Life of Pi 5

Conflict plays an important role in the story of Pi, as it is the most exciting part of the story. The conflict of Yann Martel's story, "Life of Pi" is obvious as it is summed up perfectly in just one quote. "I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the pacific, hanging onto an oar, an adult tiger in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me" This sentence expresses his frustration of losing everything he once had. In a blink of an eye, he goes from sleeping soundly on his bed to a devastating shipwreck that kills his parents along with Ravi, his older brother. The only thing left of his past is the Bengal tiger, the injured zebra, the orangutang, and the hyena from his zoo he once had back in Pondicherry. Driven by starvation, the zebra and the orangutang is killed by the hungry hyena, which is later eaten by Richard Parker. Overcoming his fear of the ferocious beast, he dauntlessly tames the tiger, eventually relying on his company to stay sane. Our inquiry question is also mentioned in this quote, as he is alone and isolated from society. Pi's struggle of being isolated on the pacific ocean with a tiger expresses a conflict known as man vs nature.