Text: Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
Essence: In order to survive one must adapt to the world
around them regardless of their own morals and beliefs.
Summary: Life of Pi tells the story of Piscine Molitor
Patel, a sixteen-year-old South Indian boy who is the lone survivor of a fatal
shipwreck that stole the lives of not only his family but every other passenger
on board as well. Piscine is forced to learn how to survive at sea on his own
with nothing but the little bit of emergency supplies he has and the company of
Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger. While Piscine faces numerous challenges along
the course of his 227-day-long journey, he beats the odds and is able to defeat
those challenges by sacrificing everything he had once believed in order to
survive.
2012. “And, after all,
our surroundings influence our lives and characters as much as fate, destiny or
any supernatural agency.” Pauline Hopkins, Contending Forces
Choose a novel or play
in which cultural, physical, or geographical surroundings shape
psychological or moral traits in a character. Then write a well-organized
essay in which you analyze how surroundings affect this character and
illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole.
Thesis: In Life of Pi
by Yann Martel, Pi experiences a substantial shift in character as a result of
his situational surroundings in that he abandons all previously valued morals
regarding his lifestyle and religion. While this shift does morph Pi into a new
person, it is also the main reason he was able to survive at sea which reflects
the deeper meanings of adaptation and sacrifice that are seen throughout the
novel.
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