Rank your four (4) favorite similes from Life of Pi. Type the similes here with their page numbers in parentheses. You decide the quality by which you are ranking them (most visual or most relatable or most thought-provoking, maybe). Then write 100+ words explaining your ranking.
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1.“His upturned pads with their wet fur looked like little desert islands surrounded by seaweed.”(172)
2. “Dolphins, very fast swimmers, play about boats and ships much like dogs chase cars…” (176)
3. It glowed in the sunlight, looking like a glass of apple juice.” (172)
4. “I gazed upon this urban hurly-burly like someone observing a city from a hot air balloon” (176)
I chose these similes and put these in order because I thought they were very important for the novel but also somewhat thought-provoking. The first one is talking about the tiger and when Pi was looking at him he noticed his paws and how they looked like a dry land but his fur makes it look like seaweed surrounding it. The second one has a sense of happiness. Dolphins make most people happy because they give off the vibe of being happy. When you compare dolphins and dogs you tend to get a sense of happiness and I believe that is what Pi needed. When Pi was at his lowest and thinking about drinking pee but also not because when he was younger he got made fun of because his name sounds like pissing. When you are so deprived of something you tend to just put in your head that it is okay and just drink it. The 3rd simile is talking about how his pee looks like apple juice and how he might just drink it. The last simile I found had a sense of peacefulness. Thinking about being in a hot air balloon and looking at the city, to me, sounds very peaceful. Pi was observing the water below him very closely.
1. “The pink skin was peeled back and looked like the petals of a flower, revealing kneecaps that were fire-engine red” (53).
2. “As confidently as if I had done it a thousand times, I jammed the knife just right of the turtles’ head, at an angle” (201).
3. “Books lined the shelves of bookstores like kids standing in a row to play baseball or soccer, and mine was the gangly, authentic kid that no one wanted on their team” (VII).
4. “The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets. The sea clinked like a small change in a pocket. The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting” (215).
I picked the first quote because I liked how at first Pi is repulsed from the iconic image of Christianity to being enchanted by it. It is the image of Christ on the cross that inspires his interest in Christianity, and his love for it. Pi also describes the skin as looking like flower petals. Flower petals are usually associated with femininity and purity, so I thought that it was Martel sneaking in a reference to Mary, which just makes Pi’s quote better as he is already absorbing elements of Christianity. The second quote was interesting because he started the journey as a vegetarian who cried over the loss of animal life, and how he is an eager huntsman. The third and fourth quotes have such vivid imagery in them that Martel is building an entire image in the reader's mind. I know that the third quote is so vivid because it is a description of what he actually went through. The fourth quote builds an image so descriptive that the reader feels like they are there; it is great imagery after great imagery.
1. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it" (Martel 119).
2. "It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp" (Martel 97).
3. "I landed with a trampoline-like bounce on half-unrolled tarpaulin covering a lifeboat forty feet below"(Martel 105).
4. "They were like nails being driven into my flesh" (Martel 7).
I chose these similes based on the ones that offered me the most vivid image in my mind as I read. After reading these, I felt I could picture the book better in my brain after reading these similes. I find it very important to have a vision of how the story takes place. When reading a book with vivid writing like this, it allows me to almost picture the writing as a movie in my head. With this, I can understand and comprehend the action better as I read along. I think vivid descriptions of events and comparisons are helpful for readers to create that movie-like mind image. It allows the reader to comprehend based on objects or things they already understand, which is why similes are so helpful. Martel does an impressive feat of comparing things that no one would dream of comparing, but under his brilliance they make perfect sense. This skill allows the book to come to life in so many different ways, creating a story that is hard to put down.
1. “ Dark hair, dark eyes. Hair greying at the temples. Can’t be older than forty. Pleasing coffee-colored complexion.” (Martel 7).
2. “I felt I was in the presence of upside-down yogis deep in meditation or hermits deep in prayer, wise beings whose intense imaginative lives were beyond the reach of my scientific probing.” (Martel 5).
3. "He ripped the flesh off man's frame and cracked his bones. The smell of blood filled my nose" (Martel 255)
4. "They were like nails being driven into my flesh" (Martel 7).
I decided on these smilies because they helped me project the book in my head. When I was looking for smilies I looked for the ones that gave the most vivid descriptions. To the point where I felt like I could picture, taste, or even feel exactly what the author is writing about. This helps me as read tremendously, not only to better my understanding of the book but it keeps me interested because I can imagine just what Yann is saying in my head. My favorite simile is the first one because the description Yann Martel gives us about Pi, helps me picture exactly what he looks like. Pi describes how Richard Parker killed the french man "He ripped the flesh off man's frame” (Martel 255). I love this quote because it makes me almost cringe
1. "I landed with a trampoline-like bounce on the half-unrolled tarpaulin covering a lifeboat forty feet below." (Martel 105)
2. "Each of his (Richard Parker) claws as sharp as a knife." (Martel 135)
3. "Otherwise, to grab a wild guinea pig with your bare hands would be like taking hold of a knife by the blade." (Martel 38)
4. "My digestive tract to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower." (Martel 43)
Life of Pi is completely full of vivid imagery. Plenty of this imagery is helped by his wickedly smart similes. I found that his similes were extremely helpful in both further educating you as well as keeping you wanting more of the book. For example when Pi says "like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower" the reader cannot help but re-read that sentence and think about what that would be like. You can then somewhat understand the agony he was in during that situation. Another example of this being when he describes Richard Parker's claws as sharp as knives. This vivid simile gives you an understanding on not only what they look like but what they would do to you.
“It glowed in the sunlight, looking like a glass of apple juice” (172)
"Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it" (119).
“On the rain catcher the rain made a drumming sound, and around me, coming from the darkness beyond, it made a hissing sound, as if I were at the centre of a great nest fo angry snakes” (156)
“Then fear, disguised in the garb of mild-mannered doubt, slips into your mind like a spy” (161)
I enjoyed these similies because they either help me visualize what is happening, help me hear what is happening, or shows the effects of Pi’s decreasing sanity. The first simile helps you visualize exactly what the urine looked like and made you think from Pi’s point of view and explain partially why he thought drinking it would be a good idea. The second simile helps the reader visualize what the sun looks like by comparing it to an electrically lit orange. The third simile is helping the reader hear what Pi hears at this moment. It gives the reader a deeper understanding of what the rain sounds like. The fourth simile shows the effects of Pi’s slowly diminishing sanity. It talks about fear and how it creeps up on you like a spy. It implies that fear is always around, but sometimes you may not realize it until it is the main thought on your mind. I put these similies in this order because I am more drawn to visual similies rather than similes that describe sounds.
1- "warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it."- This simile is one of my favorites because it not only uses the color orange as description, which is used many times throughout the book, but it also does a great job of describing what Pi is feeling in an intricate way.
2- "Each of his claws sharp as a knife, and he couldn't pop through it, like a Jack in the Box."- This simile is special because it describes how Richard parkers dangerous qualities actually bring him weakness. I think it is an eye-opening quote that helps you see the balance between Pi and Richard Parker.
3- "My digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawn mower."- I enjoy this simile because of the descriptive detail that is used. It draws the reader in and adds an extra spark to the story.
4- "The ship sank, it made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp."- This simile was good in my opinion because it takes a major event in the book and uses imagery to make it more visible for the reader.
1. "The ship sank, it made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp." (Martel 97)
- this simile gives a nice description of what the ship was like while sinking. You can think of how it looks and sounds while going under.
2. "I thought it smelled somewhat like a lote tree, but it wasn't a lote either. Nor a mangrove. Nor any other tree I had ever seen." (Martel 261)
- This simile just gives us insight to how excited Pi is to be on land. I do not know many people so intent on knowing what type of tree they are standing under, I believe it is just a way to calm him down and think about being on land instead of the middle of the ocean.
3. "Each of his claws as sharp as a knife." (Martel 135)
- Giving a vivid description of how sharp and long the claws of Richard Parker are, allowing us to be reminded he is born to kill, yet Pi has been living on a boat with him.
4. "My digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has wallowed a lawn mover." (Martel 43)
- We have all had terrible stomach issues but never knew how to describe it, I believe after reading this sentence we as readers could all understand this exact feeling of terrible stomach problems.
