Sunday, December 6, 2009

Marlow and The Magistrate

Marlow sets off for an adventure as he enters the unknown or the darkness in the heart of Africa, and thought it was not his plan, he loses all his connections and any respect given to him within or by his company. It becomes apparent Marlow's personality does not fit with those around him as he first meets characters such as the manager or the brick maker. Marlow automatically spots the brick maker's corruption as he tries to get on Marlow's "good side" because he believes Marlow to be allied with Kurtz, and because nothing in the brick breaker's office is remotely connected to his given occupation. The point of the story when it becomes certain Marlow is no longer on the same page as his corrupt counterparts and no longer holds even a remotely respectable relationship with the manager, is when he describes Kurtz as a "remarkable man," directly after the manager makes a futile attempt to explain to Marlow that Kurtz is in fact illogical and unsound. Marlow is now unfairly placed under this category of being unstable because he cannot give into the corruption and agree with the manger, similar to how the Magistrate cannot agree with figures such as Colonel Joll. On returning home Marlow is not only physically sick but also psychologically unsound. Conrad never shows us Marlow's return to normalcy.

The Magistrate, on the other hand, is already settled into his community. Yet similar to Marlow he cannot side with corruption as his morals are strong, and though it starts off as being unintentional he ultimately alienates himself from those he is supposed to cooperate and work with, in his case the Third Bureau and society. The Magistrate's main turning point, which he admits as being one of his faults, is when he grabs his lantern and goes to check on the two prisoners, the grandfather and the younger boy, only to unveil a horror, as the old man's dead, mutilated body lies in the same room as his tortured grandson. Another turning point that is more apparent occurs when the Magistrate openly tells the Lieutenant who comes from the empire that the barbarians are harmless and he makes dangerous comments, that make him look not only crazy but an enemy, such as, "I wish that these barbarians would rise up and teach us a lesson, so that we could learn to respect them." Similar to Marlow he is now viewed as unsound, and later on as a complete lunatic and an animal when he is imprisoned. After being let out of prison, the Magistrate wanders the streets feeling isolated and empty, and even on returning back to his old apartment he is haunted by his thoughts of the barbarian girl. As the Magistrate approaches a group of children building a snowman he describes his desolate feelings as he explains, "This is not the scene I dreamed of. Like much else nowadays I leave it feeling stupid, like a man who lost his way long ago but presses on along a road that may lead to nowhere."

(493)

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Colonel Joll's Heartless Motives

Colonel Joll is clearly a man after adventure and power, and a man devoid of morals, which is a trait that comes in handy as he asserts his dominance over the barbarians and the magistrate. Colonel Joll comes across the first set of prisoners, a young boy and his grandfather who were supposedly caught after a stock-raid, though the grandfather claims they were only traveling to see the doctor as his grandson has a soar to prove it, and treats them without any humanity. Even with the evidence of the boy's soar and the unthreatening nature of the prisoners, Colonel Joll persists on interrogating the prisoners, and when the magistrate volunteers to translate for him, the Colonel tells him the job will be too “tedious,” and would be better left to the guard. When the magistrate next sees the prisoners, the boy has been beaten and is sleeping in the same hut with his dead grandfather’s body, which is disgusting and crude. It is therefore apparent the magistrate already planned on torturing these prisoners, regardless of their guilt or innocence, and therefore needed a subordinate translator who he could perform his ruthless interrogations in front of, unlike the magistrate. The colonel is obviously lying when he claims the grandfather, an old and calm man, attacked his interrogators and was killed when he fell against a wall. It is apparent the man was tortured to death as the magistrate describes his body when he says, “the lips are crushed and drawn back, the teeth are broken. One eye is rolled back, the other eye-socket is a bloody hole.” The colonel is therefore not after the truth, but is after fulfilling the sense of satisfaction he gets by imprisoning, torturing, and killing the barbarians.

It also becomes apparent that the colonel does not have a clear-cut plan to find these “dangerous barbarians” he speaks of, and is overly eager to set out on his expedition to find prisoners. The fact that the Colonel’s first batch of prisoners are members of a fishing village, which includes old women and even a newborn baby, shows his only intention was to find any barbarians and imprison them, as the fishermen’s crime was hiding and trying to run from the Colonel and his men. The Colonel therefore proves himself to be heartless and already holding onto set beliefs about the barbarians, as he will imprison and torture any he comes across, regardless of the fact that they are peaceful and innocent of any crimes.

