Freddy Lavric
9-25-12
Mr. Snyder
Stylist
Word Smith:
pandit-a man in India esteemed for his wisdom or learning: often used as a title of respect. This title of respect may show that he is credible when he is arguing in the discussion about religions.
imam-the officiating priest of a mosque. Once again, this title may give him credibility towards his arguments.
Goubert Salai-Pondichery's beachside promenade. It is a favorite place to go for a stroll, but there is little to do.
Lord Ganesha-best known deity and most widely worshipped in Hindu.
Hanuman-Hindu deity, who was an ardent devotee of Rama according to Hindu legends.
Ramayana-ancient Sanskrit epic and one of the two greatest epics of India and Nepal
Mahabharata-one of two greatest epics in India
Lord Krishna-most commonly worshipped deity in Hindu faith
darshan-Sanskrit term that means "sight."
puja-religious ritual performed by Hindus as an offering to various deities
Balderdash-senseless, stupid, or exaggerated talk or writing. The pandit uses this word to describe the arguments of the priest.
Tamils-of Indian origin in Sri Lanka
A lot of these terms are chosen to illustrate the conflict between the pandit, imam, and priest. It establishes their character by showing the judgement they have towards the other religions. The theme of religion continues to be evident in this conflict and they use a harsh and solid tone to show their belief and unwavering faith to their respective religions.
Sentence Sleuth: The author begins this section with some key sentences. He writes, "What were those words he used that struck me? Ah, yes: 'dry, yeastless factuality', 'the better story' (Pg.80). These two phrases are contradictory and it reflects good writing because of the way it presents the reader with two sides. Describing something as dry and yeastless emphasizes how boring the reality of the matter truly is. On the other hand, the better story is created by putting in imagination and making it creative. Pi continues to talk about this concept and he gives the example of a lion. A lion realizes that a human is not a lion. However, they would definitely accept a human as a lion in certain circumstances that would enhance the image and the value of their own life. Another example of good writing is during the argument between the priest, the imam, and the pandit. The author uses a lot of varied language to show the conflict that they are having. The novel states, "The priest looked askance at both of them. 'Piscine,' he nearly whispered, 'there is salvation only in Jesus.' 'Balderdash! Christians know nothing about religion,' said the pandit" (Pg. 85). Balderdash is a term that argues against the priest's beliefs. The author incorporates all of their feelings towards each other using this type of diction and it makes the argument that much more intense. A final example of good writing is the way the author establishes fear when Pi is stuck on the ship. Night approaches and Pi is scared for his life because the animals may attack him. The author does a good job at portraying this. He writes, "Sometime during the night the hyena began snarling and the zebra barking and squealing, and I heard a repeated knocking sound. I shook with fright and-I will hide nothing here-relieved myself in my pants" (Pg. 149). He uses humor as well as descriptive words to describe the fear that Pi was feeling. Pi states, "I can well imagine an atheist’s last words: “White, white! L-L-Love! My God!”—and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, “Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,” and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story" (Pgs. 80-81). This example of figurative language emphasizes the distinction between facts and imagination, which is a key idea in the story. Another example of figurative language is when the author writes, "The calm sea opened up around me like a great book" (Pg. 149). This is getting back at the idea of nature. Pi is surrounded by water and he has nothing to look at but water. A final example of figurative language is when the hyena attacks the zebra. The author writes, "The hyena had attacked the zebra. Its mouth was bright red and it was chewing on a piece of hide" (Pg. 150) This description makes the reader visualize how gruesome the action is. Pi realizes the true violence of the animals and this makes him sick. He is not used to violence like this, but it shows him that the potential is there and he is disgusted by it.