Life of Pi

Author’s  Note: I wrote this poem as a response to our book club’s most recent  reading of Life of Pi. The inspiration for this poem is the lightening  scene on page 233. I tried to capture Pi’s unique feelings towards the  storm, and use some of Martel’s word choice and images he used to  describe the scene. I am still in the process of realizing what this poem is really, truly about to me, and what I was thinking about when I wrote it. 


This is A Miracle

Dazed


Thunder-struck


Heads reel in ringing deafness,
Blurred visions smooth the lines of sight,
And heaven’s hammers pound.


Striking --
Revealing white light
Wondrous bolt strikes close
Beautiful orbs radiate
Like blinding white shards of glass
The surface of the sun flashes before me --
Only for a moment


Penetrates
the black night sky
Tearing the dark from our eyes,
Ripping away the veil of fears and death,
Fear of death.


Connecting


Making all one,
With blinding light


Sea --
pure white light
Suddenly --
A pure black shadow



Illuminating nothing,
Chilling to the soul
Laying back --
Breathless


Smiling, I am not afraid
Of near death
Of burns


I live for the close encounters


The storm,
The spark,
The light,
An outbreak of divinity


I tremble in its superiority
Thinking thoughts that span the universe


Selfishness

Author's Note: This piece is a response to a prompt our book club was assigned. The prompt was to discuss the interaction between the surviving animals and the horror Pi witnesses. We were to also answer if any particular animal was better or worse than the other. This prompt was a bit of a struggle for me as well as the majority of our lit club because of the fact that we only had a period to write a full response to this prompt. Also, we are used to giving ourselves the prompt, so this time having a prompt given to us increased the challenge even more. In this piece, I focused on using lots of text evidence, and having a fictional narrative type of introduction while using text evidence to immediately place the reader in the scene I was discussing.

"The zebra was still alive. I couldn't believe it. It had a two-foot-wide hole in its body, a fistula like a freshly erupted volcano, spewed half-eaten organs glistening in the light or giving off a dull, dry shine, yet , in its strictly essential parts, it continued to pump with life, if weakly … I was horrified." Sitting in the lifeboat, Pi wakes to see that the zebra that had been so vigorously fighting for its life just the previous night, is now still alive in even worse condition. The zebra surely should have been dead as a result of the hyena 's ruthless attack, but there he lied, eyes almost lifeless, glossed over, waiting for the end. It is clear which animal on the boat is the worst, the most selfish-- the hyena. However, we soon realize that Pi is by far the more selfish creature. Like many of us, Pi doesn't even attempt to help the zebra before he mentally tells himself otherwise. He gives up almost before he has even started, letting his mind get in the way of his heart. "I was afraid I would fall into the water if I tried to balance on the oar." Like Pi, we are often fearful of what may happen if we go for what we think is right, what we think is just, and instead tell ourselves we are helpless against the situation, leaving us in a familiar, safe, and useless way of living.

While Pi is stranded on the lifeboat, a metaphor of us being within a sea of uncertainty, he puts aside what his heart, his emotions, tell him. He lets both his conventional knowledge and selfishness get the best of him. "I thought of doing something to kill it. But I did nothing. And my outrage was short-lived. I must be honest about that. I didn't have pity to spare for long for the zebra. When your own life is threatened, your sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish hunger for survival." Pi expresses his desire to care for the zebra, to give it a chance at a life that seems just about hopeless, but instead he stands as a disturbed witness to the tragic disaster. Despite his compassion for this animal, his guilt does not stay for long, if come at all. He simply feels  a brief moment of sorrow for the zebra, which quickly passes just as abrupt as the thought occurred.

As the reader, we are left wondering why Pi lost his pity so quickly. Was it because of pure hopelessness? Influence? Either way, Pi demonstrates a type of situation society is often found in today. Conventions tell us that we are to do what is sane, to do what is "right". However, that is not always how we should approach conflict. In Pi's scenario, conventions convince him no one in the right mind would attempt to risk their life in order to save another possible predator from a far superior animal. As a result, Pi disregards his initial feelings and concerns; how ironic it is that while Pi is lost in a sea of free-will and reality, he remains in his pool of conventions.

Author's Note: This piece is another response to our reading for Life of Pi, more specifically, a response to a quote from a recent chapter. Instead of doing my usual type of response, I tried to focus on doing something different by basing my whole response on a personal experience. I thought it was a creative way to incorporate the quote from the book while providing a nice challenge for me. Instead of elaborating on the quote like I usually would do in a response, I took a different approach on this piece and instead told a personal experience that exemplified the quote. Lastly, I wanted this piece to reflect an honest, more personal voice instead of a more academic voice. This response is something different for me, so please let me know what you think.

