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Alanna A. Krajewski
Ms. Urquhart
ENG4UE
June 21st, 2016
The Heroic Adventure of the Powerful Pi Patel

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite
of overwhelming obstacles. (Reeve) This quote by Christopher Reeve defines the character Pi
Patel from the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Pi underwent an extremely traumatic event that
lead to his quest for survival. Like many heroes in literature, during his quest Pi had to face
several obstacles in order to achieve his objective of survival. Pi was not a hero who had
supernatural powers or a special weapon to help fight off bad. Instead, he was an ordinary man
who did what he had to in order to preserve his as well as the lives of others. Due to his success
in survival, Pi Patel became by definition an archetypal hero who followed the heros journey, to
not only save himself but also something much larger than him, a Bengal Tiger.

Just like most heros, the hero of this novel, known as Pi Patel was the protagonist, as
well as a male, which is the traditionally recognized gender of a hero. There are 9 known traits
that help define an archetypal hero. The trait that best helped distinguish Pi Patel as a hero was
the traumatic event that leads to an adventure or quest(Davis). While on his way to Canada, the
cargo ship that was transporting Pi, his family and the zoo animals, unexpectedly began to sink.
This event caused Pi to jump into a lifeboat, where he later became accompanied by a tiger
known as Richard Parker. The traumatic event of the ship sinking lead Pi to his 277-day quest of

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survival for both him and Richard Parker. Just like most heros in literature, Pi was forced to
overcome several obstacles along the way to achieving his objective. The biggest obstacle Pi
overcame was figuring out how to survive on a lifeboat with a carnivorous animal. Next to
Richard Parker, I was deaf, blind and nose dead" (134). Pi was also forced to overcome several
moral obstacles. When survival instincts kicked in, Pi had to overcome his personal beliefs of not
eating meat or harming animals in order to survive. I quickly lost my revulsion at touching sea
life . . . I did whatever was necessary to hold a fish down until I could reach for the hatchet and
chop its head off (246). Due to Pis kind and nurturing personality, he managed to adapt to
living with a tiger, in the end not only saving himself but also another dangerous and
overpowering creature.

Throughout the entire novel, Pi followed the archetypal heros journey. There are exactly
11 established steps to this journey (Vogler). The first step is known as The Ordinary World
when the hero is introduced to the audience with his personal background/environment. This was
when Pi was introduced as a gentle animal lover, who lived at a zoo in India and was later forced
to move to Canada. The second step is The Call to Adventure, which is when something
shakes up the situation and causes change. This was when Pi awoke much earlier than normal
while on the cargo ship and adventured onto the deck where he discovered the extremely bad
storm. Normally Im a sound sleeper. Normally I would have gone back to sleep. I dont know
why I got up that night (126). The third step is the Refusal of the Call when the hero fears the
unknown and tries to escape the adventure due to uncertainty or danger ahead. This was when Pi
got scared of the storm and attempted to go

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back downstairs to his family, only to discover that everything below the deck was flooding. The
fourth step is Meeting with the Mentor, which is when the hero meets someone who gives him
training, equipment or advice. This was when Pi discovered some of the ships crew on the deck,
asking them for help and resulting in him being thrown into a lifeboat. The fifth step is Crossing
the Threshold, which is when the hero enters a new world of unfamiliar rules and values. This is
when Pi was suddenly forced into trying to survive on a lifeboat with the dilemma of also being
accompanied by 4 zoo animals; a zebra, hyena, chimpanzee, and tiger. The sixth step is Tests,
Allies, and Enemies which is when the hero is tested and finds allegiances. This was when the
hyena was constantly trying to attack Pi, later to be killed by Richard Parker. Pi then established
his territory, by urinating on his corner of the boat, as well as an authority over Richard parker by
using a whistle to train him. The seventh step is The Approach, which is when the allies
prepare for a major challenge. This was when Pi began to run out of food and supplies causing
him to near his possible death. I was giving up. I would have given up if a voice hadnt made
itself heard in my heart . . . Yes so long as God is with me, I will not die. Amen. (186). The
eighth step is known as The Ordeal, which is when the hero confronts death or his greatest
fear. This was when Pi and Richard Parker began to starve and become weak, forcing Pi to
overcome some of his morals and sacrifice vegetarianism and the killing of innocent animals for
survival. Once this skill was discovered and perfected, Pi and Richard Parker were provided with
an endless supply of food. The ninth step is The Reward when the hero takes possession of a
treasure. This was when Pi was rewarded with the discovery of the Algae Island, where he was
able to regain strength by eating algae which

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contained fresh water. The tenth step is The Road Back which is when the heros journey
begins to come to an end. Due to Pis discovery of teeth in the fruit on the Algae Island, he
decided to push the lifeboat back into the sea which marks the beginning of his return back to a
human inhabited land. The last step is The return with the Elixir when the hero returns home or
continues the journey. This was when the lifeboat washed ashore a Mexican Beach, marking Pis
survival of his 227-day journey and the start of a new adventure in his later new home known as
Canada.

At the beginning of the book, the author emphasized how much Pi got bullied by his
former classmates, making the audience perceive Pi as an insecure and vulnerable character. As
the Hero of the story, Pi underwent a traumatic event that lead him to his quest which allowed
him to further discover and develop himself. Things didn't turn out the way they're supposed to,
but what can you do? You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it. (145).
All the events that occurred while Pi was stuck on the lifeboat with wild animals allowed him to
grow into a stronger and much more independent person. He was able to gain insightful
experience, moulding him into an almost unrecognizable character by the end of the book. No
matter what life had thrown at him, Pi was able to fight back stronger each time. You might
think I lost all hope at that point. I did. And as a result, I perked up and felt much better. (169)
This self-discovery is an act that repeats itself in literature within the hero archetype. Even
though Pi had to oversee several of his personal morals, when he returned back to safety, he
turned back to following his beliefs, only proving that he managed to stay true to himself, despite
the difficult trials he faced.

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During this journey, Pi Patel became a true hero. Not only for himself, but also for his
friend Richard Parker. He underwent several events, with difficult obstacles that caused him to
question his survival. No matter what life threw his way, he was able to overcome it and do what
he believed to be correct due to instinct. This is what made him by definition an archetypal hero.
He underwent a traumatic event that lead to a heros journey, with the accomplishment of
survival. By the end of the book, Pi had developed into an unrecognizable person. All the events
he experienced moulded him into a stronger and more independent character. Pi Patel was able to
overcome the dangers of nature to not only save himself but also his unlikely friend Richard
Parker, the Bengal Tiger, helping form his truly heroic character.

Works Cited

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Martel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.
Reeve, Christopher. "Hero Quotes." BrainyQuote. Xplore, n.d. Web. 19 June 2016. <http://
www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hero.html>.
Davis, Bryan M. "The Archetypal Hero in Literature, Religion, Movies, and Popular Culture." 11
Oct 1997. Stephen F. Austin University. (Day Mon Year accessed go here).<http://
www.tatsbox.com/hero>.
Vogler, Christopher Vogler. "INTRODUCTION." Hero's Journey. HERO'S JOURNEY, n.d.
Web. 19 June 2016. <http://www.thewritersjourney.com/hero's_journey.htm>.

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