“His eviscerated torso, with its broken ribs curving up like the frame of a ship, looked like a miniature version of a lifeboat, such was its blood drenched and horrifying state” 256
“Atop his head were small, expressive ears shaped like perfect arches” 151
“Looking like an electrically lit orange” 119
“She looked like a simian Christ on the cross.” 132
I love these similes because they make the story appear so much more life-like. The first one describes the French man’s dead body. Martel describes this in such a detailed way that brings the character of Pi to life. The fact that Pi relates the dead body with a boat describes just how long he had been on the life raft.The second one does a great job describing the shape of Richard Parker’s ears. This simile is great because it allows us to relate him to shapes that we are already familiar with. The third example is short and descriptive. Although it isn’t long, it gives us a beautiful picture of a peaceful sunrise. It uses an unusual combination of details that describe the situation with perfect detail. Lastly, the fourth simile describes Orange Juice Martel compares Orange Juice to Jesus Christ in a way that highlights her protective and honest nature. Unlike the hyena and Richard Parker, it shows how this animal has no evil intent.
1. "They were like nails being driven into my flesh" (Martel 7).
2. "I landed with a trampoline-like bounce on the half-unrolled tarpaulin covering a lifeboat forty feet below." (Martel 105)
3. "It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp" (Martel 97).
4. "Otherwise, to grab a wild guinea pig with your bare hands would be like taking hold of a knife by the blade." (Martel 38)
I chose these quotes because to me they are the most vivid and detailed descriptions in Life of Pi. When using different similes it helps you visualize what is happening and you can really start to picture it. Some of these similes are very creative and are interesting to think about. In the first one, it is so detailed that you could almost envision it happening to you and the pain that was felt. Also in the third one, you can also hear what it would sound like. Because of the words, Martel uses the book really comes to life and is easy and interesting to read and interpret.
1.) "Each time it's the same: my taste buds shrivel up and die, my skin goes beet red, my eyes well up with tears, my head feels like a house on fire, and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower" (25).
2.) "This laughter was like a volcano of happiness erupting in me" (68).
3.) "We set out like prisoners off to their execution" (19).
4.)"That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart"(6).
Number one on my list deserves first place because of its intense imagery. You can picture, and may almost feel exactly what Martel is feeling at this moment. The imagery created using similies was too good to not include it in my top 4. Number two is super simple but does a lot in the context that it's in. At this point, Pi has just found himself in the lifeboat. You would think that he would be panicking, but no. Instead, laughter erupts out of him like a volcano. Number three on my list gives us an idea of how Pi feels so clearly—he really didn't want to go, but he has no choice (just like a prisoner). I love that it's dark but true to his feelings. Number four is another simple and short one that gives us a better idea of what Pi is feeling. This simile helps us understand more of Pi as a character, and I really appreciate that a simile can do that for us. Similes can tell us so much more than what's written on paper.
1."Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it"(Martel 119).
2."It glowed in the sunlight, looking like a glass of apple juice"(Martel 172)
3."My heart began to beat like a merry drum" (Martel 143).
4."Blood started flowing through my veins like cars from a wedding party honking their way through town" (Martel 143).
I enjoy these similies because it gives me a picture of what he is feeling and seeing. The way that he describes these feelings by connecting them to everyday things. I know that his blood is rushing fast because he describes it as a car going through some sort of wedding parade. The first simile talks about the sun and compares it to an orange which I thought was interesting because the color orange has been used as a connection to survival and the sun is rising on another day that he has survived on the pacific. The second simile I found interesting because he was always mad when people called him pissing making fun of his name but now for survival he had the thought of drinking his own piss as a last resort.
1. "The head is broad and too massive, with a high forehead, like that of a bear, but suffering from a receding hairline, and with ears that look ridiculously mouse-like, large and round, when they haven't been torn off in battle." (116)
2. "Richard Parker opened his maw and the squealing rat disappeared into it like a baseball into a catcher's mitt." (153)
4. "It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp." (97)
3. "His paws were like volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica." (132)
I chose these 4 quotes based on how vivid the picture was in my head when I read them. The rat disappearing into Richard Parker's mouth and the tail being slurped up can give me a good picture in my head. It sounds like when someone is eating spaghetti and the suck in a noodle. Also, the size of his paws being like encyclopedias. These books can be quite large, so it was a good comparison to his paws. My favorite quote was when he is describing the head. He compares the sheer size of his head to that of a bear, but then contradicts that and says he has mouse-like ears. Two very different animals, and then also mentioning a receding hairline, like something a human might have. This is my favorite simile because it compares so many very different things, but still makes sense.
1. "This beach, so soft, firm and vast, was like the cheek of God, and somewhere two eyes were glittering with pleasure and mouth was smiling at having me there." (285)
2. "On the rain catcher the rain made a drumming sound, and around me, coming from the darkness beyond, it made a hissing sound as if I were at the centre of a great nest of angry snakes." (156)
3. "I woke up with a start, as if Ravi had burst a balloon in my ears." (101)
4. "Otherwise, to grab a wild guinea pig with your bare hands would be like taking hold of a knife by the blade." (38)
All of these similes provide great examples of imagery. My favorite simile was the one where Pi finally made it to the island. He compared it to laying on God's cheek. I also think it is comical how Pi compares the boat making a loud noise and sinking to a balloon popping. They can be compared, one is just on a much larger scale than the other. It was also funny to me how he compared something as cute and cuddly as a guinea pig to a knife. I ranked all of the different similes by the way they provide visual evidence for how Pi is feeling and what he is thinking.
“The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table.” (Martel 48)
“I landed with a trampoline-like bounce on the half-unrolled tarpaulin covering a lifeboat forty feet below.” (Martel 105)
“Black spiders that crawled around her like malevolent worshippers” (Martel 112)
“A single fly buzzed about, sounding to me like an alarm bell of insanity.” (Martel 127)
Life of Pi is full of similes throughout the entire book. The different similies portrayed throughout this book help me better understand and visualize what is going on. This helps me enjoy the book while reading. The four different similies I picked from are my favorite so far. I really liked how they are portrayed and incorporated into the book. I like the second simile because it talks about how he landed and it gives extra detail on what is happening. I also really like the third simile I picked because it gives details on what he sees on the boat. I also like it because it is talking about his religion while on this boat.
1. "I felt like a small circle coinciding with the center of a larger one." (62)
2. “It glowed in the sunlight, looking like a glass of apple juice” (172)
3. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it" (119).
4. “His upturned pads with their wet fur looked like little desert islands surrounded by seaweed.” (172)
These similes help me, as a reader, visualize what is actually going on in the book through Pi's eyes. These were the most detailed similes that gave me a clear image. The first one allows me to understand how he felt. He was so small compared to the bigger circle. The next one, he described, was letting me see color while reading. The golden and warm hues he depicted aided in the scenery. The next one also helped with the colors that the sun was shining. The last one depicted a great image of the animal. All these similes helped me visualize the book.
1)"It glowed in the sunlight, looking like a glass of apple juice.” (Martel 172)
2)“I landed with a trampoline-like bounce on the half-unrolled tarpaulin covering a lifeboat forty feet below.” (Martel 105)
3)"Richard Parker opened his maw and the squealing rat disappeared into it like a baseball into a catcher's mitt." (Martel 153)
4)"They were like nails being driven into my flesh." (Martel 7)
I ranked these similes in this order for a couple reasons. The top quote I liked was due a little to do with this apple juice that my friends and I like. This apple juice is what came to my mind as golden nectar shining in the light. The second simile is just full of description. For the third, the main reason this even caught my attention was because of the baseball aspect brought into it. It made it easy to relate and visualize what had occurred. Though a little unsettling and morbid, the last quote has spectacular use of adjectives very much giving us a sense of the situation.
1. "To lose your father is to lose the one whose guidance and help you seek, who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches." (127)
2. "To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you." (127)
3. "We are all born like Catholics, aren't we—in limbo, without religion, until some figure introduces us to God?" (47)
4. "In water that was dense, glassy and flecked by millions of lit-up specks of plankton, fish like trucks and buses and cars and bicycles and pedestrians were madly racing about, no doubt honking and hollering at each other." (175)
I ranked these 4 quotes based on which ones were the most relatable. I feel each of these quotes can be related to every person who comes across them. For the first two, they talk about parents, or rather the loss of them, so everyone can relate to this whether their parents are alive or not. I can't even imagine losing my parents, so I can understand why Pi feels so lost and confused after his parents passed. In the third quote, it talks about how when you are first born you can only be influenced to believe in God by outside influences. This made a lot of sense to me and is something I've thought about often. I would never know God and have a relationship with Him if it wasn't for my family and their influence. The last quote relates the ocean to society. Again, everyone who interacts with people in society on a daily basis can relate. These quotes really help me to visualize and understand Pi's thought processes throughout the novel.
