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Pi knows a lot about tiger sounds. Explain the significance of prusten. Why do you think it is so rare to hear?
In your own words, describe how it is that Richard Parker is the reason Pi lived through this ordeal.
I like to think I'm pretty brave, but I would never blow a whistle to scare a tiger that was on a boat with me. N-E-V-E-R.
I learned a few things from the bulleted list that came from the survival manual. What did you learn? What was of most interest to you? What did you already know?
Describe the shift in Pi's state of mind after he reads the survival guide.
40 comments:
Pi’s metaphor of fear is a battle. He says that at first doubt slips into your mind like a spy. Then disbelief, which is a poorly armed soldier, tries to fight it. It ends up losing and then comes reason, which he explains as a soldier outfitted with the best weapons, but somehow the doubt still wins. Then the doubt turns into fear. I think these are good comparisons. We always try to reason our way out of doubt because we think it will work. We think that reasoning will take out the doubt but somehow the doubt always wins. Religion comes in to play when we look to our religion for comfort from our doubt.
Prusten is a puff from the nose and it is used to communicate friendliness and harmless intentions. I think it is so rare to hear because tigers usually only use it for other tigers. Wild tigers don’t see humans as friends so won’t use it. I think Richard Parker helped Pi survive because he was what kept Pi from going insane. If Richard Parker wasn’t there it would have only been Pi. But humans aren’t used to seeing only water with no one around them. I think that would drive someone to go insane, but since Richard Parker was there he kept Pi sane.
The most interesting fact to me was the one about the turtle and how its blood was nutritious and salt free. I just never thought of drinking an animal’s blood for nutrition. I already knew not to drink your own urine and sea water.
Prusten is a sound made my species of big cats and is the equivalent of purring. Usually heard when meeting on neutral territory, mating pairs, and mothers to cubs, prusten has also been used by zoo cats towards keepers. I think it's rare to hear prusten because most people don't have a strong enough bond with large cats to warrant the sound.
I think Richard Parker kept Pi alive and sane during the ordeal. Without richard Parker, Pi wouldn't have had the drive to survive all of the time. Not only was he responsible for himself, but also a large Bengal tiger. Richard Parker also gave Pi something to occupy himself with.
I didn't really learn anything from the survival guide. That's not to say that i would be an amazing castaway survivor or anything, but i had heard most of the things listed before. After reading the manual, Pi comes to accept what has happened to him. It kind of pushes him into gear and is the real start to Pi surviving on his own.
Throughout this section, Pi makes fear sound almost like a person attacking another and how fear can lead to anxiety and doubt. I do believe these are apt comparisons because if you live in fear, especially in the situation that Pi is in, you live in doubt that you can conquer what is to come. Religion comes into play when talking about fear because it takes faith to believe everything will be okay, no matter how bad the situation may seem. I don't believe that religion was brought up in this section because Pi was doubting his own faith and God's ability.
The significance of prusten is that it is a sound of friendship and of neutral territory, meaning that Richard Parker believes that they share the territory. I think it is so rare because there is a rarely equal power among tigers, especially in captivity. Richard Parker is the reason that Pi has lived because he ate the hyena that was Pi's biggest threat along with keeping him company throughout this journey.
From the survival guide, I learned that pressing the eyes of fish will paralyze them and that turtles can make for a good meal in desperate situations. I already knew not to drink sea water and to shelter yourself. Pi's state of mind changes by becoming more determined to save himself and live through his desperate situation.
I think Richard Parker kept Pi alive simply by being there. Pi had a partner in his suffering, he had another life to look after other than his own. Richard Parker kept Pi's mind occupied. He kept Pi on his toes. He gave Pi reason to go on, reason to fish for more food, reason to make shelter. If Richard Parker wasn't there, would Pi still have the drive to live? Or would he just give up hope all together?
