The Human Struggle in Yann Martel's Life of Pi

Humans generally face struggles in their lifetime. Such struggles could be within themselves or with someone or something else but commonly stem from some sort of opposition in lifestyle. In Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, Pi’s passion for personal survival conflicts with his moral obligations to himself internally, morphing his external character.

Throughout the novel, Pi’s thoughts reveal and internal struggle between his desire to live and his own beliefs to what is morally right. Pi grows up on varying religious viewpoints because he studies different religions. His religious diversity forms a moral standard of “dignity not …depravity” (Martel 71). He values dignity and character over corruption of morals initially because he sees it as the correct way of life. However, when faced with the challenge of survival, Pi finds he must sacrifice some of his previous beliefs in order to stay alive. For example, due to his limited amount of food resources, Pi must abandon his lifestyle of being a vegetarian. This concept of sacrificing his personal beliefs out of desperation is not a comfortable transition for Pi. While starving, Pi has to kill a fish. Since it is his first killing, he does it gently with “tears flowing down [his] cheeks” (Martel 183). Pi’s emotion shown in the process of killing this fish portrays his internal struggle of wanting to remain peaceful. He views himself as a “killer…now guilty… [with] a terrible burden to carry” (Martel 183). His lack of ability to accept the death of the fish and dismiss it for his own survival needs shows his yearn to hold on to his innocent and passive lifestyle he held before. Also, Pi’s denial of killing the rat is an effect of his desire to remain pure and innocent. Though he ...

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...mes” seeking no issues in his savage ways (Martel 201). As exemplified in Pi’s actions, humans generally lose their ability to decipher what is savage and what is absolutely essential because the threat of death overrules the consciousness of morality. Thus, the journey Pi endures psychologically generally translates to humankind as a whole provided similar circumstances.

Humans psychologically have two sides to them: a side composed of morals and beliefs and a side composed of necessities. Sometimes, these two sides contrast each other and cause a form of conflict. Pi’s conflict stems from his desire to live for the cost of his beliefs and it ultimately alters his personality. Through thoughts and actions, Pi reveals the human nature of desperation in the face of fear.

Works Cited

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.