Yann Martel's Life Of Pi Vs. The Catcher In The R
Life of Pi
Vs.
The Catcher in the Rye
-A Comparative Essay
All literature contains a purpose behind it—an underlying message that the author is trying to convey. As a result of this, most novels typically tend to focus on several specific areas, leaving other areas less explored. Setting, main character, and conflict are arguably the three most important elements of a novel. Novels such as Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger demonstrate the importance of these three elements, yet highlight these areas to different degrees. Much of this variation is due to the different genres and styles of both books. Classic coming of age novels like The Catcher in the Rye typically focus on the …show more content…
maturation of the protagonist, while a more contemporary novel like Life of Pi is more abstract in its style and values. These differences allow for comparisons to be made between the two novels based on these three aspects. While Life of Pi is stronger in its portrayal of the setting, The Catcher in the Rye illustrates the main character and conflict more thoroughly and effectively. The setting of a novel refers to the environment in which the narrative takes place.
Oftentimes, the setting is a key factor in determining the meaning of the story or the intentions of the author, since the context of a situation can determine the conflict or the plot. This is especially evident in Martel’s Life of Pi. In this novel, the setting is a very significant aspect of the book, because it is the reason and the source of all the suffering that the main character, Pi Patel, endures. For the most part of the book, Pi is retelling his story of surviving 227 days on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Although by the end of the book, two parallel stories are told, it is important to realize that the setting remains constant in both stories. As the stories are retold in first person, the reader is taken into the eyes of Pi Patel, in which he continuously describes his surroundings and what he is going through. The day after Pi’s ship sinks and he is thrown onto the lifeboat, he portrays the environment he is in. “The weather was changing rapidly. The sea, so immense, so breathtakingly immense, was settling into a smooth and steady motion, with the waves at heel; the wind was softening to a tuneful breeze; fluffy, radiantly white clouds were beginning to light up in a vast fathomless dome of delicate pale blue. It was the dawn of a beautiful day in the Pacific Ocean” (Martel 108). Pi uses rich, descriptive language to attract and allow the reader to experience the same things that he is. In this way, the reader can better imagine the situation that Pi is placed in. In addition to describing his serene surroundings, Pi also describes his stormy and violent surroundings with the same type of descriptive language. During one of the biggest storms, Pi says, “What I had seen up till now were mere hillocks of water. These swells were truly mountains. The valleys we found ourselves in were so deep they were gloomy. Their sides were so steep the lifeboat
started sliding down them, nearly surfing. The raft was getting exceptionally rough treatment, being pulled out of the water and dragged along bouncing every which way” (Martel 250). In this situation, it is clear that Pi’s description of his surroundings is to provide the reader with imagery and insight as to the horrors of what he is really facing. Pi also extensively describes the lifeboat that he is on; especially the positioning of Richard Parker, the tiger. Pi’s descriptions of his surroundings give the reader a clear depiction of his environment, which is important because the focus of the story is on the struggle between Pi and his environment. In The Catcher in the Rye, on the other hand, the setting of the narrative is not a very significant part of the story. The weather, however, can be interpreted as a theme throughout the story. The story takes place in quite a cold setting from the beginning of the book; Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the novel, uses the word “freezing” to describe the weather, as well as multiple usages of the word “cold”. He also describes the large amount of snow that is on the ground, which adds to the reader’s perception of the temperature. The cold weather can be paralleled to Holden’s “cold” heart—he lacks the ability to connect with others and refuses to open up. As a result of this, he continues to be depressed and lonely. However, at the end of the book, the weather is described to be rainy; “Boy, it began to rain like a bastard. In buckets, I swear to God” (Salinger 212). At the same time, Holden also expresses a feeling of happiness for the first time in the book. This proves that the weather throughout the story corresponds to the feelings within Holden. Although it is evident that the setting is still an explored area in The Catcher in the Rye, it is clearly not as effectively portrayed as the setting in Life of Pi, due to the fact that the setting itself plays a larger role in the story of Life of Pi. Although the setting is an important part of a novel, the main character of a novel is also a significant factor towards the success of that story. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a classic example of the impact that the main character can have on the reader. The Catcher in the Rye is a coming of age novel that solely focuses on the struggles of the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Because of this, the portrayal of his character is a very significant portion of the story. The narrative follows Holden as he retells the story of his mental breakdown, which happened around Christmas, over the course of three days. Many of the statements that Holden makes reveal much about his character. Right from the beginning of the book, as the opening sentence, Holden says, “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you 'll probably want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don 't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth” (Salinger 1). From this statement, it is implied that Holden has a lot of self-pity and that he thinks his childhood was terrible. However, it can also be inferred that there will be a happy ending, as he refers to David Copperfield, the famous magician. This statement already reveals much about Holden’s character and perspective at the time, as well as his feelings. In the first sentence alone, Salinger managed to give the reader a good sense of what Holden is like and what the rest of the novel will be about. Because this narrative is mainly about Holden, the plot must include many details as to what his character is like. This way, the reader can much better relate to the character and understand his perspective. Throughout the novel, Holden’s character is very clearly portrayed as very critical, judgmental, but emotional at the same time. He has strong opinions about others and about the world, but never realizes his own flaws. It is evident that he is a biased narrator, as many of the stories he retells are evidently skewed by his bias. For example, he goes to see his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, before he leaves his school. Mr. Spencer confronts him about how he does not apply himself in school, but Holden finds him annoying. Holden portrays Mr. Spencer as a mean and critical nuisance, while the reader sees that Mr. Spencer was only telling him that for his own good. In addition to this, Holden’s character has many contradictions—he expresses that he lies a lot, yet he always uses the phrase “to tell you the truth”. He expresses his hatred towards adulthood, yet is fascinated by it at the same time, which cultivates his drinking and smoking habits. Holden seems to doubt the human race as a whole, resulting in his judgment of others. His dream is to be the “catcher in the rye”; someone who saves children from falling off the edge of the rye field, and into what he thinks is a horrible fate. In addition to the excellent character portrayal, the novel also contains much character development on Holden’s part. By the end of the book, he shows signs of maturity; he realizes that he cannot stop the process of maturity, and decides to seek help. Holden’s character is quite interesting to read about, and the success of this novel is largely contributed by Holden’s character, and how almost every reader can relate to him in one way or another. In this way, Holden’s character is very powerfully portrayed in the novel The Catcher in the Rye. In Life of Pi, the plot does not reveal as much about Pi’s character, or as openly and in detail, as Holden’s character. This is partially due to the fact that Pi’s story is not about himself, but about the brutality of human nature when pushed to the limits. As such, although Pi does reveal details about his character through his narration, the focus remains on the society, and not as much on him; his character does not develop very drastically throughout the narrative, and his character is never described thoroughly. Because of this, Holden’s character in The Catcher in the Rye is illustrated much more in depth, which allows the reader to understand why he thinks the way he does. Other than the setting and the main character, the conflict can be considered as the most significant aspect of a novel. There must be a conflict in a story, and it is the conflict that usually draws readers in. By definition, this means that all novels must explore this aspect in one way or another. There are many different kinds of conflicts that are used in novels. In The Catcher in the Rye, the conflict is person vs. self. This means that the focus of the story, the conflict, is based on Holden struggling because of his character. This is evidently true, as his struggles in the novel are because of the fact that he cannot accept society, nor the characteristics developed through maturation. His lack of ability to open up to others causes depression within himself—although he clearly desires and needs companionship, he cannot find anyone who is not “phony” or shallow. He believes that adult relationships are purely sexual, and longs for a deeper and interpersonal relationship. This is shown by his repeated reminiscence of Jane Gallagher, a girl that he cared deeply about as a child. He yearns for this type of innocent emotion, and is disgusted by the way that the adult society expresses their emotions. These thoughts further his depression, as he continues to alienate himself from the world, which ultimately leads to his loneliness. This conflict is portrayed very thoroughly throughout the novel, because the whole plot centers on this idea. In addition to