1. "We are all born like Catholics, aren't we——in limbo, without religion, until some figure introduces us to God?" (47)
2. "It is a religion as swift as a swallow, as urgent as an ambulance." (57)
3. "The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets. The sea clinked like small change in a pocket. The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting." (215)
4. "The flat and endless Pacific rose like a great wall around us. I never thought we would get around it." (309)
I decided to rank these similes by how thought-provoking they were to me. Number 4 did not make me think much, but I still like the simile because it helps us visualize the Pacific Ocean from Pi's point of view. For number 3, I grouped a bunch of consecutive similes. I love chapter 78, which is the chapter that these similies are from——it describes Pi's thoughts well and sums up what life is like in the ocean. These similes make up what is probably the best description of a large body of water I've ever read. I had to stop and think and appreciate the words on the page here. Number 2 is a bit of a humorous realization made by Pi (or Martel). I re-read this simile a few times, amused. I adore the ruminations and religious philosophy in the novel; everything makes you see from a new perspective. Number 1 was present in a passage describing Christianity as a "religion in a rush." I grew up with Christianity, and I have never thought about it in this way. I really had to stop and analyze what Pi (or Martel) was saying here. Religion in a rush? I have never been a part of every other religion; does Christianity feel different? And if so, how? These are questions I asked myself after reading this simile.
1. "To lose your father is to lose the one whose guidance and help you seek, who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches." (Martel 127)
2. "My digestive tract to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower." (Martel 43)
3. "Each of his claws as sharp as a knife." (Martel 135)
4. "He ripped the flesh off man's frame and cracked his bones. The smell of blood filled my nose" (Martel 255)
The way that Martel uses imagery in this novel is exceptional. The way that he can make you visualize what is happening makes it so much easier to understand what is happening. I had to put the fourth quote on my list because even though I may not like it, Martel put that image in my head of Richard Parker tearing apart the man. Also, the third quote goes along well with the fourth quote because you know that the claws on Richard Parker are very sharp so you can see them going through the man's skin like butter. I like the first quote because I can relate to it. If I were to lose my father, it would be like losing my foundation to life.
1. “The modest glow of hope flickered to life within me, like a candle in the night.” (159)
2. “We set out like prisoners off to their execution.” (32)
3. “He looked like two triangles, a small one and a larger one, balanced on two parallel lines.” (25)
4. “I felt like a dried-out lizard” (139)
I ranked these four similes the way I did because of their ability to provoke an image within my mind. These four similes allowed me to not only understand what Pi is feeling and going through but also allowed me to visualize it. I believe that Martel’s use of similes is very important because it relates events that the reader could most likely never relate to, to events that the reader will understand. What I mean by this is readers are more likely to understand a situation or saying when it is put into terms they are familiar with.
1. “Its hairless tail vanished like a spaghetti noodle sucked into a mouth” (153).
2. “And I began to hear his hoarse roaring, that aaonh cry as rich as gold or honey and as spine-chilling as the depths of an unsafe mine or a thousand bees” (272).
3. “Man-eaters among animals are as rare as murderers” (246).
4. “And when I appeared, it seemed that all of them turned to me, astonished, like chickens in a farmyard, and stood up” (265).
My favorite simile is the description of Richard Parker eating the rat that Pi flung at him. The comparison to sucking in a spaghetti noodle makes is interesting because you can imagine exactly how he ate it. My second favorite simile is the description of Richard Parker’s roar. I like how Martel describes it as rich yet spine-chilling and gives two vivid examples for each of these adjectives. My third favorite simile is from Pi finding out that Richard Parker has eaten people. I think it is an interesting idea to compare man-eaters to murderers since they are both rare. My fourth favorite simile is the description of the meerkats looking at Pi because they’re depicted in a cute way.
1. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it" (119).
2. "They were like nails driven into my flesh"(7).
3. "That pain is like an ax that chops at my heart"(6).
4. "At least we're not riding bicycles like the brown bears catching flying plates like the chimps"(43).
I chose these similes because I felt they were the most descriptive ones I found. When I read I like to be able to visualize what I am reading and the way that Martel used these in the story helped me to be able to visualize better what I was reading. I ranked the first one as number one because I felt I was best able to picture that in my head. He used so many descriptive words to describe not just the color of the sun, but its warmth and vividness. I put the flesh one as number two because when I heard that I can't just visualize I understand that pain and I can imagine what that feels like. Along with number three, I can feel that pain, and I am able to relate in a way to what he is going through. For number four I found it kind of humorous. I picture them riding a bicycle the way a brown bear catches a fish. It makes me giggle thinking of someone riding a bike like that.
1) "I turned to the survival manual as to a cookbook." (201)
2) "Climbing the giant swells, the boat clung to the sea anchors like a mountain climber to a rope." (225)
3) "Each time it's the same: my taste buds shrivel up and die, my skin goes beet red, my eyes well up with tears, my head feels like a house on fire, and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower." (42-43)
4) "It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp." (97)
When ranking my favorite similes I took into account two main things: the meaning of the simile and how easy it was to visualize due to the description. The first simile was chosen because of the meaning it had to Pi. During this part of the story, we start to see Pi fully go into the instinctual mode and stop thinking about morals. He realizes that he will die if he doesn't and he uses the tools he has to survive. The second and third ones have some of the best use of words I have ever read. As a reader, we can easily picture the boat as a massive wave comes because of the way the words have been used. Whereas in the third one, the reader can almost start to feel what agony and pain the character is going through just due to the description. Finally, I chose the fourth one due to its impact on the story. It is what actually begins the incredible story. If the boat never sinks, Pi is never stuck on the lifeboat with a tiger.
1. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it" (Martel 119).
2. "She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary" (Martel 111).
3. "His eviscerated torso, will its broken ribs curving up like the frame of a ship, like a miniature version of the lifeboat, such was its blood-drenched and horrifying state" (Martel 256).
4. "That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart" (Martel 6).
I put my similies in this order because I believe that this order shows the most descriptive to the least. I put the electrified orange quote first because I believe you can visualize that one the best. The description Martel puts into his similies makes the reader truly be able to see what Martel is trying to depict. I put the simile of Orange Juice second because it paints an image that because so real in the reader's mind by relating it to everyday things that readers will hear. I put the ax simile at the end because it is not as descriptive as the other similies but it does a great job of making the readers feel the pain of an ax going through their hearts. I like these four similes because they all make the readers feel something.
1. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it." (119)
2. "My digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower." (43)
3. "The ship sank. It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp." (97)
4. "Otherwise, to grab a wild guinea pig with your bare hands would be like taking hold of a knife by the blade." (39)
Of the many similes I had to choose from, I found these four to be the most descriptive. When reading, I like to be able to visualize situations and paint of picture of the setting in my head. In order to do this, the use of similes is essential. The events that occur in the novel are ones that most people would never be able to relate to. However, Yann Martel's use of similes allows readers to connect with more reasonable situations that they might better relate to. The fact that Pi has never experienced the things he is going through in the novel allows him to connect to past experiences in his life.
"Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it" (119)
“The modest glow of hope flickered to life within me, like a candle in the night.” (159)
“The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table.” (48)
“The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets. The sea clinked like a small change in a pocket. The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting” (215)
Reading this book was like watching a movie to a degree. It could easily be played out in your mind as you followed along with Pi's struggle to survive. I picked these quotes because the imagery portrayed is very clear. Life of Pi is a fictional story but the way that the story is written and told allows the reader to indulge in that world. The words seem as though they can come to life off of the page. The setting and the feelings used throughout the novel can be clearly seen by the many similes used in the story.
1. “My heart began to beat like a merry drum and blood started flowing through my veins like cars from a wedding party honking their way through town” (pg 143).
2. “It had a two-foot-wide hole in its body, a fistula like a freshly erupted volcano, spewed half-eaten organs glistening in the light or giving off a dull, dry shine, yet, in its strictly essential parts, it continued to pump with life, if weakly” (pg 128).
