11+-+Life+of+Pi+Themes+&+Motifs

List your findings from the reading of //Life of Pi// here: // How to add an entry: //
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**THEMES**


 * **Theme #1**: sometimes when we are in distress, we tell ourselves stories to cope (the necessity to use personally constructed narratives as a coping mechanisms (Mr. Go)
 * **Theme #2**: the capacity of survival is present in all of us (TTsui)
 * **Theme #3**: In times of distress, human beings can adopt animalistic characteristics. (A.Y)
 * **Theme #4**: By Maggie Z:
 * If human respects and understands the nature of animal lifes, the two can live together in harmony.(MZ)
 * The will to survive in a person's mind can fight agaist all odds. (MZ)
 * **Theme #5**: Survival of the Fittest(to survive you must be the top being, as seen during the boat with the hyena, orange juice, and richard parker.) (Lyndon Snake)


 * MOTIFS **
 * **Motif #1**: **water** (pools, the piscines of Mamaji, later the ocean waters)
 * **Motif #2**: **pi** ("piscine", 3.14 - neverending value; indomitable, unqunechable spirit)
 * **Motif #3**: **the colour orange** (representing hope, the colour of the bengal tiger was orange which was later revealed as pi patel himself) (Jason **Husky**)
 * At that moment i perceived an orange mass. I jerked my head back. But the orange wasn't moving and didn't look right." pg 155 (Lyndon Snake)
 * **Motif #4**: **Danger** (Pi patel is in constant danger whether he is stuck on the boat with the tiger, or docked on a corrosive island) Alex Wombat
 * **Motif #5:** Power (Pi is endlessly struggling to maintain power over the Richard Parker, this is driven by his need to survive)(RG)
 * **Motif #6: Rituals** (Daily life on lifeboat, religious rituals, zoo animals have rituals and zookeepers know of a problem when ritual is broken) (Savannah Flames)
 * ** Motif #7: Salt ** (Human body requires certain amount of salt, but once past the limit, it can be deadly. Piscine is surrounded by water, but can not drink it becuse of the salt. Putting salt to the wound.)
 * ** Motif #8: Animals ** (Human is at the top of the food chain. The lifeboat itself represent the jungle.) Maggie Zhao
 * ** Motif #9: Religion/Spirituality ** (From exposition Pi explores religion/spirituality, in his moments of confusion/terror he turns to religion and thanks it for the gifts/strength it gives him, "Thank you, Lord Vishnu, thank you!...Once you saved the world by taking the form of a fish. Now you have saved me by taking the form of a fish" (204-5). (RG)