Nov 15, 2024 · In the book "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, we meet a guy named Pi Patel who ends up on this wild adventure after a shipwreck. He gets stuck on a lifeboat... read full [Essay Sample] for free ... In Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, A young indian boy is stuck on a small lifeboat with a 450-pound bengal tiger. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean along with one of the top hunters in the animal kingdom, fear often lingers in Pi’s mind. Pi reflects how fear affects the mind and body. He says, “Fear which is but an impression, has triumphed ... ... Sep 23, 2020 · Then comes, Foresight, we feel the need to eliminate fear. But it is always not possible. Sometimes we have to find a way to deal with it. In Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” the idea of fear and foresight, leading us to make life-altering decisions, is seen best through the character Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi). Pi is born in Pondicherry, India. ... ">

ipl-logo

Wait a second!

More handpicked essays just for you.

close-icon

An atmosphere of terror throughtout frankenstein

shield-img

Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.

search-img

Fear In Life Of Pi, By Yann Martel

Fear is Life’s Biggest Obstacle Although most people see fear solely as cowardice and lack of confidence, they tend to dismiss the idea that fear leads to and hinders many other emotions and obstructs your life. Fear appears as uncontrollable and even unavoidable and it takes over the minds and hearts of the public. These fears tantalize us and don’t allow us to think clearly when faced with these traitorous obstacles. Yann Martel, author of Life of Pi, states that, “I must say a word about fear . It is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life.” Some examples of the daily fears we face are the fear of love and fear of the unknown. Eleanor Roosevelt talks about how the fear of loving another person hurts us and causes us …show more content…

In the story of Frankenstein, there is fear in the unknown of the technology that flourished. Frankenstein, unknowingly creates something, without consciousness of his fear of the unknown. When the monster emerges and the scientist 's creation actually comes to life, the fear finally sank in. Not having a solid understand or representation of what the monster was or what it was capable of struck fear into Frankenstein. His fear initially prevents Frankenstein from sharing the news of his contemporary monster. His fear even keeps him from comprehending his creation. Not knowing of something drives people insane, literally and figuratively. As humans we are very nosey and it scares us to not be able to have the capacity to know about something in the world. The inability to understand strikes fear in people and twists the minds of others to believe different things. Austin Smith, author of the Doctor Who series, accents on this idea quite well by saying, “People fear what they don’t understand and hate what they can’t conquer.” This explains the idea of being afraid of what people don’t understand very well. When something isn’t fully understood, we open up our minds to different aspects of life that wouldn’t necessarily be true. People come up with outrageous ideas that send others into a panicking flare. This fear prevents us from moving forward in life. Howard Phillips Lovecraft, American author, states that, “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” Lovecraft is simply stating that fear is the strongest emotion that has been around since time has started and fear of the unknown is the strongest kind of fear known to man. People have always been afraid of the unknown and that causes us to not advance in many ways of life. Fear is an empowering emotion that restricts people from venturing out. Allowing fear to take

Comparison Of Fear In Fahrenheit 451 And Harrison Bergeron

We live our lives in fear. Some of us fear failure, maybe you fear the dark, others fear heights. While some of humanities fears may be irrational, there is no denying that everyone experiences fear. But how does fear affect us? How does it affect our actions?

Fear In 'Antojos' By Julia Alvarez

Everyone has fear but people can use fear as a good thing. Fear can even save

Figurative Language In Yellow Fever

Anderson uses figurative language and sentence variety in order to establish the lesson that fear can change someone into a completely different person. Fear is an overpowering emotion that can force one into doing things it never otherwise would have. The fear of contracting Yellow Fever was overwhelming the city of Philadelphia. Families

Calico Joe Character Analysis

The belief that we fear what we do not understand can be applied to our own lives as well. Just like Warren became aware of his own fears and absence of understanding, we can also do the same and try to make things

Fear In The Chocolate War

Is fear the only thing to fear? Maybe it is, maybe it is not. Fear is a strong emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. Some people use fear to control the people around them. Someone that uses fear to control others is called a demagogue.

A Correct Transgressor In Ayn Rand's Anthem

All men feel it and none dare to speak” (46). This quote is important to understanding how big of an impact fear was on them, and shows that it began to literally consume

Hunting In The Most Dangerous Game By Richard Connell

”(92). Suggesting that perhaps all living organisms are united through the universal concept of fear, he challenges Rainsford’s belief that “ The

The Role Of Fear In Act 1 Mercy Lewis

Fear. We all just relate to it as being another common emotion that is regularly familiar in everyday life which isn’t much of a problem. But fear has a larger impact on our decisions and actions than we all think. It is powerful in transforming the way people react and act towards certain situations and can be more serious. Fear arises with the threat of physical, emotional, or psychological harm.

The Crucible And Lord Of The Flies Analysis

Humans are born to be afraid. A feeling of fear is only natural for humans to feel; it is a part of who we are. However, it can be more than just a feeling. Fear can be a weakness in humans even though it is only our natural instinct for survival. Sometimes, fear is so powerful that it can blur our rationality and dominate how we think and what we do.

