Life of Pi - Chapters 32

          In this chapter Pi explains zoomorphism. Although it is only based on animals, this kind of act is relevant to the world. Along with animals, every human has done what many animals do in the form of zoomorphism. For example, a motherless cub will accept a surrogate mother rather than face the reality of being motherless “the absolute worst condition imaginable for any young animal.” This is the same for a human. Any human who has no mother is in need of one, and if a loving woman comes along in their life that is willing to be their mother like figure and take care of them, a human would never turn that down. Animals will help humans (someone of another kind), just like humans will help animals (creatures of another kind). The chapter is relevant to every living creature in the world. The description and scenarios that Pi described ranging from the mouse being accepted by the vipers to the goats being accepted by the rhinoceros can relate to how the society with in High School becomes structured.  Students in a way act the same as the animals do by accepting those that are different as one there own. Every year a new group of grade nines come to the school. They’re all are from a variety different schools from around the area and have developed groups in those schools. But once they are all put into one society, the groups start to change as other groups start to expand and accept new people into their ring of friends. By doing this, it allows for new groups to form and develop a structure. 

Life of Pi - Chapters 16 - 23

           Faith is the one thing that Pi truly believes in; he loves his faith and always turns to it in times of need. The philosophy of faith is very important to Pi.  Pi states that he was born into Hinduism, becoming involved in its rites and rituals as an infant. I think even from the very beginning of his life, his family made faith an important aspect of his life. Pi just decided to continue to expand on his religions because all three were so different yet he found that listening to each story gave him more faith. He not only was intrigued with Christianity but Islam as well. I think faith is so important to Pi because he has heard the stories of many god’s in which he strongly believes in. If I were to be told these stories derived from each religion from someone who knows a lot about one and strongly believes in it, I think I would believe in faith as strong as Pi as well. Although I am not really religious at all, I think the stories of these people would inspire me in a way and would therefore give me something to believe in- faith. I believe that religion is dying in our society. If you compare how many people strongly believed in god in the past to people now, there is a great difference. I don’t think it is the fact that people don’t believe in god but rather they don’t care to use the time they have in praying or going to church and strongly getting into it, like Pi. An example is my Nana. She is almost 70 years old and when she was young, they went to church every Sunday, everyone did, and it wasn’t even a question that you weren’t going. They all had their nice Sunday cloths for church that they were only allowed to wear for that specific day. Religion was part of their life. As she grew older and had her own kids, going to church slowly died off. I think this was due to the change in society. Religion is no longer a major part of everyone’s life; some people don’t even know what kind of religion ‘they are’ but know that they believe in god. Yes, religion is if you believe in god but not many people at all (that I’ve ever seen) truly practise their religion as much as Pi did or even as little as my Nana did. Religion is really dying and is more so lost than forgotten. If religion were to be forgotten than that would be like saying god is forgotten but that is not the case; god is still someone many people believe in, they just don’t have as strong of an interest in their religion as people did before.

Life of Pi - Chapters 4 - 15

          Through chapters 5 to 15, Martel really focuses on the story of animal habits. I think he does this because the second part of the story is solely based on animals and it also shows how Pi resorts to some animal habits to stay alive. When Pi is stranded on a raft with a hyena, zebra, and a Begel Tiger, or when he is left on a the raft with only himself and the Tiger, he uses the lessons taught to him throughout chapters 5 to 15  to act in front of these animals and know their instincts. He made those chapters mainly based on animal habits so that the readers know where Pi has gotten all his knowledge from on how to treat these animals and how he knows there ways of living. If Pi didn’t know these habits of the animals he was stranded with in such great detail, he would not have survived.   When Pi’s father teaches Pi that an ‘animal is an animal’ it has great relevance to Pi’s scenario at sea. Animals are just animals; no matter the situation they are in there instincts are never going to change. They animals that Pi was stranded with would never change their instincts because they feel bad for one another, no, they will be animals and only think of keeping themselves alive. The concept of anthropomorphism is brought up as well. Anthropomorphism is only good because it allows people, mainly children, not to be afraid and totally terrified of animals. Yes, a child may think a bear is kind, cute and cuddly after they watch Winnie the Pooh making them think it is ok to approach a bear, when in fact a bear is actually a very dangerous animal; but, then again without these characters no one would approach animals because they are so frightened and only think of them as harmful creatures. Not all animals are, many are actually great with humans and love interactions with them.           