(409)

Monday, November 16, 2009

1910 Encyclopedia Britannica [European Reaction to Leopold's Abuses]

* Article explains how King Leopold exploited the natives of the Congo Free State through his control of the land.

* In 1891 when wealth in ivory and rubber were discovered in vast regions, a secret decree was made that state had control of the ivory and rubber monopoly in "vacant lands." Vacant lands=lands belonging to the state (disregarded natives).

*Trade between the natives and private trading companies was ruined, this goes against Berlin Act.

* Ended up giving some power to private companies though natives were still restricted (couldn't leave certain territories).

* Leopold II created The Fondation (most valuable rubber region) where natives were treated with the most severity.

*Charges against the state were brought at the end of 19th century: humanitarian charges and exploitation of land.

*Series of "reforms" in June 1906-no real change.

*King Leopold wrote a letter where he described his plan to restrict Belgium's liberty of action in the Congo State when it became a Belgian colony. Native restrictions (enslavement), and state's land control would be law.

*Great Britain intervened first. Sir Edward Grey said, " it will be impossible for us to continue to recognize indefinitely the present state of things without a very close examination of our treaty rights and the treaty obligations of the Congo State."

*Reform associations for the Congo in America, France, and Belgium also started reforming public opinion.

*In July 1907, the Belgian premier announced that negotiations with the Congo State would be renewed. Grey intervened and said the Congo State had "morally forfeited every right to international recognition."

*Forced to surrender The Fondation ("government within a government") though Leopold still received 155 sq. mi. in Africa and other subsidies.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Dilsey

Dilsey clearly stands out as being the main force of love and motherhood in the last section of the novel, as she cares for Luster, Quentin, Mrs. Comspon, and Benjy. Though she often scolds Luster as any mother would do to a sometimes rebellious son, she stands up for him when she tells Jason, "Luster say he didn't do it," as Jason tries to figure out who broke his window. Mrs. Compson also shows her dependence on Dilsey as she cries out for help when she says, "you know I never let anyone take my keys Dilsey," as Jason pushes her aside, and takes her keys to enter Quentin's room. Dilsey therefore acts as a savior to everyone in the house excluding Jason, as she protects them and often repeats she will not let Jason hurt Quentin. Dilsey is also the only caring person present in Benjy's life, as she does not treat him with the disrespect the rest of the characters show him. When Fronny tells her folks talk at church when they see Benjy, Dilsey replies by saying, "Den you send um to me,"..."Tell um de good Lawd dont keer whether he bright or not." Dilsey therefore cares for each character, and often sacrifices herself to help any of the children. She helps to maintain some composure in the beginning of the section when Jason realizes Quentin is gone, as Dilsey reassures Mrs. Compson her daughter will be back, tells her to rest, brings Benjy to church, and calms down Luster.

Would the Compson family be able to function without her?
Do you think Dilsey acts as an obstacle towards Jason?

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

The Slipper and The Pear Tree

In "Meaningful Images in The Sound and the Fury," Eben Bass cleverly explains it is the physical objects such as, a "yellow satin slipper...now cracked and soiled," and a blossoming pear tree, that abstractly explain to us the relationships between the characters over time. Eben Bass describes the slipper as being to Benjy what a pacifier would be to a baby, as it calms him down and acts as a relic. Bass explains, "the daughter (Quentin) hates the slipper as a soiled, worn reminder of her mother's and her own disgrace." This is because after the wedding, where Caddy wore the slipper, Herbet Head figures out Quentin is not his child, and Caddy and Quentin are forever separated. The slipper therefore represents this separation, and the feelings of anguish Quentin feels when she sees her mother's wedding-slipper. Caddy's wedding (includes the slipper) along with Quentin's harvard tuition were paid for by selling Benjy's pasture, this is ironic because Caddy's wedding and Quentin's going to college were two events that lead up to them never coming back to the Compson household. We do not figure out the slipper was worn by Caddy at her wedding till the end of the story, which wraps up its significance because the wedding acts as a turning point for Caddy's relationship with her family, especially Quentin who never knew her mother.  According to Bass, the pear tree also holds extreme significance in the novel. We first witness the pear tree when Caddy climbs up it and soils her under garments. This foreshadows her future promiscuity. This is interesting because it is the same tree that her daughter Quentin climbs down from at night to meet her many lovers. Therefore the tree connects the mother and daughter's promiscuous ways. I thought it was powerful when Bass explained that as the tree blooms on Easter it represents Quentin's escape, using the same tree her mother climbed when she symbolically soiled her under garments. The point Bass makes throughout the article is that both these symbols appear in Benjy's section, but we do not fully understand their significance till the last section where they are able to show us relationships between characters that otherwise hard to understand. 