3. “Its hairless tail vanished like a spaghetti noodle sucked into a mouth”(pg 153).
4. “I felt as if I were being pummelled by a great fist”(pg 227).
These similes are all very visual and are used at the perfect time to really persuade the reader to what they are visualizing in their head. I chose 1 to be the top because I can really picture the visual they gave you which made me think of how it would feel to have your heart and veins move like that. The 2nd one is very gross but it really put that picture of what the zebra was like and what Pi saw. The 3rd one is more simple yet very easy to see, kinda like the 4th one too easy and simple to understand but still very descriptive in a place that you need it.
1. "And so, in that Greek letter that looks like a shack with a corrugated tin roof, in that elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe, I found refuge" (Martel 24)
2. "'So pretty, aren't they? If the male feel like has to, he'll charge you and those short little antlers will pierce you like daggers'" (Martel 37).
3. "Each time it's the same: my taste buds shrivel up and die, my skin goes beet red, my eyes well up with tears, my head feels. like a house on fire, and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawn mower" (Martel 42-43).
4. "She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the virgin Mary
Of all the many brilliant similies found in Life of Pi, these four above are my favorite. They all make sense to me and helped me visualize what was going on in my head as a reader. A lot of events that happen in this novel are not something that a lot of people have personally experienced so it is very beneficial when Martel compares certain situations that make sense to me. For example, I have never seen an orangutan floating on a mountain of bananas in the ocean. When Pi compares the floating orangutan to the virgin mary it really helped me visualize it better. Pi effectively compared an animal to a human being. Also, my favorite simile is when Pi relates the noises that his stomach is making to a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower. This simile is my favorite because he takes two completely different things and puts them together for it to make sense; it is a very humorous and brilliant comparasion.
1. "To lose your father is to lose the one whose guidance and help you seek, who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches." (127)
2. "My heart began to beat like a merry drum and blood started flowing through my veins like cars from a wedding party honking their way through town." (143)
3. "I felt like a dried-out lizard." (139)
4. "I felt like a prisoner being pushed off a plank by pirates." (154)
I was ranking Martel's similes based on the quality/degree of connection the simile was able to make between the reader and Pi. These particular quotes all describe how Pi felt internally or externally through making connections with day-to-day concepts. The first quote listed is very straightforward as everyone knows how well tree trunks support tree branches. Therefore, the quality of connection that Martel was able to make between the reader and main character was extremely high. The reader is able to feel exactly how Pi feels after he loses his father. The whole point of similes is to make the reader connect and engage with the novel more.
1. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it."(119)
2. "each of his claws as sharp as a knife. And he couldn't pop through it like a jack in the ..."(135)
3. “She looked like a simian Christ on the cross.” (132)
4. "We set out like prisoners off to their execution." (19)
I have chosen these 4 quotes because when reading these quotes I can always picture in my head what Pi sees while on the boat. These quotes give off such a vivid image that helps the reader picture what it is like to experience something so lonely and horrifying by yourself. Let alone on a boat with a killer beast with no food and water. It also helps the reader understand what kind of pain Pi is going through and how much he is thinking about his family and how he is just trying to survive. It also helps keep the reader on the edge of their seat, wondering what Pi is thinking in these suspenseful moments.
1. "Atop the head were small, expressive ears shaped like perfect arches...a face that looked like the wings of a butterfly"(Martel 147).
2. "Already your lungs have flown away like a bird and your guts have slithered away like a snake. Now your tongue drops like a dead opossum, while your jaw begins to gallop on the spot. Your ears go deaf. Your muscles begin to shake as if they had malaria and your knees to shake as if though they were dancing” (Martel 162).
3. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it" (Martel 119).
4. "Moving a zoo is like moving a city" (Martel 88).
The reason I chose number one as my favorite simile was because throughout the book you get this sense of fear that Pi has for Richard Parker and here he describes him so beautifully that it is almost unbelievable. You can see the progression of their relationship and how Pi sees Richard Parker as a friend rather than an enemy. The second one, Martel does an impeccable job on helping us understand what type of fear Pi was feeling. You get every sensory feeling described and I think that Yann Martel wrote it beautifully. The third one, has been one that stood out to me the most due to the fact that I was curious on how Pi focused on the color orange. The third quote reminds me a little bit of hope and how the sunrise keeps him going. The last one, for me, was a simile to help me get a sense of what owning a zoo really feels like. Luckily for Pi, he has been around these animals and knows a lot about them which benefits him in the long run. His main goal is to keep Richard Parker alive and without the knowledge he has, he wouldn't of been able to keep him alive.
“She looked like a Simian Christ on the Cross” (Martel 132).
“Richard Parker opened his maw and the squealing rat disappeared into it like a baseball into a catcher’s mitt” (Martel 153).
“‘As strong as ten men. They’ll break your bones as if they were twigs…’” (Martel 37)
“But it fought like a devil” (Martel 184).
The first quote was my favorite because this scene was a very violent and graphic part of the book. Pi witnessed Orange Juice getting violently killed by the hyena. Once, she was dead on the floor Pi said the first quote. He saw Orange Juice like a Simian on the Cross because Pi believed Orange Juice was trying to protect him. I chose the second quote because Pi saved his life by throwing the rat at Richard Parker. Richard was trying to climb to Pi, but Richard Parker was satisfied with the rat. The third quote came from when Pi’s father was teaching him about all the animals in the zoo. This helped Pi on the boat because some of the animals that his father was teaching him about were on the boat with him including Richard Parker, the hyena, and Orange Juice. I chose the last quote because it shows how much Pi has changed. He went from crying about killing a fish to killing a dorado without a second thought.
1."My heart began to beat like a merry drum and blood started flowing through my veins like cars from a wedding party honking their way through town"(Martel 143).
2."The calm sea opened up around me like a great book" (Martel 119).
3."The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets" (Martel 215).
4."You are as likely to see sea life from a ship as you are to see wildlife from a car on a highway" (Martel 176).
Martel’s use of smilies helps to get the reader to have a clearer understanding and image of what things look like and how the character feels. I ranked these similes by how descriptive they were and how clear of a visual they created. I thought they did a good job at explaining what the environment around was like. They also helped to convey a good sense of emotion of fear or wonder. These similies helped me be able to visualize what was happening clearly and made me feel like I was actually there. They are put in order by which was most emotional emitting and visual than by how it made me feel.
1. “I wore these spots of shine and silver like tilaks…” (196)
2. “...Just a book of scripture quietly waiting to say hello, as gentle and powerful as a little girl’s kiss on your cheek.” (208)
3. “It was as unbelievable as the moon catching fire.” (103)
4. “This laughter was like a volcano of happiness erupting in me.” (122)
The similies I chose are listed in the order of how thought-provoking they are. I chose the simile on page 196 first because that is when Pi is getting covered in fish scales. He says he wears them like tilaks, a symbol for the divine, he then said other sailors who come across him would think he was some sort of god of fish. This caught my attention because this was one of the few times Pi felt good about himself and what he accomplished on the boat. Another time Pi felt good about himself was when Orange Juice came onto the lifeboat. Pi put his hands up to his chest and felt real, genuine, laughter. He compared his laughter to an eruption on page 122. I thought this memory was still important but I ranked it lower than the first one because he was saner when he was with Orange Juice so emotions came easier to him. The simile I ranked second is about the time Pi saw a Bible in a hotel room. Being a Christian who travels often, seeing a Bible is quite normal to me. The part that got me thinking was when Pi said all sacred writing should be offered to travelers. This thought has never come to me because I have not been exposed to many things (whether it be people or writings) that practice different religions. The simile that was third on my list was about the ship sinking. Right when Pi noticed all the water and how unbalanced the ship was, he knew there was trouble upon him. He couldn’t believe that the ship was sinking because how could something so traumatic happen to him? He thought it was impossible just like how it is impossible for the moon to catch fire.
1. "I felt like a dried-out lizard." (139)
2. "Each of his claws as sharp as a knife." (135)
3. To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you."(127)
4. "Moving a zoo is like moving a city." (88)
5. "I woke up with a start as if Ravi had burst a balloon in my ears." (101)
I chose these five as my favorite similes because they all give me a clearer picture of what is going on. Without comparing these characters or objects to relatable things, I would not know much of what is happening. In the first quote, Pi describes how he feels after being dehydrated. I know this feeling and using a dried-out lizard is a perfect example. In the second quote, it describes just how sharp the tiger's claws are. I have felt a carnivore tooth before and this is the perfect descriptor. The last three help me relate just as easily as the first two, and that is why I chose these five quotes, specifically the first two.
