Survival By Yann Martel Analysis

Through the theme of survival, Martel illustrates the pain and suffering of choosing between life and death. He portrays the hurt that one may encounter throughout his life, and how it may affect the volition of a person. However, following the pain comes the healing, the process of curing represent the life of a person and how it arouse the will and determination in oneself to preserve.
One of the ways Martel chooses to depict the human struggle between life and death is by using anthropomorphism to give death human-like qualities. “Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous possessive love that grabs at what it can” (Martel 6). The narrator compliments life for its exquisite qualities, then claims that death is envious of life for having such remarkable features. This kind of precarious relationship is seen multiple times; however, each come with a different scenario. For example, a weed will grow next to a flower to take all its water. Although the weed can share the water, it won’t. If
“You reach a point where you’re at the bottom of hell, yet you have your arms crossed and a smile on your face, and you feel you’re the luckiest person on earth. Why? Because at your feet you have a tiny dead fish” (Martel 217). Of course it is normal to feel as if it is better to just give up on life; everyone has been in a position where it is just too painful to keep going. However, the majority of the times these feelings stay as just a feeling, and people never take that extra step to actually give up. People who persevere through their pain understand that life should not be taken for granted. One must prove that he can withstand the difficulties that he might face throughout his life, then he shall be granted to continue his life, “Was there any reward greater that life?” (Martel