"Fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human. It's reality, often times, being so superficially analyzed, that is false." --Yann Martel
Respond to the quote above and/or to these "Functions of Fiction" and "Functions of the Artist"--do you agree that Life of Pi or other books we've read this year accomplish these functions?
Functions of Fiction
- Show beauty and possibilities of language.
- Create meaning; make events matter.
- Make symbols mean something.
- Make nothing mean something.
- Order, structure, and understand the world.
- Order and attempt to understand what it means to be "human."
- Open the world up to us.
- Understand life.
- Understand self.
- Lift our spirits.
- Reveal, examine, explore, show, explode something.
- Teach us something (stories can accomplish this better than lectures, right?).
- Relate past to present to future.
- Give us perspective.
- Make us wonder.
Functions of the Artist/Author
- Be a cultural analyst/evaluator.
- Challenge or upset the status quo, which glazes over and oppresses (be a renegade or watchdog).
- Explore/expose the "taboo."
- Discuss the "undiscussable."
- Examine the question--does "honesty" = "truth."
- Instruct and delight us.
- Make us explore beliefs, views, ethics.
121 comments:
I got these lists from/with a class I took at USD last summer: "William Faulkner and Experimental Fiction" with Prof. Brian Bedard (the man I met with last night in Vermillion about my independent study in 20th Century fiction). No wonder fiction books and fiction films sell so much--we are starved for story! We need stories to stimulate and inspire and...
I think Yan was able to hit every function of fiction and function of the artist/author in this book. It pushes the line between fiction and nonfiction and we want to believe that it is completely one or the other but that decision is a tough one. It's able to make nothing seem something and teaches us things about the world and ourselves. The world is open up to us also because it does not take place in some town in America, it is in a completely different country as well as the giant Pacific Ocean. Different cultures, ways of life, and most prominant, different religions are explored or mentioned in the book. I love how the usual "undiscussable" is in this book and Yann wasn't afraid to talk about it and be straight forward with the truth. It's amazing to me how the story was able to put together and how a one man's mind can come up with this work of fiction and still make it seem so much of the nonfiction kind.
Nice, Sara. Collegiate, even. You don't have to compliment the book, but it's cool you have. It's fine to "not like it," but everyone should be able to find something worthwhile to know/consider in it.
Period 1
I also believe fiction is a form of reality. Some of the book may seem "out there", when in fact it is possible to be stuck on a lifeboat with a 450 pound Bengal Tiger. In writing this book Yann Martel accomplished a lot of the Functions of Fiction and Functions of the Artist. By using religion, science, and math, he instructs us and keeps people interested in the book. He challenges status quo, as his main character is a sixteen year old boy who is Hindu, Islam, AND Christian. This may step on alot of peoples toes but that is what an author is supposed to do to keep readers interested. Even though Pi is in a huge predicament, Martel uses some humor and small accomplishments to lift Pi's spirits and ours. This novel has alot to do with undertandsing yourself. The cover of the book states that it will make you believe in god. For people who don't believe in god, it will open their eyes and maybe make them want to believe, and open up a new world to us. He makes us explore beliefs, views, and ethics when he reveals the twist in the book. I don't want to give much away but it made me question human nature and the way we handle certain situations. I think Yann Martel accomplishes most or all of the Functions of the Artist/Fiction. This book is one of my favorite books that we've read in class because it made me think more about myself than any other book I've personally read. It made me question my views on religion, while making the story entertaining and fun to read.
Pd.1
From reading some of the comments from the artists about having literature and art as one concept, reminds me how close they really are. Most art we see is from a story or an idea that is written down or expressed in a poem, novel, or book. I don’t remember which artist said this in a blog, but I did see a trend on how each artist really tried to portray what they thought the author was trying to express. It is almost a competition of who can get the closest to the author’s true imagination. Yann doesn’t exactly come out and tell us about what everything should look like. The readers have to use their background knowledge about what an ocean, tiger, and zebra really look like. What happens if a reader has never seen an ocean or a tiger? The description has to come from the author while the imagination and ideas are shaped into a mental image that an artist has the skill to place it into a solid object.
pd. 1
Yann Martel's quote is very true of my perception of fiction novels. Many fiction books I've read in the past involve a good interesting plot that seems so real because it has an affect on me. Nonfiction novels are undoubtedly real, but fiction novels are stories that show how something can be just as real. As we experience Pi's frightful life on a lifeboat, we understand his circumstances and become emersed in it without even trying. Pi's story teaches us to be human and approach and deal with situation as they are thrown at you.
I also think that Life of Pi has hit every function of fiction. Doing this, he has allowed many people to become interested in this book and has made it popular. The best most evident function in this novel is to Understand life. Life has thrown Pi an unexpected curve ball that he must deal with intelligently in order to survive. His religion and beliefs give him something to lean on while he is forced to develop tactics to stay alive on an animal-dominated lifeboat. He helps us understand the adventurous, spiritual, religious, frightening, exciting, and thoughtful aspects of life. We are captivated by it to then examine ourselves and the possible ways we'd deal with a situation like Pi's.
pd. 1
Yann Martel's quote is very true of my perception of fiction novels. Many fiction books I've read in the past involve a good interesting plot that seems so real because it has an affect on me. Nonfiction novels are undoubtedly real, but fiction novels are stories that show how something can be just as real. As we experience Pi's frightful life on a lifeboat, we understand his circumstances and become emersed in it without even trying. Pi's story teaches us to be human and approach and deal with situation as they are thrown at you.