1. "I blinked deliberately, expecting my eyelids to act like lumberjacks." (257)
2. "...the meerkats were in a fury of excitement, shrieking like tropical birds." (277)
3. "Nothing but some enamel, like small change in a pocket." (282)
4. "I filled my stores with fresh water and I drank like a camel." (283)
My first ranked simile was the first simile in the book that really made me realize the impact that the figure of speech can have on a reader. In the text on page 257 Pi thinks he is imagining an island with trees and vegetation, so he says his eyelids blinking would be as lumberjacks would cut down the trees, making them nonexistent. This shows the hazy line of reality that Pi himself has trouble defining. The other similes I included didn't speak to me as dramatically as the first, but I have learned to appreciate their simplicity. I enjoy how the author uses similes as a way of indirectly saying what the character is doing. For example the last simile listed on page 283 clearly tells the reader that Pi drinks a lot of water by comparing him to a camel; this is done without directly stating the fact, but gives variation for the reader's enjoyment.
1.) "To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun
above you"(127).
2.) "She looked like a simian Christ on the Cross"(132).
3.) "The voice that answered had an Indian lilt to its Canadian accent, light
but unmistakable, like a trace of incense in the air"(XI).
4.) "I felt like the sage Markandeya, who fell out of Vishnu's mouth while Vishnu was sleeping and so beheld the entire universe, everything that there is" (177).
I have ranked my similes by those that are the most thought-provoking in a religious sense. Life of Pi can easily be studied through a religious lens, and these similes aid that process. The first simile was the one that impacted me the most. I could not imagine a world without my mother. The pain would be indescribable, but I think this simile does a great job at giving me an idea of what that world would be like. Pi's mother was one of the only people in his life who openly supported his religious practices, even though she had some doubts. Now, Pi has lost his mother, one of his only supporters, so it seems reasonable that he has lost the light in his life. The second simile about Orange Juice made me stop for a second and analyze what she might represent. Orange Juice was an innocent creature that Pi said was almost motherly towards him. However, Orange Juice was killed by the hyena. Orange Juice's death represents the loss of innocence and gentleness on the boat because it was sleighed by the evil around it, similar to Jesus. The third simile was one that I felt was very descriptive and important. The description of Pi's voice was very vivid and foreshadowed the religious themes throughout the book. The last simile I have listed was not my favorite of the book, but still, one that I found very interesting. Pi was comparing himself to a Sage that saw the "entire universe," which is interesting considering Pi was stuck on a lifeboat for months at a time. This simile shows the reader how through Pi's struggles on the lifeboat, he grew spiritually and actually became closer to God. Through his struggles, Pi had a vast understanding of life itself.
1. As things emerged in outline and filled with color, hope increased until it was like a song in my heart. (119)
2. The calm sea opened up around me like a great book. (119)
3. The clouds looked as if they were stumbling along before the wind, frightened. (225)
4. Between the life jackets, partially as if through some leaves, I had my first, unambiguous, clear-headed glimpse of Richard Parker. (140)
I tried to rank them in what I thought was the most descriptive to the setting. I ranked the first quote as number one on my list because of the way he described what was happening here you could tell how desperate he was to be able to see it. It gave him new hope that might have been fading as time went on while he was on the boat. It brings in a new mood in the chapter as he is excited about it and also gives the reader this new thought process as well. The other quotes focus more on what is happening in the setting instead of the mood that Pi experiences based on changes in the setting. The only other one that might include similarity in the change of Pi’s mood was the last quote because it brings in suspense since the quote describes the tiger hiding in the jungle of life jackets.
1. "Often a group of meerkats will take the stance collectively, standing in a huddle and gazing in the same direction, looking like commuters waiting for a bus." (265-266)
2. "When he advanced, he crawled close to the ground and with trembling limbs, like a newborn cub." (261)
3. "Each time it's the same: my taste buds shrivel up and die, my skin goes beet red, my eyes well up with tears, my head feels like a house on fire, and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawn mower." (42-43
4. "Moving a zoo is like moving a city." (88)
I ranked these four quotes based on how much I can visualize each simile, number one being the one I can visualize the most and number four being the one I can visualize the least. I can easily picture the meerkats, standing together, all looking the same way, wearing business suits, waiting at a bus stop for their ride. I can clearly see Richard Parker as a cub, struggling to walk across the algae beach. I can mildly taste and sympathize with the author when he is eating the hot food Pi had prepared for him and vaguely see the chaos of moving the animals in the zoo. It is with this ease or slight brain work that I rank these similes on how easily I can visualize them.
Madeleine Pearce
"My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning
skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambition" (5)
""Like a cornered beast he lifted his eyes and glared at her. 'Our supplies are running out,' he snarled. 'We need more food or we'll die.'" (306)
" It is a religion as swift as a swallow, as urgent as an ambulance.
It turns on a dime, expresses itself in the instant. In a moment you are lost or saved."(32)
It was surging from below like a riotous crowd, raging,
frothing, and boiling. (59)
I chose these quotes based on how poetic they sounded to me. I really enjoyed the imagery provided by Yann Martek throughout the story. In the first quote, I particularly love this one because I LOVE Memento Mori paintings. I love the macabre sight that Martel provides, but still, there is a sense of a smile within the painting. I chose the second quote because it really animalized the cook. The cook was already a simile for someone else, but this particular quote gave him the horrible character that he was. I chose the third quote because I particularly loved the phrasing of his thoughts on religion. I chose the fourth one because it gives a concise image of how the boat sank, on how horrible that place really was. I love how Yann Martel's quotes and characters in the story have a wonderfully poetic undertone to each line.
1. “Books lined the shelves of bookstores like kids standing in a row to play baseball or soccer, and mine was the gangly, authentic kid that no one wanted on their team.” (VII).
2. "This beach, so soft, firm and vast, was like the cheek of God, and somewhere two eyes were glittering with pleasure and mouth was smiling at having me there." (285).
3. "Each time it's the same: my taste buds shrivel up and die, my skin goes beet red, my eyes well up with tears, my head feels like a house on fire, and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower" (25).
4. "He ripped the flesh off man's frame and cracked his bones. The smell of blood filled my nose." (255)
All of the similes I chose are littered with imagery. The first simile on my list uses a nice blend of imagery and relatability to create fantastic piece of text. The relatability of knowing the feeling of being picked last because you were different isn’t an unknown feeling to many. The second simile uses religion and imagery to create itself. I think the idea of laying on the cheek of God works so well of the context of the story and overall theme of religion. The third simile uses vivid imagery really well. The fourth simile almost makes me cringe with how well Martel this violent imagery to describe this scene.
1. "All I saw of the sun the next morning was a crack of light at the top of my left eye, like a small window too high up" (241).
2. "And when I appeared, it seemed that all of them turned to me, astonished, like chickens in a farmyard, and stood up" (265).
3. "The calm sea opened up around me like a great book" (119).
4. "Sheath after sheath of leaf lifted, like the skins off an onion" (280).
The first simile is when Pi and Richard Parker are going blind. The simile describes how Pi is slowly losing his vision and because most people cannot describe that feeling because they have never experienced it, this simile allows the reader to understand what he is going through. The second simile is when Pi is describing the view of the meercats. I like this simile because I have chickens and I know exactly the look that they gave Pi. The third simile I like because it reminds me of the time when my family and I went deep-sea fishing. The look of the vast ocean with nothing but us on it. The fourth simile I liked because I loved the part in the book when it talked about the island. It is so bizarre to me that he could experience such a thing and therefore it is very hard to believe. However, it is possible that we just haven't found it yet.
1) "Only the crabs didn’t have an unpalatably bitter or salty taste. Every time they appeared, I popped them one after another into my mouth like candy until there were none left” (197-198).
2) "I am obviously indebted to Mr. Patel. My gratitude to him is as boundless as the Pacific Ocean and I hope that my telling of his tale does not disappoint him” (XII).
3) "This beach, so soft, firm and vast, was like the cheek of God, and somewhere two eyes were glittering with pleasure and a mouth was smiling at having found me” (285).
4) "The sun distresses you like a crowd, a noisy, invasive crowd that makes you cup your ears, that makes you close your eyes, that makes you want to hide”(216).