Life of Pi - Chapters 1 - 4

            When you are a child, you develop many relationships that influence who you are as an adult. Everything you learn as a child is the foundation of your choices that you make as an adult, it is what makes you, you. A person who has a strong and close relationship with their family will most likely be very open and loving as a grown-up. Rather a person who hasn’t really developed a close relationship with their family may not be as outgoing and open hearted as someone who has the connection with their parents. In Pi’s case the relationship he develops with his family and animals makes him the man he became. Pi grew up in a loving home with caring parents who taught him many things that he still believes as an adult. When Pi was young he developed a very strong relationship with religion. He not only studied just one religion but became fond of three, Muslim, Christian, and Islam. He also grew up having a strong connection with animals because he was always at the zoo that his father owned who taught him many things about the ways of animals. This is what influenced Pi to study religion and zoology when he was an adult at the University of Toronto. Pi’s relationships as a child sculpted who he was as an adult. This goes with anyone. The relationships you develop as a child whether it’s with your friends, family, sports, nature, or pets, these are what you have been brought up with and this is what makes you the person you become as you grow up. When it comes to my opinion on whether or not animals should be kept in a zoo rather than the wild, it completely changed after reading these chapters. Before reading this book I felt that it was cruel to capture animals and keep them in closed bars where they are not free to roam and are just used for people’s entertainment. Now my views on zoos are completely opposite. After Pi had argued that animals were better off in a zoo rather than the wild because the zoo offers protection and food, whereas, the wild is filled with predators and is short on food. I thought about it and it actually made sense. Animals in the zoo don’t have to go hunting and searching for their next meal and go walk the mile to find the nearest water source, they have it all their within reach. A zoo is more of a paradise for the animals seeing that they get anything and everything they prefer. In my perspective the zoo is like a five star hotel compared to the wild as a 2 star hotel- you don’t get the highest service and necessities as the five star hotels.     

Cherish Laughter

The story “The Laugher” by Heinrich Böll contains a main character that persuades many different thoughts and feelings in both my mind and heart. The title itself made me feel happy before I even read the story. I laugh at almost everything and when the word laughter comes to mind, I can’t help but think of the things that make me laugh. Such as the many funny moments I’ve had with my friends, boyfriend, and family.  The first sentence of the story starts of with the main character stating his embarrassment towards his job. He says, “When someone asks me what business I am in, I am seized with embarrassment: I blush and stammer, I who am otherwise known as a man of poise.” The feeling of happiness is now at a lower level for me. I feel bad for the people who are embarrassed of what they do for a living. I think no job should make you feel uncomfortable when asked what it is that you do. Although it may not be a prime job like a doctor or teacher for instance; it is a job, and that’s what is giving you the money to support yourself and/or a family, which you should be proud of. The character in this story literally laughs for a living. Yes, it is something that many people would not consider a real job, but that is his job and it is actually making him a very good living.