Untie The Fear Knots Of Your Heart Book Report

Dr. Nichols (2010) writes; “Many fears are positive and productive because they prod [one] to do something about fearful situations” (p. 23). “Fear is a healthy, natural response that can turn unhealthy and manipulative” (Nichols, 2010, p. 70). The concept of action should be one of encouragement because fear can cause anxiety, anger, and depression. Anxiety “wastes mental, physical, and spiritual energy” (Nichols, 2010, p. 54), and anger is a “dangerous emotion that becomes a distraction from the main problem” (Nichols, 2010, p. 57). Fear can also cause bodily damage over a period of time, including heart disease, cancer, and damage to the immune system (Nichols,

Fear In The Tell-Tale Heart And The Masque Of Red Death

Fear can be very advantageous when it comes to surviving. Fear inhibits you from doing risky actions that can put you and others in danger; it keeps you cautious and careful. Even though fear helps you when surviving, fear can harm you in life. Fear can cause paranoia that keeps you from enjoying life. You start to obsess over minimal things leading to hallucination.

Theme Of Fear In Lord Of The Flies

Fear is what you make of it because nothing is inherently scary it is what you take from the object or experience that makes it scary and fills your head with fear. This can have an effect on society and how people and their respective governments react to types of issues and problems. This leads to in extreme cases war and mass murder of a society that is being exploited as a scapegoat. In the book Lord of the Flies the author William Golding suggest the impact fear has on human nature and how it disrupts order and disorder in a society.

Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

Choosing the “better” story seems like an easy task; however, this idea never crossed my mind until I read Life of Pi. The beginning of the novel promises the writer a story that will make him believe in God. However, once the novel starts we learn that Pi Patel is a believer of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. These three religions all offer different stories, but when they come together they allow Pi to survive his journey on the boat for 227 days. While on this journey, Pi is stuck on his raft with a Bengal tiger, an orangutan, and many other animals.

How Does Santiago Overcome Fear In The Alchemist

In the end, he overcomes the fear, challenges, and tasks to reveal his treasure. The definition of fear is an emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain or a threat. Santiago was fearful of fear when he was crossing the desert, not knowing if their caravan was going to get stuck in the middle of a battle or if they were

The Theme Of Thirst For Knowledge In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

As a society we all seek answers to how God did it or question how we all got here, in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein the key theme is the thirst for knowledge. Throughout the novel there are three prominent characters that seek for the understanding of life, including Victor Frankenstein, the creature, and Walton. The most important character involved with this particular theme is Victor Frankenstein, it all starts with his curiosity. Victor’s curiosity sparks with the statement that “The world was to me a secret which I desired to divine” (2.1).

More about Fear In Life Of Pi, By Yann Martel

Related topics.

  • English-language films

Life of Pi Theme of Fear

life of pi fear essay

If we have nothing to fear but fear itself, what about the fear of fear itself? Does that count as two fears or is it still one fear? It's this type of mind game our protagonist has to avoid on the lifeboat.

Pi has to fight against being crippled by fear, as he goes about the everyday business of survival. He definitely has a lot of things to be afraid of – bone-crunching waves, man-eating sharks, and conniving tigers, to name a few. Of course, fear also takes on an existential component in Life of Pi meaning that Pi also has to deal with the terror of isolation, meaninglessness, and boredom. When faced with the latter types of emptiness, maybe fighting off sharks and tigers doesn't sound so bad.

Questions About Fear

  • Would Pi have survived without fear? Could fear be seen as a good thing? Should you invite it over for a tea party?
  • Think long and hard about Richard Parker's fear. How would you characterize it? Can you even imagine it? Is Pi able to imagine it?
  • How does Part 1 of the novel prepare Pi to deal with the fear he will experience in Part 2? Or does it prepare him? Could anyone adequately prepare for Pi's ordeal?
  • Towards the end of the novel, Pi tells an alternate version of the story. In the second version, it's possible to identify Pi with Richard Parker the tiger. That means the very thing Pi feared was himself. How does this affect the way you view Pi's fear of the "tiger"?

Tired of ads?

Cite this source, logging out…, logging out....

You've been inactive for a while, logging you out in a few seconds...

W hy's T his F unny?

Fear In Life Of Pi Essay

Life of pi religion essay.

are no longer in people good graces Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both ( Martel, 2002’ Chapter 4,page 19)” trough this quote the reader notice that there are aspects related between zoology and religion in Life of Pi. In the beginning of the novel we are introduced to zoology and religion. The author make it clear to the reader that Pi had majors in both subjects zoology and religion and later use that knowledge to help him do things one can say is impossible

Zoology And Religion In Pi's Life Of Pi

and religion in Life of Pi. In the beginning of the novel we are introduced to zoology and religion where the author make it quite clear to the reader that Pi had majors in both subjects zoology and religion and used that to help him do things one can say is impossible. “Zoology is defined as the scientific study of animals” according to the YourDictionary. Zoology has always been a very big factor throughout Pi’s childhood as he grew up with a father who ran a zoo in India. Pi was awarded for

is probably the most predominant element of the Life of Pi. This novel, written by Yann Martel, also contains a few other things that wouldn’t be commonly written along with religion. One of which being zoology, which Pi is very interested in well as religion. At first when I read this I was very confused at how Martel could combine such elements, but he does a fantastic job of fusing them. Yann uses the animals in the story to demonstrate ways that Pi is surviving on the boat. There are three main

