Hot Seat Discussion (for those that just couldn't leave their seats in our modified fishbowl discussion!)
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Answer ALL of the following questions:1. Give your understanding of the carnivorous island and the conversations Pi had with Richard Parker and the French-speaking man that tried to eat him. How does this relate to existentialism and what does it explain about Pi OR the book?
2. What story HAS to be true in your mind. Why?
3. Explain the larger meaning of 'choosing the better story'...beyond Pi's suggestion to the Japanese ministers interviewing him. In other words, what is Martel's message to all his readers?
posted by Davis at
6:27 PM
19 Comments:
1. I think the carnivorous island symbolized Pi's own despair. As Pi said, it wouldn't have killed him immediately if he stayed but it would have eaten away at his soul, causing hopelessness. I think it also demonstrated his dwindling hope that he will ever be found. To stay on the island would be to give up, to decide to end his days on a man-eating island rather than in civilization. Pi's choice to leave the island and get back into the ocean is his way of remaining optimistic about his chances of getting rescued.
2. I think the story that involves the people has to be the true story because I can't see the one with four different animals all living on one lifeboat ever happening.
3. I think Martel's message was that we choose what to believe and how we come to grips with a reality that is often more horrible that we can stand.
8:31 PM
1. I think the island represented the ongoing struggles within Pi's mind. He was stranded for a long time and after awhile, he started to go a little crazy. Things started happening in his mind that were beginning to eat away at his spirit and sense of hope. Eventually the stress would have led to Pi's death, this is similar to the way the island would have killed him.
2. In my opinion, the story involving humans HAS to be true. It is the only semi-realistic version of what happened and I think its a definite possiblilty that Pi created the animal story in order to survive his own despair. Losing everyone he loved would not have been easy, anyone would have tried to overcome that and I think Pi's only solution was creating another story.
3. Martel is trying to illustrate the effects of story-telling. Stories can be told in different ways in order to create intended effects. "Choosing the better story" in my opinion, would be choosing to believe the story about animals because it gives more of what I think Martel intended the effect of the story to be. Both stories would have been interesting but the animal story was less depressing.
3:21 PM
Here's my Thesis, I didn't know where else to put it...
Topic #7 RELIGION
In the book, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, the main character Pi Patel is confronted with having to make the choice between Hinduism, Islam and Christianity, all of which push him in different directions.
11:01 AM
1. Personally, I think that the carnivourous island, speaking with Richard Parker, and the French-speaking man all really show the reader how much being alone on a boat in the middle of the ocean is getting to Pi, and really nothing more complicated than that. He was creating things in his mind to fit his mental needs. This rally explains why Pi does some of the things that he does while on the boat. While he is on the boat and "speaking and seeing" these different things, he is really discovering what he really is. Before the ship sank, he thought he knew who he was, but he then had to change who he was in order to survive.
2. In my mind, I think that both stories aren't true. I think that Pi was by himself on the lifeboat the entire time, and because he was so incredibly bored for the seven or so months that he was on the boat, he had time to make up different versions of his story. That is also why he was able to connect them so personally and think of a new story so fast when the Japanese men were interviewing him.
3. In my opinion, I think that the larger meaning of choosing the better story is the author giving the reader a chance to make the story their own personal story, in a way. Basically, he wants them to be able to control how they think the story began, what action happened in the middle, and how the story ended. It is kind of like the 4th challenge we did. I think that the author did this because he thinks people should be able to do that with their own lives. Everyone should have a choice of what they want to believe in (connection to Pi choosing three different religions) and how they want their life to go.
1:46 PM
1. I felt that the island and the carnivorous island were in the book to help reinforce the message of choosing the better story. Even though these two pieces of Pi's story may not seem real, they are a lot more interesting and show more about Pi, such as how Pi didn't leave RP on the island, than the story with just the humans would. These two parts of the story also help to reveal how alone and mentally unstable Pi was while at sea.
2. In my mind, neither story has to be true and both stories could be fake. The past is very simply what we remember it to be. People have the ability to shape what they remember and without such things as photographs or written stories (which aren't even necessarily true, in war the victor writes the story) it is impossibly to say anything was truely true. So, in my mind neither story is completely true.
3. Martel's message seems to be a lot like my answer in question 2. Martel is saying that life is better when you can choose the better story, and decide what you think happened in the past, by not letting other people tell you what was the true story. So, Martels message is that you should decide for yourself which memory of the past is the best story and not let other people ruin the story for you.
4:13 PM
1) the island is a place of rebirth because Pi is pretty much dead before he gets to the island. when he gets to the island it revives him and brings him back to life. Pi needed the conversations with Richard Parker and the Frnch man because he was going crazy and he needed someone to talk to so his mind made them up.
2) i think the second story is true because he knew if he told the second story first that they wouldnt have believed it anyways because no one could believe that humans could become so animalistic.