Pi does show bravery, maybe a little too much. Putting on a circus show with a bengal tiger while floating on a raft in the middle of the ocean seems like an incredibly crazy thing to do.
Pi describes overcoming fear as fighting a war. Fear is the opposing army that will destroy all sense of reason and make a person desert their feelings of hope in the idea that everything will turn out all right and abandon trust in their own capabilities. Pi explains that once all the “allies” are gone, fear will play with your emotions, make you anxious, and instill doubt. I think this is a perfect comparison because once someone is scared to complete whatever task is in front of him or her, they abandon all sense of rational thought and begin to feel vulnerable and uncertain. I think religion comes into play when fear “loses the battle” and faith is all that is left. I think religion wasn’t covered in this chapter because its void makes the chapter more believable. No matter how many religions Pi follows or how much he relies on God, it is only natural that at least for a moment while Pi is floating aimlessly in the middle of the Pacific Ocean fear is going to capture his thoughts. It wouldn’t have been very realistic if Pi had abruptly overcome all his fears by thinking about his faith.
Prusten is a noise tigers make when they feel friendly or at least don’t feel like hurting anyone. By making this noise to Pi, Richard Parker is telling him that he feels the lifeboat is neutral territory and he is not going to attack Pi. I think this is rare because tigers don’t usually make this noise to humans, only to other tigers.
After reading the survival manual, Pi’s state of mind shifts to a willingness to survive. Pi is done feeling sorry for himself and has given up on hoping a ship or rescue team will find him and has starting thinking of all the ways he is going to increase his chances of survival. After reading the manual, Pi is ready to use his new knowledge to make sure that he and Richard Parker will survive.
A prusten is significant because it is the sound a tiger makes when it means another living being no harm. What makes it so significant is that a tiger is a vicious, carnivorous animal that would love to eat a person as much as anything. That it is making this prusten is very rare to Pi. It is rare to hear because Tigers would rather eat something walking and breathing than be friends with it. Tigers also might feel threatened most of the time, not overly friendly.
I thought Pi's description of fear is a pretty good one. He thinks of fighting fear as a battle where fear is the opponent and nothing, not disbelief or reason, and defeat it. His comparisons are accurate, in my opinion. Depending on how scared you are of something, fear can be absolutely crippling. I don't really understand why religion wasn't mentioned. as extremely religious as Pi is, you would think he would use faith to combat fear as well, but he doesn't, which confuses me.
It is true that fear is "life's only opponent." The things that we lack to do, think, or say in life because of fear is what doesn't give us the fullness of what's in store for us before we pass on from this world. Saying that fear is a battle against life is a great metaphor with much depth and understanding, making us think of our lives and which enemy is winning. In religious aspects, fear can mean that one is terrified of natural disasters caused by his or her god . It can also mean wonder and awe by the wonderful things that a god does for his or her people. With having no one true religion to call his own, Pi-- around this point of the novel-- doesn't really think about or depend on God to help him survive out at sea.
Prusten is a sound made by a tiger when it means no harm and doesn't feel threatened by those around it. This is a rare sound because tigers are primarily predators and are often vicious animals. What makes this even more rare is that RIchard Parker made this sound in a survival situation. A time where you would expect him to tear Pi to pieces, he let out a sound a friendship.
I think Richard Parker is the reason Pi lived because he made it so that Pi had to keep trying. Pi had to continuously watch his back and think of ways to provide Richard Parker with food and water, which in turn, made Pi provide food for himself as well. Without Richard Parker, Pi wouldn't have found the motivation to hunt and kill, which at the end was the only thing that kept him alive.
Tigers are never friendly, and prusten is the only sound they make when they communicate this way to other tigers. I have to theorize that the reason Richard Parker made that noise to Pi: Since the two were stranded out in the ocean, with no one else to depend on for food, shelter, etc., they had to get along and know their territory. They had to-- in a way-- help each other out mentally to keep themselves alive until they could find safe land or someone to rescue them. I do like the relationship between Richard Parker and Pi; please, don't ask why, but I think it's mainly because when it could be man against beast.. most of the time it's man and beast fighting against nature.