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Time

Time is a huge factor in the second part of this novel. The first scene is introduced as Quentin is lying in bed listening to the ticking of his watch, which he then breaks on his dresser. The ticking of his watch seems to have control over Quentin’s head. On the way to get his watch fixed Quentin explains, “I could only hear my watch ticking away in my pocket and after a while I had all the other sounds shut away.” Yet when he arrives to get his watch fixed he changes his mind and leaves the store with his broken yet still ticking watch. Though before he leaves he inquires if the clocks outside say the correct time, though he does not wish to know the actual time. At the end of the section, Quentin listens closely to the bells chime and the affect is has on people around him. As the last bell of the hour sounds, Quentin describes the darkness as still once again. Therefore, though Quentin may not know the actual time, it is the ticking and sound of the bells that are always present in his head.


Why can’t Quentin ignore the ticking of his watch?


What does Quentin’s father mean when he says, “Only when the clock stops does time come to life?”

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Review # 2 The House Behind a Weeping Cherry by Ha Jin

The House Behind a Weeping Cherry is a beautiful story of a man named Wanren, and a prostitute named Huong who run off together to start a new life. At the end of the story Wanren describes them leaving their old life, "as we strode away, arm in arm, without looking back," as if they had no doubts about leaving for the unknown. Wanren is a tenant whose housemates consist of three prostitutes, Nana, Lili, and Huong. He also drives the girls around to their clients, because the owner of the building helps oversee the prostitues and therefore allows him to pay less rent. Wanren works in a sweat shop and encourages the girls to work there so they can escape their lives of prostitution, which he views as a waste of their youth. The only one who has interest in a new life is Huong, but she is in dept of $14,ooo to the man she works under, because he brought her illegally into New York from China. The other thing Huong and Wanren have in common is their homesickness, and Wanren feels the most happy when Huong makes him wheaton noodles (which could only be found in his home province). The two decide to run away together as it is the only way to escape Huong's debt. I think this is a beautiful story, as it really concentrates on how these immigrants are looked down upon, and the lack of opportunity there actually is in America for these people. 

(251)

Review #1, The Fountain House by Ludmilla Petrushevskaya

The Fountain House was an eerie story with Gothic elements. An unnamed girl dies in a bus accident, and her father will not accept the fact that she is dead. He therefore goes back to the hospital and pays a doctor (who badly needs the money, and likes a challenge) to try and revive her before the autopsy is performed. He therefore steals his daughter's body from the morgue and brings it to the ICU where the doctor awaits. I do not exactly understand what happens next because the father falls asleep and has a dream where he brings his daughter a sandwich, and in the sandwich there is a human heart. The daughter looks at him as if she does not want to see him. The father then proceeds to eat the sandwich (though his daughter wants to eat it and I can not figure out why) because she will die if she eats it. The father wakes up and the daughter has been revived. The father actually had a blood transfusion while he was sleeping because his daughter needed his blood. What I do not understand is the dream, or what the heart sandwich represents. Obviously a heart represents life, so maybe by eating the sandwich (which represents death) it shows him saving his daughters life by eliminating death. Also the pain the sandwich causes may represent the pain he felt due to the blood leaving his body, but the sacrifice was backed up with love. I also believe in the dream he was visiting his daughter in the after-life and her "I do not want to be bothered" attitude and wish to eat the heart sandwich might represent the fact that she understands her time had come, and the father might be messing with death and fate by trying to revive her, when he should just let her be. After typing that I understand this story a lot better, and it is extremely interesting because there could be many interpretations. 

(333)

Monday, September 21, 2009

One Man's Awakening

One Man’s Awakening

           The main character in the story "Catherdral" is humorous and likable, and even though he is prejudice against the blind man, it is his immature mind and his ability to change that attract us to him. The main character seems annoyed and possibly threatened that a blind man is coming to stay in his house. Our main character, who also acts as the narrator, is hilarious as his mental process is out of the ordinary. When his door knocks he thinks, “now the blind man is coming to sleep in my house.” It is these simple and childish sounding thoughts that make the main character seem extremely youthful, and as he spends more time with the blind man his attitude starts to change, similar to a child being forced to try a new food they view as disgusting, once they try it they realize they like it.