It was finally the day of the big show, the moment each and every dancer had been strenuously preparing for over the past few months. Every leap, every turn, every lift; it all led up to this very moment. Once and for all, it was our time to shine, and we were more than prepared to wow the audience with our every movement. With a previous performance under our belt, our expectations for this show, our second appearance, were significant. Besides the usual pre-performance jitters, the cast was feeling on the top of their game; the show was to go on without a hitch. It wasn't until we stepped foot on the stage that our confidence completely shattered. Common looks of disbelief were exchanged among us, while other dancers simply stood by themselves -- their eyes wide with shock, their mouth agape in awe, and their bodies slumped with disappointment. The room was suddenly filled with the buzzing of furious chatter. "How are we supposed to dance on this?" asked the younger students. "I can't turn on this surface, I just can't. My solo is filled with double pirouettes; I can barely do a single!"cried one of the soloist in frustration. Suddenly, within only moments, everything had turned into chaos, simply as a result of the inconvenient flooring that was given. Dancing on basically a thin layer of rubber over carpet was not ideal for a dancer in pointe shoes, but it certainly was not impossible.

Rising up onto my pointe shoes, I began to rehearse my dance. With each step I took, I sunk deeper and deeper into the floor. It was almost as if I was dancing in quick-sand; myself as well as the rest of the dancers only had so long to be on pointe before we sunk so deep, it was impossible to function without toppling over first. As I vigorously continued my dance, I noticed that instead of the usual four wings included on either side of the stage that we were to enter and reenter from, there was only one. All at once, everything turned into one enormous disappointment.

As a result of the terrified expressions shown upon our faces, the director came over in attempt to reassure all of us that the we would do just fine. He explained we were too talented to put on a less than perfect show just because of what we were dancing on. Soon he left us with only ourselves to console each other. Before we knew it, the music began. Regardless the hindrance, we had to put on a smile and just do what we do best -- perform.

The performance was shockingly flawless, turning out to be almost better than the previous. Despite the terrible inconvenience, each and every one of us tried that much harder, pushing through until the absolute end. "Things didn't turn out the way they were supposed to , but what can you do? You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it." (p. 91)

Author's Note: This poem is a response to our most recent reading in Life of Pi. In recent chapters, I noticed how much Pi was more than willing to be himself, listening to only himself in order to ensure his happiness. He listens to his heart when it comes to studying his many religions, and almost disregards the opinions of others. I realized that in order to find true happiness, you must listen to your heart. In this poem, I express how I often feel pressured to exceed others expectations and please everyone. Throughout the process, I end up losing my sense of self, and lose my happiness with it. While the poem is open form, I did organize the poem so that the first half of the poem expresses how I feel living life for others, and then I slowly lead into how I want to live for happiness.

Their words,
Their thoughts,
Their desires,
Not mine.

My actions mirror       
Their every craving

My heart yearns.

I inhabit their body --
Everyone's body
Everyone, that is       
Everyone's
But mine

All too familiar words
Contaminate my mind:
They all depend on you.   
You know what you've got to do.
And so it proceeds
For eternity
For forever
Maybe forever is not so long   

Satisfying the world
Somehow satisfies me --
Satisfies .
Being satisfied
Isn't good enough.       
Because I already know,
I already know
How this will end

So there is an escape
From the soul-catcher’s net   
That deprives me from identity --
My identity
That willingly penetrates the heart --
My heart

Escaping:           
Not an accident,
Nor a mere coincidence
It is balance,
laughter
love               
That gives me a reason --
A reason to inhabit myself

So I leave this world,
This way of living
Behind.           
It has started,
And now
Stopped.

I have seen
The face of despair       
I have felt
The pain of wanting
I have cried
The tears of disconsolation

I will not turn back.        

Time to live,
Dance
Experience --
Experience what I have missed

Free myself           
Leave this world,
This sea of expectations,
This way of living
Behind

Author's Note: This piece was written as a response to our book club book, Life of Pi. A few parts in the section we were assigned to read really stood out to me. I ended up pulling out many life lessons from the observations Yann Martel makes in the book about the zoo animals, and decided to write a more lengthy response on them. I especially worked on word choice in this piece in hope that it would add a stronger academic voice while still keeping my own strong voice and opinion, too.

"All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes  inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive." This excerpt from Life of Pi further entertains the idea that in order to endure life, animals must acclimate to their surroundings, no matter how idiosyncratic the adaption may be. However, when we look deeper into the context, we realize that it is mainly us, humans, that are part of the equation -- not just animals. In fact, Martel is quite profoundly stating that society is too busy being caught up with fitting in; we will do the most undignified, most morally disapproving actions simply to conform to others' standards. In the end, the worst is disclosed. All of these senseless actions that we choose to make give us a sense of accomplishment because we are now considered "one of them" -- whoever they may be. During the process, more often than not we adapt so much, we lose sight of who we really are. As a result, we recognize that we did not adapt at all, but took part in something completely divergent; we conformed.  After all is said and done, every single one of these asinine actions are worth nothing. Eventually, the pack will leave you because you can only develop a true friendship by not only respecting them, but by respecting yourself. Once we become completely honest with ourselves and others, only then will we find a true friend, our true self, and true happiness.

