Author’s Note: This
piece is a novel completion essay for the novel our Book Club read, Life of
Pi. It is a lengthy piece, and took well over a month to complete. I worked
on incorporating college level analysis on Sigmund Fraud and Abraham Maslow,
Maslow being my main focus. As far as my organization, I used a specific
method, the most advanced one of three methods, to organize my paper. As
always, I continued to make smoother transitions, applying the A/B method.
Over
the course of life's journey, we struggle to be better than we are, to be more
than we are, to be the best we can imagine. Pi understood this challenge, but
even more so, Pi understood that there is a need for us to be aware of the
different types of motivation. Expressed as one of the many themes throughout
the novel, Life of Pi, Yann Martel asks the reader to reflect on life
itself; we are forced to become aware of what we are truly capable of as human
beings. We must understand ourselves and
the various types of motivation that induce specific behaviors. We must
understand our desires, which will lead us on the course to self actualization
-- graduation to the mastery of the entire pyramid of human needs.
In
order to better understand the different types of motivation, we must have a clear,
defined understanding of what each level of the hierarchy of needs conveys. It
is absolutely necessary according to Abraham Maslow that one must satisfy lower
level basic needs before progressing on to meet higher level growth needs. The
first level of Maslow's pyramid contains basic, physiological necessities such
as food, water, shelter, and warmth.
These needs are also referred to as D-motives -- needs relating to
survival and focusing on deficiencies. Needs relating to psychological growth
and focusing on evolving into everything we are capable of becoming, being our
true selves, are labeled as B-motives. Maslow's theory suggests that D-motives
must be partially satisfied at the minimal before the more complex
psychological needs, B-motives, influence our behavior. For example, when food
and safety are difficult to find, Maslow proposes that beauty and understanding
have little significance for us. The ultimate goal is self-actualization or
realizing your full potential, however it is only attainable when these lower
needs have been satisfied. As we travel up the pyramid, we grow and develop
further as a person.
When
Pi was stranded at sea, and food and safety were incredibly scarce, he was
undoubtedly living in the lowest level of the hierarchy of needs; Pi sunk to
extraordinary depths simply to survive. He even went as far to dismiss his
religious principles as part of his decision making process. Pi was no longer a
calm, innocent, vegetarian Hindu boy; he was a wild animal, who gorged on turtles
and fish, beating their bodies to death with hatchets and drinking their warm
blood. Pi progressively became more violent throughout the novel, as his id
took over. "Tears flowing down my cheeks, I egged myself on until I heard
a cracking sound and I no longer felt any life fighting in my hands … I was now
a killer … I was sixteen years old, a harmless boy, bookish and religious, and
now I had blood in my hands." (p 150) This was Pi's first kill, the first
life he ended, yet it was not nearly his last. Pi remarked, the more kills he
constituted, the easier the abolishing of innocent souls became. "You may
be astonished that in such a short period of time I could go from weeping over
the muffled killing of a flying fish to gleefully bludgeoning to death a dorado
… It is simple and brutal: a person can get used to anything, even
killing." (p 198) Pi demonstrated the epitome of living in the bottom
level of the hierarchy of needs; his religious beliefs became moot; beauty and
understanding were far off of his radar, and life was a mere source of food
rather than "sentient [and]
sacred ... Lord, to think I'm a strict
vegetarian … I descended to a level of savagery I never imagined
possible." (p 161) Pi ascended from
killing fish by a twist of their neck, to butchering sea turtles with his bare
hands. Turtles' blood promised a nutritious, salt-free drink just like his
survival manual had assured, and the simple thought of indulging on their blood
tempted the now voracious Pi. His thirst began to grow exceedingly, and it was
then Pi ruptured his first turtle. "As confidently as if I had done it a
thousand times, I jammed the knife just to the right of the turtle's head, at
an angle. I pushed the blade deep into the folds of skin and twisted it …
Bright red blood shot out … I drank the blood to the last drop." (p 172)
Although
every person is capable and commonly has the desire to move up the hierarchy
toward a level of self-actualization, progress is often disrupted by failure to
meet lower level needs. Safety is a part of these lower level needs, and the
main focus of the second level of the hierarchy. The second level of Maslow's
pyramid contains aspects of safety including security, stability, and freedom
from fear. Maslow believed that these
needs are the most basic and instinctive among the levels of the hierarchy
because all needs become secondary until these physiological needs are
met. Examples of such safety and
security needs include a desire for steady employment, safe neighborhoods,
health insurance, and fundamental shelter.
In
the novel, Pi was presented with a situation that did not provide any sense of
security or safety; Pi was a helpless castaway surrounded by waves of
unpredictability. However, given the standpoint, he reacted as any human being
would: attempting to create a sense of order, an impervious environment where
he would establish his own territory. Pi performed the precise norm of what we
achieve as humans to adapt to an unfamiliar environment, to make us simply feel
sound within our surroundings. "Oh, the delight of the manufactured good,
the man-made device, the created thing! That moment of material revelation
brought an intensity of pleasure -- a heady mix of hope, surprise, disbelief,
thrill gratitude, all crushed into one … I was positively giddy with
happiness." (p 205) Here, Pi finds the much hoped for emergency supply
locker, and reacts with the utmost joy and pleasure. This was Pi’s reaction of
satisfying, or partially satisfying, the second level of the hierarchy. Although
Pi obtained safety to the best of his ability, a sense of order was still as
lost as Pi was in the ocean. To meet this need, Pi made a conventional list
complete with all the contents of the boat. This simple act of taking inventory
was an attempt to find a sense of order. Pi's final attempt to satisfy the
second level of the pyramid was to establish his territory within the boat. His
territory was marked by his own vomit, feces, and urine. This action of marking
his own separate environment provided a feeling of security, a feeling of
prevailing a figure of authority. By
simple isolation from the dangers that surrounded Pi, execution of a fraction
of the hierarchy was reached.