I also think that Life of Pi has hit every function of fiction. Doing this, he has allowed many people to become interested in this book and has made it popular. The best most evident function in this novel is to Understand life. Life has thrown Pi an unexpected curve ball that he must deal with intelligently in order to survive. His religion and beliefs give him something to lean on while he is forced to develop tactics to stay alive on an animal-dominated lifeboat. He helps us understand the adventurous, spiritual, religious, frightening, exciting, and thoughtful aspects of life. We are captivated by it to then examine ourselves and the possible ways we'd deal with a situation like Pi's.
pd. 1
Yann Martel's quote above makes me realize the importance that fiction plays to our real lives. By studying fiction, we study the possibilities of life. By studying the possibilities of life, we can understand what it means to reveal, examine, and explore something (a function of fiction), whether it may be something new to us, or something that has been there that we have taken for granted or not noticed much before. If we examine fiction, we see ideas that realate to our very lives. Take for example being standed on a boat surrounded by danger constantly. This situation may be fiction in a story, but in real life situations we can directly correlate to it, such as having a feeling helpless in your school because you don't fit it or having a social disorder and feeling as though putting yourself out there is dangerous and scary despite not wanting to be alone. Exploring the unknown makes us wonder, and when a person truly wonders, they gain a new perspective. Gaining a new perspective, in turn, allows a person create meaning, not only in the story, but also in their lives. Creating meaning, in my opinion, is way more important than having the truth or facts. In today's society, believing in something creates more meaning than simply having the facts to everything. According to Kevin Holtsberry at his Collected Miscellany blog, "stories give meaning to life because we give meaning to the stories. That if we try to hard to make them concrete they will lose their usefulness." Having meaning can give a person the hope, courage, and drive to move along in life and discover life's true purpose. It seems that, in life, everyone wants something to hold onto. Usually this is something that creates meaning for them, whether it may be religion, a style of life, or even life's simple pleasures. Life of Pi examines why meaning is more important than trying to prove something. When a person proves something, they are generally left with a feeling of accomplishment. But is there more? Not knowing the unknown provides a sense of curiosity that can motivate a person to keep living to discover something that is truer to themselves than to anyone else. Having something you can believe in makes you unique, and gives your own life a sense of meaning that no one else has. Facts, on the other hand, appeal to everyone. You, and only you, have the power to give something meaning. And that idea is more powerful than facts and words.
period one
QUOTE
i believe that the quote given is legit in a lot of ways. although popular books today are mostly about magic or vampires falling in love with humans, it relates to many of us in a different way. we see characteristics in the characters of the the books that we also see in ourselves so that makes us believe that we have something in common therefore this could happen to us.
FUNCTIONS OF FICTIONS
Life of Pi has shown beauty and possibilities of language by showing us different ways of life and religions through one boy. it has also been seen in all of the other books we have read in different ways. the house on mango street showed us a different culture. pygmalion showed us how to change language. cuckoos nest showed us how to understand language that we dont normally understand. othello showed us a language that we didnt completely understand even though its still the same language.
Life of Pi is supposedly meant to lift our spirits. In the beginning of the novel the author tells us that this story made him believe in God so that is telling us that it might make us believe in God as well. to some of us this helps us lift our spirits because that area of life may be a little foggy or maybe nonexistant.
We studied the bogus-ness of "reality" when we examined/analyzed advertisements! Martel's right! The "real world" can be false, even oppressive.
I like how Yann uses all the kinds of function of fiction in Life of Pi. He always is making us think about ourselves as people and help us understand life better. He makes small things mean alot
Specific examples would be appreciated, Alex.
Movies are art, right?
Movies are fiction, right?
p.1
I agree with Yann Martel on how fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human. Just by reading a fictional story makes us understand ourselves better by learning from the character's expericences or by relating/reflecting from them. Every book that one reads teaches them something. And fiction does this by useing symbols to mean something, or to make on wonder. I just feel like after I am done reading a book, I have a different outlook on something in life, whatever that may be. Fiction gives us perspective and it lifts our spirit to make us better people and better thinkers.
Yann Martel's quote on Fiction makes me realize how important Fiction is and how important it is.
Well written fiction novels help us see what is out there. It introuduces us to new and interesting situations. I would never imagine getting stuck on a boat with a massive bengal tiger, but Martel puts us in this situation with great writing and well used literary devices to catch our interest and put us in Pi's place.
P.3
Life of Pi has accomplished most of the functions of fictions. It gives us a perspective of a boy who has to survive in a world he is not used to. It makes us wonder if it is possible to believe in multiple religions at one time. The book opens the world to us by bringing us into a life of a boy from India and his adventure into the vast ocean. It gives us the hope that no matter what life throws at us, there is always ways to survive it. The author challenges the status quo, by making his main character believe in multiple religions. It is not the norm to believe in three different religions, that contradict each other, but it opens our eyes to it. While challenging us, he also makes us explore beliefs. For many pages, he show us the background of the three different religions, even if they were hard to understand, it enabled us to see Pi's view on life.
Specific examples of being "put in Pi's place" are...?
Do you all agree that we are starved for stories? Why else would movie tickets sell so well?
I agree with Jordan's comment only in a transposed way. We only care about works of fiction when they are tangible and believeable. If our minds aren't stimulated, the novels will have no effect on us. Life of Pi accomplishes this form of pseudorealism. The plot is preposterous, but still could possibly happen. This angle intrigues the reader and encourages them to read onward. Yann Martel includes numerous instances of metaphors, similes, and other forms of colorful diction. The constant descriptions paint a picture in the mind of the reader even more vivid than the paintings of the artists we blog about.
Martel uses really good writing and description to make us seem as if we were on the boat with Ricard Parker or we are the ones confused with 3 different religions
p 3
Fiction does have all the functions mentioned, but non-fiction can do all of this as well. But non-fiction already matters. It is something. It is not making nothing mean something. If fiction is studied over reality then things that already mean something become nothing and go into a memory whole.
Nicole H--great question! "What happens if the reader has never seen an ocean or a tiger?"
Martel addresses this problem when one of the Mr. Kumars has never seen a zebra before. Makes us really sit there and go, "mmm..." doesn't it? Makes us wonder about the origin of knowledge and experience (and the values/roles/configurations of knowledge and experience).
Yann Martel's quote on fiction is very though provoking because I have never though of it being true, in any. His comments made me realize that a well written fiction story can be more true than a non fiction book. If you over analyze things I feel it takes the true meaning out of whatever you are looking at, which is what's often done in non fiction books. If a fiction book is written well it will make you see more in yourself than you have ever noticed before, it will make you question what you think is real and could possibly make you take a whole new perspective on life.