The narrator’s wife pleads with him to help make the blind man feel at home, and it is comments the narrator makes such as, “maybe I could take him bowling,” that make us laugh, and realize even though he is judgmental, he is quite harmless. One of the first things he asks the blind man is what side of the train he sat on, which is amusing because he was not able to think through the fact that the blind man can not appreciate the scenery outside the train. He is also shocked that a blind man enjoys smoking, and sports a beard. As they “do some serious eating” the narrator starts to become more comfortable with the blind man as he starts making jokes, and then proceeds to invite him to smoke. The blind man shows he is open to new things as the two men sit down to smoke marijuana. The narrator is not used to having company, and therefore he often feels awkward around the blind man for he must reach out and interact with him in order to help him feel more situated and to help understand what is going on. For example, he must explain the images on the television to him. This pushes the narrator’s limit but also helps him break down a wall he has against this new stranger as he must befriend him.

The narrator realizes his descriptions of cathedrals on the television are fruitless and that the blind man cannot create an image of the cathedrals in his head. The main character now proves his ability to try something new as he has a type of renaissance and goes to get heavy paper and a pen. He then sketches out a picture of the cathedral and not only does the blind man see the cathedral, but so does out narrator. When the blind man asks him if he’s looking at the cathedral he says, “It’s really something,” these are three extremely powerful words. For it is not that the picture of the cathedral that is something but it is the fact that with his eyes closed the narrator has put himself in the blind man’s shoes and he can finally see.

(519)

Hope Vs. Despair

Sarah Bauer

AP English-1

Hope vs. Despair

            There are two sets of contrasting themes in “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,” the first being a lack of understanding in which members of a younger generation may display toward members of an older one, and the next being the difference between the lonely darkness and hope filled light. The story consists of two waiters, one is young and has both confidence and a wife waiting in bed for him, while the other is older, claims not to have confidence, and views the café as a safe haven for certain visitors. The waiters would gladly spend the early hours of the morning partaking in different activities, making this is a story of contrast and human emotion.

            The dialogue between the two waiters and between the younger waiter and the old man in the café shapes the characters. The younger waiter is impatient, and shows no sympathy for the old and deaf man in the café. He makes harsh comments such as, “I’m sleepy now. I never get into bed before three o’clock. He should have killed himself last week,” in reference to the old man’s futile attempt to commit suicide. It clearly agitates the younger waiter that this old man, though he “is clean…drinks without spilling. Even now, drunk,” enjoys staying in the café till 3 a.m. Though the old man is in fact very pleasant, as he is both neat and polite. The waiter on the other hand exemplifies rude behavior and he takes advantage of the fact the old man cannot hear, as he informs him he should of committed suicide, and as he makes comments such as “I wouldn’t want to be that old. An old man is a nasty thing.” The old man shows more respect for the waiter than the waiter does to him, a paying customer. Yet since this customer is both deaf and old, it is acceptable to disregard the old man, and treat him as if he has no feelings and is simply a “dumb drunk.” The younger waiter states the old man “has no regard for those who must work,” but it is the waiter who has no regard for those who have lost their wives, who are old and lonely, and who simply need a clean and well-lighted place to pass the hours. On the other hand, the older waiter believes that some people need the café to pass time, such as the old man, yet the younger waiter wins and the old man is “kicked out” as the café closes.

            The main reason the café closes is because it is almost three in the morning, and the younger waiter wants to get back to his wife. Yet, to the older waiter and the old man, it is still a decent hour to be out, especially when there is no alternative. The older-waiter even asks, “Why didn’t you let him stay and drink?...It is not half past two,” showing his compassion and understanding for the old man. Loneliness and despair are the forces that keep both the old man and the older waiter up at night. The old man has no wife, unlike the younger waiter, and therefore he has no one to return to. All he has is an empty bed. In fact he feels “empty,” and the fact that he tried to commit suicide shows he has lost his hope in life. The older waiter also claims at the end of the story to suffer from insomnia, as he cannot fall asleep till the sun rises. Yet, it is the hollowness and fear of the hopeless dark that keeps him up at night, and a good light, such as the electrical light in the café, provides comfort and acts as a symbol of hope to these lonely souls. The older waiter recites the Lords Prayer as the café closes and he replaces many of the words in the prayer with the word nada, showing that he has nothing, and feels hopeless under the grace of God.