The
next level Pi executed as he moved up the pyramid and through the novel was the
need for belonging, acceptance, and love. Mastery of this level includes
individualizing yourself from family and friends -- becoming your own person,
and being comfortable with whoever that may be. The desire for being a part of
a group, or constantly involving oneself in group based activities, is
something one must overcome to satisfy the third level of the hierarchy. Other
avidities present themselves in this level of the pyramid such as being
involved in an affectionate relationship. When studied negatively, one becomes
increasingly susceptible to loneliness and social anxieties. In everyday life,
we exhibit these longings in our yearning to marry, have a family, or be a part
of a community. This need is also scouted to be met when searching for a
career.
Pi
overcame the third level of the hierarchy through eliminating the desire to
constantly please others, specifically his family. The act of practicing three
religions, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism, proved Pi was strong in his
individuality. He was thoroughly dedicated to all three forms of religion, and
practiced each regularly. "I challenge anyone to understand Islam, its
spirit, and not to love it. It is a religion of brotherhood and devotion."
(p 140) Although Pi grew up in a strict, Christian faith based family, he
developed a variant sense of self, as expressed through Pi's proclamation. At a
young age, Pi was already certain of where he stood as a person -- of what and
who he believed in. "The presence of God is the finest of rewards."
(p 141) And of this, Pi was certain.
When
physiological, safety, and belonging needs are taken care of, a fourth layer
starts to emerge. One begins to feel the need to break away from
individual groups, receive achievement recognition, and begins to respect one
selves ethics and beliefs, no matter how contradicting. Within this level of
the pyramid, esteem needs become increasingly important. These include the
desire for activities that reflect on self-esteem, personal worth, social
recognition, and individual accomplishment; esteem needs begin to play a more
prominent role in motivating behavior.
Even so, satisfying this particular level involves defining who you are
as a person, separate from any group you are associated with such as a career,
academic groups, athletic teams, or personal hobbies.
During
the beginning of the novel, when Pi is still at home in India, he begins to
express his williness to separate himself from the religious motives of his
family. Instead of remaining a strict Christian, Pi expands his horizons and
converts to three different religions. At this point, Pi has seized the fourth
level of the hierarchy by defining himself as an individual. Although his
parents disapproved of the prayer rug, the worshiping of other Gods from
numerous religions, and the quoting of Bapu Gandhi, Pi stayed true to what he
believed in. "He seems to be attracting religions the way a dog attracts
fleas … A Muslim! A devout Hindu, all right, I can understand. A Christian in
addition, it's getting to be a bit strange, but I can stretch my mind … But Muslim?
It's totally foreign to our tradition. They're outsiders." (p 134) Despite Pi's parents' opinions, he
continued to be an "outsider." It was not that he did not respect his
parents' inclination, but rather that his personal ethics and beliefs were in a
more prominent position.
This
act of self service and fulfilling potential became a continuation of his growth, and
therefore, PI executed the final level of the pyramid: self actualization.
According to Maslow, a person is always becoming and never remains static in
these terms. Even so, Pi obtained certain characteristics of a self-actualizer
such as peak experiences that lead him to rise to this level of the hierarchy.
Also, Pi was concerned for the welfare of humanity, capable of deep
appreciation for basic life experiences, and obtained strong moral and ethical
standards -- other characteristics of being, or becoming, self-actualized. In
self-actualization, a person comes to find a meaning to life that is valuable
to them; this is precisely what Pi achieved. Pi's accomplishment of becoming
self-actualized is a life-long journey that many fail to complete; it is an
execution many seek to attain, and an achievement that should not be
underestimated. In fact, Maslow stated that less than two percent of the
population procure self-actualization.
The
act of discovering a meaning to life that is valuable to the beholder was
partially represented through the character Richard Parker. Because of this
wild figure, our animal side is so literally exposed in the novel:
I ate the bird’s heart, liver and lungs. I
swallowed its eyes and tongue with a gulp of water. I crushed its head and
picked out its small brain … The rest of the bird was skin, bone and feathers.
I dropped it beyond the edge of the tarpaulin for Richard Parker … I watched
sullenly as he loudly appreciated my gift and made a joyous mess of himself. (p
202)
The
animal side to all of humanity is relevant because it is only when we reveal
and express our true selves, our animal selves, that we reach our full
potential, and become self actualized. One must realize we are all desperate,
which leads us to do whatever has to be done in order to deal with the
situation.
We
are all violent, wild killers who operate out of fear. We are all passionate,
strong, self-serving beings. We all struggle to be aware of our moral and
ethical selves. Most of all, we are all animals trapped inside a civilized mind
and body, trapped inside a conventional world. We tame the tiger inside of us
to domesticize our id, to prevent us from doing what may be considered
unethical. We are capable of anything as humans. We are far less innocent than
we realize, however modern society and conventions tend to accredit us to
believe otherwise. Richard Parker symbolizes the other half, the animal half,
that each and every human possess, yet more often than not subdues.