Chad's right. Nonfiction is really applicable and gripping, because it's "true." However, sometimes nonfiction is based on a "reality" that is false, oppressive, harmful, inhibiting, bogus...
Nick--Is "over-analysis" possible?
Per 3
I agree with Yann's quote. The lessons from fiction are as real as any. For thousands of years, humans have taught lessons by telling stories; if these stories are true or not that is up to the audience to decide. But what if the lessons are not true, but are a false standard set by society to mold people into what society wants them to be. What if all we know and think is set forth by a higher arachy of political leaders and religous extremist. The lessons are true but our interpetation of them are false.
I agree with nick on reality being over analyzed. If you analyze and study one thing over and over, it loses my interest and it loses meaning.
Martel keeps you on the border line depicting between fiction and nonfiction. He does that to make you think. He keeps some space.. all with the intention for the reader to use their imagination and create their own version of what's going on in the story. It makes it more personable for the reader.
Not all movies are fiction some movies are true stories as well. We go to movies and we read books and magazines to be entertained we need stimulation otherwise we grow bored or restless. When we go to a movie we pay to have something scare us, make us laugh, make us think, or make us cry, We want to feel emotions when we go to a movie or read a book. The things that we like the best are the things that we relate to the best.
I think over analysis is totally possible. Some things where just not intended by the author and if they are over thought then enjoyment is taken away.
p.3
"Fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human. It's reality, often times, being so superficially analyzed, that is false." --Yann Martel
I believe this statement is true in so many ways. Fiction is created because people are yearning to hear a good story. We, as people, have stimulated the increase in fiction movies and novels. Our culture also effects this need for more and more fiction stories. We never are satisfied with what we have and NEED more. When we see a movie based on a true story, we get inspired until we realize that their motives behind their heroic action was not pure. They wanted the attention on themselves and recieved it. We continue to analyze other people's lives, when what we need to be doing is looking at ourselves and helping our humanity grow more productively. I believe that fiction is often true when it shows "what it means to be human."
I agree that we are all starved for stories, I personally don't know anybody who doesnt like an interesting story, the story teller always adds to the effect too. If the story teller is very good you might find yourself completely engulfed and believing in a story that is obviously not true, but the teller makes it seem so. I believe that another reason that people like stories so much is because most of the time they are true stories and they stories will make them wonder "what if this happened to me?"
period 3.
I think that fiction stories are affective because they do so many things. looking at the list of "funtions of fiction" its seems to me that you could write for a half hour on all of them. it just all depends on what your looking at. i am looking at the aspects of teaching us and making us wonder.
Fiction stories can teach us in the way that they can show examples of where stuff is used and how it is used. granit it's not as good as using non-fiction stories but i think that using stories, especailly for me, because i would pick a story over a lecture any day, might be a better way to connect with the students and get them to learn. it definitely gets the kids in a different mind set and gets them wondering. (which is an excellent segue into my second subject.) With fiction stories you can take them as far as you want in your imagination because your aren't limited by the realm of factual life. i know that with the life of pi i will tend to get lost off wondering about where he could really go and what could happen with him and the tiger. so reading fiction books will most certainly stimulate the creative side of your thinking. and also, with a well written fictional story, such as the life of pi, you always have to be thinking if this story really is fiction or not.
I agree with Yann Martel's quote. Fiction can be so true yet not true at all. Fiction tells us a lot about what it is to being human. We can relate ourselves to fictional characters even though they are not someone we could have an actual conversation with.
pd. 3
I believe Yann's quote is true depending on how you look at it. I think if it makes you reflect on your life and the things you think about it is very much like non-fiction. When i read fiction and it makes me think about something i have done or something going on in my, i look to see how the book handles the situation and see if it worked out. If so i might try to apply a similar method to something i have going on in my life. Yann effectively does this by using numerous functions of fiction. He makes us think about what our natural instincts as humans are if we are faced with a life or death situation, i believe this is when you see what any man or animal is willing to do to survive. When Pi is on the boat it shows the tiger and hyena will kill to stay alive. We know Pi still has some ability to think rationally, so he finds the food and water and safety supplies before he gives up, or tries to kill one of the animals. At this same time Yann is making us wonder what we would do if we were in the same position as Pi. I have no idea what i would do if i were on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean with a bunch of zoo animals. I would like to think i could survive, but i am not sure i could do so. By reading what Pi does it may teach us something about survival if we were in any situation that required it. Martel uses so many functions of fiction, yet it still seems like a true story. It lifts my spirits when i am down to know that i have a good life, and when times get hard i think, "i could be on a lifeboat in the middle of nowhere" and that gives me better perspective on how good my life really is.
3
This book definitely challenges the reader's brain and makes each person think, about themselves, others, and their beliefs or morals. Therefor, this books makes us wonder(Function of Fiction). The author, Yann, uses so many different symbols or clever wordings to make the author think. By having the main character, Pi, believe and practice three different religions gives the audience a HUGE twist and makes them think; Is it possible to be three different religions? Is this real, can it really happen? Why would someone want to practice three different religions, especially if they condradict one another? Causing us to explore beliefs, views, etc. (Functions of the Artist/Author) Each person is different and this novel effects everybody differently, but I'm sure this book makes everybody think or re-think their own belief systems wondering, which is right? Is my religion right? Is religion right? I know its made me re-think a few things. This questioning is good, it challenges the reader to dig into the book deeper, and also to dig deep down inside to figure out what is really truely important to us, like religion. To some people, questioning religion is a horrible idea and will not have it, but to others it can excite or delight(Function of Artist/Author) us. Actually forcing us to re-think religion only makes this book such a wonder to read, to figure out the true meaning behind his symbols in his book, Life of Pi.
some things in books and movies are only intended for entertainment, not symbolic, or deeper, meaning
Yann Martel got it right. When we read fiction, we think of us in there with them or as them. They have more of an impact on us than nonfiction does. In "Life of Pi" the fiction is so real that it makes us wonder about the possibilities that this could happen to us. We believe more in fiction than we do in reality. This book shows all those Functions of Fiction. It is an uplifting book that has a happy ending. It teaches us to open our eyes to view a broader range of how we live our lives. It shows that even the smallest things we do in our lives may have a great impact on our future. The author made us see the wisdom a young boy has collected from his three religions. It also asks us a question: Why can't we live in that kind of harmony? why can't we live in piece with each other when all we want to do is love God? He takes us out of our comfort zone and introduces us to a strange new culture. I think he does a briliant job on the detail of people, animals, and other things. It may not be very descriptive but it gives us room to wonder ourselves what they look like. He makes us use our minds to visualize what is happening and what is not or what might be happening in the background. Its just a good book all around.
