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Aimee Mein
Ms. Broaddus
PIB LA 10 6
February 4 2016
Chapter 86, pg. 234-5 Passage Analysis
Being a castaway, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, with nothing but the company of an
adult bengal tiger and the great expanse of sea below seems like an experience that will kill
anyones slivers of hope and security. If there was any chance of being rescued, Id imagine it
would cause a instant feeling of joy and peace. Similarly, to have that hopeful feeling ripped
away, would cause an abundance of panic and fear. In this passage of Yann Martels, Life of Pi,
the author conveys these feelings perfectly through imaginative metaphors , references to
religious motifs, and creative syntax to create a mood of hope and joy with underlying and
subliminal tones of panic.
The passage starts with the feeling of hope that is created with the help of imaginative
metaphors. Pi describes the oil tanker coming his way by saying Salvation wore a robe of black
metal with white trim (Martel, 234). This is the first of the metaphors Martel uses to evoke the
imagination of the reader. By using words such as robe and salvation the reader is taken to a
place of luxury and happiness. This provokes hope for Pi within the readers mind. Another
metaphor used by Martel to describe the boat is It was a mountain creeping up on us (Martel,
234). Although this metaphor doesnt use the same colorful language as the metaphor before, it
sets in the reality that there is a boat near Pi that could possible save him by comparing the boat
to a relatable landform. This metaphor could also be seen as a fearful comparison that hints at the
fact that the boat will not save Pi by using a large and strong object such as a mountain. Overall,

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the literary element of metaphors is wisely used to provoke ideas of hope and possibly fear
within the reader.
Another device used by Martel to entice feelings of hope and wishful thinking are
references to religious motifs. Pi mentions two different gods in the passage. One being Lord
Ganesha, the Hindu deity who is responsible for removing obstacles in ones life. In Pis case,
being alone at sea. Pi also mentions Allah-Brahman (Martel, 234). Allah is the arabic word for
God and Brahman is a god for Hindus and other relating religions. The mentioning of these
religious figures gives the reader faith and hope in God for Pis survival and being rescued.
Martel also subtly references God through the motif of white representing Christianity. Pi
describes the oil tanker as being made of black metal with white trim (Martel, 234). The color
white represents Christianity and in this case, Pis innocence because the boat will not in fact
save him. Black is typically a sign of death which contrasts the feelings of hope and survival
apparent in the rest of the text. This is where we start to question if the boat will really save Pi
despite the references to religious motifs that pull feelings of hope out of the reader.
The final tool used by Martel to build up a feeling of hope and discrete tones of fear and
desperation, is creative syntax. Throughout the most hopeful parts of the passage, shorter
sentences such as Life is ours once again (Martel, 234) and I did not dare say the words
(Martel, 234) are used. The last sentence, being the least hopeful, and most frightening, is the
longest. This pattern of having shorter sentences being more hopeful hints at when the mood
should feel joyous and happy and when it should be fearful and panicked.
As shown above, this passage includes metaphors that invoke the imagination, religious
motifs that strength the faith in God, and clever syntax that creates a happy and hopeful mood
with hidden strands of panic. This adds a new dimension of desperation to the novel once the oil

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tanker passes Pi. From this point on, faith and hope is temporarily weakened and the reader has a
deeper sympathy with Pi for the rest of the novel.