Theme of Isolation in Life of Pi Essay Example

The novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel presents the story of Pi Patel, a young boy who survives a shipwreck along with a fortuitous companion, a tiger. Despite the challenges he faced, his isolation created a shift in the development of emotions. Through analyzing his surroundings, he begins to develop a deeper understanding of the world around him. Understanding his environment allows Pi to connect with the natural world, helping him survive the terrible circumstances he endured while surviving with a tiger. Throughout Pi’s journey, he learns to survive his new life at sea through the elements of romanticism. The Romantics believed in surrounding oneself in the presence of nature, living in accordance with the will of God and using isolation to reflect on spiritual developments. Through these aspects, Pi Patel began a profound connection to his surroundings. The novel illustrates the meaning within one’s inner self by revealing the universal truth that when humans are isolated, they feel emotionally connected to their environment by showcasing romanticism.

To begin with, the protagonist of the novel Pi Patel discovered meaning in his environment during his time in solitude, allowing him to explore nature’s beauty profoundly and discover a true source of inspiration. In his time in solitude, his exploration led him to gain insight and meaning into the island’s natural world. “The trees were not parasites. I discovered this one day when I ate so much algae at the base of a small tree that I exposed its roots...The leaves’ appetite for the sun, as testified by their abundance, their breadth, and their super chlorophyll greenness, made me suspect that the trees had primarily an energy-gathering function” (Martel 301). Pi’s isolation on the island led to exploring his surroundings and finding a meaning within it. Nature’s relation to romanticism surrounds the core concept that one might find greater meaning in nature than societal conventions. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life…” (Henry David Thoreau). According to Henry David Thoreau, human beings follow the path subjected to their own deliberation by accompanying themselves in the natural world rather than the urban world. In this quote, Henry Henry David Thoreau believed that the natural world was of beauty and mystery, and that it was humanity’s ultimate source of inspiration.

In addition, Pi Patel’s devotion to religious beliefs allowed him to connect with the various beliefs he practiced, resulting in unity within himself despite living in exile from society and more in the presence of nature. Pi’s time at sea gave him a sense of comfort when practicing the religious rituals he adapted, which helped him feel closely connected to the different faiths he practiced. “I practiced religious rituals that I adapted to the circumstances--- solitary Masses without priests or consecrated Communion hosts, darshans without murtis, and pujas with turtle meat for prasad, acts of devotion to Allah not knowing where Mecca was and getting my Arabic wrong. They brought me comfort, that is certain” (Martel 231). Pi used his time in the isolating environment to reflect and act upon his religious beliefs. Considering that Pi spent his time isolated at sea with a tiger, Pi was able to find spiritual peace and comfort in his present life. Although he felt he was not taking the correct form of the practices, it made him feel a step closer towards God, creating a sense of belonging through his religious beliefs. Religious communities, such as Christianity, are committed to their beliefs, establishing community unity. “The Christian’s ultimate purpose is to unite with God, and to do so requires having as little to do with ‘nature’ as possible, as ‘nature’ encompassing all material things, including the body” (Ferber 65). The religion, Christianity, claims that humanity will eventually be unified with God. Unity with God sets a sense of comfort within one’s self and therefore it is the duty of each person to live in accordance with the will of God.

Furthermore, when in isolation, the protagonist Pi Patel experiences an unexpected shift in his emotions, which allows him to understand his inner self and make moral decisions. Pi’s solitude created a different emotional perspective than he had before spending time with a dangerous animal he wished to kill. “It was Richard Parker who calmed me down. It is the irony of this story that the one who scared me witless to start with was the very same who brought me peace, purpose, I dare even say wholeness” (Martel 179). Before spending time with a dangerous animal, Pi feared and wished death upon the tiger. The isolating environment led to a closely bonded alliance with the dangerous animal he knew had the ruthless capacity to kill him. Pi established a personal development when he realized the dangerous tiger was no longer a menace to him by emphasizing emotions and feelings over reason and logic. The shift in his emotional perspective altered his moral decision to kill the animal. During the Romantic period, the celebration of isolation was encouraged to establish personal developments. “Romanticism also fixated on nature as a primordial force and encouraged the concept of isolation as necessary for spiritual and artistic development” (Jeffrey Sommers). According to Jeffrey Sommers, humans utilize their time of isolation to reflect on artistic and spiritual developments that lead to a shift in their perspectives. During the Romantic movement, the emphasization highly regarded emotions and feelings over reason and logic.

In the novel, Pi’s isolation led to understanding the meaning of nature, sensing comfort and connection in religious rituals, and establishing personal developments about his moral decisions. All elements from the Romantic movement play a role in the emotional connections humans gain from their isolating environment. Being in isolation from society contributed to personal developments Pi gained by finding greater meaning within himself through the environment he was in. Despite being alone with a dangerous animal, he managed to truly understand the meaning of his surrounding area that changed his inner self for the better. The novel illustrates the meaning within one’s inner self by revealing the universal truth that when humans are isolated, they feel emotionally connected to their environment by showcasing romanticism. The aspects of romanticism from the Romantic movement can bring an individual to connect with their surrounding environment emotionally.