3
One of the big functions of this book and fiction in general is to get us to wonder. To open our minds to the quetion of what if...And this book does this very well. It doesn't need to be logical or rationale to get us to wonder about how a sixteen year old kid can simultaneously believe in three different religions. Yann Martel spent four years crafting this book into something more than just words and pictures. It is a story with symbols, new ideas, and is constantly pushing what we(the readers)think is the way things are meant to be. It takes common views of life and scrambles them up, then spits them back out in ways that can, to some, seem offensive and unrealistic. It was a risk for the author to use this story considering how many toes it steps on. But it apperas the risk paid off.
Yes over analyzing is possible, you can outhink yourself and in trying to become as smart as you can, you can become more blind and more stupid than you were
Where is the non-fiction in this class. You can analyze the past, and predict the future more than just a story. Humanity makes the same mistakes and by studying what has happened before it can be prevented. Why study a made up distopia when there are many real ones to be learned from?
But it's all for critical thinking's sake, right?
Depending on the intent and artistic prowess of the author or director, symbolism can be found in every part of every work. Symbolic meaning makes a story deep and interesting. Without these parts included, books and movies would not win awards because there would be a lack of intrigued viewers.
And disagreement with support is critical thinking.
there is a class where you analyze the past...it's called history.
i agree with zach s on that. i believe that alot of things in movies, especally now a days, are intended for entertainment purpouses only. not to be dwelled on too much.
pd 3
Fictional characters are put in situations that create emotional stimulation that we want to connect to, but not necessarily feel ourselves. Like feeling the emotional effects of the holocaust without actually becoming a victim with our life in danger. It makes us appreciate the lives that we do have. Or makes us want to be better smarter people, get us unstuck from our ways and bigoted beliefs. This book in particular inspires you to research things like the religions to see what they're really about. When you read into them you find that Judaism, Islam, and Christianity all revolve around the same god and follow a similar structure, Mohammad was a prophet not a god, and he told about god, with texts from the first tesitment just like Christianity and Judaism. Buddah was also a prophet who wanted people to find an inner peace but never said there wasn't a god. In hindu their are many gods but they aren't major parts of life, there is a central thing that surrounds life which could also be the god interprated in islam, judaism and christianity. The interpratation is just so different, and no one looks to see that there are only subtle differences in the religion like how you pray and where you pray, and the gender roles in the culture that goes along side it, what's sacred is different like hair...but the basis is still the same people of all religions want the same thing, the whole world peace, happiness and love thing marriage, life partner. If you go deeper into you can see much farther.
Animals are almost, they're idol like. If we could slow down like the sloth, how much happier and safer could we be? if we consumed like an animal, only as much as we needed would there be no human starvation? If we could leave each other's territory be, maybe we could all just get along. What makes us think the way we do? why do we have to consume as much as we do? invade other people's space? why is excess the human way? Buddha seems to think we should be like the animals and use only what's necessary. So being human and intellectual thinking does not require the excess that we think it does.
Why does culture have to have so much stuff in it? Just stuff, like clothing styles? why don't we just get by like other animals? we can think and be simple at the same time. It kind of puzzles me. We treasure stuff and associate our stuff with our intellectual superiority compared to the animal world, yet we praise the intellectuals who strip themselves down of the excess like Henry David Thoreau
I disagree with Erik. Some movies win awards just on pure superficial details.
I agree with Eric, but there are alot of people who dont care about the symbols and are still very intrigued, most people go to movies to be entertained without having to think.
i agree more with thanh than eric
3
This is exactly what i quoted on a different blog. This is what makes a good author. Speaking about what it means to be human. That can differ from person to person. Being human is what exactly though... Having hair? Having thoughts? Feelings? Being human is defined differently for everyone, so when reading a book, people define the book differently, and the author cannot make intentions with the book when each will be read differently. Being superficially analyzed is false, says Martel. Are we not superficially analyzing stories and movies to write papers in this class? Maybe. Maybe not. I don't even know.
Martel uses the functions of fiction very well in this novel. I agree most with making us wonder. That's what a good book should do. Open your mind to new thoughts and feelings as well as giving us perspective to different things. Pi doesn't have a legit reason for his tri-religions, but that's the whole point: to make us wonder. We will percieve our own thoughts on the subject when we wonder.
I agree with Cody, we pay money to read books and watch movies for the sole purpose of being entertained. We want to enjoy the movie or book we dont want to sit there to analyze a movie. The harder you think about the symbols of a movie the less you enjoy it.
Thanh Enlish is influenced by past and present. It changes as a result of events. Why not study something real that has made English what it is?
I agree with Zach. Some parts in movies and books are meant for pure entertainment. If everything was symbolic, there would be no awards given for how good a film/novel is.
chad you spelled English wrong
This is a reply to Steph B.
The only reason we wonder about Pi's tri-religion, is because it is so taboo for people to have more than one religion. Why? Because we are taught and raised that way.
thanks nick
I agree with Britt. I don't pay $8 to go and anaylyze a movie and think about certain symbolic meanings. I go to relax and be entertained
Have we over-analyzed this year? With what? I'll trim it down, if that'd be better for students. Too much on ads? Too much with Cuckoo's Nest? Too much with films?
With Pi we would like to be as smart as him and figure it out like he must do, without all the work. We live vicariously through our fictional characters to make ourselves better or worse people. Very few people in their right mind would want to get stuck on a boat with a tiger, and no physical barrier, but there is learning that happens. The story plot doesn't have to be does he survive or have injuries, but what does he take away from all these experiences that he couldn't have gotten from a book.
