Life Of Pi with animals

Life Of Pi with animals

Sea Turtles

Sea Turtles in Life of Pi

By Sean Kim and Andrew diehr

Sea turtles (otherwise known as marine turtles) are reptiles with hard shells that protects their bodies. Depending on the species, a sea turtle can be from 2 to 9 feet in length, and weigh up to 1,500 pounds. These turtles are born from eggs on the shore, and will the spend the first 3-5 years of their life in beds of seaweed where they will find both food and shelter. After they reach adulthood, they will come closer to the shore, and females will go to the shore during nesting season to lay eggs. Most species are classified as either "endangered" or "critically endangered", and therefore it is illegal in many countries to hunt them. Sea turtles play a vital role in two important ecosystems (oceans, and beaches and dunes), so it is important that they are protected.

• A prevalent theme within Life of Pi is the primacy of survival. Pi uses every part of the turtle to survive. He ate the turtle's meat, bone marrow, eggs, organs, algae, and barnacles that were attached to the shell. He also drank the blood of the turtle for nutrients. Pi used the shell as a shield against Richard Parker, a mixing bowl, a cover from the elements, and a cutting board.
• "Turtle shells were very handy. I couldn't have done without them. They served not only as shields, but as cutting boards for fish and as bowls for mixing food. And when the elements had destroyed the blankets beyond repair, I used the shells to protect myself from the sun by propping them against each other and lying beneath them." pg 213

There are 7 types of Sea turtles. They are the leatherback sea turtle, green sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, Kemp's ridley sea turtle, hawksbill sea turtle, flatback sea turtle and olive ridley sea turtle. The two mentioned in Life of Pi is the green sea turtle and the hawksbill turtle.

Turtle Analysis continued...

• Another strong theme within the novel is the loss of innocence. Despite the fact that Pi was a devout vegetarian, he doesn't hesitate to butcher the sea turtle. His primal instincts have overcome his morality for the sake of his survival.
• "Lord, to think that I'm a strict vegetarian. To think that when I was a child I always shuddered when I snapped open a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an animal's neck. I descended to a level of savagery I never imagined possible."p.197
• "As confidently as if I had done it a thousand times, I jammed the knife just to the right of the turtle’s head, at an angle. I pushed the blade deep into the folds of skin and twisted it." p.201

Dorado

Dorado in Life of Pi

Works Cited

The dorado, known more commonly as mahi-mahi, is a dolphinfish that lives in generally warm waters. Despite its classification as a dolphinfish, it is not related to the dolphin. The dorado can live for up to five years, but most do not make past four. It is hunted for both commercial and recreational reasons, and is known to a very beautiful and delicious fish. Like the sea turtle, they swim around Sargassum, a brown type of seaweed.

Dawson, James. "Basic Facts About Sea Turtles." Sea

Turtles. N.p., 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2014. <http://www.defenders.org/sea-turtles/basic-facts>.

"Dorado - World Fishing Network." World Fishing Network

Dorado Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014. <http://www.worldfishingnetwork.com/tips/post/dorado>.

"Flying Fish, Flying Fish Pictures, Flying Fish Facts - National

Geographic." National Geographic. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Nov. 2014. <http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/flying-fish/>.

Nahill, Brad. "Sea Turtle Facts." SEE Turtles. SEE Turtles, Dec.

2013. Web. 08 Nov. 2014. <http://www.seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-facts/>.

• The Dorado helps to show the theme of the loss of innocence. Pi, when he killed his first fish, feels incredibly guilty and heartbroken. Later, he has no hesitation to kill a dorado for sustinence. In fact, he feels self assured and strong when he captures a dorado.
• "You may be astonished that in such a short period of time I could go from weeping over the muffled killing of a flying fish to gleefully bludgeoning to death a dorado. I could explain it by arguing that profiting from a pitiful flying fish's navigational mistake made me shy and sorrowful, while the excitement of actively capturing a great dorado made me sanguinary and self-assured. But in point of fact the explanation lies elsewhere. It is simple and brutal: a person can get used to anything, even killing.

Flying Fish

Flying Fish in Life of Pi

The flying fish, much like the dorado, resides

primarily in warm waters. They are distinguished by their abnormally large pectoral fins, which they use to fly or glide above the water in order to escape predators. It feeds mainly on plankton and is hunted by a number of other larger ocean-dwellers, such as dolphins and squid.

• A strong theme in the novel is the primacy of survival. Pi is a devout vegetarian. When the flying fish lands in his boat, he decides to kill it. Pi feels guilty, however, when he opens bananas. When he is about to strike the fish, he covers its face and then tries to hit the fish with the blunt end of the hatchet. He gives up and then tries to strangle the fish. He breaks the fish's neck. His need to survive overcame his beliefs and morality.
• "Tears flowing down my cheeks, I egged myself on until I heard a cracking sound and I no longer felt any life fighting in my hands. I pulled back the folds of the blanket. The flying fish was dead. It was split open and bloody on one side of its head, at the level of the gills. " p.245