Adversity In Life Of Pi's Life

The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, is about a 16-year old boy who is stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 227 days. He is accompanied by a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena and a Bengal tiger, all fighting for survival on a tiny raft. Yann Martel uses characters to show that the absence of hope can either weaken a character or allow the character to realize that perseverance is needed to make him/her stronger. Pi’s evolution as a character is portrayed throughout his journey at sea: at first he is scared, fearful

How Does Yann Martel Use Conflict In Life Of Pi

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, is a popular novel released in 2001. In the story, there is a boy named Pi who is trapped on a lifeboat with a bengal tiger named Richard Parker, after a transport ship sinks in the middle of the pacific ocean. He must face hunger, thirst and the threat of Richard Parker in order to survive. The main theme found in Life of Pi is that when faced with with life threatening situations, humans must abandon there beliefs and religion in order to survive. Throughout the book

Life Of Pi Passage Analysis Essay

example, the tiger spirit animal most commonly symbolizes “primal instincts, unpredictability, and the ability to trust your intuition” (Elena Harris SpiritAnimal.info). In Yann Martel’s, Life of Pi , Richard Parker (a Bengal tiger who is stranded on a lifeboat with Pi for 277 days) shares many of the same characteristic and traits as Pi; such as willpower, strength and courage, unpredictability in actions, and at one point, aggression during his struggle to survive. Orange is also a recurrent symbol

Verisimilitude In Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi, is in many ways a story about storytelling. In the book, a young boy named Pi recalls his long, treacherous journey through the ocean on an abandoned life boat. Using the literary technique of verisimilitude, Martel describes a fantastical journey full of exotic animals, dangerous encounters, and new found religion. In leaving the determination of what is true to the reader, Martel displays the importance of faith and storytelling to cover up the dry, exhausting reality

Yann Martel's Life Of Pi: Coping Alone On A Boat

Life of Pi: Coping Alone On A Boat In the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel, A young boy named Piscine Patel, who goes by Pi, lives an ordinary childhood in Pondicherry India until he was forced to sail across the ocean in hope of a new life. After being ripped apart from his family, Pi experienced what no person ever should. Surviving a drastic adventure on the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean, limited to resources, deprived from food and being forced to face the elements God had to offer

Life Of Pi And The Alchemist

INTRODUCTION Exploring mainly the themes and symbols used in the metaphorical journey of Life Of Pi and The Alchemist, and how the use of them allowed the authors to convey certain messages to the reader that may impact their way of viewing and interpreting things. Furthermore analyzing and evaluating, the possible impacts that those themes and symbols can have on the readers and how readers can relate to them. The Alchemist was written by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, and was published in

Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

In the novel of Yann Martel “ Life of Pi,” the author uses many animals as symbolic meanings to represent people. Pi’s family managed a zoo in India and decided to emigrate to Canada with some animals which they owned; however, the ship they were boarding suffered shipwreck because of getting caught in a nasty storm. In the accident, only people who survived are Pi as a human and only four animals - a zebra, orangoutang, hyena, and Bengal tiger. From here, Pi’s adventurous journey for whole 227 days

More about Fear In Life Of Pi Essay

Popular essays.

  • Hotel Internship Report
  • Globalization In The Global Economy
  • Morally Wrong In Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing
  • The Spider: A Short Story: Marty Muffet
  • The Four Theories Of The Apple's Theory Of Strategy
  • Refugees In Global Refugees

preview

Coping With Fear in Life of Pi Essay

  • 1 Works Cited

There are many conventional methods to coping with one’s fears but the most effective is by facing it. In the novel, Life of Pi, the main character, Pi, is one of astonishment; even through the darkest points in his life, he is still able to somehow remain both faithful and hopeful. Pi clings to his religious faith as a way of coping with his fears as opposed to acknowledging conventional methods. He is able to do so through praying, storytelling and various interpretations. Fear takes a lot out of an individual as it can be the very substance that destroys them. As the Japanese proverb goes, “fear is only as deep as the mind allows.” That being said, fear is not as easy to let go of, as with anything else produced by the mind, it takes …show more content…

Knowing something theoretically does not make you right or dedicated for that matter. Many times it is the desires toward something or someone that truly matters and that makes all the difference. Storytelling is a form of human expression; when something cannot be said outright, storytelling is often utilized. This is due to the fact that, it is interactive, it calls for an imagination and it tells the story the author really wants to tell. Pi uses storytelling to mask the realism of his condition, in other words, to sugar coat what is actually happens to him. Through storytelling he is able to pick and choose exactly what he wants to accept and change what troubles him so that he can remain both faithful and fearless. Throughout his entire order, Pi never accepted anything at its face value; he always added a twist to make himself feel better. “In both stories the ship sinks…which story do you prefer.” (Martel, 352). Pi asks the two detectives which story they believe since it makes no difference; they both liked the one with the animals. It goes to show humans choose to believe the beautiful, but absurd, story they all reject the nasty reality. Accepting the reality makes an event all the more real. It explains why Pi chooses to turn everything into a story; through it he chooses what he wants to accept and what he doesn’t. Storytelling allows you to take away and add to an experience the way you choose to. It gives its

Fear In The Crucible

Fear is a powerful human emotion. It can make you do things you wouldn’t normally do, like risk taking and bad choices. Fear can spike your adrenaline. For example if someone was to lift a car off a run over child, that would be caused by adrenaline, which is caused by fear. According to several studies done by physicians

Life Of Pi, And By Tim Burton 's Big Fish

To begin with, storytelling is used to enhance both tell tales and make them more palatable to the audience. It is used as a coping mechanism for the characters in the novels, which gives them perspective of their struggles. In Life of Pi, the animals are replaced by human beings in the form of an orangutan, zebra, and hyena; each individually representing Pi Patel’s

Hope In The Glass Castle By Jeannette Walls

To truly experience fear one must be or feel alone with their worry. It is only when we unite that chance, choice, and change. hope. can extinguish that fear. It is Hope, that is ultimately stronger than the fear that sparked it.