Prusten is a soft sound rarely heard from Tigers. I believe that it is rarely heard due to the fact that it means the animal has no ill will toward a person. Richard Parker is the reason Pi lived because with him there he can not give up when Richard Parker is so vividly living. From the survival guide i learned that if you poke a fish in the eye it becomes paralyzed... I live on a lake in the summer and i did not that. I want to try that now.
For Pi fear is his "life's only opponent". This is because he knows how to fight the weather and he is prepared, however the easy way out to die would be to give up and be scared of the next step in survival. Faith is what overcomes fear for many christians and other believers in God. This is the reason that Pi doesn't give up. He knows God is with him and will be there for him through the whole journey. It's easy to lose faith in the Lord, but Pi rarely does and lives through and for God.
Living in a zoo gave Pi many useful tips throughout his stay on the lifeboat. The significance of Prusten was Richard Parker showing his respect and friendliness toward Pi. Pi did a great job using the wistle to show he is the alpha male on the boat and he will overpower Richard Parker. Pi is a smart boy because I would have never thought to use a whistle to tame a tiger. This is what takes a lot of fear away from Pi, knowing he has authority and respect.
I also learned a lot from the survival manual. I always thought you were supposed to drink your own urine if you had no fresh water. The one point that was most interesting to me was that you should put your feet up at least every five minutes. It makes sense just to keep your blood flow and heart strong, but that is not something I thought would be a priority during survival. I already knew that green water is shallower than blue water because I love to be on the water.
Pi's attitude towards Richard Parker is made apparent when he feels that he is the dominant "alpha male" on the life boat. Despite the many dangers (starvation, dehydration, drowning, being eaten by a shark, sun poisoning, storms, sinking boat, infection, etc.), Pi felt that he had survival "at hand" as soon as he thought that he was dominant over Richard Parker. Pi knows that his greatest danger is the 450 pound tiger that shares the life boat.
I think it is interesting that the survival guide only prohibits the drinking of bird blood instead of all blood. I wonder what the difference is between bird blood and the blood of any other mammal, reptile, or fish. Also, I liked where it says, "the foot is the only good judge of a jungle." When people become delirious, their eyes can play tricks on them.
Pi uses metaphors to explain a lot of things in this novel, and fear is one of them. It’s the only way Pi knows how to explain fear. He says fear is a spy that battles with doubt and reason. I believe Pi’s comparisons are apt. Religion can help someone fight against fear, by letting them trust another being, God, for their safety. I think Pi didn’t cover religion in his comparison because not everyone believes.
Prusten is a quite tiger call. It’s used to express friendliness and to show that there are no harmful intentions.
Richard Parker kept Pi alive by fear. Pi’s mind was constantly running with Richard Parker; he always had something to do so he didn’t slip into depression or shock. Richard Parker made Pi stay active.
I learned not to drink bird blood, which is something I never knew. If you can drink other animals’ blood, why not birds’? I also didn’t know that a human could live for fourteen days without water. I already knew not to eat parrotfish and puffer fish, as I grew up with them and learned a lot about them in my younger childhood.
After Pi read the survival guide, his whole mind set changed. Instead of sitting there doing nothing and waiting to be rescued, he “got down to business”. Pi tended to everything he could to make his life easier and less stressful in hopes to stay alive.
Prusten is basically purring by a species of cats. This is usually heard when the animals have a good relationship with other animals, or even humans, like mothers to cubs and zoo animals to the keepers. I think this sound is so rare to hear because not many humans have that strong of a bong with the cats. I think Richard Parker kept Pi alive by forcing Pi to think of someone other than himself. Pi had to take care of Richard Parker. Pi stayed distracted by Richard Parker, and Richard Parker kept Pi busy. Because of the tiger, Pi stayed sane.
