Discovery is the key to human progress but it always comes at a cost. In Ang Lee’s film, Life of Pi, the protagonist embarks on a journey of self discovery that results in great personal growth. Tim Winton’s short story Big World is also a story of a boy’s rite of passage. Both texts explore the personal cost of their protagonists’ discoveries as they must endure great suffering, isolation and the loss of innocence in order to discover themselves and their place in the big picture of life.

Lee’s film is structured to portray an ordeal that fluctuates between great suffering and great joy. Pi cannot be free to discover himself while he exists within the comfort zone of his family. The sinking of the Tsimtsum casts him into the ‘ocean of life’ where he must fend for himself. The aerial shot of his head, dwarfed by the vast, dark ocean emphasises his vulnerability as he is cast adrift. His intense suffering is revealed most powerfully in the storm scene where wide shots again portray his vulnerability in the wild sea and Christ-like imagery shows him screaming at his ‘God’, arms spread in supplication: “Why are you scaring him? I’ve lost my family. I’ve lost everything. I surrender. What more do you want?” Pi’s life raft is swept away, symbolising the loss of his haven and material possessions and a high angle shot of Richard Parker shows that even the tiger – a symbol of Pi’s braver and more primitive self – is afraid. A sustained scene that cuts between shots of Pi bracing himself against the sides of the boat, and shots of him and the tiger being swamped by waves emphasises the prolonged nature of his suffering. But Pi’s suffering is a necessary consequence for his spiritual growth, as he learns to surrender to fate and finds peace. This idea is represented in the wide shot of the boat on a calm, misty ocean and in Pi’s dialogue: “Thank you for giving me my life. I’m ready now.” The fade to black at the end of the scene suggests that Pi’s lesson has been learned. He has discovered the ability to let go of his possessions and fear of mortality and move on to a higher plane but he has had to suffer greatly as a consequence of his discovery.

The suffering of the protagonist in Tim Winton’s Big World is much gentler, but equally productive. In order to learn his lesson, he must also be stripped of his worldly possessions. The destruction of the Kombi which “could blow at any moment and everything we own is inside” becomes a final catalyst for his growth as he discovers he must reach to achieve his full potential. His future tense reflection is poignant: “In a week, Biggie and Meg will blow me off…In a year Biggie will be dead in a mining accident…”, suggesting sadness at the fact that one chapter of life must close for the character to discover the next.

Winton’s protagonist’s final epiphany comes as a consequence of isolation. He is isolated by the plot twist of Meg, who forms a relationship with his best friend, Biggie on their road trip. It is through his isolation and watching them that he discovers a disturbing truth about himself and his relationship with Biggie: “…he’s enjoying being brighter than her…It’s me all over. It’s how I am with him and it’s not pretty.” Here the protagonist suffers, realising the unhealthy and unproductive nature of his relationship. This epiphany causes him to become even more isolated, aware that he must move on if he is to discover happiness and growth.

Pi is also isolated. This is revealed through consistent aerial shots that emphasise his vulnerability in the wide expanse of the ocean. The carnivorous island is the ultimate metaphor in the film that represents the true consequences of isolation. The medium shot of Pi gorging himself on the island’s roots and the aerial shot of him swimming in the pool show that the island provides all he needs to sustain life. Indeed, the close-up of Pi tying Anandi’s bracelet around the tree root symbolises his decision to stay in this isolated paradise and give up on the bigger world. But aerial shots of the bioluminescent acid pools, sustained as fish flap around in agony, symbolise the destructive nature of isolation. An overhead shot of the pool looks like the iris of an eye – the window to the soul – and it is filled with destructive acid, suggesting that this isolation will eat away at his soul. The highly social meerkats can thrive in this toxic environment because they work and live together, but the close-up of the flower, with its embedded tooth brings about the ominous realisation that humans cannot survive alone. The consequence and discovery are interconnected; Pi’s discovery that he must risk his life to find company is a consequence of his realisation of the toxic nature of interminable solitude.

The ultimate consequence of discovery is the loss of innocence. Lee illustrates this through the contrast between opening scenes and the hospital scene in the film. Colour enhancing filters, gentle fades and a montage of zoo animals emphasise the halcyon nature of childhood. A close-up of the bars of the zoo symbolise the protected nature of the zoo. In contrast, the wide, almost monochrome shot of the hospital room shows that Pi has lost the bright, idealised images of childhood as a result of his journey of self-discovery. He has undergone a rite of passage and cannot go back to his childhood world view.

Winton also uses contrast to convey the loss of innocence that comes with the finding of wisdom. Young Briony Nevis with “hair like a satin pillowslip. Body all sprung,” becomes “tired and lined in a supermarket queue.” The death of youthful dreams and ideals as a consequence of self-discovery is best elucidated in the metaphor of the kite “looping and spiralling” which “consumed its own tail and fluttered down into the sea”. Here the kite represents the joy of youth and the flame that eats it is time and wisdom from experience. Thus, the discovery of any knowledge comes at the expense of innocence which, by definition, must be replaced by experience.

While the benefits of discovery are many, it comes at a cost. Suffering, isolation and the loss of innocence are the price paid for wisdom and progress. For Pi and Winton’s protagonist, the price is worth it, as both reach their own potential as a final consequence to their discoveries.