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Pi lives a very comfortable life with his family in the zoo where he enjoys the luxury of being surrounded by what he calls one of the most beautiful places in the world. This world of comfort is his ordinary world
"To me, it was paradise on earth. I have nothing but the fondest memories of growing up in a zoo. I lived the
life of a prince. What maharaja's son had such vast, luxuriant grounds to play about? What palace had such a menagerie?".(Martel,9)
At this point, Pi is at the very beginning of his journey. He is enjoying his life, full of comfort without any worry. This time is also when Pi engages in the practice of 3 different religions which leads to him being looked as being unusual by others.
Pi's father informs him and his brother that they would be leaving India for Canada which is very foreign to them. This represents his call to adventure.
"It was announced to us one evening during dinner. Ravi and I were thunderstruck. Canada! If Andhra Pradesh, just north of us, was alien, if Sri Lanka, a monkey's hop across a strait, was the dark side of the moon, imagine what Canada was. Canada meant absolutely nothing to us. It was like Timbuktu, by definition a place permanently far away."(Martel, 46)
In order for the quest of a hero to begin, he must be called away from his ordinary world into a foreign and mysterious destination. Pi's hesitation is typical as the hero is usually unable to immediately abandon his way of life to follow this call.
After experiencing the horrifying shipwreck of the Tsimtsum, Pi is forced to live on a lifeboat with Richard Parker while trying to survive against all the elements of the ocean.This represents the beginning of a hero's initiation, the road of trials.
"And what of my extended family-birds, beasts and reptiles? They too have drowned. Every single thing I
value in life has been destroyed. And I am allowed no explanation? I am to suffer hell without any account
from heaven? In that case, what is the purpose of reason, Richard Parker? Is it no more than to shine at
practicalities-the getting of food, clothing and shelter? Why can't reason give greater answers? Why can we
throw a question further than we can pull in an answer? Why such a vast net if there's so little fish to catch?". (Martel, 56)
At this point Pi's life is seemingly completely destroyed with him losing everything, including his extended family. Pi questions why he's been given such a large net if there is no fish to catch. This ordeal seems to shake Pi's belief in god as he is suffering immensely and wonders why. This suffering represents the obstacles that Pi, like any other hero must overcome to begin the stage of initiation.
Pi faces temptation after arriving on the Algae Island where he and Richard Parker replenish themselves which lulls him into a false sense of security desiring to stay instead of continuing his quest
"The algae had a light sweetness that outdid in delight even the sap of our maple trees here in Canada. In consistency, the closest I can compare it to is water chestnuts."(Martel,142)
The Algae Island causes Pi to veer of course on his quest in hopes of finding solitude. Pi is tempted by all the sweet food that he finds on the island which leads to him extending his stay there instead of continuing his quest and trying to find civilization. This stage is typical in a hero's stage of initiation. The island figuratively represents the goddess that tempts the hero on his quest
After washing up on the shore of Mexico on the back of spending 227 days at sea, Pi has to be hospitalized in order for him to live.
"The doctors and nurses at the hospital in Mexico were incredibly kind to me. And the patients, too. Victims of cancer or car accidents, once they heard my story, they hobbled and wheeled over to see me, they and their families, though none of them spoke English and I spoke no Spanish."(Martel, 6)
Pi's hospitalization in Mexico represents one of the stages of the return, the rescue from without. Despite managing to survive at sea for 227 days, after washing up on shore Pi cannot save himself and instead relies on the locals to bring him to the hospital where he recuperates. This represents his fist step towards entering everyday life.
After his journey, sometime in the future Pi takes a double major at the university of Toronto in zoology and religion which he excels at, making him a master of two worlds, concluding his return to the ordinary world.
"I was a very good student, if I may say so myself. I was tops at St. Michael's College four years in a row. I got every possible student award from the Department of Zoology. If I got none from the Department of Religious Studies, it is simply because there are no student awards in this department (the rewards of religious study are not in mortal hands, we all know that)."(Martel, 5)
This shows Pi's conclusion of his quest because he is able to master the two worlds of zoology and religion. Similarly Pi is also able to become a master of two worlds when he is able to use them to preserve his spirit and escape from his suffering that left him sad and gloomy.
As he is forced to rely on others to be saved, before eventually becoming a master of two worlds, Pi displays the characteristics of a hero following the quest pattern in the stage of return.
Life of Pi exemplifies a story which can be interpreted to be following the archetypal heroic quest pattern. Despite Pi's initial display of naivety and simplicity, his exposure to the several stages of the quest pattern forge him into a typical hero, full of bravery and determination. Pi's departure from the typical characteristics of a hero being a big, strong man in spandex with super powers, gives more credibility to the hero's quest as an all-encompassing pattern that can be applied to many works of media. The hero defines a pattern which can be found in anyone regardless of their physical stature.
"Hero's Journey Defined." Hero's Journey Defined. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 July 2014. <http://home.rmi.net/~seifert/id22.html>.
"Hero's Journey." Hero's Journey. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 July 2014. <https://sites.google.com/a/nexgenacademy.com/hero-s-journey/>.
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: a novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.
As he is forced to experience the trials and tribulations of the road of trials of the ocean and the temptation of the Algae island, Pi experiences two of the stages that combine to make the initiation stage that the here typically undergoes after his departure.
Through his experience of living an ordinary and sheltered life before being called away to a mysterious quest which he is hesitant to follow, Pi displays the typical traits of a hero in the stage of departure.
Lead:
Throughout history the quest pattern, defined by Joseph Campbell has been used to create stories. Usage of it dates back to the time of the Ancient greeks. Today it is just as prominent, with it being used constantly in the Disney films among other media such as Life of Pi.The protagonist of the book, Pi follows this archetypal pattern on his journey towards heroism while trying to survive.