I think human beings worst enemies are thereselfs. This is proven through the reason that Pi survived, Richard Parker. I think Richard Parker gave Pi something to live for. With out him Pi would have destroyed himself by wallowing in sorrow and hopelessness. Not only did Richard Parker give Pi something to think about, he gave Pi something to fight for.
Tigers are dangerous and not normally friendly. Prusten is probably pretty rare because tigers do not usually have harmless intentions towards humans. Richard Parker, in my opinion, gave Pi hope and confidence that things would work out. He gave Pi something to live for. After Pi read the survival guide, he realized that he needed to take charge and stop feeling sorry for himself and hoping that someone will find him. He started to set up a kind of shelter and then he lost hope when he realized that he had no help and was all alone.
Pi says fear is "life's only opponent" and that the many forms of fear such as anxiety and dread are like soldiers of the greater army of fear, like a spy sneaking into your heart and causing doubt and destroying all hope and reason and leaving dread in it's wake. religion plays a very important role when speaking of fear because the belief in an almighty being that will come through in the end allows one to suspend all fear and take a leap of faith.
The prusten is essentially a sound that represents dependence and respect it is so rare because typically tigers are solitary creatures and don't feel as if they need to pay respect to anyone or anything, Richard Parker making this sound consistently shows he realizes he needs Pi to survive.
Richard Parker helped Pi survive by helping him distracted with his presence, if Pi was alone on the boat he would have no choice but to think of the awful reality he is experiencing and his family.
I knew most of the tips in the survival guide other than the elevation of legs for five minutes in each hour, Pi realized he must take charge and take an active role in his survival after reading the survival guide.
I think the extended metaphors used by Pi are apt comparisons regarding his belief that fear is "life's only opponent." Pi believes that a person instills fear in themselves and that is the only obstacle a person has to overcome. Pi's story is a prime example. Of course he had fear in him while is was alone in the ocean with a Bengal tiger, but he had to push through all of his fears to survive. I think that is what Pi was really trying to say when he says fear is "life's only opponent."
A prusten is the noise a tiger makes when he/she is letting down his/her guard. This sound is so rare because tigers are usually vicious animals and they are always on guard for whatever may be trying to get them. This was Richard Parker's way of telling Pi that he meant no harm and was ready to survive this adventure with Pi.
Richard Parker pushed Pi to continue to live because he kept Pi on guard. Pi knew he needed to keep watch of Richard Parker so that he would not be devoured into pieces, this made Pi push himself to stay a live. Pi also knew that without Richard Parker he could not survive so he caught food for him and made sure he had water. Richard Parker may not have meant to, but he allowed Pi and himself to survive their treacherous adventure.
The most interesting item on the survival manual to me was the cigarettes. I know they are designed to be on the list to calm a person in times of crisis, but if someone did not smoke I really don't think they would attempt it now, even as a last resort. I was not surprised by most of the other items in the list. Most of the other items seemed plausible.
After Pi finishes reading the survival manual, I think he starts to believe he has a chance and he can survive his time on the lifeboat.
Prusten is a noise made by tigers that is kind of like the purring noise made by cats. When a tiger makes this noise it means no harm, it's just kind of like a playful noise. It is odd that Richard Parker would make this noise considering the circumstances. You would think that he felt more threaten, and would expect him to be on the edge.
I think that Richard Parker is the main reason why Pi lives through the situation. Richard Parker keeps Pi company by just being there. Pi can keep himself busy and even make a daily routine by trying to catch food for his tiger companion.
Life's the only opponent to Pi because he is more than prepared for the elements of the weather and he has enough food and water to support himself. The real question is does he have the will to live anymore? The emotional toll it has to take on him thinking he hears boats and having no one to talk to except himself and a tiger. The easy way out would be giving up and dying.
