Nathanial Mendes Philosophy in Literature 2/23/2018 One of the primary themes in Life of Pi is that of survival. Much of the struggle is against both internal and external forces; Pi is at the center of it all. The book highlights – primarily through Pi’s journey in the Pacific Ocean – that Pi will need to change and adapt to survive. Though readers should recognize that he will live in the end, the constant tension between staying true to oneself and fighting to survive keeps up the pressure of the novel on each decision Pi makes. While some may say that Pi's journey was luck, Martel highlights the extremes that living things will go to survive, sometimes fundamentally changing their natures.
War is beautiful. War is necessary. We must fight because we are right, and the enemy is wrong. When raised in a nation that is free, these three statements will be echoed until it is time to be shipped off to battle. There is no argument or resistance, only a generation of young men that believe their right is not to be free, but to die in hopes that their sacrifice will bring freedom to those they love.
After the shipwreck Pi’s focus was on survival. Pi’s desire to stay alive was so strong that it triumphs morality although Pi was deeply principled and religious person. Pi tells two version of his story to the Japanese men, in which he shows that how his instincts helped him to survive in the sea and to stay alive. In the second version of Pi’s story the theme of survival is highlighted even more vividly because Pi is depended on his instincts even more than he tells in the first version of the story. Pi parallels his instincts of survival in the second version to Richard Parker in the first version; it is he, when he must survive, who steals food, he who kills the Frenchman.
They knew that life was something worth fighting for and they fought as long as they could. He uses different men to stress his importance of how important it is to resist the idea of dying. The author uses “light” to symbolize life and “good night” to symbolize death. The author makes it seem as if death isn 't a bad thing and that it is inevitable but we have to fight against it. He uses the word “rage” to
I shall confront the dark dear spirit of death at any hour Zeus and the other gods may wish to make an end (Q 65-68). Here, Achilles shows fearlessness and audacity in his acceptance of death. However, he accepted his fate, to avenge the killer of his friend Patroclus. How these two character faces their fate, can be considered heroic. Accepting fate is very hard and cannot be done without a strong heart.
He still brought me out fishing after that but he only gave me the cheap kids’ poles and I don’t blame him for that, I still find it funny to this day. Ed is a very strong man who raised me and taught me how to treat others and made me into the man I am today. Ed taught me skills I still use every day in my life. He was the first person to really help me open up and treated me like his own son. He showed me that getting mad over little things is not worth it and family should come first.
Have you ever heard the phrase “In order to succeed, you must never give up”? In the powerful poem, Beowulf, this was the constant variable that occurred in every battle that had taken place. His dedication and lack to give up, compassion for others, and his trust in his men were the key components that later led him to his Heroic name. As in the quote “he knew too well that here was the last of life, an end of his days on earth“ (12) proves that no matter what the risk, he was always willing to sacrifice himself in order to save the lives of others. Throughout this poem Beowulf showed time and time again, just how much dedication he had throughout his success.
Some of these people lose hope in themselves and become desperate, some try to seek detrimental ways to reach their goals, and some just give up the fight. This kind of people never reach anything valuable. However, those people, who stick to the idea of success, keep fighting and stay loyal to the road they have chosen, overcome obstacles and hardships of life and therefore succeed. The reason Santiago catches the fish is because he maintains three vital qualities that let him accomplish his destiny; these qualities are conviction, loyalty, and fortitude. Even though the old man was poor and as other people around considered him unlucky, he never lost hope and he always had conviction .
When death takes his godson, his godson was “unable to resist and was obligated to follow death” and no matter how the godson tried to escape/trick death “[he] fell forever into the hands of Death”. Because the godson could not control his fate with death, it shows that death is more forceful than all man, even his godson. The book ends with the lesson that death can not be resisted and if death decides to take a person, the person will have no option but to go with death and, pass away. Altogether, Godfather death, the theme of death is applied to teach the simple facts of death. This story is beneficial because it can be used as a tool to teach children about death.
After failing to be able to take not only Claudius's life, but his own, he questions his worth as a man. His second soliloquy is all about talking down on himself, how he isn't able to complete anything that he wishes because he is to cowardly. “A damned defeat was made. Am I a coward?”(2.2.559). Hamlet wishes to get revenge for his father's death, but is mentally unable to kill his uncle Claudius.