Yann Martel’s use of descriptive similes, metaphors, and comparisons grants the reader a sense of clarity and connection to the urgency of Pi Patel’s situation. The first quote demonstrates the dire situation Pi is in; he has been starved long enough that repulsive foods, such as small boat crabs, have become “like candy” that he can’t resist(198). The second quote foreshadows the story while also containing irony. In the author’s note, the author thanks Pi, comparing his gratitude to the very sea that Pi was stranded in for so long. Without his suffering in the Pacific, the author would not have had his story. The third quote combines the imagery with the religious aspect. He describes the beach as being the “cheek of God” after so many nights spent, seemingly, with no higher power watching over him(285). The quote shows Pi’s continued belief in his religions; his relief upon finally returning to the land is expressed best as being compared to a heavenly, Godly experience. Finally, quote four. This quote is just one of many from Chapter 78 that embody literary imagery. He describes the constant, inescapable sun as an overwhelming crowd; he is stuck in its presence for too long and it slowly wears away at him. The reader can imagine this experience in the sun because of Pi’s direct comparison to a pestering experience most people have had and can relate to. I rated my quotes from least impactful (1) to most impactful (4), meaning how the sentence impacted me as the reader during the first encounter with the book.
1. “They were like nails being driven into my flesh.” (7)
2. “Each of his claws as sharp as a knife.” (135)
3. “His paws were like volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica.” (132)
4. “It glowed in the sunlight, looking like a glass of apple juice.” (172)
Yann Martel uses similes in ways that I have never seen authors use before. Within almost every page of this novel, one can find a simile that exemplifies the brilliance of Yann Martel. Each of the quotes I chose is extreme in imagery and allows the reader to be creative in their minds while reading and analyzing this novel. I ranked these simply by the imagery that I personally feel they provided. The first three all describe Richard Parker and his stature and the amazing details of a tiger. Yann Martel uses each of these similes to great effect by making the reader truly imagine each detail of Richard Parker.
“To think that when I was a child I always shuddered when I snapped open a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an animal’s neck.” (197)
“They were like nails being driven into my flesh.” (7)
“It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp.” (97)
“She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary.” (111)
I chose the first quote because to me, this is important as it highlights the lengths that Pi goes to just to survive. A banana is a harmless object but it makes Pi queasy because of the implications caused by the sound and now he is snapping fish necks and stabbing turtles without a second thought. The second quote is important because it really emphasizes the importance of words. Pi has just been rescued and is eating at an Indian restaurant, and eating the traditional way, and this waiter just tosses words out without considering the effect they’ll have. I also looked at it as a nod to Christianity—Jesus’s crucifixion. The third quote is from the sinking ship and it made me visualize how the ocean is consuming it, and it burps. The final quote was just what I considered to be the most visual because of the word choice.
“She looked like a Simian Christ on the Cross” (Martel 132).
"When he advanced, he crawled close to the ground and with trembling limbs, like a newborn cub." (Martel 261)
"The calm sea opened up around me like a great book" (Martel 119)
"The sun distresses you like a crowd, a noisy, invasive crowd that makes you cup your ears, that makes you close your eyes, that makes you want to hide”(Martel 216).
I chose these specific quotes based on their thought-provoking tendencies. Yann Martel uses Pi and his experiences to question how you would look at things. Whether it is your attitude, beliefs, or humanitarian nature. When reading the book, I questioned why he would bring the tiger back onto the boat. While watching the movie, however, I felt compassion for the tiger as he drowned and would also want to save the tiger. Looking into the eyes of a scared or dying animal isn't fun and I had to experience that this summer a lot with calves. When they are totally helpless and look straight at you, its hard not to try your best to save them.
1) "You are as likely to see sea life from a ship as you are to see wildlife from a car on a highway." (176)
2) "The flat and endless Pacific rose like a great wall around us. I never thought we would get around it." (309)
3) "Climbing the giant swells, the boat clung to the sea anchors like a mountain climber to a rope." (225)
4) "The calm sea opened up around me like a great book." (119)
I liked all of these similies because they compared the sea to something you wouldn't expect. I've always loved the ocean so this helps me imagine what it would be like to be in Pi's place. The first quote is my favorite because it puts in perspective how many fish you would actually see in the ocean. I always thought you wouldn't be able to see anything because the water is so dark but Pi makes it clear that it is easy to spot fish in the water. Pi also goes into detail about how flat the water is at certain times. I used to imagine that the ocean only consisted of big waves.
“Each of his claws was as sharp as a knife” (61).
“It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp” (169).
“I landed with a trampoline-like bounce on the half-unrolled tarpaulin covering a lifeboat forty feet below” (60).
“The sound would disappear, but the hurt would linger, like the smell of piss long after it has evaporated” (12).
The first quote is my favorite because this image shows how scary Richard Parker is, it shows what Pi has had to deal with throughout the book. The second quote shows the effect of the boat sinking. This symbolizes Pi’s life being thrown down into the ocean, the ocean swallowing up Pi’s life. I like the third quote because this showed us the imagery of what the tarpaulin kind of would’ve felt like and its stability. The last quote I find enjoyable and ironic. Pi says this after he was just made fun of, people had been calling him Pissing Patel.
“The wind blew with a faint, warm breeze and the sea moved about kindly, the water peaking and troughing like people dancing in a circle who come together and raise their hands and move apart and come together again, over and over.” (175)
“The earnest expression on their faces, and the way their front paws hang before them, make them look either like children self-consciously posing for a photographer or patients in a doctor's office stripped naked and demurely trying to cover their genitals.” (266)
“It sank in a cloud of blood, her tress trailing like a tail.” (310)
“Every fish that hit me was like an arrow entering my flesh.” (181)
I ranked these four similes in order of visual complexity. The first is an intriguing image to picture. It’s original and imaginative. The second may make the reader feel a bit uncomfortable, but that is the point. Being naked in a doctor's office usually makes one feel uncomfortable. Yann Martel uses situations that we can easily picture and imagine. The third and fourth quotes are shorter but worthy contenders. Pi created another story in which he dropped his mother's head in the ocean. It's dramatically imaginative and creepy. The last gives an idea of what it felt like for Pi to abandon his vegetarianism to survive. He has to take the life of many creatures, forsaking his values.
"The squealing rat disappeared into it like a baseball into a catcher's mitt." (Martel 153)
"Hope increased until it was like a song in my heart." (Martel 119)
"His paws were like volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica." (Martel 119)
"The calm sea opened up around me like a great book." (Martel 119)
I chose these quotes because these quotes are similes that are not your average comparisons. Every time Pi Patel says a simile, it is very thought out and very descriptive. Yann Martel as an author is obviously a very intelligent person and writer. Specifically the last quote, I would have never thought of comparing an opening space to a book. I think Yann Martel makes the book so much more fun to read because he is insanely intelligent and comes up with fantastic similes like these. Not only does he comes up with fantastic similes, but his theory behind the plot is very intelligent as well. The book overall is a work of art and will be one of the best books I have ever read.
"My life is like a memento mori painting from European art: there is always a grinning skull at my side to remind me of the folly of human ambition." (Martel 5)
"That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart." (Martel 6)
"I spent my last year at St. Joseph's School feeling like the persecuted prophet Muhammad in Mecca" (Martel 21)
"We set out like prisoners off to their execution." (Martel 32)
I chose these quotes because I feel that not only do they show off Martel's mastery of writing but also help grow and develop Pi as a character. The first simile I chose was because Pi believes that life will always be hard for him. I chose the second quote because while at the time said in the story you do not fully understand it but later you understand all the Richard Parker did for Pi and it shows how grateful and how much RP meant to Pi. I chose the third quote because I found it interesting how he compared him being ridiculed for his name to Muhammed. I chose the last quote because it showed how Pi and Ravi felt as their Dad was taking them to see the Tiger eat the goat. I like all of these quotes because they help you to better understand how Pi is feeling.