The Dystopian Society Exposed In Anthem By Ayn Rand

Its very sad to say that Fear is one of the most effect thing in a person mind set. In a world full of humans maybe about 8.5 of humans out of 10 people are terrified. It may not seem

Personal Narrative: Fear In Baseball

I believe that Fear should be something that everyone should admire. Once you look back to what you achieved, you will always remember that good old

Fascination With Fear In The Premature Burial By Edgar Allan Poe

Fear is a feeling we’ve all felt before and it’s completely humane to feel that way from time to time. Mainly, people have great fears that interfere with their daily life and it becomes a problem. The issue with fears is

Using Imagination to Cope with Suffering in Life of Pi Essay

The power of imagination can be described as invincible. With the use of imagination, one can reach undefined triumphs and create a new powerful world. In the book, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, a blooming young boy named Pi Patel begins to develop a wondrous mind that expands his knowledge, true meaning of independence and value of life. His imagination is what allows him to cope and get through his suffering. The role of his imagination and stories are extremely significant in the sense that these telling are completely

Life of Pi - Fears Essay

Fear is one of human's emotions that sometimes prevent humans to be successful. The other acceptable definitions for fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the nearness danger or expectation of pain. The main character in the novel that called Life of Pi written by Yann Martel is Pi who challenges with many issues in his journey from India to Canada. One of the issues is living alone on the lifeboat in the middle of ocean with a Bengal tiger for while. One can learn to deal with fear as Pi deals with the tiger that called Richard Parker. Pi faces his fears, takes practical steps, persevere, and acknowledge his fears.

Things Fall Apart: Fear

The influences fear can have on people can be various, depending on who the person really is and what drives and

Fear In Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

“I must say a word about fear. It is life’s only true opponent” (Martel 161). These wise words come from a young man named Pi, the main character of the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. It is the fear-filled story of Pi, who becomes trapped on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific ocean and must survive the elements for a harrowing 227 days. In the story, Pi claims to have not been alone on the boat; he says he lived in the company of a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. However, one can suspect that Richard Parker is only a figment of Pi’s deteriorating mind and that he was created so that Pi could distance himself from the animalistic behavior and actions he was forced to resort to in order to survive. In Life of Pi, Yann Martel uses literary

What is Fear and What Causes It? Essay

  • 9 Works Cited

Fear is something that large amounts of people have encountered at least once at some point in their lives. It has been said to have caused a variety of outcomes, many of them being largely negative. Therefore, it is a common human response to react to fear by counteracting it with positivity and/or success. The idea people have of what fear is depends on the person. In the article “How Fear Works”, for example, fear is defined as a “chain reaction in the brain that starts with a stressful stimulus and ends with the release of chemicals” (Layton 1). The website “Psychology Today” defines fear another way, calling it “a vital response to physical and emotional danger” ("Fear Paranoia”). There are several other definitions people have on the

Life Of Pi Fear Analysis

Another important part highlighting the motivation of Pi’s fear is when he is truly aware of his fear and what is going on. Martel shows that Pi has come to terms with this fear by saying “I must say a word about fear. It is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has no decency, respects no law or convention, shows no mercy. It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind, always” (2.56.178) This passage shows Pi’s awareness of his fear and suffering, as well as, that he knows he must go through much more in order to survive.

My Fear- Personal Narrative Essay

of me. I remember how I felt after being awoken by the fear of death.

Fear Of Fear Essay

Fear is the number one obstacle everyone must overcome at some point in their life. When the word fear is brought up I like to think of past situations that I experienced. There are many different methods used to conquer and learn from our fears such and exposure therapy, having a growth mindset, and thinking positive. For example, when I was younger fear was my worst enemy, School was the main reason that caused my fear. My fear of failure was my biggest obstacle growing up so I used that as a method to learn from my fears.

Essay Overcoming Fear

There is an important event that happens in every person’s life. That important event may be a number of things. Such as someone winning the lottery or even having a tragic loss in the family. My important event in life was the day I conquered my fear of heights. Everyone has some type of fear or phobia that absolutely petrifies them. Whether it’s a fear of snakes, swimming, or even germs, it can be conquered as I discovered.

Related Topics

  • Yann Martel

Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Life of Pi — Literary Essay: Life Of Pi By Yann Martel

test_template

Literary Essay: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

  • Categories: Life of Pi

About this sample

close

Words: 609 |

Updated: 15 November, 2024

Words: 609 | Page: 1 | 4 min read

Table of contents

The role of faith in tough times, storytelling as a tool for coping, conclusion: reflections on faith and storytelling.