3) i think that Martell's message is that you need to choose your words wisely, and not everybody is going to believe you when you tell a story.
5:58 PM
I think the carnivorous island and the conversations Pi had with Richard Parker were just a way for his mind to escape from the things he was dealing with. This relates to existentialism because existentialists beleive in what they want, and we don't know for sure if Pi really did go to the island or talk to the french man, but he beleived he did, so that is how we interpereted it.
2)I think the story with the humans has to be true, just because it is more logicial. Since Pi was so into zoology and animals, it made sense for him to compare the animals to people, but 4 people surviving on a lifeboat seems much more believable than one person and 3 animals.
3) I think by "choosing the better story," Martel wants the reader to think about the text and decide for themselves what they think really happened. This relates to existentialism because he is giving the reader the opportunity to think outside the box and the chance to think for themselves, instead of just thinking what everyone else is thinking, or what "really happened."
7:09 PM
1) I think that these events showed how Pi thought of how life worked and how he wanted life to be. I think that he kind of showed in different ways how the world is today.
2)I kind of feel like the human story has to be true because some of the animal situations that he descirbed could not be possible in any way. I think that he was tramatized and tried to explain this story in an animal scenerio.
3)I think that Martel's message to everyone is to think about your life now and differ what you think life is. Ask questions or make up a story of how you would like your life to be.
7:33 PM
1. If Pi had stayed on the island it would have eventually lead to a slow death, just like his faith would be slowly dying. Since he chose not to stay it showed that he still had faith and high hopes for surviving. Richard Parker was a key to Pi's survival because if Pi were to give up it would be giving up on Richard Parker too. He had these conversations to help him escape from the reality of the situation and because he probably was starting to loose his mind being lost at sea for so long.
2. I think either story could be true. Pi had 227 days to think about survival. Obviously the human story would seem more logical but there was so much detail in the animal story. It makes me wonder if he was just alone the entire time thinking of what could have happened. He may have come up with these stories to help relieve the pain of loosing his family and used animals as symbols for each person.
3. I think Martel's idea of "choosing the better story" is to let the reader feel one last bit of Pi's struggle to choose amongst important things. I think ultimately, since Pi was able to have faith in 3 different religions, the reader can choose to believe in both stories. There may not be a truth in either story. It creates an existentialist view for the reader because the truth cannot be found in the story, just like an existentialist knows that their answers to life and existence cannot be found but that some answers may find them.
7:42 PM
In response to the "hot seat" questions...
In my mind the book was a physica; and mental journey. He was on the boat struggling to surive, and to ensure he could maintain some of his sanity he made up some of the radical elements where he interacted with the animals in such a bizarre way.
Thesis: Topic #10
In Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi he makes it obvious that Pi goes through a mental jouney from the countless days spent by himself on the boat in the middle of the ocean.
7:50 PM
1. I think the carnivorous island symblizes how things aren't always what you think they are. Pi thought that this island was the end of his worries. It was a safe haven for him to get out of the tipping of the boat in the ocean, but it turned out that staying in this "safe" island would kill him. Richard Parker was Pi's only interaction with someone on the boat and this kept Pi alive, and sane. But i think after so many days at sea, companionship only goes so far. Pi went crazy and thought he was really talking to Richard Parker, not just feeling what he is saying.
2. I believe that both stories have a bit of truth in them, meaning that neither story is true. I don't think that humans would kill 3 of them in the short time that it was, but i don't think that a boy could really survive on a boat with a tiger. These stories were just the equavalent of months at sea.
3. I think that the message is that you should choose your thoughts and beliefs for yourself. People shouldn't sway your choice because then its not truely yours. This is like existentialism because it is saying to choose your own life and be who YOU want to be.
8:43 PM
1. I think that Pi realized that he could still have a chance at being rescued and made the choice not to suffer as much as he already was and left the island and went back into the ocean.
2. i think that both stories have a truth to them and the people one is more logical but the animal one was so detailed that it could have just been Pi on the boat making it seem like all these animals were actually on there but weren't
3. I think martel is trying to say that every story has some kind of truth to them it rather or not you want to believe it or follow what others believe and go with that.
10:58 PM
1) I personally believe that the carnivorous island, the conversations Pi had with Richard Parker and the French-speaking man all showed how lost and confused Pi is. Pi is alone on a boat and he is starting to go crazy. These parts of the book just show how Pi is beginning to lose his mind and he can not tell what is real from what is fiction. This goes along with existentialism. I believe the author is trying to send a message about existentialism and how we can’t always know what is real in life and it is our choice to choose what we want to believe. This also goes along with the end of the story and how you have to choose the one you like best. Pi had to choose something that he could believe to explain these crazy events and his actions while on the boat and on the island.