In Life of Pi, Martel gives examples of honesty earning friendship  through animal  behaviors at the zoo. Martel writes, "It is interesting to note that the lion that is the most amenable to the circus trainer's tricks is the one with the lowest social standing in the pride, the omega animal. It has the most to gain from a close relationship with the super-alpha trainer. It is not only a matter of extra treats. A close relationship will also mean protection from the other members of the pride." (p 44-45)  Martel metaphorically describes a true friendship and it's relations with social ranking. It shows that even the person with the lowest social standing can still develop a friendship, one that is often worth far more than others with a higher rank. Just like the lion, we will be protected with a true friend; we will always have someone to give us support and back-up when needed. More importantly, a true friendship consists of more than "extra treats". The reward is no longer tangible, but something worth so much more. It is a person to confide in, to make memories with, and to be yourself. In the end, the omega has the most to gain in a friendship.

"The animal in front of you must know where it stands, whether above you or below you. Social rank is central to how it leads life. Rank determines whom it can associate with and how; where and when it can eat; where it can rest; where it can drink; and so on. Until it knows its rank for certain, the animal lives a life of unbearable anarchy. It remains nervous, jumpy, dangerous." (p 43-44)This excerpt is yet another example of how social status can immensely impact our decisions, from whom we speak with, to how we carry ourselves. Today's society could not be more dependent on how we are seen in the eyes of everyone but ourselves, when what we see when we look into our hearts should be all that matters. Even so, we obtain this constant need to be ranked, and until we are labeled by another person, we don’t know how to conduct ourselves; without others putting us in our place, we live a life of uncertainty. How and if we are ranked cannot impact our lives, or every aspect of our existence will be forever controlled.

Life of Pi portrays extraordinary life lessons if we are observant enough to find them, and canny enough to unveil them.  While in the eyes of some, Yann Martel may merely be writing observations of animals, to others the novel contains prominent lessons about honesty, confidence, and living life unconventionally -- living life to the fullest, making us aware of the conventional, rank-obsessed, zoo-like society we are now, and provoking us to become the dauntless, truthful, free-willing people we could be.  

Author's Note: This piece is a response to one of the first few chapters in the novel, Life of Pi.  We are no longer being given prompts, instead our lit club must write a response to anything we may have mentally reflected on after reading the assignment. We just started the book, therefore I don't really know much about the plot line or character yet. So, I decided to write about a page in the book that I found quite insightful. The page metaphorically discussed conventional lives, something our lit club spent lots of time reflecting on. This piece basically elaborates on the common conventional ways of most modern lifestyles, and my opinion on conventions overall.

Day after  day, week after week, it is the same routine. You wake up to the sound of your alarm, get up, get ready, and leave for school. It is now 7:35, and school has started. Sitting in your desk, the teacher takes attendance as you get to work. It is all part of our daily routine, yet we never stop to ponder why we actually do what we do. The simple answer is conventions;  conventions are the reasoning behind the silly routine actions we make. Most often, today's society sticks to familiarity, never to do anything out of the ordinary -- never to do anything extraordinary. Life simply slugs on as we do the same old thing. And why? Unfortunately, this is what our world has manifested into -- conventions. Society has begun to accept conventions, and aimlessly follow them daily. We make the grade, make the bed -- make ends meet. Conventions have made us value silly, unimportant materialistic things beyond belief. And as it turns out, most of us are pretty content with the life we lead. What we need to realize is that by focusing on more than just conventions, we can push past mere satisfaction, and bring us closer to living life to the fullest.

In the insightful novel, Life of Pi, Yann Martel metaphorically discusses the same notion of strictly conventional people through the natural habits of sloths. For instance, Yann writes, "They are said to be able to sniff and avoid decayed branches, but Bullock reported that sloths fall to the ground clinging to decayed branches "often". This sentence precisely exemplifies the natural behavior of most humans. People realize when they are being unintuitive, suggesting the same theories numerous times. They repeat the cycle, taking  the same actions and suggesting the same ideas until we are left exactly where we started. What they do not understand is that by strictly following conventions, by stating only conventional thoughts, they are simply escaping opportunities, falling lower and lower, clinging to only what they know.

While clinging to what you know may sound comfortable at the moment, it will not bring you any closer to achieving your goals, ambitions, or dreams, and it most certainly does not guarantee an abundant life. Life of Pi teaches us that while conventions are necessary, not all of our decisions have to be derived from conventions. As Isadora Duncan once proclaimed, "Most human beings today waste some 25 to 30 years of their lives before they break through the actual and conventional lies which surround them." Let's not waste time. Let us be astute and allow conventions to help assist our lives -- not control them. 

Sources

"Conventional Quotes Page 3 - BrainyQuote." Famous Quotes at BrainyQuote. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/conventional_3.html