  • Martel, Y. (2001). Life of Pi . Toronto: Knopf Canada.
  • Dwyer, J., & Muecke, S. (2007). Narrative across media: The languages of storytelling . University of Nebraska Press.
  • Sullivan, H.W., & Sherman L.G., (2010). Narrative Identity Development And Storytelling In A Cross-Cultural Context: Implications For Mental Health Intervention Design And Implementation." Social Science & Medicine.
  • Brockmeier J., & Carbaugh D.A., (2001). Narrative And Identity: Studies In Autobiography Self And Culture." John Benjamins Publishing Company.
  • Egan K., (1999). Children's Minds: Talking Rabbits." New York Review Of Books.

Image of Dr. Charlotte Jacobson

Cite this Essay

To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:

Let us write you an essay from scratch

  • 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
  • Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours

Get high-quality help

author

Prof Ernest (PhD)

Verified writer

  • Expert in: Literature

writer

+ 120 experts online

By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email

No need to pay just yet!

Related Essays

3 pages / 1138 words

2.5 pages / 1074 words

2 pages / 871 words

6 pages / 2830 words

Remember! This is just a sample.

You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.

121 writers online

Literary Essay: Life of Pi by Yann Martel Essay

Still can’t find what you need?

Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled

Related Essays on Life of Pi

You know that book by Yann Martel, "Life of Pi"? It's got this kid named Piscine Molitor Patel—everyone calls him Pi—who survives being shipwrecked and stuck in the Pacific for 227 days. One of the big themes in it is religion. [...]

In the renowned novel "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, the character of Richard Parker assumes a pivotal role in shaping the narrative and exploring significant themes. Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger, not only serves as the [...]

Life of Pi, written by Yann Martel, is a novel that explores various themes such as survival, faith, and the power of storytelling. The protagonist, Pi, finds himself stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with only a [...]

Yann Martel’s "Life of Pi" is a compelling narrative that delves into themes of survival, faith, and the human condition. The novel, which tells the story of Pi Patel, a young Indian boy who survives 227 days stranded on a [...]

Uniqueness is a struggle to find throughout literature, especially within recreations of previously published stories. Once a story is told, the originality begins to dissipate and the audience skews the story. Popular novels [...]

Life of Pi is a novel telling the story of a teenage boy named ‘Pi’ and his survival through 227 days living in a lifeboat with a male, adult Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker in the Pacific Ocean. Pi’s original home is in India [...]

Related Topics

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Where do you want us to send this sample?

By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.

Be careful. This essay is not unique

This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before

Download this Sample

Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts

Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.

Please check your inbox.

We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!

Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!

We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .

  • Instructions Followed To The Letter
  • Deadlines Met At Every Stage
  • Unique And Plagiarism Free

fb-script

Hamburger menu

  • Free Essays
  • Citation Generator

Preview

Fear Of Fear In Life Of Pi, By Yann Martel

life of pi fear essay

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

Nadine gordimer's fear.

Fear often becomes our worst enemy when it makes you become irrational and stops you from thinking clearly. First of all, fear can make us become overly cautious, to the point where it causes harm. In Nadine Gordimer’s novel “Once Upon a Time” a family builds a barbed wire wall because they are so afraid of the robberies and the boy decides to explore the fence and dies from being shredded by the wire “(the boy) dragged a ladder to the wall, the shining coiled tunnel...with the first fixing of its razor-teeth in his knees and hands and head he… struggled deeper into its tangle.” (Gordimer, 6 ). The family built the fence to protect themselves but it only ended up hurting them. The family’s fear ended up destroying them. Throughout my life,…

Fear In Tim O Brien's The Things They Carried

One of the biggest problems in our life is fear. Fear is a problem because it affects everything; we think and say and do, all the decisions and the choices we make. For example human fear many things like fear of flying, heights, death and etc.. In his book the things they carried Tim O'Brien writes but the theme of fear because the soldiers in the Vietnam War were afraid of making the right decisions. Tim O'Brien and his platoon carry the fear of death and the fear of shame.fear is show in this is characters of Jimmy Cross, Norman Barker, and Time himself.…

Monsters On Ice By Stephen T. Asma Analysis

According to an article titled, Fear Similarly Alters Perceptual Estimates of and Actions over Gaps Guess, MacCardell, Stefanucci write, “ Heights are estimated as taller when more afraid” (2). This shows that fear creates more reason to be scared than there actually is. In “Introduction” to On Monsters, Stephen T. Asma writes, “If we find monsters in our world, it is sometimes because they are really there and sometimes because we have brought them with us” (14). Both show that fear is sometimes there when it shouldn’t be. We always focus on the worst possible scenarios.…

Fear In Lord Of The Flies And Life Of Pi

In the novels Lord of the Flies and Life of Pi the sensation of fear is a prodigious presence, fear is inflicted in Lord of the Flies mainly because the boys’ sense of judgment and behaviour ultimately changes when fear conquers and fear is encountered in Life of Pi because Pi experiences genuine terror once his ship has sunk and several acts of violence are committed before his own eyes. Fear is all-encompassing in both novels and this can be proven through exploration of the characters Richard Parker and “the Beast”. To begin, Richard Parker symbolises fear for the simple reason that he is a tiger and Pi is a boy who is terrified of this tiger. Pi “..expected to see Richard Parker rising up and coming for [him] any second” (Martel 120).…