Although you should not be ashamed of the career you have chosen, I think you should love what you’re doing no matter what the pay is as long as it can support you. ‘The laugher’ does not seem to enjoy his job. Yes, many people are thankful when they get home so they can relax, but the ones that truly enjoy there job are excited to do it again the next day. This character is not thankful to get home for some relaxation rather because he is so tired of what he is doing and his spirit has frayed. I feel like no one should have that feeling when they get home. It makes me feel bad for the people that do, especially in this situation because I feel that laughter is the experience of joy and amusement. I believe every person in the world should have this emotion in there day. This character has forgotten the feeling of truly laughing and enjoying himself. I could never imagine this emotion because laughter is something that’s a part of my every day. When I am upset and someone makes me laugh, even slightly, it makes me feel better than what I felt before. Laughter should not be a forgotten emotion because it’s what cures the sadness, loneliness, and jaded feelings in people. ‘The Laugher’ laughs for a living. When he is sent to go to the comedian shows and the audience misses their punch lines, he spends most of the evenings in night clubs as a kind of discreet claque, his job being to laugh infectiously during the weaker parts of the program. His job is to laugh at the non humorous parts yet he forgets to laugh at the good amusing jokes. His character makes me feel depressed because I don’t understand how someone can lose their sense of humour. He is so used to laughing that nothing will truly amuse himself. He says, “I go through life with an impassive expression, from time to time permitting myself a gentle smile, and I often wonder whether I have ever laughed. I think not. So I laugh in many different ways, but my own laughter I have never heard.” This is almost heartbreaking to me because he knows that he has lost himself and doesn’t even remember if he has ever truly laughed. His job has trained him to laugh during certain moments and so he surpasses the things that are actually a humour to him. I feel that this story brings only depressing and sad feelings to my heart and mind and has taught me that someone who experiences real laughter should cherish it. 

This is something that truly makes me laugh.

The Traditional Approach on "A Rose for Emily"

          “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner is greatly relevant to the time period of post civil war it was written in. In the civil war there was a great difference between the North and South. During the war the North became the centre of wealth and manufacturing and attracted skilled workers, whereas the South consisted of only farming done by salves. Slavery is what was thought to start the war and although the North was fighting to end slavery, the South fought to maintain it because it benefited them economically. “A rose for Emily,” is a great representation of this time period. The story takes place in a small town in the deep south of the United States, where Emily and her father resemble true southern characters. They live in a town run by a southern mayor- Colonel Sartoris where by his law, a black woman would not even be able to walk the streets without an apron, and coloured people were used as slaves. Even when the years went on and Emily’s father had died and Colonel Sartoris was replaced, Emily still kept her black slave Tobe and remained in a lost era. The town and Emily herself looked upon Emily as the only remainder left of that time. She was now living in the post-civil war but still acted like she was living in the harsher days of the South. The town was changing in a good way: upgrading homes, installing metal house numbers and mail boxes, and no slaves were longer used. Since the North was known to be wealthier and full of skilled workers, it was relevant that the construction company hired by the Southern town was directed by a northerner named Homer Barron. It’s relevant because a Northerner was hired and not someone from the south. This indicates that this story does take place in the post-war because the north is finally having a positive affect on the south. “A Rose for Emily,” displays great relevance to the post- civil war era because of Emily’s behaviors compared to her town. This allows you to see the difference in the North and South before and after the war.

            William Faulkner has created a saga of his own that allows “A Rose for Emily” to be relevant to all his other works. The short story and every single one of his other literature's like The Sound and the Fury and Sanctuary, can all relate to the historical growth and subsequent decadence of the South. The theme of all his stories is the decay of the old south, as represented by the Sartoris and Compson families. Faulkner set many of his short stories and novels in Yoknapatawpha County.   The Sound and the Fury is set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County. The story is about the fallen Compson family, a once noble Southern family brought down by the U.S. Civil War hero General Compson. The family becomes a victim due to the harsh habits they have as southerners, which Faulkner believed were responsible for the problems in the south: racism and selfishness. The Sanctuary is about the degeneration of Temple Drake, a young girl from a distinguished Southern family. Just these two examples along with A Rose for Emily all show relevance to each other. They all consist of problems of the South or lifestyle of a Southerner and their family back in the prior, during, and post-war. They all show the great distinguish of the South compared to the North and the problems they faced with racism and the neglect of change after the civil war was over. Overall “A Rose for Emily” is greatly relevant to the time period it was written in and Faulkner’s other works.