In Order to Survive; One Must Give Up their Morals

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“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive” (Martel 44-45). Inside every human being, there is an extremely primal and animalistic trait that can surface when the will to survive becomes greater than the morals of the person. This trait allows humans to overcome their fear to do things which they wouldn’t normally be able to do in order to survive when they’re in extreme peril and in a do or die situation. Throughout the book, Life of Pi, survival is a dominant and central theme. The will to survive changes people and this includes the main character of the story, Piscine Molitor Patel. Survival will even change the most timid, religious, and law-abiding people. Yann Martel, using Pi as an example, tries to explain that all humans must do three things in order to survive a life threatening event: one must give up their morals, one must find a way to keep sane, and one must be ready to compromise and sacrifice.
Everybody has their own morals and limits, this includes Pi Patel. Pi is a very nice young man who would be considered to be a person with many good traits: he is religious, a pacifist, very peaceful, and loves animals. Most humans are generally very kind and gentle towards other living creatures and don’t do much outside of their own comfort zone. Unfortunately, life is very unforgiving and some people end up in extremely dire situations in which they have to resort to drastic measures. Throughout the book, Yann Martel uses Pi as a symbol to represent all humans and suggests that in order to survive; one must give up their morals. Over the course of P...

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...nd sacrifice.
In conclusion, the key to survival in dire and drastic situations comes from deep within every human. Every individual will go through changes in order to adapt and survive the harsh conditions and challenges they are put through. In order to survive, one must be ready to give up their morals, one must find a way to keep their mind fresh and sane, and one must be ready to compromise and sacrifice. Most humans are generally very civilized under normal conditions, but when the need to survive becomes the top priority the wild animal inside everyone takes over. The author, William Golding, of Lord of the Flies once wrote, “Maybe there is a beast....maybe it's only us” (80).

Works Cited

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: The 10th Anniversary Edition. Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2011. Print.
Golding, William. Lord of the Flies. New York: Coward-McCann, 1962. Print.

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