this, because the conflict is person vs. self, this leads to the realization that the reason for the conflict is his character. The reason for Holden’s depression is solely internal—his character is the problem. It is already evident that his character is described in much detail throughout the whole book, which must mean that the conflict is also portrayed in the same way. The reason that the conflict in The Catcher in the Rye is so successful is that Holden’s character is very powerfully expressed, and the character, in this case, goes hand in hand with the conflict. This relationship between the character and the conflict allows the reader to have an exceptional understanding of the novel as a whole—this includes the themes, the symbols, and the underlying message behind the story. Because of this, readers will agree that the conflict in The Catcher in the Rye is skillfully written and portrayed. In Life of Pi, the conflict is person vs. environment—the plot is based on Pi’s struggles with his environment, the ocean and the lifeboat with Richard Parker, the tiger. The underlying message in this novel is the transformative power of literature. Because the most part of the novel is Pi’s imaginary story of his survival, the reader will believe that it is the only part of the plot—Pi’s survival in the Pacific Ocean. However, by the end of the book, it is understood that the theme of “the better story” and the power of imagination is the main message of the book. At the end of the book, Pi tells the true version of the story; the one that happened in reality. The conflict between Pi 's stories highlights the disconnection between the beauty of literature and the brutality of real life. Although this is a very dramatic and powerful conflict in itself, after reading the book, the reader will feel as if this idea is not adequately expressed. The theme of the novel is expressed very late in the book, which makes it seem quite rushed. In this way, the author does not allow enough time for the reader to reflect on this powerful idea. In addition to this, the message of the novel is very different from the originally perceived theme of the book—the importance of survival. This creates a rift between the conflict of the plot and the purpose of the novel, ultimately resulting in a less powerful memory of the conflict in the reader’s mind. Because of these reasons, the conflict in The Catcher in the Rye is more effective; it aids the understanding of the theme of the novel itself. Although The Catcher in the Rye and Life of Pi are novels that are different in style and genre, they can still be compared through the setting, main character, and conflict, because these aspects are the building blocks of a narrative. It can be concluded that Life of Pi has a stronger portrayal of the setting, because the setting has much to do with the conflict and the plot of the story, while it is just a small part of The Catcher in the Rye. Despite this, The Catcher in the Rye contains a more powerful illustration of both the main character and the conflict. Because Catcher is a bildungsroman, Holden 's characterization surpasses that of Pi 's, as it is the main focus of the book, while Pi’s narration mainly focuses on his environment and the society. Life of Pi’s allegorical nature allows for a more sophisticated and symbolic theme; however, the conflict of the novel does not illustrate this theme, which ultimately lessens its effectiveness. Although these two novels can be analyzed throughout these three aspects, it is still hard to conclude which novel is “better”—through this analysis, it is clear that these two novels are very different from each other, and both contain elements that are both effective and non-effective. This can also be applied to all other literature, as each book is unique in its own way, approaching emotions and themes differently to the reader. This truly displays the powerful nature of literature, and how it can affect one’s feelings and perspective.
Works Cited
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Toronto: Random House of Canada Ltd., 2001. Print.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company, 1951. Print.
Vs.
The Catcher in the Rye
-A Comparative Essay
All literature contains a purpose behind it—an underlying message that the author is trying to convey. As a result of this, most novels typically tend to focus on several specific areas, leaving other areas less explored. Setting, main character, and conflict are arguably the three most important elements of a novel. Novels such as Life of Pi by Yann Martel and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger demonstrate the importance of these three elements, yet highlight these areas to different degrees. Much of this variation is due to the different genres and styles of both books. Classic coming of age novels like The Catcher in the Rye typically focus on the …show more content…
maturation of the protagonist, while a more contemporary novel like Life of Pi is more abstract in its style and values. These differences allow for comparisons to be made between the two novels based on these three aspects. While Life of Pi is stronger in its portrayal of the setting, The Catcher in the Rye illustrates the main character and conflict more thoroughly and effectively. The setting of a novel refers to the environment in which the narrative takes place.