            The older waiter goes to a bar after the café closes, yet he does not get the same satisfaction from the bar’s atmosphere as he did in the café, even though the bar’s light is pleasant. The barmen thinks the older-waiter to be “otro loco mas” which is similar to the feelings of annoyance the younger waiter felt towards the old man. The night therefore consumes all the characters with feelings of loneliness, and restlessness, and whereas the younger waiter yearns to be home with his wife, the older characters yearn for light in their dark desperate worlds. 

(772)

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Family Dynamic In Everyday Use

Mama, Dee, and Maggie, are a complicated, close, yet distant family. Walker first introduces us to Mama, who explains a dream where Dee pins an orchard onto her dress, even though Dee thinks orchards are tacky. Then Maggie, a girl who walks like a lame animal, enters the story. I automatically think this family has a lot of  complicated emotions. Mama and her two children clearly have a past together, and we learn as their home burned down Mama dragged Maggie out of the fire and Dee simply watched, possibly very contently. It is their past and their different personalities that distinguish these characters from one another, yet they are still family. 
Mama clearly has a sense of respect for Dee, as she describes Dee as being more physically attractive and more confident than her younger sister. However, the respect is not mutual. We are first introduced to Dee's personality as Mama explains how Dee would read to them, and as they were about to understand what she was reading, she would shove them away. Though Dee wants them to become more "sophisticated" like herself, she purposefully leaves them in the dust. With the churches help mama raised money for Dee to go off to school, and Dee uses this education to hold herself above her family. Dee's mother did the best she could so Dee could have what she never came close to having, a good education. Dee clearly does not show her appreciation, even though she was the only sibling who was given this gift. Maggie shows signs of intimidation, and dislike toward her older sister as she tries to run away as her sister arrives. The description Walker uses to describe Maggie, and how she cowers behind her mothers chair, makes Maggie seem somewhat pathetic. The fire may have created the tension and dislike present in the family. What kind of child could calmly watch her sister being dragged out of a fire, as the place where she spent her childhood crumbles to the ground? In class we also discussed the possibility that Dee herself started the fire; this would be pure evil, and show she has no regard whatsoever for her family. Dee looks down on Maggie, as she explains she is to dumb to know what to know with her mother's quilts. This is where the book turns, and Mama rips the quilts from Dee's hands as they are were already promised to Maggie. This is significant because in the beginning of the story we learn of Mama's respect for Dee, and her go-getter attitude, yet here she dismisses her for Maggie, the cowardly daughter. Maggie is in shock as her mama hugs her and gives her the blankets; this action of putting Maggie in front of Dee is clearly a first. Maggie then gives what I picture to be a confident and in your face type of smile as Dee leaves. 
Therefore  Mama learns to appreciate Maggie, and to see Dee for whom she really is-an arrogant and unappreciative girl. In class we discussed the possibility that Dee could have good intentions, and she is just trying to appreciate her family's culture in an immature way. I disagree with this, and I see all her intentions as ones that would only benefit herself. Dee would do anything to boost her ego, and gain what she wants in life, even if she had to burn her childhood home, and permanently scar her family. 
(587)

