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Again, I am not sure about the reason for the italics in Chapter 6...or who might be narrating it...or who the subject of the chapter is...but I will come back to this chapter once I have a stronger idea of these things. I am assuming it will be made clear.
20 comments:
If I had a name that people kept calling me pissing, rather to be mean or because they were lazy, I would also try to get a nickname going because being called Pi is definitely better then pissing even if that isn't his actual name.
I think the reason all of the names refer to Biblical persons, is because their names changed when something happened to them for the better. Changing their name brought them closer to happiness such as Simon who is called Peter, and Levi known as Mathew. These men had a re-birth in a spiritual kind of way, when they received a new name. The new name brought them closer to Jesus as they became the disciples. When Pi changed his name, he got a re-birth form all the taunting he faced in school.
Comparing switching school to the story of Muhammad in Mecca for Pi was very similar. Muhammad faced harassment and were ridiculed for there beliefs and finally forced to leave. Pi being also ridiculed for his named, and found his happiness in a new school.
When discussing name changes that go beyond just name changes, I think Pi refers solely to Biblical names or people whose lives have changed because it shows that he feels his life is going to change dramatically when he gets called something other than Pissing. It might also have something to do the fact that Pi is very involved in religious studies and Biblical references are natural and familiar to him. Pi compares himself to Prophet Muhammad because when Pi was in St. Joseph’s School he was harassed and had to endure daily ridicule from his peers. In a similar way, Prophet Muhammad suffered every day from the torment and persecution of the people in Mecca who tried to get him to give up the idea of the new religion of Islam. Pi believes that going to a new school will give him a fresh start in his life in the same way that Prophet Muhammad went to Medina to gain supporters and start the religion of Islam.
Perhaps Pi uses biblical/religious references because that is what he is familiar with, having majored in religion. Or maybe he uses it in hope that everyone will understand the metaphors, and respect them, being that most of the 6 billion people on this planet are at least familiar with the bible and its teachings. Religon is optimististic, netural, and very important in human culture and society.
Perhaps Pi uses biblical/religious references because that is what he is familiar with, having majored in religion. Or maybe he uses it in hope that everyone will understand the metaphors, and respect them, being that most of the 6 billion people on this planet are at least familiar with the bible and its teachings. Religion is optimistic, neutral, and very important in human culture and society.
When discussing name changes that go beyond just names changes maybe he refers to Biblical allusions only because it helps to transition to his comparison of his childhood bully to a Roman soldier in the following paragraph, this being another Biblical allusion.
I would also come up with a nick name if all my classmates and teachers were calling me pissing. I think it goes beyond name changes and into Bibical figures because he is probably very comforable with that subject and it might give him a sense of sercurtiy knowing that some people in the Bible also did what he did and how it changed their lives.
I think Pi made a wise decision to take a risk and introduce himself as Pi, instead of Piscine. It worked well and his awful nickname came to an end. I believe Pi referred to only Biblical names because they are important, and the names changes are widely known. He is also very religious, so that might have compelled him to use Biblical names as examples.
Pi compared himself to Muhammad because he thought the other students wouldn’t take to his new nickname, like almost no one took to Muhammad’s new religion in Mecca. When Pi went to the new school, it was like a fresh start to introduce himself as Pi. When Muhammad left Mecca and traveled to Yathrib (Medina), he was capable of gaining followers.
I think Pi is refering to only biblical things because religion is a mostly universal thing. People always hear about important people from religions. Plus, a lot of people are persecuted because of what religion they partake in and are more able to relate to Pi's problem in this way.
In Pi’s case, the name change from Piscine to just Pi was more than just shortening his name. For Pi, the change in his name allowed him a new lease on life, because everyone overlooked and forgot what he used to be when they would ruthlessly call him “Pissing”. Similarly, when the Biblical names that Pi referred to were changed, all the people lived a better more successful life. The reason I believe that Pi focused on the Biblical name changes was simply because he felt it explained his situation the best, because the people changed for the better, and as far as the reader knows, Pi became a better person following his change.
The name change was a smart move on Pi's part,however, I do find it rather bold of him that he went up to the board in every class room to declare is new nick name. Now the Biblicall references to the name change is very interesting. I think everyone here has a similar idea on why he did it. Name changes in the Bible were positive things, and several people can relate to that, so he used the comparison to his nick name to show that it could be positive. I think Pi uses the comparison of Muhammad traveling to Mecca, because of the fear of rejection and hatred from others for his nickname, just like Muhammad received for his Islamic teachings.
Pi makes biblical allusions when talking about his own "persecution" because once again religion was a major part of his life in his childhood, furthermore his comparison to his leaving St. Joseph to Muhammad leaving Mecca to escape persecution and then went to Medina to spread his message, Pi believed, like Muhammad, that he would be more successful in a different setting like Petit Seminaire. Pi also felt he would be more successful if he used Pi as his name rather than Piscine to prevent further turmoil.
I think the name change has a deeper meaning. Like you said it will probably become aware to us later, but I feel like Pi was someone else before the tragedy and after suffering a great deal he was a changed person. Which makes sense...say you were in a car accident and a friend died and you lived...I'd be changed forever and my whole outlook on what I knew would be different. Pi being as religious as he is probably knows a lot of people that were changed through faith and that is why they used the biblical allusions.
Personally I didn't catch on to the biblical referenced names. But I agree Pissing is not an desirable name, especially after being named after a pool...
To those unfamiliar with Bible stories, people in biblical days would get name changes sometimes, usually granted by God, when they did repent and turn their lives over to God. This name change represented their new life and gave them a fresh start. This I think is why Pi referred to these stories. Giving himself the name Pi was this fresh start that biblical characters got. He was letting go of the old nickname of Pissing and embracing his new life as Pi.
Using the name pi instead pissing only makes sense to me because not only is pissing a less than flattering name, but the biblical/religious references also gives an insight to him as a person and a character. A name should be a resemblance if oneself, and given his close religious ties it only seems right that he should be named something with a religious tie.
If I had to guess why names in the Bible were used, I would say that it was probably to symbolize the change when Piscine changes his name to pi. In the Bible, the apostles were renamed to better fit the changes that took place. Levi, a crooked tax collector, changed to Matthew, meaning gift from God. He then lived out his life as a productive member of society. Similar things happened to all of the apostles. Few strong examples can be found elsewhere. It would not be prudent, for example, to talk about Magic Johnson or Chad Ochocinco.
The nickname "Pi" makes the narrator feel important. Before, with the nickname "Pissing," the narrator felt that he was as low as sewage. Even when his teachers mistakenly called him "Pissing," Pi felt as if he were below his fellow classmates. With the name "Pi," however, the narrator feels as important as the number pi (3.14) is to mathematicians and scientists. He even references the fact that without the number pi (3.14), scientists would not be able to have a grasp on the universe. Pi feels especially important when other classmates follow suit and give themselves Greek-inspired nicknames.
The end.
Occasionally when someone does something, it is not for simply one reason. Why change his name?
-to not be called "pissing"
-to not be ridiculed when called "pissing"
-so that when he leaves St. joseph's he will be seen as he is and not as the constant butt of a joke
-so that he may grow
He connects with religion, so he connects with these religious figures. He sees hope in their accomplishments consisting what they were facing. He is drawing parallels.
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