These unthinking drones provide ticket sales for movies, but the movies that win awards are those that are found to have deeper meaning and a beautifully crafted story line. Awards aren't won in the box office alone. Some people care about the art presented in film, not the entertainment.
Then why have history as a class at all?
Britt you are right that not all movies are fiction, but the stories that are "based" on true stories are almost all fiction as well. Lots of these stories are not even close to what really happened.
Nice, Rachel K. Collegiate and impressive.
Here's some good stuff from (an interview with Martel). HE SAYS THERE IS NOTHING MORE EXCITING THAN YOU STUDENTS:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au:
Life of Pi, which is slowly working its way towards a movie adaptation, combined the folksy sweetness of a fable with the symbol-laden potential of a myth. Its appeal was vast, hitting with a satisfying thwack for the publishers, every target group from philosophers and social conservatives to literature lovers. It took Martel from obscurity to fame, even notoriety when his passing reference to the inspiration he received from a book he'd only read about in a review sparked off accusations of plagiarism: accusations eventually put to rest as unsubstantiated.
He had already begun thinking about the Holocaust book by the time he won the Booker but had to put it on hold for several years. For many writers, that delay would have been enervating. Martel not only accepted it, but welcomed it. "I'm in no rush," he says. "I don't have much to say, so I might as well say it slowly."
In fact, it's clear he has a great deal to say. And if he writes slowly, he speaks very fast. His sentences are well-formed, the sign not only of someone often interviewed but also of a serious and deep thinker.
"I went through a phase when I was young, when I was angry," Martel says. "You take it out on your parents to start with, then develop global anger, where you want righteous indignation. I got tired of that. Anger is pointless, a waste of time, and life isn't long.
"The trouble with anger is it feeds into the wrong direction. I tried to let it go and have a more open and philosophical approach to life."
While he wasn't "dressing in robes with a yellow streak down my forehead", he did visit many ashrams in India and spoke with gurus. He has deep admiration for the Indian acceptance of teachers as spiritual guides. If Life of Pi hadn't come along, he may have recycled himself as a teacher. "There's nothing more exciting than young, open minds," he says.
In contrast, Martel deplores the rational mind that closes itself to the mysteries of what we don't know and he has been waging a campaign for several years against someone he considers to have just such a mind, Stephen Harper. "The Prime Minister of Canada is a man who is bright intellectually, but in a very limited way," Martel says of Harper. "He's an ideologue, a man who does not read, so I wonder, how does he know about life? How does he explore life?
Derek H is so right--movies based on true events are often more distorted than stories that do not even attempt or claim to be "true." It's almost offensive to pervert a true story by (melo)dramatizing it. Things should be told as they were, right? But that's almost impossible.
Even Schindler's List is based on actual events, but is largely made fiction.
I think we have fiction books purely due to the fact that we want excitement in our lifes and writing a book you can make anything happen and you don't have to worry about making stuff untrue that is suppose to be true. It lets our imaginations run wild we can write about wizards or dogs that can talk. When writting a book about someone's life you can't make stuff up or you'll get in trouble. You can't put based on a true story if not. Just like the book A Million Little Pieces which there was a huge controversy on whether or not it was a true story. Can someone's life actually be this terrible or did someone just make it up simply for amusement. When films are based on a true story we are most definitely sure they ad some quirks just to make it more interesting but they still have to follow the original story. As for fiction films/books you can go off of whatever you want and i think thats what makes us seem so interested in them. They can be too god to be true.
I disagree with Britt, if we enjoy movies and novels that we can relate to the best, how do any of us enjoy Life of Pi. I certainly have neither grown up in zoo nor practiced three religions at once! Sometimes we like to relate to movies or novels but sometimes I feel that we need to experience things that have no chance of happening to us so we can escape from reality for a little bit. We want to see the possibilities of what could happen to us in other parts of the country/world.
But mustn't we think critically by going beyond just relaxation and entertainment?
You pay $8 for movie tickets and you will pay a lot more than that for college, which will make you analyze and interpret and clarify and evaluate and predict and visualize and...
Relaxation and entertainment will come in college, but hopefully the learning and thinking entertain you, right?
pd 5
i would have to agree with zach.. when i go to the movies and pay 8 bucks i just want to sit back and relax and enjoy the movie i dont want to sit there and analyze the movie. What ever symbolic thing happens i dont try and catch it everytime or i dont go through and think oh that connect to the symbolic thing in th beginning of the movie.
pd.
If these stories were completly true would we stay interested?? You need to not know the whole story, and not to know exactly what is going to happen. Fiction stories show that anything is really possible. If all books are non-fiction.. wouldnt we get bored? We need creativity and imagination to help us learn and figure things out. The thing I like about fiction stories is that everyone has a different perspective and thinks differently. It is all how you interpret things. To make us more involved in the stories, the author makes situations for the characters to take place in, and do we really know that even though its fiction that it couldnt happen? I like that Martel talks about how Pi wants to be three religions. To us this seems sort of impossible.. right? How can you be completly three religion? They all have different beliefs, so wont they just contridict eachother. Maybe so, maybe not. I guess anything is possible. I also like that Pi doesnt follow his parents in not really following a god. This shows that he is his own person and has his own beliefs despite what his parents see it as. Martel is so descriptive in his writing which makes me visualalize his work that much more. You feel that you are right there with Pi. This keeps us interested, and keeps us reading.
(I don't analyze/deconstruct every film I see, either. Well not totally, at least.)
(My wife does get tired of some of my ideas during/after films. I don't know what her problem is--she's smarter than I am.)
It is absolutely fine to relax and enjoy yourself at the movies (as long as you are not a sleepwalker or zombie in the rest of your life).
I agree with Spencer. We need to escape from reality and we need to experience other things to enjoy life. Not all of us can spend time on a life boat with a tiger. We need to experience this through a book. I believe we can all enjoy this book if we give it a chance.