Prusten is the sound a tiger makes when it doesnt feel harm and is comfortable. It is rare probably because tigers are usually an aggressive animal and always waiting for an chance to kill something to eat. I think it is even more strange in this situation because it isnt an evironment where you would think a tiger would be comfortable.
I think Richard Parker gave Pi a constant problem that he had to deal with so it always kept him thinking and never allowed Pi to get bored on the life boat.
I think Pi was thinking that he had nothing to lose be training the tiger because at worst thing that could happen is that Richard Parker kills him and at that point it didnt seemed like they were going to be saved so Pi had nothing to lose and a lot to gain.
The survival manuel was pretty cool I never knew that you could drink straight turtle blood i didnt know the body could handle that. And i think Pi's spirit was lifted after he read it because the manuel was saying he could survive.
Fear is what spurs people into action, but it's also what makes people freeze. When you fear something, you never want to approach it, so you avoid it. Avoiding challenges is what kills us. For many people, religion and the belief of an afterlife comes from fear of death and the unknown. I don't think this comes into play for Pi, because it seems as if he legitimately loves his faith. He doesn't fear death, but is open to whatever end he faces.
Prusten is so rare because people normally fear tigers. That fear gives the tiger a feeling of unease and aggression. Pi seems to be more respectful of Richard Parker instead of fearful
Though Pi didn't necessarily fear Richard, he wasn't stupid. He knew something had to be done about the tiger. The tiger's constant presence gave Pi something to focus on, other than his demise.
Fear being life's biggest opponent, I think, is true of all of us. We build up walls against what we fear; we get so caught up in this fear and trying to distance ourselves that we convince our self that we really are afraid. When in reality we our in control of what we fear, and when one comes to this realization they realize these walls they built up can be knocked down as easily as a sand castle. But if one never realizes that fears can defeat you, then you are in fact defeated by your opponent named fear. I think what we as humans should fear most is fear consuming our lives.
Prusten is a sound made by tigers and other large cats when they feel comfortable, a sort of purr, but we don't hear this very often from tigers because being undomesticated they don't feel at ease around humans as a regular house cat does. As Pi and Richard Parker spend more time together they each gain more of a relaxed feeling around each other.
Prusten is a sound made by tigers that is similar to a domestic cat purring. It is used among tigers as a non threatening, friendly communication. I think it is rare to hear because tigers are solitary animals and don't usually form friendly bonds, especially among another species.
I think Richard Parker is the reason that Pi lived through the whole ordeal because he gave Pi something to live for. Pi keeps himself occupied everyday tending to Richard Parker's needs, along with his own. Without Richard Parker, I think Pi would have grown extremely bored, and eventually fall into depression.
When Pi explains how fear is “life’s only opponent”, he creates this image of life and fear being two separate people at war with each other. This war is instilled in every human being, and often fear “gets the best of” life making a painful defeat. Religion is involved in this “war” for many people, because they trust that religion will become an ally with life to defeat fear. Believing in a religion generally means you put your faith in a God (or many God’s if you wish), and therefore let go of your fears and put them into the hands of whom you believe in. I think the main reason the topic of religion isn’t covered here is because Pi doesn’t want his faith questioned. He has experienced events that uncontrollably cause him to obtain fear.
Richard Parker helped Pi survive, because he gave him a purpose to fight for his life. He was never fully at ease, therefore never truly willing to give up. He was always given a purpose on this treacherous journey. Although, Richard seems like a negative aspect, he had a positive purpose. His companionship alone provided something very essential. Without Richard, Pi would’ve gone completely crazy and probably died due to something completely irrational (hallucinations). This reminds me of Tom Hanks in the movie Cast Away when he is stranded alone on an island, and creates a person out of a volleyball. I think companionship is a key to survival of sanity (Even though it’s ironic that you would have to do something insane to maintain sanity).
