Theme Of Color In Life Of Pi

Red and anger, blue and sadness, black and darkness, or yellow and happiness: these are all examples of color being tied to emotions or bigger meanings. In literature, authors often symbolize themes or emotions by incorporating colors that have bigger ideas behind their written meanings. Life of Pi discusses themes such as survival, religion, and internal battles, all of which are portrayed in different ways throughout the book. One way Yann Martel ties these ideas together is through representative colors. Color is used symbolically throughout Life of Pi to show hope and safety through the color orange and green and their literal, metaphorical, and religious meanings. Orange is the color used most frequently by Yann Martel in Life of Pi to portray the universal themes of hope and safety. When Pi is stranded, it is the orange whistle and lifebuoy that helped him survive. When he needed stability, it is the orange tarpaulin that separated him and Richard Parker. And most prevalent, when he needed a friend, it is the orange Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, who comforted him. Symbolically, orange is the color of Hinduism which helped Pi understand the world and push through the unfortunate circumstances. Repeatedly throughout Pi’s time at sea, we see him flea to the lifebuoy out of fear of Richard Parker; it was his fortress and gave him a sense of safety. Martel shows us the importance through Pi writing, “If there hadn 't been the lifebuoy, I wouldn 't have lasted a minute”