Nick P. Per.5
Yan Martel's perception on fiction gives me deep insight into the actuality that reality is all too often false. Any story can be possible, who's to say what is and isn't fiction? A 16 year old boy could very well end up on a lifeboat with a 500 pound Tiger. That same boy could also believe in three religions. Who are we to say that isn't possible? As far as fiction and non fiction goes, I believe that it's not all black and white, there are shades of gray.
Period 5
Being able to blog and talk with Yann Martel and others makes us realize that they are real people. They aren't just "some famous person far far away that you'll never have the chance to meet". Although most live pretty far away, we feel closer to them by being able to talk to them and get to know the meanings behind their work. They show us what their eyes see through paper. What someone sees when they look out their window in the morning in the U.S. is a completely different view than what someone living on a boat in the middle of the ocean would see when they open their eyes in the morning. Yann Martel gives us perspective of how other people and cultures as a whole live, and by doing so help us to understand ourselves and the way we live. Why we do what we do. After Pi has been on a lifeboat for so long, leaving his precious belongings behind, he keeps his things close to him at all times. We have never been in a situation where all of our things have been taken from us and we've had to start from nothing, but yet it's not far away. We live in tornado alley and one could easily come and take away everything our parents and ourselves have worked for. Then we would be just like Pi, somewhere unfamiliar, out of your comfort zone, without the objects we "need". It makes us realize what things we should really keep on hand at all time, instead of our cell phones and ipods. I don't know how much help they're really going to do if a disaster comes and strikes our small town community.
So cut film analysis/deconstruction from this class? It's pointless/meaningless?
pd.5
I agree with Holly, when I go to the movies or watch a movie at home I never analyze and think about all the symblolism and all that kind of stuff, I watch the movie to enjoy it and relax and not have to think for awhile.
I would have to disagree with Holly and Zach. Even now I am catching myself analyze movies when I watch them. I love seeing how things relate to one another. If I pick up on symbols then I feel I get more out of the movie that I spent $8 on. I feel like I understood it more.
I think that the fact that Martel has explored India has made Life of Pi more real to me. He has personal experience and relates to that in his novel. That makes me more interested in this story because I now know where the background info came from. He gives great details about India but I was never sure if they were real or just made up. I know there are some areas in the book that are not based on reality but like Mr. C said it is impossible to always tell things the way they always were.
pd 5
I agree with Chad. English has been changed in the past. It is not the same as what it used to be. I think that we should have more variety when reading. I think that we should read more non-fiction and less of fiction.
I dont think that film deconstruction is pointless. I think it is a good idea to help us think out of the box. We never wondered why things were the way they were. Deconstructing helps us understand why the author/director did certain things, and made certain things the way they are to try and get through to us. With this we become more involved in the movie/novel and we stay interested and think more.
I agree with Holly that when i go to a movie or even watch one at home i want to just relax and enjoy the film. i do not want to have to stop and think critically about each statement that is said or each movement a character makes. When films/books are more realistic people are able to relate to them and get into them more because they feel as if they might have been through that situation before. at the same time movie/books that aren't realistic are also very entertaining. it makes viewers/readers think "what if" and opens up your imagination for your own creations.
I agree with Ally. Fiction novels are often made to relate to the reader, which non-fiction novels may not always do. In fiction, the author is given the opportunity to create anyone or anything that he/she wants, not to mention expand the thought process and imagination of the reader.
period 5
I agree with what Sara B. said at the top, this book pushes the line between believable and non believable. You want to say either you buy a part of the book or sell but most of the time, for me, it is difficult to tell. "Fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human." Some amazing, unbelievable things happen in life and that is just how it is. So trying to differentiate between fiction and non fiction can be a difficult task. "It's reality, often times, being so superficially analyzed, that it is false." Most of the time real life is so over analyzed that just being is false, so then what is true?
I believe that fiction books have some what a form of reality in them whether or not we choose to believe it. Especially in Life of Pi if you really think about it, this book could actually be about someone. We no that it is not a true story but it could happen in reality. Nothing really in this book made me question it to the fact that I knew that it couldn’t happen in real life. Yann Martel kept us interested in his book by using religion, science, and math. He challenges our minds and what we believe in our not, which I believe that even makes the book more interesting. It’s hard to believe that a 16 year old can be three religions, but as Mr. C said an author should step on our toes that’s what they are suppose to do. This book makes you think more about yourself and your religion if you do have a religion. If you don’t I’m sure this book makes you actually think about religion. Also this book brings a lot of questions. This book is a very good book, probably my favorite book we have read in this class.
comment above is said by ERin Sudbeck
Yann Martel gives us examples in "what if" scenarios. Pi is a young boy who only wants be accepted in his modern-day society. A boy from India who believes in Hinduism, a very common theme in India. However it's also revealed that he believes in christianity, islam, and hinduism. Something that many people find out of the ordinary. Is it possible to balance three different religious figures at the same time. You have God, Allah, and the deity's of Hinduism. All three religions in some way are controversial in of its own. All three do believe in God, but interms of the afterlife and purpose of your existance is different. The balancing of three religions can be equivalent to being on a boat with a hyena, orangutan, zebra, and a tiger. hyena represting Islam, tiger representing christianity, orangutan/zebra both represent hinduism. One offers a matter of force into his belief, the second representing protection and possible motive for a reason to live, and the third representing a peaceful matter and respect for mother nature. Think of the same issue of altercation of those 4 animals representing the three priests that had said that holding three religion is sacreligious. We dont think that being on a boat with bloodthirsty animals is possible, or believing in three religions at once. Yann Martel explores the impossible making something fictious into reality.