Fear can lead to death. Fear can tear you apart little by little from the inside. It can lead to impulsive actions. For example, a couple gets home from a party intoxicated and they start to argue. The man has fear that the arguement is going to lead to her leaving him. He acts impulsively; locks the door, the fight turns physical, she's fighting back to the point where they are throwing things at each other, and soon he ends up hitting her with a wooden object against her temple. He probably didn't mean to hurt her, just to quiet her down. Now she's lying on the ground bleeding internally, seconds from death. Fear can lead to death.
Religion comes into play with fear when you are on you're death bed. Usually when people know for a fact that they are about to die, they pray to God. I feel like it isn't covered here because Pi never felt like he was on his death bed. He was preoccuppied witht the shock of everything that was happening around him. If he had fear about death, he impulsively acted upon it instead of just letting himself die.
Prusten is the quietest of tiger calls, a puff through the nose to express friendliness and harmless intentions. I'm pretty sure it's so rare because one does not just hang with tigers. I'm pretty sure no one is really around tigers enough for the tiger to be comfortable around them.
Richard Parker is the reason why Pi has survived this far is because the tiger has kept Pi's mind off of every tragedy that's happening around him. The tiger is keeping him sane, and he's causing Pi to want to survive. Where as, if Pi was alone he would have that good of a will to survive on his own till rescue comes.
The noise, Prusten, is made by species of bigger cats, not common house cats. The sound is used to "express friendliness and harmless intentions" (164) Richard Parker making this sound is showing Pi that he has no intention to harm him at the moment. This gives Pi the chance to tame him and become the alpha male. This sound must be rare to hear because not many people or trainers can gain enough trust from the animal making the sound.
In regards to the survival manual, I already know not to drink sea water or urine, and the thought of drinking animal blood would never cross my mind. I also know to shelter my self and not to pee on myself or my clothes. What i learned would have be to not eat fish with parrot-like beaks, ones with spikes, that turtles make a good food source, and that blue water is deep and green water is shallower.
Prusten,also known as chuffing or a chuffle, is a sound made by tigers and snow leopards in a low-frequency tone. The dictionary says that it is the equivalent to the purring of a cat. When cats purr, it is usually because they are content, and comfortable with their surroundings. I think it is a crucial turning point in the novel when Richard Parker makes a chuffle because it takes his and Pi's relationship to a new level. When Pi hears this sound and recognizes its significant meaning, he realizes he no longer has to live in fear everyday about what Richard Parker's next move may be. It is to the point in which they can be acquaintances and be company for one another rather than fear one another.
I personally believe Richard Parker is the reason Pi lived through this whole ordeal because companionship is crucial to survival. Whether or not we like to admit it, going through life is much easier when we have someone/something to share it with. For example, when someone's spouse passes away, most people tend to either obtain a pet for company, or keep themselves busy with company from others. It is so important to have support in life, and the very presence of someone or something can be just enough to keep you going. I believe Richard Parker was an incentive for Pi to keep going, to never give up, and to make it to land. Not only did Pi want to save himself, but he also upheld a genuine concern for Richard Parker and his safety.
As to the remark about blowing a safety whistle to scare a tiger, I'm most definitely with you on that! I don't think I would have the courage! Perhaps dog training would suite me better?
Being stranded at sea would be awful, especially under those circumstances (knowing your family and the animals died), but being alone would be unbearable. I don't think anyone could remain sane. At first, Richard Parker kept Pi on his toes, alert, and afraid. He didn't have time to spare worrying about the fact that he had no longer had a brother, father, and mother. Eventually, though, the two formed a relationship of sorts. Richard Parker wouldn't rip the boy to shreds so long as he stayed out of his way. As Pi grew a little bit more comfortable with his temperamental neighbor, he found that the tiger gave him a distraction, something to focus on besides the endless miles of ocean and sky. When isolated, any distraction is valued. Pi's determination to keep that distraction alive forced him to take on the burden of survival and security.
