Spring DWA 2013- Surviving With a Tiger


Author's Note: I am writing this piece for my Spring DWA. I am focusing on A,B transitions and going beyond the summary. 

“There was no other life left on the lifeboat but Richard Parker and me.” (page 171)This quote is from the book Life of Pi by Yann Martel and it basically describes the entire second half of the book. The main character, Pi, is stranded on a life boat with a Royal Bengal Tiger in the middle of the ocean, just after his family’s ship, carrying animals, sinks. Since Pi’s family isn’t alive, Pi is in a heap of trouble with no humans in his boat and just a fierce tiger. Pi doesn’t necessarily have the best chance of surviving this horror like event; therefore he will probably die.

There are many quotes in the book that support my theory of Pi dying. “I’m going to die, I blubbered through quivering lips.” (page 147) Pi whispered this to himself just as he woke up on the boat. He claimed he was going to die because as he woke up, he realized that there was a tiger in his boat. Even though he couldn’t believe that there was a tiger in his boat, he had to believe it so that he could save himself. Luckily, he bounced out of this situation and he later decided to think of a way to kill Richard Parker instead.

In another one of the scenes, Pi thinks of an idea on how to potentially kill Richard Parker before Richard Parker kills him. “I had a plan and it was a good one. I only needed to survive to put it into effect.”(page 159)His plan was to let the laws of nature to just run their course. This was a risky move for a few reasons. First off, Pi had no defense if the tiger decided he wanted a fresh meal of human.  Pi should have made some sort of defense before he let nature do its thing. Secondly, Pi’s food supply is right next to Richard Parker which can be a problem. When Richard Parker is sea sick, he will start to act more aggressive and angry;  therefore Pi won’t be able to get his food as easily or at all. Then Pi and Richard Parker will both die at roughly the same time. Pi most likely won’t be living when or if they get saved.

Pi doesn’t have the best chances of surviving on a lifeboat with a tiger until someone saves them; therefore, I think Pi will die. I connected to this because I watch a bunch of survival shows where they need to survive the wild but it isn't as hectic as Pi's situation. There are many quotes in the book to support my theory. Either Pi was making a bad decision like the one where he wanted nature to run its course, or him just thinking that he will die because of his situation. Pi certainly does not have the best chances of surviving this event.

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