I think that it has been good for us to analyze the films we have this year. I have learned and seen things I would have never have noticed before. Analyzing could makes boring films more interesting. I definitely don't think analyzing takes the fun out of watching movies, it just helps us to imagine more and find deeper meanings to things. Sometimes is is good to know what the author was thinking at the time of filming or even just have your own interpretation of what is happening in the scene.
pd.5
I think Life of Pi accomplishes all of the functions of fiction. It especially accomplishes the first two, Show beauty and possibilities of language and
Create meaning; make events matter. It accomplishes the first one with all the imagery and the descriptions that make you feel like your there. It accomplishes the second one by making the first 90 pages, that first seem like junk we don't need, mean something. In these two ways Life of Pi is very similar to Lord of the Flies and other books we have read. Lord of the Flies has lots of imagery as well as giving us information we don't think we need. As for the function of the Artist/Author Life of Pi definitely accomplishes the first one cultural analyst/evaluator. By Pi practicing three religions this makes you question if this is possible in our culture today. This reason also falls under makes us explore beliefs, views, ethics. Is practicing three religions ethical in todays standards? That is one of the biggest questions of the book that I have read so far.
I would have to disagree and agree with Alexa.. Dont you like just to sit back and watch movies and just relax? But i guess i can understand a little bit on how you catch yourself analyzing movies and finding symbols. Now that we spent so much time analyzing movies in class i catch myslef a few times too because i became immuned to it due to spending time on it for like 3 weeks in class, and writing a paper on it.
Pd. 5
Yann Martels feelings towards fiction are similar to mine. I also belive that fiction is true because it speaks about what it means to be human. Even if fiction isnt real, it could be, that is what makes it appealing towards people. They want to belive that something fiction is possible or may even happen in their lifetime. It is unrealistic that a tiger and boy could co-exist with each other for 200+ days, but people like to imagine that it could be possible, and they like to visualize what would happen. That is why books are often better than movies made after books, cause in the book you yourself can visualize what things/people look like (make them appear how you think/want them to look), but in movies directors and other people make everything how they want it, in a way that gets them the most money, not how you want it to be or imangined it to be. I also agree with Yann Martel that fiction is often reality, but is so analyzed that it is false. Its like playing that game telephone where to tell your neighbor something, then they tell the person next to them the same thing and so on, and in the end what you said is completely different. That is what happens when you analyze every aspect about something, it turns into something completely different that you think it should be, not what the author wants it to be. Over analyzing things creates a different meaning to what the intended meaning is/was, if there was even a meaning to begin with. Some times we just make up things to analyze!
I agree with Dani. I watch movies differently now and I see things I would not have caught before. I think it adds to the movie. It helps us relate more and helps us find deeper meanings in the movie. There are reasons why the directors do certain things, and if you can figure that out then you are able to understand more in the movie
Analyzing films shows us the hidden messages in a film that wasn't meant to be shown but for us to understand what the message is used for. Even a typical movie based on a fairy tale that has been used for decades such as a damzle in distress and a knight in shiny armor saves her, that made be used before but can alter its motive and characters and even the story to make it more entertainable such as making modern day and having the knight be replaced with a spy such as James Bond; showing us that he doesnt care if the girl lives or dies when she hopes to be saved, but will help her regardless and hoping for a reward for his own greedy reasons
Holly-
I don't know. I really can't remember one time that I have sat back and watched a movie. I have already done it before we started it in class and I feel I just get more out of the movie.
pd.5
I agree with Dani. Analyzing films it not pointless at all. It helps you to get to think of why is this happening and not just sit and watch. Although most of the time I do just sit and watch and not actually think and analyze movies, it is good to do it every now and then. I would say that you do not and should not completely analyze every movie that you watch, but every now and then it is good for you to deconstruct and think of what is going on and for what reason it happening.
p.5
I think there are some movies that we almost have to deconstruct to even understand the meaning of it. But there are also movies that you just watch for entertainment, you don't have to analyze them at all. I also agree if I pay to go to a movie im probabaly just going to sit and relax and hang out with my friends, and if i pick up on stuff cool.
I completely agree with Dani. When I watch movies now, I catch myself analyzing, and asking myself "is there a reason they chose that lighting?" or noticing the good guy in white while the bad guy is dressed in dark colors. I enjoy looking for symbols and things most people might over look.
I think we all deconstruct movie whether we are aware of it or not. We all ask questions on why the director does certain stuff. We all wonder and pick up on symobols, so I don't actually think you can just "sit back and watch" the movie without deconstructing it a little bit.
i agree with dani that now i notice more things during movies and wonder why things are the way they are. it makes us more aware
Like Alex, I believe in what Mr. Martel says about us over analyzing reality. Life really isn't what people in hollywood or anywhere make it out to be. When you think everythings good, stuff still fails. Thats why some of the most real books can be fiction. It's like a story in your head that you know isn't real but it's still a story. It askes you questions and you answer them. Not everything that is portrayed as non-fiction has to be taken that way. It's just the author's/someone's true experencies, not yours. However a fiction novel might be more of your reality then you think it is. It's just a little warped.
I think fiction is great because of how boring real life can be. Fiction allows people to escape their own story and jump into someone elses. It is very entertaining to see seemingly impossible stories come to life. Thats one reason for fiction.
You don't get enough nonfiction in history, sociology, psychology, and so on?
Yann Martel's quote is definitely true. I think fiction gives a lot of people inspiration and entertainment at the same time. With books, fiction is almost always easier to read and spend your time on. However, with movies, I'm going to have to say I like it more when it is at least partially based on a true story. I like that it can and really did happen, it's possible and you have a reason to believe that it could happen to you... in a good or bad way.
Get enough nonfiction in math and science classes, too?
Though I have thought of inserting a lengthy, nonfiction text...
Is nonfiction less "teachable" or "learnable" or less creative?
Darren's right: my life is awfully banal and/or benign compared to most films and books I've enjoyed.
Derek G--you'll be able to "pick up on stuff" better now, I/we hope. You will, consciously or subconsciously.
Period 7.
Life of Pi is a book full of symbolism, I would give specific examples of the symbolism used
in the book, but I don't want to ruin the ending for anyone who hasn't read it yet. Martel can definitely make nothing symbolism something, but again, I'm not going to list examples because some people would probably get really pissed at me if I gave away the ending of the book. I'm not sure if the book gives us an idea of what it's like to be "human", infact I believe it does just about the opposite.
I'm going to have to agree with Alexa, I notice things in
movies that I wouldn't have before, like little things.
