Primarily, Yann Martel unerringly describes the behavior of Richard Parker, an adult bengal tiger. First of all, in the beginning of Part Two, Pi waits with bated breath as Richard Parker swims to the boat. Though at the time, Richard Parker is struggling due to high waves, icy waters, and fright from the sudden sinking of the ship, he was able to swim to the lifeboat by “beating the water with vigorous, desperate strokes” (Martel 98). Also in the story, Pi describes how Richard Parker “will swim as far as he has to” (Martel 160) in order to reach sustenance. In reality, “tigers can swim five miles ... [and are] said to have clocked more than eighteen hundred feet at seven minutes and eighteen seconds - against the tide” (Alexander). Based …show more content…
Firstly, Pi describes the orangutan named Orange Juice as “tipping the scales at barely 110 pounds” (Martel 130). Pi also explains how “female orang-utans are half the size of males” (Martel 130) and primarily are fruit eaters. All of the elements of the novel’s depiction are correct, because “male orangutans are much larger than the females, typically two to three times heavier” and “Orangutans are predominantly frugivorous, with over 100 types of fruit typically recorded in their diet” (“Orangutan Facts”). Additionally, Martel also describes the motherly nature of the orangutang. According to the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, Orangutans are particularly unique in their attention to offspring: a female orangutan spends seven years focusing on teaching their child the skills to forage, make nests, and avoid predators. Orangutans also stay with their mothers for protection while they begin applying their learnt skills (“Orangutan Facts”). Because of all the time spent taking care of their young, female orangutans become particularly adept to maternal behaviors. In the Life of Pi, the author depicts how “ [Pi has] memories from when [he] was a child of [Orange Juice’s] never-ending arms surrounding [him], her fingers, each as long as [his] whole hand, picking at [his] hair” (Martel 129). Furthermore, Martel also accurately describes the behaviors of orangutans. …show more content…
Firstly, the predatory behaviors of the spotted hyena are reflected in the lifeboat hyena. In the novel, Pi describes how “sometime during the night the hyena began snarling and … [he] heard a repeated knocking sound” (Martel 119). According to the University of Michigan, due to exceptional hearing and night vision, most hunting is performed at night when hyenas can have an advantage over prey (Law). Also, hyenas are known to “bite at the back of the neck” ("Spotted Hyena Fact Sheet") in a fight, similar to how in the novel the orangutan “throat was being squeezed by [the hyena’s] jaws” (Martel 130). Based on the research, Martel accurately portrays the spotted hyena as a fierce predator, known to fight during the night. Similarly, Martel also accurately represents the eating habits of hyenas. The San Diego Zoo, the spotted hyena is known to eat all parts of the animal including hair and bones, and often regurgitates indigestible material in the den or territory ("Spotted Hyena Fact Sheet"). Likewise, Martel reports how “once [hyenas have] digested their kill, they cough up dense hairballs, which they pick clean of edibles” (Martel 116) and “nothing goes to waste; even grass upon which blood has been spilt will be eaten” (Martel 116). Both the researchers evidence and Martel displays the barbaric nature of the hyena’s eating