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Books to Remember

1. Where the Red Fern Grows-Wilson Rawls. I first read this book in the fourth grade, and have never been able to forget the beautiful story of a boy and his hunting dogs. The ending of this book crushed me; I was touched when the main character went to the dogs grave site and there was a red fern growing in-between the two companions. 
2. The Kite Runner-Khaled Hosseini. This story represents pain and regret. Baba's sickness and struggle in America really touched me; It forced me to understand how hard it is to come to a foreign country and find happiness. The book also makes us ask ourselves-would we help our friends in their times of danger or would we run away?
3. Dear John-Nicholas Sparks. This is a heartbreaking love story. It shows us true love can show its face in different ways. When John loses the women he loves to another man; John gives up everything he has to save this man's life. 
4. Snow Falling On Cedars-David Guterson. David Guterson clearly understood the struggle of the Japanese citizens living in America during WWII. The racist actions of the US are shown in this novel as innocent Japanese citizens are forced into internment camps. A quote said by a Japanese girl in the book that I have always remembered is, "the only crime is our faces." 
5. Theodore Rex-Edmund Morris. I had never read a biography cover-to-cover before Theodore Rex, as I only use to touch biographies when I was researching. Yet I was able to read all of Theodore Rex and really enjoy it. I learned about the strong mind and willpower Theodore Roosevelt used to accomplish almost everything he wanted in office. 
6. The Diary of Anne Frank-Anne Frank. This book filled me with a lot of emotion because it brought us inside Anne Frank's head, and I felt like I was living with her in the secret annex. My heart broke when the Gestapo found her family's hiding-place and her dreams were shattered. 
7. Digital Fortress-Dan Brown. Digital Fortress is an engaging mystery, where the whole country is endangered when the NSA's code-breaking machine cannot break a code. People are killed and the story becomes very intense; I was surprised I enjoyed this book as its plot is different from most books I would chose to read. 
8. The Sun Also Rises-Ernest Hemingway. I really enjoy Ernest Hemingway's style of writing in this book-short and simple. I enjoyed how he depicted the life of the ex-patrons, and their travels around Spain. Between the bullfights, the bars, and the different love interests, the book had a lot of character. 
9. 1984-George Orwell. When I first started to read this book I couldn't describe it as anything but "weird," yet as I kept reading I saw what Orwell was trying to convey to the reader. The book makes us appreciate the freedom we have it today's society, and shows us the dangers of people who cannot think originally or question authority. 

Monday, August 24, 2009

Summer Reading

This summer I read The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, and Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen. 

Life of Pi, by Yann Martel caught my attention as  being a tragic, funny, and absurd story. In the beginning of the book we learn about two concepts, zoos and religions. Pi explains to us that anyone who views a zoo as cruel does not understand animals. In the wild, animals are subject to predators, hierarchy, and food shortage. Yet in a zoo, they need not worry about these things as they are sequestered in one safe place, and who would not want to live in a comfortable home without having any worries? Pi therefore convinced me that a zoo is actually a sanctuary for many animals. I enjoyed his point of view about zoos; it made me realize how Pi thought differently than most, and how he sees through society's norms, because many believe a zoo to be similar to a prison. A boy such as Pi,with his curious mind, was also capable of practicing Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. Pi does not see a problem with practicing different religions; all with conflicting ideas, because what matters to him is that he enjoys all the religions and their different traditions. Pi takes a complicated subject such as religion and makes it simple, that is, if you enjoy it, practice it. It did not matter to Pi what religious ideas were correct and which ones were believed to be nonsense. 

As I started reading about Pi floating over two hundred miles on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean, with a hungry tiger as his only companion, I realized I was going to enjoy this book, as the plot is not so typical. Martel takes a story of survival and turns it into a wild adventure, that of a very likable and imaginative boy trying to survive in the oddest and deadliest of circumstances. I came to the conclusion that along with finding some water and food in the lifeboat, it was Pi's youthfulness that granted him survival. Pi's mind was not corrupted with worries of the adult world as he was stranded on the boat, and it was his mind that allowed him to believe he could tame a tiger, and drift to civilization. Pi's beliefs soon became reality as he held onto both faith, and hope. Pi made surviving into an adventure as he dared to get closer to Richard Parker each day, and at one point had him jumping through hoops on a poisonous island. Imagination was clearly a key part to Pi's survival, as he dreamed of curries from home, and studied the ocean life under his raft as "a giant city," his body and mind were able to rejuvenate. Pi's intricate mind that I was introduced to in the beginning of the book carried him from India, through the accident where he lost his family, and landed him on the shores of Mexico. 

As Pi lands in Mexico, Richard Parker leaves the boat and runs into the jungle without even acknowledging his companion who had kept him alive. This hurt Pi, as well as myself. After their lengthy relationship on the lifeboat there was no farewell, and Richard Parker did not even turn around to look at Pi. I felt let-down, as I had hoped their relationship would end on a more emotional note. Yet Martel surprised me many times in the book by using different outcomes than what I was expecting and hoping. Throughout the book I had hoped Pi would find his family, and when he finally comes across his brother, his brother is soon gone, as he turns into a skeleton. At the end of the book Pi tells the investigators a more realistic story of how there were never any animals on his boat, and he replaced the tiger and each other animal with a human. Yet as this book was about imagination, I chose to believe the story that included Richard Parker, the tiger, a man eating island, and the chance of meeting your brother in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. 

(678)