It really makes watching a movie not as enjoyable as
it used to have been, but it's nice being able to notice
things that other people don't notice and put the pieces
together before they even know what's going on.
I'm going to disagree with Kyera. Yes, it is an "uplifting" feeling that Pi has finally found God, or "god" if you will. But what about for people who don't believe in "god"? Will they never feel uplifted?
Kaylee--people might be uplifted by the human spirit, the man-made triumph, maybe? The winning person over nature or over fate or over obstacle?
Yann Martel's quote is truer than true in my book. Although movies like LOTR and books like "The Phantom Tollbooth" are not true stories, they offer very useful and factual things. Like Than said, people have been telling stories for thousands and thousands of years. From the Old Testament to the story of Paul Bunyan, humans thrive on them. They stimulate our imaginations and allow our brains and intellects to grow. I don't know what I would do without stories or books when I was growing up. As toddlers and kids, we need to be able to differentiate what is real and what is not real. In some aspects, we can learn more in fiction than we can in reality. Reality is almost more fake than fiction. Hollywood is fiction. Plastic surgery is fiction. Even facebook and blogging is fiction. But without these things of fiction, society would be a lot different and our minds would not have enough room to grow.
Fiction gives us the opportunity to grow involved with the characters, love them, and in time worry about them and their actions. Yann Martel's quote is very true and i agree with it completely. Fiction is about something that you enjoy and will make you think deeper and try understand the real meanings of things. This will give us different perspectives on life and help us understand ourselves because this can be integrated into the novel. Yes, i think the book Life of Pi, does this accomplishes most of the functions of fiction and functions of the author and in turn makes us think better and make better decisions. But i also think that non fiction is a better way of learning because that stuff actually has happened. We should learn more history so don't make those mistakes again. Fiction entertains us, makes us think and become aware but nonfiction teaches us about actual events that happened and how we should learn from it. We need a balance of fiction and nonfiction in our lives.
By analyizing Martel's quote we can realiz what a huge role fiction plays in our lives. Fiction gives meaning to everything even if it does not have any meaning. Fiction also really helps us to understand life. It can open us up to new ideas, give us new perspectives, and educate us at the same time. A book such as Life of Pi does all three of these. Although Life of Pi is a work of fiction, the realism is unprecedented. He gives us actual facts about animals and he tells us about their actual habits, both in the wild and in zoos. This work of fiction corrects for us the common misconception that zoos are bad for animals and that we are terribly cruel to animals for keeping them from roaming in the wild. This book is very educational, even though it is considered "fake" because it is fiction. Fiction can also give us new perspectives we would not otherwise encounter in everyday life. In Life of Pi, the topic of religion is constantly being talked about. Although I do not agree that it is possible to fully believe Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam because of their conflicting beliefs, this book opens up this idea. Fiction can also give us new perspectives that we would not otherwise have in reality or in nonfiction. It is hard to imagine yourself in Pi's position, stranded in a life boat with a 450lb Bengal tiger. This work of fiction puts you in Pi's position, we are presented with his situation and the choices that he has to make. We find ourselves totally engaged, such as when Pi lets the bananas float away. This can really make us wonder, what would have been different if Pi was able to get the bananas. Fiction has the ability to make us wonder unlike nonfiction.
I agree with Chris. Fiction has the ability to engage the reader with the character very well. The more we know about the character, the more we will be affected when good or bad things happen to them.
I really enjoy chris's commment about fictional work. It really does have so much of an effect on you when you read it because it's not necessarily "true" so therefore you are allowed to interpret things in your own way. A good fiction book may want to swing your beliefs in one way, but in reality its not telling you which side to chose or how to interpret what it's trying to convey. You have to love that about reading. It opens your eyes to the world even if the story isn't necessarily true. Then you can sit down and contimplate your own self and decide what you do "buy" or "sell". Chris also mentioned the digging deeper and I completely agree. In works of fiction you can read it as an adventure story or just a plain story or you can take whats underneath. You can dig deep under the surface and find things that you haven't thought before. Lord of the Flies was a perfect example although fiction there was more to the story besides and adventure story of some boys trying to survive on the island. Underneath Golding put ideas and messages that we, the reader, are allowed to contimplate and deside for our ownselves what is right and wrong.
To answer Mr. C's previous question: Is nonfiction less "teachable" or "learnable" or less creative? I belive that nonfiction is not less teachable, learnable or less creative. The ideas for nonfiction books are already out there (because they have had to happen), but the creativity comes from how you format that into a book and how you describe the events that take place. Having a nonfiction book would be good to get a nice dose of reality every once in a while.
I agree with tj, but the fact still remains. some people will look at books that are fiction and think they are fact. and some will look at theory, and call it fiction. The bible. por ejemplo. Is not true, but on the cover it does not say "fiction" so some people will believe, while others will not.
i think that the biggest function of fiction is that it teaches us somthing about ourselves and the world around us. Isn't that the whole point of everything? to teach us about ourselves and the world to prepare us?
Karn - You raise a point. I've never thought about it that way before.
i think the book life of pi not only makes you think out of the box buy makes you wonder what the true meaning of life really....with pi believing in more than just one religion it makes you wonder slightly that which religion really is the "correct" or "real" religion...does this mean that everyone is going to hell or is everyone going to heaven...which religion is the one that we are supposed to believe in..?
Pd.5
I do believe other books that we have read this year do not accomplish the goal of the functions of fiction like the book Life of Pi. The book Life of Pi creates meanings unlike any other book that I have ever read before. The Life of Pi has so many literary devices that people pick out, these devices help me because they show more meaning to what the devices are showing. It better helps me understand the situation. For example, I can clearly see the object being portrayed. I believe that the functions of fiction fit the book Life of Pi perfectly. Every function that you stated fits the book perfectly. The book helped me better understand fiction and better yet opened up the world for me to a different understanding. I also believe that the functions of the artist fit the author perfectly also. The author deffinitely makes us explore other beliefs, for example, his views on his characters religion and views on how he could die but he is determined to keep on going to survive. All these functions are about Life of Pi. I believe this book is very awesome. At first I didn't like it but after the knowledge of Patels past it got better.
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