2) I believe the second story with the people has to be true because it is more realistic. I do not believe that Pi could be on a life boat with that many animals. I also do not believe that a tiger on the boat would not eat Pi. I think that some aspects of each story are true and that Pi blended them together because he made up the animal story to distract him from what was really going on on the boat. He figured it was more acceptable for animals to kill each other because that is their instinct, Pi however did not think it was acceptable for humans to act this way and that is why in his mind he replaced people with animals.
3) The message in choosing the better story is that in life we have to choose our own paths. In life we have options and we are forced to choose one. This is a very existentialism outlook on life and that is what Martel was trying to get the reader to think about. In the book it may just be to pick a story that you like but it relates to life in so many ways.
11:12 PM
1) I think the Carnivorous Island represented a sort of sanctuary for Pi because of it's abundance of life and food. It gave him hope and strength. The conversations Pi had with Richard Parker and the French man were just ways to keep his mind occupied after sitting out at sea for so long.
2) I think there is some truth in both stories, but believe the Human story has to be real. While the Animal story had more detail, the Human version just seemed more logical to me.
3) The whole point of Life of Pi is to interpret Pi's journey in your own way. No two people will have the exact same understanding of it and that's what makes it enjoyable. Just like the two Japanese men at the end of the story, the reader has to make up their own mind and decide what they do and don't want to believe.
8:58 AM
1. I think that the carnivorous island and conversations Pi had with Richard Parker and the French-speaking man was a sign of hope for Pi because I think he knew he was safe with Richard Parker. Pi trained him and kept him surviving so he could no longer be afraid and worried that Richard Parker would attack him. This relates to existentialism because both Richard Parker and Pi had to find ways to survive on nature on the island. Their human and animal instinct helped them with survival and knowing what they needed to survive.
2. I believe both stories could be true because the animal story had a lot of detail however the human story seemed more logical and realistic.
3. I think Martel's message to all readers is a lot about existentialism because its like choosing which story is true or better. You as a reader decide that just like we decide what we believe in and decide in our lives.
7:17 PM
1. The herbacious-carnivorous island, is a mirage, well one that you can sense in complete reality. It appears in the views of existentialism as a part of a journey and Pi must undergo the obstacle. The french man, appeared at that moment, soley because he was there at that moment. There is nothing more nor less to describe this unsatisfactory moment. The delusional conversation, Pi indulged in with Richard Parker, erupted from the caverns of Pi's subconcious, forming sentences describing his deep longing emotions such as love. I feel Pi missed the love he recieved from his mother, the protection so it pulsated into the mouth of Richard Parker to converse with Pi.
2. The story of with the animals must be true, because if you were on a life boat for 227 days, why not go for the more insane choice? Pi would not have survived the journey with other humans because of his own need for survival. He had Richard Parker for his responsibility, as Richard Parker was the most dominant survivor of the rest of the animals. If Pi had to take care of other human needs than his own, his strenth would wear out more quickly and he would succomb to death. Humans are more needy than that of animals.
3. Choosing the better story didn't apply to just the ministers, I believe Martel wants his readers to choose the story to fit their lives and the path that they are taking. This is a unique choice in writing habits, because it expands the thoughts of readers.
8:08 AM
1. I think Pi was trying to fabricate what he missed which was communication. I think that the carnivorous island symbolized Pi's despair eating away his hope. I think that this also was existentialist because Pi was choosing what he needed to help keep him going.
2. I think that the animal story is true. With humans, especially as a child, Pi would still have been dependent on other people. Those other people might not have seen him as much use and he probably wouldn't have found the strength to survive. With the animal story it seemed that Pi was forced into complete independence and making decisions he thought was right for himself which in turn led him to survive.
3. I think that the message of "choosing the better story" is just showing that no answer to question two is right. Readers should choose for themselves what they think is right that benefits themselves in some way.
6:07 PM
My understanding of the carnivorous island and the conversations with Richard Parker and the french-speaking man is that none of it ever happend. The entire book cover to cover was fiction and there is not a legitimate answer to why everyhing happend the way it did.
I believe the animal story because Pi would have a less chance of survival with humans as opposed to animals. Although humans are classied as animals, Richard Parker saved Pi's life and I dont think he could of survived any other way.
The message is proving that we need to make decisions based on our own judgement and how much we trust ourselves and actions. This refers back to existentialism because its based on youself and no one else can change that.
3:46 PM
The island is an allegory of what we label Heaven or Paradise is. We construct our island (paradise) in such a way that fits our needs and meets our expectations (feeds us and provides enough solid ground to walk on, we are not cast away from it meerkats are not bothered by Pi’s and RP presence). Lucky are those people that do not dwell in spiritual slothfulness (island). Pi had a spiritual awakening. Eating the strange fruit and realizing the island is not what it seems, he decided to leave it and pursue his destination.
10:17 AM
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