STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

ayo · Coach

Life of Pi Readers (possible spoilers!)

Starstuff · Kenneth Cole

quote:
Originally posted by: ayo
" the island..does anyone understand this part...it might be clearer when I read it again...but right now I'm "

Do you mean the island that is made out of carnivorous plants? Yeah, I was confused about that too. I don't get the symbolism of it.

I agree, though, it is an amazing book. What do you think about the ending? I don't think the story is a metaphor -- I (like) to think it really happened, with the tiger.

Maddie · Coach

I really liked this book. There was a good discussion about this on FH awhile ago and some people had some really good insights. I remember someone saying that they thought the whole book was a metaphor for religion, either you believe or you don't.

Mia · Kate Spade

What part are you not sure about? I posted on FH about this and basically was saying what Maddie just said - that the whole point of the book is - do you believe? It's up to you. Do you believe the island was real? Or don't you? I definitely think the book is about - well, faith, basically - specifically religious faith. It's not something that can be explained - I couldn't *explain* the island to you - you either have it (faith that the island existed, that the story was true etc.) or you don't.

I think Martel clearly comes down on the side of faith. The two characters at the end who interview Pi (my memory is a bit fuzzy on the details) are unsympathetic and portrayed as limited (in terms of their character, human capacity etc.) and they are basically playing the role of atheists/reason-based questioners - give us proof, it sounds fantastical, it can't be true, you must be lying if there's no evidence etc.

I know some people who really hated this book but I loved it. There was so much more going on under the text. Oh dear, I'm getting all English student-y. Will stop now.

-- Edited by Mia at 18:17, 2005-01-11

ayo · Coach

yeah I guess it's suppose to be metaphorical allegory..

i.e. Animal Farm

I get that..(well I got that after the fact :) )

but I was wondering what the island was suppose to symbolize...or am I missing it? does it symbolize nothing other than do I believe that such a thing can/does exists...

My left brain is showing it's a@#$ again

ha

Mia · Kate Spade

No, I don't think you're missing anything. I am sure we could torture some othre meaning out of it if we were writing a 25 page paper on the book but...we're not. Heh. I think the whole point was just that it was fantastical and hard to believe on the face of it.

I admit I googled "carniverous islands" after I read the book, hoping against hope that they existed (really - how *cool* was that idea?).