Life of Pi- Final Essay

   In Yann Martel's Life of Pi, the reader's main Character, Pi Patel, is an unusual person. He practices many different religions all at the same time and does all kinds of other strange things. Many people would consider Pi crazy, or mad, and would say he belongs in some type of mental institution; however, I would have to disagree. 
   Pi tells us a story of a shipwreck and about its survivors, or lack there of any. In one version of the story Pi uses animals. Pi says there's a zebra, an orangutan, a Bengal Tiger named Richard Parker, and some other animals. Yet, when the validity of his story is questioned, Pi changes his story. All of the animals are replaced with people. Yes, these same animals who have killed and eaten each other have been replaced by human beings. If Pi's animal story had been true, one might not think anything of a tiger killing a hyena, but one would most certainly question the sanity of a young boy killing another human.
  At the close of the novel after Pi has told the reader both versions of the story, many are lead to believe the Richard Parker the tiger is supposed to "represent" Pi. However, Richard Parker isn't all of Pi, just the violent side of Pi, the side of Pi who is willing to do whatever he has to do to survive.
   At one point in the novel Pi tells us this: "I had to tame him (Richard Parker). It was at that moment that I realized this necessity. It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. Most likely the worst would happen: the simple passage of time, in which his animal toughness would easily outlast my human frailty." Once the reader compares the animal story against the "replacement" story with humans, this statement means so much more to the credibility of Pi's NOT-insane-ness. The quesiton wasn't if Pi OR Richard Parker could survive, it was both, Pi and his will to survive named Richard Parker. Martel leaves the reader to decide if Pi truly is crazy and has a wild imagination or if he is just a grieving boy trying to cope with the loss of his family. Regardless, Pi is not mad. Pi is simply... A survivor. Pi did what he had to do to survive and if making up a tall tale to help ease the pain of searing loss is what he had to do to move on in life, that is what Pi Martel did. Pi may have made up both stories, the reader will never know. 

Depressed or Just Feeling a Bit Chilly? Current Event blog 4

    Recent studies have shown that weather can have a direct correlation to "depression". The term winter blues isn't all that made up and there may be some logic behind this trivial expression. In Danielle Miller's article "Is it Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder", she points out the obvious, yet overlooked possible contributing factor: in the winter the days are shorter. Everyone wakes up to a physically dark world and we return home as the darkness sets in for a second time. According to psychotherapist Lisa Brateman, "Shortened days can create a sense of dread in many people..." Varying symptoms include an un-pinpointed sense of sadness, the lack of desire to leave the house, weight gain, anxiety, hopelessness, and the list goes on and on. Most people seem to shake out of the blues around February and March but some cases may last through April and even May. 


  I definitely think this study could have some validity to it! I think everyone at some point or another has experienced "the winter blues" and everyone reacts to it in their own way. Some people are just naturally more inclined to handle their emotions better than other people. I think the weather has a major impact on the majority of everyone's mood so this study makes sense to me. However, I do understand how some people could find this to be mum-bo jum-bo.


Miller, Danielle.  "Is it Depression or Seasonal Affective Disorder". Yahoo! Inc.. Yahoo Shine., 12 May.   2012. 14 May 2012

Current Event Week 3

   Super Moon meets Cinco de Mayo. This Saturday, May 5, 2012, a "supper moon" will be seen. A super moon occurs when the orbit of the moon and the orbit of the earth are at the closest points of meeting. According to NASA's Tony Phillips, this super moon is reported to appear 30% brighter and 12% bigger than any other full moon in 2010. 

  While Cinco de Mayo is dubbed in America for a night of wonder and mystical happenings, the super moon has nothing to do with Cinco de Mayo. This is simply coincidental. Many people are probably unaware of the scientific background of the super moon and will be incredibly excited when they see this moon and will probably have some crazy stories after this weekend. I'm willing to bet that some of these stories will be quite interesting and highly entertaining. 

Williams, Caitlin. "'Supermoon' Coincides With Cinco de Mayo".WDAM. WDAM and World Now. 3 May     2012. web. 4 May 2012

Life of Pi: Parts 3 and 4

  Wow! Poor Pi... His conflicts at sea were terrible and horrible in and of themselves, but the fact the two Japanese don't believe him is even worse! Why would Pi make those horrendous tales up? So Pi decides to tell the same story again but he replaces the animals with humans. So... Which is worse? Better yet, after given the story with humans, can the reader still find the animal story believable? Has Pi just replaced the humans with the animals the whole time to make the loss and tragedy more bearable in his mind? The reader never officially finds out so it's up for interpretation. If Pi really did replace the people with animals for his story's sake, I find his action believable and borderline justifiable. And, once given some thought, everyone has done or will do this very act at some point in his or her life! Sometimes traumatic events are completely blocked out and sometimes the human mind just makes what it wants to just we don't have to deal with the pain. And Pi was still young when that trip happened so... It makes me wonder! Overall I was pleased with the book. It kept me wondering the whole time-- even now!