"I know zoos are no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both." (19)
Pi says this early in the novel, after hearing people say negative things about zoos, like they take free animals and put them in boring enclosures. But in the wild animals are required to follow a set of rules in their environment, or they will die. While in a zoo, animals are perfectly happy with endless food and water and a set routine. Pi also states animals will not try to escape unless something scares them. He relates this to the way people view religion. An agnostic (someone who does not know if a God exists) deals with life's problems like an animal in the wild, because they have to or they will die, while a religious person is like an animal in the zoo, with their own reality around them which keeps them happy.
"I must say a word about fear. it is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life." (161)
At this time in the novel, Pi is fearful about the fact that he might die, since he wants to live, and although he has many reasons to believe that he will be okay (e.g. he believes boats are already looking for him), this immediate fear for his life makes him disregard his reason and to panic. This feeling of panic causes him to believe he will die, so his fear is defeating his belief in life.
"It's the plain truth: without Richard Parker, I wouldn't be alive today to tell you my story" (164)
In this passage, Pi confesses that Richard Parker gave him a will to live while he was stranded in the ocean. He credits his survival to the presence of Richard Parker, and this is very true, because Richard Parker is a symbol of Pi's survival instinct and his will to live. At this time, Pi is praising his own instinct on helping him survive, by making him kill animals to feed himself and Richard Parker, which meant he was feeding his instinct, hoping that it could survive to help him continue his own life.
Pi says this early in the novel, after hearing people say negative things about zoos, like they take free animals and put them in boring enclosures. But in the wild animals are required to follow a set of rules in their environment, or they will die. While in a zoo, animals are perfectly happy with endless food and water and a set routine. Pi also states animals will not try to escape unless something scares them. He relates this to the way people view religion. An agnostic (someone who does not know if a God exists) deals with life's problems like an animal in the wild, because they have to or they will die, while a religious person is like an animal in the zoo, with their own reality around them which keeps them happy.
"I must say a word about fear. it is life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life." (161)
At this time in the novel, Pi is fearful about the fact that he might die, since he wants to live, and although he has many reasons to believe that he will be okay (e.g. he believes boats are already looking for him), this immediate fear for his life makes him disregard his reason and to panic. This feeling of panic causes him to believe he will die, so his fear is defeating his belief in life.
"It's the plain truth: without Richard Parker, I wouldn't be alive today to tell you my story" (164)
In this passage, Pi confesses that Richard Parker gave him a will to live while he was stranded in the ocean. He credits his survival to the presence of Richard Parker, and this is very true, because Richard Parker is a symbol of Pi's survival instinct and his will to live. At this time, Pi is praising his own instinct on helping him survive, by making him kill animals to feed himself and Richard Parker, which meant he was feeding his instinct, hoping that it could survive to help him continue his own life.