The Role Of Fear In The Fall Of House Of Usher

The world is nothing but a canvas to the imagination. Your point of view of seeing life is related to your imagination. Imagination is related to your experience. For example, when a sneak tries to attack you, you’ll get afraid of sneaks and so on. Imagination can be affected by happy, sad, terrifying, or even funny moments. You’re imagination can get in every little detail you have to experience in your everyday life. Scientists generally define fear as a negative emotional state triggered by the presence of a stimulus (the snake, for our example). Fear is in the brain because it helped our ancestors cope with life’s challenges, so fear have to exist. Imagination can overcome reasoning when affected by fear.…

Fear In Lord Of The Flies Essay

He who fears something, gives it power over him. When fear grows and begins to control all your thoughts and feelings, it can cause physical and emotional changes in a person. This could alter the kindest people, which can result in horrible situations to occur. Forced to rely on each other, fear alters the boys in Lord of the Flies normal attitude of civilization. Savagery caused by loss of civilization, and false maturity amongst the boys, is blamed by their fears of the unknown.…

Fear In Lord Of The Flies

Lord of the Flies is a relatively short book, but within its small amount of text William Golding is able to do much more than tell an exciting story. He digs deep into human nature and the natural corruption in people's souls. He specifically explores the impact that fear has on people and how it makes them act. In Golding's eyes, humans are doomed just as the children on the island are, and that is because of fear. He believes that just the presence of terror causes people to overreact and lose common sense, tearing away at the bonds that hold society together. In an attempt to calm or soothe their worries, people end up separating, singling out others and letting their inner savage take over, leaving…

Fear can act as an extremely powerful motive in the subconscious mind. We tend to interpret having fear as being scared of something like the dark, for example. But this is not its only effect. Fear can act as a subconscious control over the mind. It can influence your actions and drive you to do things against people whom were once your friends. This can cost dearly in both your happiness and your reputation. When the boys first arrived at the island they were all nice British school boys who followed the rules, but then quickly deteriorated into malicious killing savages. The physical and psychological deterioration of the boys in The Lord of the Flies is largely due to how the emotional experience of fear is powerful enough to spark off several other emotions like a trail of dominoes. ‘Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering’. This quote is a famous line spoken by Master Yoda in Star Wars whilst giving wise advice to Luke Skywalker. This advice can also be looked at in The Lord of the Flies. It gives a fantastic portrayal of how one feeling or emotion can trigger off several others…

Fear Vs Phobias Essay

Fear is a natural response that humans, and in fact most animals, have. Its purpose is to activate our ‘fight or flight’ response system in case of danger.…

Critical Argument Analysis Essay

Self-preservation is said to be the reasoning behind the emotion of fear, in fact most fears our commonly shared among large groups of people. For instance the two most common phobias are; Arachnophobia the fear of spiders and Ophidiophobia the fear of snakes shared among most people in the United States today. The three level of fear are Internal, External and Subconscious, each level identifies with a certain situation that would bring that fear type reaction out of a person. Internal fear is conviction within you, external fear is something you would on all accounts avoid and subconscious fear is the act of your subconscious mind protecting you from an action it believes you should refrain from participating. I would safely say it is a natural part of living to have a fear of something, one would say it is human nature.…

Definition Essay About Fear

Fear: the mere sight of the word makes some of us cringe. It is a feeling we have all dealt with at one time or another. Fear is the quintessential human emotion. Some people live lives devoid of joy, happiness, and pleasure, but no one escapes the experience of fear and fear’s companion, pain. We are born in fear and pain. Our lives are profoundly shaped by them, as well as our efforts to avoid them.” It is something that we first experience as children, and are conditioned to respond to in many different ways. Some of us live in constant fear; of accidents, of bad people doing us harm, or of physical ailments. Others simply take things as they come in life, whether they are good or bad things. In the dictionary, fear is defined as: "a feeling of agitation or anxiety caused by the presence or imminence of danger.  That is a rather ominous definition. Fear can also refer to general anxiety, as in "fear of speaking in public  or "fear of open areas . These fears arise not necessarily from a present or imminent threat, but rather a perceived threat, which to some can be just as scary. For most people fear is an unpleasant feeling and it is…

Scared Straight Analysis

Fear is not only a major part of our emotions but it is a key element of life in general. Although it is true that with knowledge comes a certain degree of fear, crediting fear to be a motivational force is quite untrue in most cases. Terrifying someone may seem to work to a bystander, but changing human nature is a slow and grueling process.…

Fear-Definition Paper

Fear can be expressed in many ways, such as crying, screaming, sweating, silence, running, hiding, and much more. Fear is like that moment of not knowing what is going to happen. Certain situations call for different actions. For example, a young woman is sitting at home watching tv when all of a sudden the back door crashes open. The woman runs upstairs and locks herself in the bathroom. The woman does not know if someone broke in or not. The fear of someone breaking in took over and she ran. Fear can make someone go from being calm to being petrified. From being strong to being weak. Even though some people don't seem to be effected by fear on the outside, their mind is overwhelmed with terrifying thoughts.…

Is Fear A Harmful Emotion Research

In my Opinion fear can be taken two ways it can be a good thing or bad thing. Fear is a emotional response induced by threat fear can lead us to hide or run away or freeze in our shoes.…