Oftentimes, the setting is a key factor in determining the meaning of the story or the intentions of the author, since the context of a situation can determine the conflict or the plot. This is especially evident in Martel’s Life of Pi. In this novel, the setting is a very significant aspect of the book, because it is the reason and the source of all the suffering that the main character, Pi Patel, endures. For the most part of the book, Pi is retelling his story of surviving 227 days on a lifeboat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Although by the end of the book, two parallel stories are told, it is important to realize that the setting remains constant in both stories. As the stories are retold in first person, the reader is taken into the eyes of Pi Patel, in which he continuously describes his surroundings and what he is going through. The day after Pi’s ship sinks and he is thrown onto the lifeboat, he portrays the environment he is in. “The weather was changing rapidly. The sea, so immense, so breathtakingly immense, was settling into a smooth and steady motion, with the waves at heel; the wind was softening to a tuneful breeze; fluffy, radiantly white clouds were beginning to light up in a vast fathomless dome of delicate pale blue. It was the dawn of a beautiful day in the Pacific Ocean” (Martel 108). Pi uses rich, descriptive language to attract and allow the reader to experience the same things that he is. In this way, the reader can better imagine the situation that Pi is placed in. In addition to describing his serene surroundings, Pi also describes his stormy and violent surroundings with the same type of descriptive language. During one of the biggest storms, Pi says, “What I had seen up till now were mere hillocks of water. These swells were truly mountains. The valleys we found ourselves in were so deep they were gloomy. Their sides were so steep the lifeboat
started sliding down them, nearly surfing. The raft was getting exceptionally rough treatment, being pulled out of the water and dragged along bouncing every which way” (Martel 250). In this situation, it is clear that Pi’s description of his surroundings is to provide the reader with imagery and insight as to the horrors of what he is really facing. Pi also extensively describes the lifeboat that he is on; especially the positioning of Richard Parker, the tiger. Pi’s descriptions of his surroundings give the reader a clear depiction of his environment, which is important because the focus of the story is on the struggle between Pi and his environment. In The Catcher in the Rye, on the other hand, the setting of the narrative is not a very significant part of the story. The weather, however, can be interpreted as a theme throughout the story. The story takes place in quite a cold setting from the beginning of the book; Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the novel, uses the word “freezing” to describe the weather, as well as multiple usages of the word “cold”. He also describes the large amount of snow that is on the ground, which adds to the reader’s perception of the temperature. The cold weather can be paralleled to Holden’s “cold” heart—he lacks the ability to connect with others and refuses to open up. As a result of this, he continues to be depressed and lonely. However, at the end of the book, the weather is described to be rainy; “Boy, it began to rain like a bastard. In buckets, I swear to God” (Salinger 212). At the same time, Holden also expresses a feeling of happiness for the first time in the book. This proves that the weather throughout the story corresponds to the feelings within Holden. Although it is evident that the setting is still an explored area in The Catcher in the Rye, it is clearly not as effectively portrayed as the setting in Life of Pi, due to the fact that the setting itself plays a larger role in the story of Life of Pi. Although the setting is an important part of a novel, the main character of a novel is also a significant factor towards the success of that story. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is a classic example of the impact that the main character can have on the reader. The Catcher in the Rye is a coming of age novel that solely focuses on the struggles of the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Because of this, the portrayal of his character is a very significant portion of the story. The narrative follows Holden as he retells the story of his mental breakdown, which happened around Christmas, over the course of three days. Many of the statements that Holden makes reveal much about his character. Right from the beginning of the book, as the opening sentence, Holden says, “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you 'll probably want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don 't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth” (Salinger 1). From this statement, it is implied that Holden has a lot of self-pity and that he thinks his childhood was terrible. However, it can also be inferred that there will be a happy ending, as he refers to David Copperfield, the famous magician. This statement already reveals much about Holden’s character and perspective at the time, as well as his feelings. In the first sentence alone, Salinger managed to give the reader a good sense of what Holden is like and what the rest of the novel will be about. Because this narrative is mainly about Holden, the plot must include many details as to what his character is like. This way, the reader can much better relate to the character and understand his perspective. Throughout the novel, Holden’s character is very clearly portrayed as very critical, judgmental, but emotional at the same time. He has strong opinions about others and about the world, but never realizes his own flaws. It is evident that he is a biased narrator, as many of the stories he retells are evidently skewed by his bias. For example, he goes to see his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, before he leaves his school. Mr. Spencer confronts him about how he does not apply himself in school, but Holden finds him annoying. Holden portrays Mr. Spencer as a mean and critical nuisance, while the reader sees that Mr. Spencer was only telling him that for his own good. In addition to this, Holden’s character has many contradictions—he expresses that he lies a lot, yet he always uses the phrase “to tell you the truth”. He expresses his hatred towards adulthood, yet is fascinated by it at the same time, which cultivates his drinking and smoking habits. Holden seems to doubt the human race as a whole, resulting in his judgment of others. His dream is to be the “catcher in the rye”; someone who saves children from falling off the edge of the rye field, and into what he thinks is a horrible fate. In addition to the excellent