Richard Parker - "So many 'Richard Parker' must mean something"

Richard Parker - "So many 'Richard Parker' must mean something" - Yann Martel

Yann Martel was quoted saying "So many Richard Parker must mean something". He referred to many fictional and real characters by the name of Richard Parker who were shipwrecked and in most of the cases, resorted to cannibalism. Unlike Poe's, Martel's story instead of being gruesome is rather adventurous; while the context remains the same.

Coming to the film, Richard Parker was a hunter whose name interchanged with tiger's due to clerical error. This part of the discussion will tend to represent my perceptions, maybe I am wrong, but please try to feel it with an open mind and consider it. If you think otherwise please let me know.

The naming of Pi after a swimming pool is absurd and reflects the absurdity of life. I think, perhaps, Richard Parker was the actual name of Pi. As they were Hindu, it could have been Richard Patel (due to French influence in Pondicherry). In the movie poster also, half faces of both tiger and Pi is shown, probably, to point out they are the same person.

Well, maybe I am jumping too ahead. Let's flow with the film. In the ship, the happy buddah and the cook are shown. Pi, a keen reader of fantasies could see an animal inside them, reflecting their trait. When the ship is wrecked, it's not possible for animals to come out of their cages. They are trapped, while it is shown that they are jumping from above. Practically, they will be kept towards the bottom end of the ship.

So, in the boat, there is a zebra, a hyena and Orange Juice. Hyena goes in and out of the area where later tiger is shown to be present but he never encounters the tiger. Hyena attacks the zebra, Orange Juice later hits hyena and looks at Pi with affection, perhaps saying you're safe now, but that hyena attacks and kills her. This rage of loosing Orange Juice infuriates Pi and the animal inside him comes out, Richard Parker, and attacks hyena with a knife. Obviously, the mother is Orange Juice and he had to feast on all bodies to survive. Pi is also shown crying when Richard has to eat the zebra and hyena. I don't know why vanishing of the body of Orange Juice is not clearly shown. Still, it has to be assumed that Pi even ate her mother.

Now, even the thought of it makes you feel uncomfortable. You start judging the love of Pi for her mother. How could Pi would have told the story without using animals. It's not possible.

However, these are just facts to make you remove your stereotypical views. There is no one reality propaganda of mine. As you have read till now, it will be easier for you to understand the next blog on 'Life of Pi' - "Which story do you prefer?"

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