When Pi is describing how fear is life's only opponent, I think he makes many appropriate comparisons. He is right in the things that he says. It does begin in your mind and works it way throughout your body and you eventually fall apart. You can't complete what you intended to do because of the fear inside you. Fear is your enemy and it will win every time unless you manage to fight it.
Pi's metaphor is saying that fear is an army, that after time defeats the other army (hope, reason, disbelief, etc.) Eventually , all the opponents are defeated and it takes over your body. Just like a war between two countries. One country will eventually take over the other. Prusten is a sound that a tiger makes that indicates that the tiger means no harm and wants to be friends. I think it is rare to hear because usually no one is that close to a tiger so they arent gonna hear any noises. Also, if they are near a tiger, they are most likely in his territory so the tiger will roar and display aggressive behavior. Richard parker is the reason Pi lived because he protected him from the hyena. The hyena was another big concern and when richard parker killed the hyena, he eliminated one of Pi's problems. Later, Pi showed his dominance over richard parker, which kept him safe on the lifeboat. I learned that pressing the eyes of fish will paralyze them. Also i learned that green water is shallower than blue water. I thought these two facts were the most intresting. I already knew swimming wastes energy. I think Pi became more confident after reading the survival guide.
Prusten is used by the tiger to show that it is harmless or wants to be friendly toward a person or another tiger. I think prusten is so rare to hear because tigers are typically aggressive and don’t want to been seen as harmless around humans.
From the bulleted list that came from the survival manual, I learned that if you press on a fish’s eyes it will paralyze them and that green water is shallower than blue water, which makes a lot of sense now that I think about it. I already knew about a human being able to survive about 2 weeks without water.
I think after Pi reads the survival guide, he is much more confident because he knows really important facts about surviving in a lifeboat that could potentially be the difference between life and death for him.
Richard Parker kept Pi alive through this because the tiger kept him sane. Without Richard Parker, Pi would have been lost in his mind of fear and doubt. This would have driven him mad or made him become very depressed, both which could have lead to death. The taskof training Richard Parker proved to be a distraction for Pi. That distraction, no matter how dangerous it was, kept Pi from loosing his mind to fear and doubt.
Fear is the only thing that can force a man to his knees and beg for mercy. It can do strange things to people that no other thing can. Richard Parker kept Pi alive simply because he was there, he was in the same situation, he had to endure the same hardships of fear and fighting for life. Prusten is rare because it is a sign of trust and of harmlessness.
I believe Richard Parker is the reason Pi is alive because seven months is a pretty long time to be alone.Pi could have gone insane if he hadn't had anyone or anything to keep him company. I think that if the thought would have ever crossed his mind to take his own life, it would have been dashed by his compassion to not leave Richard Parkrer alone. Although it was more dangerous, it was probably a better scenario in the long run.
First of all, can I just say that Pi's description was chillingly accurate. You would think that religion would come up when fear was brought up, especially since religion offers so many people peace and security in the answers and protection it provides from all the mysteries and uncertainties of life. I don't think religion was brought up though because the point that was being made was how consuming fear is when it is so pure and strong, there's no room for anything else, even the hope found in religion.
How often do you find it in nature that a tiger finds another creature it's equal and feels friendly towards it? It's no wonder why prusten is rare.
The End.
Richard Parker was a distraction to Pi from the beginning. He gave Pi something else to focus on beside his own survival. Richard Parker gave him the opportunity to exercise his mind in thinking of ways to first kill him, but later how to train him. If he had not been given that opportunity to think of something other than his survival and hopeless situation, I think Pi would have gone crazy or given up hope and let himself die.
After Pi read the survival guide his mindset shifted from focusing on somebody to come rescue him to the realization that he had nobody to count on but himself. This point is the beginning of his transformation from human to predator. The guide also gave him a sense of hope, it acted as a friend who was encouraging and helping him. The survival guide became his new religion, he read it many times and faithfully, could probably recite every word as he could with the other holy books in each religion.
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