character portrayal, the novel also contains much character development on Holden’s part. By the end of the book, he shows signs of maturity; he realizes that he cannot stop the process of maturity, and decides to seek help. Holden’s character is quite interesting to read about, and the success of this novel is largely contributed by Holden’s character, and how almost every reader can relate to him in one way or another. In this way, Holden’s character is very powerfully portrayed in the novel The Catcher in the Rye. In Life of Pi, the plot does not reveal as much about Pi’s character, or as openly and in detail, as Holden’s character. This is partially due to the fact that Pi’s story is not about himself, but about the brutality of human nature when pushed to the limits. As such, although Pi does reveal details about his character through his narration, the focus remains on the society, and not as much on him; his character does not develop very drastically throughout the narrative, and his character is never described thoroughly. Because of this, Holden’s character in The Catcher in the Rye is illustrated much more in depth, which allows the reader to understand why he thinks the way he does. Other than the setting and the main character, the conflict can be considered as the most significant aspect of a novel. There must be a conflict in a story, and it is the conflict that usually draws readers in. By definition, this means that all novels must explore this aspect in one way or another. There are many different kinds of conflicts that are used in novels. In The Catcher in the Rye, the conflict is person vs. self. This means that the focus of the story, the conflict, is based on Holden struggling because of his character. This is evidently true, as his struggles in the novel are because of the fact that he cannot accept society, nor the characteristics developed through maturation. His lack of ability to open up to others causes depression within himself—although he clearly desires and needs companionship, he cannot find anyone who is not “phony” or shallow. He believes that adult relationships are purely sexual, and longs for a deeper and interpersonal relationship. This is shown by his repeated reminiscence of Jane Gallagher, a girl that he cared deeply about as a child. He yearns for this type of innocent emotion, and is disgusted by the way that the adult society expresses their emotions. These thoughts further his depression, as he continues to alienate himself from the world, which ultimately leads to his loneliness. This conflict is portrayed very thoroughly throughout the novel, because the whole plot centers on this idea. In addition to this, because the conflict is person vs. self, this leads to the realization that the reason for the conflict is his character. The reason for Holden’s depression is solely internal—his character is the problem. It is already evident that his character is described in much detail throughout the whole book, which must mean that the conflict is also portrayed in the same way. The reason that the conflict in The Catcher in the Rye is so successful is that Holden’s character is very powerfully expressed, and the character, in this case, goes hand in hand with the conflict. This relationship between the character and the conflict allows the reader to have an exceptional understanding of the novel as a whole—this includes the themes, the symbols, and the underlying message behind the story. Because of this, readers will agree that the conflict in The Catcher in the Rye is skillfully written and portrayed. In Life of Pi, the conflict is person vs. environment—the plot is based on Pi’s struggles with his environment, the ocean and the lifeboat with Richard Parker, the tiger. The underlying message in this novel is the transformative power of literature. Because the most part of the novel is Pi’s imaginary story of his survival, the reader will believe that it is the only part of the plot—Pi’s survival in the Pacific Ocean. However, by the end of the book, it is understood that the theme of “the better story” and the power of imagination is the main message of the book. At the end of the book, Pi tells the true version of the story; the one that happened in reality. The conflict between Pi 's stories highlights the disconnection between the beauty of literature and the brutality of real life. Although this is a very dramatic and powerful conflict in itself, after reading the book, the reader will feel as if this idea is not adequately expressed. The theme of the novel is expressed very late in the book, which makes it seem quite rushed. In this way, the author does not allow enough time for the reader to reflect on this powerful idea. In addition to this, the message of the novel is very different from the originally perceived theme of the book—the importance of survival. This creates a rift between the conflict of the plot and the purpose of the novel, ultimately resulting in a less powerful memory of the conflict in the reader’s mind. Because of these reasons, the conflict in The Catcher in the Rye is more effective; it aids the understanding of the theme of the novel itself. Although The Catcher in the Rye and Life of Pi are novels that are different in style and genre, they can still be compared through the setting, main character, and conflict, because these aspects are the building blocks of a narrative. It can be concluded that Life of Pi has a stronger portrayal of the setting, because the setting has much to do with the conflict and the plot of the story, while it is just a small part of The Catcher in the Rye. Despite this, The Catcher in the Rye contains a more powerful illustration of both the main character and the conflict. Because Catcher is a bildungsroman, Holden 's characterization surpasses that of Pi 's, as it is the main focus of the book, while Pi’s narration mainly focuses on his environment and the society. Life of Pi’s allegorical nature allows for a more sophisticated and symbolic theme; however, the conflict of the novel does not illustrate this theme, which ultimately lessens its effectiveness. Although these two novels can be analyzed throughout these three aspects, it is still hard to conclude which novel is “better”—through this analysis, it is clear that these two novels are very different from each other, and both contain elements that are both effective and non-effective. This can also be applied to all other literature, as each book is unique in its own way, approaching emotions and themes differently to the reader. This truly displays the powerful nature of literature, and how it can affect one’s feelings and perspective.
Works Cited
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Toronto: Random House of Canada Ltd., 2001. Print.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company, 1951. Print.