Fear Motivators: Life of Pi

Does the unknowing fear of doing something push you to be the hero, or does it keep you chained down keeping you restrained from doing anything about it. In the novel Life of Pi, fear could technically be portrayed as either one. When Piscine Patel, better known as Pi, discovers his life becomes completely turned upside down after his family tries to find a better life and a new place to call home. He gradually discovers what the true meaning of fear is. After losing his family in a storm, he becomes shipwrecked on a lifeboat with an adult Bengal tiger, struggling to stay alive. As mentioned before, fear could be portrayed as either a motivator or a difficulty to survive, but the fear of doing something mainly motivates one to succeed because it gives faith through religion that everything will get better, it makes room for hope when moments seem darkest, and because courage will always triumph in the face of fear.…

Home | Literature | Book Summary | Life of Pi

Fear In “Life of Pi” Analytical Essay

  • Updated July 25, 2023
  • Pages 5 (1 194 words)
  • Entertainment
  • Book Summary
  • Film Analysis
  • Any subject
  • Within the deadline
  • Without paying in advance

Can you think what fear can do with your brain and life? In the contemporary world, we all live in peace and harmony. But the cost of peace has been too high in the past. We have endured brutal wars in the past. The common cause of these wars is fear and foresight. Fear, that something is threatening us or our identity and foresight of expansion of our kingdom or increase in social status. The battle within ourselves starts due to the same root cause: Fear we are afraid of something is threatening our life or prestige.

Then comes, Foresight, we feel the need to eliminate fear. But it is always not possible. Sometimes we have to find a way to deal with it. In Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” the idea of fear and foresight, leading us to make life-altering decisions, is seen best through the character Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi). Pi is born in Pondicherry, India. His father runs a zoo; due to the worsening political situation in India, his father decides to move to Canada. They travel on a container ship, but unfortunately, it sinks in the middle of the Pacific. Pi is stranded on a lifeboat with a ferocious Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. In this battle of survival, there are important developments that explain how your biggest fear can come out to be our biggest life saver. It is very important to understand that Fear and foresight help you make life-changing decisions. Furthermore, they also help you have a better understanding of the play of life.

The struggle to survive is the greatest of all; it can blind you making unknowingly cruel or help you get in terms with your fear. Pi who is terribly afraid of the tiger feels the need to overcome Richard Parker and have complete possession of the lifeboat. He realises he “had to tame him”. “It was at that moment that I realised this necessity. It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. We were literally and figuratively on the same boat.” Pi realises that survival with Richard Parker it easier than getting him off from the lifeboat. Pi uses his knowledge about animals and their behaviour to understand how he could establish a territory. Moreover, he depicts how everyone is their lives are forced to make adjustments for the sake of survival. Moreover, it could be understood by the plan he made “Plan number seven: keep him alive.” When Pi is afraid of the tiger he devises multiple plans to kill Richard Parker. For example, throwing him out of the boat, killing him with injections morphine etc. But when he comes to terms with the tiger we can understand how his biggest fear can be his last ray of hope to survive the catastrophic event. Shows how his sense of empathy, earlier blinded by the race for survival, is regained with the thought that they will survive or die together. It can be said that in the drive for survival one can make extreme decisions.

authors avatars

Pi had to survive in the Pacific. Moreover with a Bengal tiger well known to Pi for his ferocity. Fear and hope led Pi to make the decision that he will survive with the tiger rather than competing with him.His level of fear can be understood as he “expected to see Richard Parker rising up and coming for me [him]. Several times I [he] had fits of fearful trembling.” Pi had food supplies in the lifeboat, but they were near the Richard Parker’s “Den”. His survival depended on Richard Parker’s seasickness; it increased as the boat went parallel to the waves. He could necessarily depend on seasickness. He had overcome his fear and devise a plan to have safe access to the locker. Moreover, in the story, Richard Parker connects to the idea of conflict between nature and man. Richard Parker can be seen as nature, which terrifies man but still, the man needs to come to an agreement with nature to survive. Hope is the second key player after fear in making a life-changing decision. At first Pi thought to kill the tiger. However, his empathy took over his fear giving him hope. Richard Parker was Pi’s source of hope and determination to survive. As “he kept [him] from thinking too much about my [his] family.” “He pushed me [him] to go on living.” He was afraid of Richard Parker but still, it was Richard Parker who helped him be patient and calm. This connects to the idea that even a ray of hope is greater than the sea of darkness. Fear and Hope saved Pi from giving up on himself.

As he is able to control his fears he understands the value of a companion in life. Pi’s agreement of mutual understanding and surviving with tiger helped him dominate his fear and regain faith in himself. He describes “ Richard Parker was [such] a magnetic pole of life, so charismatic in his vitality, that other expression of life found it intolerable.” He had begun anthropomorphizing the tiger, that is imagining human characteristics on an animal. He was firm with the idea that he will survive no matter what the ocean has got for him. When Pi anthropomorphises the tiger he develops the understanding of, to what extent one should anthropomorphize animals. He describes the tiger as “charismatic”, which shows that the tiger was inspiring devotion and hopes in Pi. not only coming to terms with Richard Parker helped him regain faith but also dominated his fear. He states that “I [he] looked at Richard Parker. My [his] Panic was gone. My [his] fear was dominated. Survival was at hand.” It is the Irony of the story that Richard Parker who was Pi’ greatest fear, also helped him dominate that fear. Hence bringing a strong shift in Pi character, making it stronger with determination and faith. The universal idea of the race for Survival connects as Pi is able to understand that being with the tiger makes facing the ocean’s challenges is easier than battling alone with the tiger and the sea.

