Life of Pi Symbols

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I want to analyze Life of Pi using symbolism. I think that this story has a lot to do with symbolism. I think that mainly the animals symbolize things but also the people and places. Starting from the beginning of the story, I think that the three religions that Pi practices are meant to symbolize something; maybe it is something only Pi would recognize. To me, I think it symbolizes how closed minded people are. Usually, people make one decision and stick with it, any other decision seems wrong to them. Pi practices three religions and in a small way I think that he shows that it is okay to believe in more than one thing or not know what to believe. Like I said above, I think it is mainly the animals that symbolize something in this story. When Pi is rescued he tells two different stories. One involves all animals and the other involves all people, Pi says they can believe whichever one they want. I think that the second story is the true one and Pi was actually in the life boat with other humans the whole time. In the second story Pi tells, he is with his mother, a French cook, and a sailor with a broken leg on the life boat. And in the first story Pi is with an orangutan, a zebra, a hyena and a tiger. I think that the orangutan named orange juice represents Pi’s mom. The French cook represents the cannibalistic drifter and the zebra represents the sailor with a broken leg. I think that the hyena and Richard Parker represent something more than a human. The hyena represents evil and death and Richard Parker represents God. The hyena acted like it was a mindless killing machine that had absolutely no compassion. It bit off the zebras leg and did not even have the decency to finish him off so for days the zebra lied there suffering. The hyena even went after the innocent orangutan named orange juice. It almost reminds me of a demon or a devil. Richard
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