References

IvyPanda. 2021. "The Human and Animal Worlds in Yann Martel's Life of Pi." January 16, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-human-and-animal-worlds-in-yann-martels-life-of-pi/.

1. IvyPanda. "The Human and Animal Worlds in Yann Martel's Life of Pi." January 16, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-human-and-animal-worlds-in-yann-martels-life-of-pi/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "The Human and Animal Worlds in Yann Martel's Life of Pi." January 16, 2021. https://ivypanda.com/essays/the-human-and-animal-worlds-in-yann-martels-life-of-pi/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1