So in the end, we can conclude that the risky decision that pi took of surviving with a tiger made him understand the role of fear and foresight in life-changing decisions. As he success further in the story he is actually able to train Richard Parker to remain in his territory in the lifeboat. Moreover, he creates a complex relationship with the tiger as he tries to fulfil his needs and in return Richard Parker with his activities sparks the life within Pi. If we compare Pi’s situation with our lives then we can say that Ocean is life; we bob on its surface like the lifeboat. If we are able to overcome our fears and foresight the ocean’s next move, then we can surely find a shore. Hopefully, when we get to the shore, after facing all the challenges, we leave behind all our fears and emerge as a developed personality.

  • Here’s Your Excuse to Skip the Gym Today

Cite this paper

Fear In “Life of Pi” Analytical Essay. (2020, Sep 23). Retrieved from https://samploon.com/fear-in-life-of-pi/

place order image

  • Select a writer from a large pool of experts
  • Share your assignment's requirements
  • Get a 100% unique and top-quality paper

Check related topics

life of pi fear essay

Hi! Peter is on the line!

Don't settle for a cookie-cutter essay. Receive a tailored piece that meets your specific needs and requirements.

IMAGES

  1. Life of Pi: Key Characters, Plot, and Themes

    life of pi fear essay

  2. Willy's Development Free Essay Example

    life of pi fear essay

  3. #quotes by Yann Martel, Life of Pi.

    life of pi fear essay

  4. Life Of Pi Analysis Essay

    life of pi fear essay

  5. Robert Gray and Life of Pi Essay

    life of pi fear essay

  6. Between helplessness and hope: a reflection on the movie “The Life of Pi”

    life of pi fear essay

COMMENTS

  1. Life of Pi - Fears Essay - 935 Words - bartleby

    The main character in the novel that called Life of Pi written by Yann Martel is Pi who challenges with many issues in his journey from India to Canada. One of the issues is living alone on the lifeboat in the middle of ocean with a Bengal tiger for while. One can learn to deal with fear as Pi deals with the tiger that called Richard Parker.

  2. Fear In Life Of Pi, By Yann Martel | ipl.org

    More about . Fear In Life Of Pi, By Yann MartelComparison Of Fear In Fahrenheit 451 And Harrison Bergeron 290 Words | 2 Pages; Fear In 'Antojos' By Julia Alvarez 835 Words | 4 Pages; Figurative Language In Yellow Fever 798 Words | 4 Pages; Calico Joe Character Analysis 799 Words | 4 Pages; Fear In The Chocolate War 800 Words | 4 Pages

  3. Life of Pi Theme of Fear - Shmoop

    Pi has to fight against being crippled by fear, as he goes about the everyday business of survival. He definitely has a lot of things to be afraid of – bone-crunching waves, man-eating sharks, and conniving tigers, to name a few.

  4. Life Of Pi Fear Analysis - 881 Words - bartleby

    Foresight on the other hand has a very different definition. The definition for foresight is the ability to predict what will happen in the near future. Throughout Yann Martel’s the novel, Life of Pi, he explores both the ideas of fear and foresight and how they connect. Martel uses a number of different literary devices, especially symbols ...

  5. Fear In Life Of Pi Essay - 715 Words | www2.bartleby.com

    In Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, A young indian boy is stuck on a small lifeboat with a 450-pound bengal tiger. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean along with one of the top hunters in the animal kingdom, fear often lingers in Pi’s mind. Pi reflects how fear affects the mind and body. He says, “Fear which is but an impression, has triumphed ...

  6. Coping With Fear in Life of Pi Essay - 1297 Words - bartleby

    “I must say a word about fear. It is life’s only true opponent” (Martel 161). These wise words come from a young man named Pi, the main character of the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. It is the fear-filled story of Pi, who becomes trapped on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific ocean and must survive the elements for a harrowing 227 ...

  7. Fear Motivators: Life of Pi - 1491 Words - StudyMode

    In Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, A young indian boy is stuck on a small lifeboat with a 450-pound bengal tiger. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean along with one of the top hunters in the animal kingdom, fear often lingers in Pi’s mind. Pi reflects how fear affects the mind and body. He says, “Fear which is but an impression, has triumphed ...

  8. Literary Essay: Life of Pi by Yann Martel - GradesFixer

    Nov 15, 2024 · In the book "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel, we meet a guy named Pi Patel who ends up on this wild adventure after a shipwreck. He gets stuck on a lifeboat... read full [Essay Sample] for free

  9. Fear Of Fear In Life Of Pi, By Yann Martel - 715 Words ...

    In Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, A young indian boy is stuck on a small lifeboat with a 450-pound bengal tiger. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean along with one of the top hunters in the animal kingdom, fear often lingers in Pi’s mind. Pi reflects how fear affects the mind and body. He says, “Fear which is but an impression, has triumphed ...

  10. Fear In “Life of Pi” Analytical Essay - Samploon.com

    Sep 23, 2020 · Then comes, Foresight, we feel the need to eliminate fear. But it is always not possible. Sometimes we have to find a way to deal with it. In Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” the idea of fear and foresight, leading us to make life-altering decisions, is seen best through the character Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi). Pi is born in Pondicherry, India.