"In water that was dense, glassy and flecked by millions of lit-up specks of plankton, fish like trucks and buses and cars and bicycles and pedestrians were madly racing about, no doubt honking and hollering at each other." (175)
"On the rain catcher the rain made a drumming sound, and around me, coming from the darkness beyond, it made a hissing sound, as if I were at the centre of a great nest of angry snakes." (156)
"Turtles–which previously I had roughly opened up with the knife and tossed onto the floor of the boat for Richard Parker, like a bowl of hot soup–became my favourite dish." (212)
"The anxious flying fish got away, just missing my net, but the dorado hit the gunnel like a cannonball. The thud it made shook the whole boat." (220)
Similes can greatly benefit novels because they can add realness to otherwise unrelatable scenarios. Martel knew that (probably) none of his readers would have experience alone on the Pacific Ocean. Because of this, he uses a ton of similes throughout this novel. Of these, I have picked out a few that stood out to me. I didn't rank them based on their meaning or relevance to the book but rather based on how well they made me visualize the scene. First was the busy city of fish. The simile added greatly to the scene because it perfectly demonstrated how hectic the fish were, not serene like people would typically imagine the ocean. Darkness contributed greatly to the second quote in my opinion. Because Pi was listening to this at night, he has no idea what is around him. This simile feeds the imagination by possibly creating fear on what's surrounding them. The turtle hot soup is perfect for visualizing the insides of a turtle and how the bowl acted as a shell. As a bonus, it works great as an intro to the next section, which describes all the parts of a turtle Pi would eat. Finally, the cannonball dorado helped me clearly realize just how vulnerable Pi is at sea in this life boat. One fish, not even a shark or a whale, was able to shake the entire boat by running into it.
1.) "They were like nails being driven into my flesh" (Martel 7)
2.) "It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp" (Martel 97)
3.) "That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart" (Martel 6)
4.) "Blood started flowing through my veins like cars from a wedding party honking their way through town" (Martel 143)
All of these similies helped to give me a better picture and understanding of just some of the things Pi had to go through. Similies are great because they connect ideas and pictures to things most people have experience or knowledge of. Like #4 above, most people have either been to a wedding party or have seen one, which allows the reader to get a better understanding of, in this case, blood, flowing through Pi's veins. Another one of my favorites is #2 above because it uses an onomatopoeia. I like reading with onomatopoeias because it gives me more of a visual or audible picture in my head of what I am reading.
1. "I watched the ship as it disappeared with much burbling and belching. Lights flickered and went out." (Martel 107)
2. "He seemed satisfied with the offering." (153)
3. "It was with a hunter's pride that I pulled the raft up to the lifeboat." (185)
4. "I clung to life. I was weakly frantic." (241)
These are a few o the many lines that make this story the greatness that it is. Martel knows that describing how the Pi is feeling. When on the ocean by yourself it is a complete mental game against one's self. Martel describes this greatly because even though Pi is a vegetarian he is describing himself with "hunter's pride". The offering part has huge significance because it is the first time that Richard Parker is satisfied with the offerings Pi has offered him. My favorite line is the line about the boat leaving him. When seeing the boat he has hope that maybe he could actually be saved. Once the boat leaves him he realizes his little chances of being saved. Overall Martel increases the quality of the story with his use of similes and comparisons.
1.) "They were like nails being driven into my flesh" (Martel 7)
2. “Dolphins, very fast swimmers, play about boats and ships much like dogs chase cars…” (176)
3. "We set out like prisoners off to their execution." (Martel 32)
4."The squealing rat disappeared into it like a baseball into a catcher's mitt." (Martel 153)
Each of these 4 similes was equally great and it proved very hard to rank. Looking at each one they all provide such visual that provides a great way to look at the book. I ranked these the way I did because the first one is such a visual because I can imagine the pain one would be feeling from that. I chose the second one because even though I do not see dolphins too often I do see dogs chasing after cars giving me a better understanding of what is happening. I chose the last two because they both give such a great showing of a simile giving the reader a great understanding of what is happening.
1. "To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun
above you"(127).
2. "Each time it's the same: my taste buds shrivel up and die, my skin goes beet red, my eyes well up with tears, my head feels like a house on fire, and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower"(25).
3. "That pain is like an ax that chops at my heart" (Martel 6).
4. “A single fly buzzed about, sounding to me like an alarm bell of insanity.” (Martel 127).
These were my favorite four similes from Life of Pi. Martel incorporates so many well-written similes into his writing that it was tough to sort through and pick only four. I ranked them based on what they meant to me and how vivid I could imagine them in my head. My #1 was because of how much it meant to me and how I would relate if something like that ever happened to me. My #2 was because of how vivid the imagery created in my head was while reading it. I've experienced some pretty hard times in life as have everyone, but #3 just shows how tough pain really can be to get through sometimes. I chose #4 to be last because it didn't mean as much to me but I could just imagine a fly buzzing around my head in the summer and being the biggest nuisance ever.
1. "The pink skin was peeled back and look like the petals of a flower, revealing kneecaps that were fire-engine red." (Martel 52-53)
2. " The head is broad and too massive, with a high forehead, like that of a bear, but suffering from a receding hairline, and with ears that look ridiculously mouse-like, large and round, when they haven't been torn off in battle." (Martel 116)
3. " A single fly buzzed about, sounding to me like an alarm bell of insanity." (Martel 127)
4. "The day broke, humid and overcast, with the wind warm and the sky a dense blanket of grey clouds that looked like bunched-up, dirty cotton sheets." (Martel 128)
These are my top four favorite similies in the book, Life of Pi because they are very visual and have a great comparison that one may not expect. The first quote is fairly graphic, however, it is still one of my favorites. It just is amazing how the author Yann Martel, could think of such great imagery, so one can actually picture the skin coming off of the knee. Another simile I enjoyed was the description of the hyena. The silly animal is just perfectly compared to a bear with a small head. The third simile I choose makes perfect sense as well. A buzzing fly compared to one going insane; priceless. Lastly, the description of the storm clouds looking like dirty cotton sheets is very poetic and perfect to imagine.
"They were like nails driven into my flesh"(7).
"That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart"(6)
“The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table.” (48)
"To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you." (127)
I chose four similes in the novel that I think are all relatively gruesome but also very descriptive or "deep". These are ranked from the least to the greatest in description or pain. The first two similes are about Pi Patels' PTSD after arriving to the America's. The first simile is talking about Pi being made fun of for being Indian and having his Indian traditions after being asked if he is "fresh off the boat". The second simile is about Richard Parker abandoning Pi. I like these two similes because they take place at the start of the novel and at the time we do not fully understand these because we don't understand what Pi has gone through and his hardships. The last two are about Pi's life. The first one is about Pi's religious backgrounds and how all religion is interconnected to one another and the last one, the deepest one, is about Pi losing his mother.
!. “No cardamom payasam I ever tasted was as sweet or as rich as creamy turtle eggs or cured turtle fat.”(212)
2. “At the second it was in position at the base of the tail, Richard Parker’s anus distended, and out of it, like a bubble-gum balloon, came a black sphere of excrement.” (214)
3. “The voice that answered had an Indian lilt to its Canadian accent, light but unmistakable, like a trace of incense in the air.”(XI)
4. “I felt like a dried-out lizard”(139)
These 4 similies are my favorite because they represent 4 of the different senses. I used the idea of which one was the most descriptive in terms of describing the sense that it represented. The more powerful, descriptive wording was what I was basing the quotes off. My number one is in that place for the way he described turtle eggs, showing that even his favorite vegetarian dish could not match that of those eggs, and the way he described the taste and texture stood out to me. Then the next two were both descriptions of the senses of smell,/hearing, and visual. The last one was a description of touch and how you felt, and I found that one the hardest to understand what he was describing which is why it is last.
"I was staring into his eyes as if I were an eye doctor, while he was looking back vacantly" (Martel 141).
"The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table" (48).
"His construction was geometric: he looked like two triangles, a small one and a larger one, balanced on two parallel lines" (26).
"It was precisely because the level of noise was so uniform that we slept like babies" (101).
I ranked the quote from page 101 as the last of my four because it is a really commonly used simile, but in the story, provides some needed information. It is also a pretty relatable quote. The quote from page 26 is the next one above it because I liked the image that the simile was painting comparing the man’s body structure to that of two triangles. Above that one, I had the quote from page 48 because I like the comparison it is making and it allows you to paint a picture in your head about what he is talking about with the individual and world souls. Finally, I have the quote from page 141 at the top because it is a clever way of telling how intently Pi looks into Richard Parker’s eyes and how blankly he stares back.
"Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it." (119)
"His paws were like volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica." (132)
“The modest glow of hope flickered to life within me, like a candle in the night.” (159)
"This beach, so soft, firm and vast, was like the cheek of God, and somewhere two eyes were glittering with pleasure and mouth was smiling at having me there." (285)
I chose these similes because they help me create a better visual in my head, and when I have a good visual I tend to want to understand the book and like it better. I also just really appreciated the emotion expressed in these. Comparing the hope inside of him to a candle in the night is just beautiful and really shows how he is trying his best to survive. He does not try to hide his emotions and instead expresses them, which is one of the reasons this is such a good book and makes people want to keep reading it.
"A sense of well-being quickly overcame me. My mouth became moist and soft. I forgot about the back of my throat. My skin relaxed. My joints moved with greater ease. My heart began to beat like a merry drum and blood started flowing through my veins like cars from a wedding party honking their way through town." (143)
"To lose your father is to lose the one whose guidance and help you seek, who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches. To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun
above you." (127)
"My fingers, which a second before had been taste buds savoring the food a little ahead of my mouth, became dirty under his gaze. They froze like criminals caught in the act." (6)
"These trails came from all directions and disappeared in all directions. They were like those time-exposure photographs you see of cities at night, with the long red streaks made by the tail lights of cars."(175)
I chose to write about these similies because they delicately paint how Pi felt, saw, and lived his amazing life. I believe that Patel's wording was also powerful in understanding the plot of the novel. When looking in from American and white culture, it can sometimes be hard to understand an Indian background but similies made worldview a little easier for me. My favorite simile was from when Pi had water for the first time in a long time. I liked this simile the most because of how descriptive it was. Patel's wording allowed me to better understand the relief that came from drinking some water and how dire Pi's situation really was. My second favorite was when Pi was talking about losing his parents. I like this simile because I think that it gives us insights as to how important Pi's relationships were with his parents even though they did not always understand and agree. My third favorite simile was taken from the first time Pi eats at a restaurant and he is made fun of his culture that he had experienced in India. I think that it is so powerful to realize that Pi had struggles transitioning to a new culture and new life. Finally, another simile that I liked was when Pi was describing the beautiful light that the plankton in the sea was making. I like the way that the light coming from the sea represents hope and that something good is coming. Overall, I think that the similes make it easier to understand exactly how Patel wanted to portray the story, I think that it also allows the reader more insight into who the Character of Pi is.
1. “It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp.” (97)
2. “Had she loomed as large on the scales as she did in my heart, it might have been another matter.” (130)
3. “It was flopping about like a fish out of water.” (180)
4. “The sea roared like a tiger. The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets.” (215)
I ranked the first simile at that position because it was the first major description of the ship sinking besides the cold open to part 2 of “the ship sank”. It’s something that we can easily picture in our minds even though none of us have probably ever experienced a cargo ship sinking in the Pacific Ocean. I ranked the second simile in that position because it shows the importance of Orange Juice the orangutang despite her limited time spent in the novel, and it also alludes to the symbolism that Orange Juice represents Pi’s mother. I ranked the third simile in that position because I found it hilarious that he compares a fish flopping out of water to a fish being out of water, to the point where I almost think that it isn’t a simile but is still constructed as if it were one. Finally, I ranked the fourth simile in that position because I enjoy the contrast of both the roar and the whisper showing the various elements of the sea and I also like that Pi compares the sea to the roar of a tiger, something that he was very used to hearing at that point so it would be something that he notices even if it isn’t the actual tiger that he’s with and is something that he’s always listening for since he has to be cautious of what Richard Parker is doing.
1) "To be afraid of this ridiculous dog when there was a tiger about was like being afraid of splinters when trees are falling down." (136)
2)"My tongue began to tremble as if it were a finger flipping through a dictionary, trying to find a long-forgotten word." (259)
3) "Every fish that hit me was like an arrow entering my flesh.” (181)
4) "She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary." (111)
I ranked the first simile as my number one because it is the first time Pi really gets a good look at Richard Parker and his situation. At this moment I found it interesting that he had to decide which threat was worse than another. The second simile is when he finds the floating island and starts to eat it. I liked this moment more than just the simile because it ended up saving his life and giving him sustenance. It also describes how long it has been for him to finally eat something he normally would. Something other than meat. The third simile I like because of its description. It gives the reader an idea of how it must have felt to be in that moment. Again when the fish are flying into him, it is another saving grace. Finally the fourth simile I like for its description of the Orangutan. Not only in this simile but also in later descriptions it shows Orange Juice as a savior figure or something holy.
1. "To lose your father is to lose the one whose guidance and help you seek, who supports you like a tree trunk supports its branches." (127)
2. "The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets" (215).
3. "Often a group of meerkats will take the stance collectively, standing in a huddle and gazing in the same direction, looking like commuters waiting for a bus." (265)
4. “Each of his claws as sharp as a knife.” (135)
All of these similes were very well-written by Yann Martel. Similes add another level of understanding for the readers. I like these similes in particular because they really help you get immersed in the story and in the mind of Pi Patel. I especially like the quote about losing a father. Even though that would be difficult to put into words, he does a pretty good job of describing the feeling of that. I also find the quote about the meerkats amusing. When you imagine a bunch of meerkats it could be difficult. But, he does a good job by comparing them to commuters. These similes add a whole different level of understanding to the story.
“My tongue began to tremble as if it were a finger flipping through a dictionary, trying to find a long-forgotten word.” (259)
“My heart began to beat like a merry drum and blood started flowing through my veins like cars from a wedding party honking their way through town.” (143)
“The clouds looked as if they were stumbling along before the wind, frightened.” (225)
“I felt like a dried out lizard” (139)
I really liked the creative comparison in the first one and the idea of a forgotten word. Pi has been at sea so long that he has forgotten the taste of anything sweet. My second pick was chosen because the double simile flowed so seamlessly. The word choice also makes the scene so much brighter and joyful. It captures the wonder that Pi is experiencing. The third simile, I picked because it was eye-catching. The clouds being frightened builds the suspense of the storm and got me engaged. I liked the last simile just because of the simplicity of it. It captures the need for water since lizards are meant to go for long periods of time without it. The short and to-the-point sentence got my attention to how thirsty Pi really was.
"To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you." (127)
"She looked like a simian Christ of the Cross. (132)
"His paws were like volumes of Encyclopedia Britannica." (132)
"And when I appeared, it seemed that all of them turned to me, astonished, like chickens in a farmyard, and stood up." (265)
I ranked these similes by how interesting they were to me. The first quote was the best in my opinion; it feels so loving and it hurts to read it because you know Pi lost his mom. The second quote was the second-best for me because I thought the Christ reference was thought-provoking. I believe that Orange Juice died for Pi to live. The third and the fourth quotes were about the same level, I liked that they described these animals since I, someone who lives in the middle of the United States, would never see them up close. I picked the third one over the fourth one because I thought the third one was more relevant, since we see Richard Parker throughout this entire book.
My favorite simile in Life if Pi is on page 259: “My tongue began to tremble as if it were a finger flipping through a dictionary, trying to find a long forgotten word.” This simile stands out because of the creativity Martel used. He manages to connect the tremble of Pi’s tongue to something completely unrelated: someone flipping through a dictionary. I think being able to create images through unique connections says a lot about how skilled of a writer Martel is. My second favorite simile is on page 152 when Pi describes Richard Parker’s face, “The result was a face that looked like the wings of a butterfly and bore an expression vaguely old and Chinese.” Again, this quote stands out to me because of how Martel is able to describe something using two opposite things. A butterfly could be seen as the polar opposite of a tiger; yet Martel compares Richard Parker’s expression to the look of a gentle, harmless butterfly. My third favorite simile is found on page 216 while Pi sits on the raft on a hot day: “The sun distresses you like a crowd, a noisy, invasive crowd that makes you cup your ears, that makes you close your eyes, that makes you want to hide.” Almost anyone can relate to being stuck in a noisy, cramped crowd that seems to suffocate you. Because of this shared experience, Martel is able to help readers imagine what it would be like to sit on a raft all day while the sun beats down on you, despite most readers never experiencing this. Martel uses similes to connect the readers to Pi’s experiences, despite them not experiencing them themselves. My fourth favorite simile is found on page 176 when Pi describes the plankton-illuminated sea under him, “I gazed upon this urban hurley-burly like someone observing a city from a hot-air balloon.” I think connecting Pi watching to fish under him to someone watching a city from a hot air balloon shows the state of somewhat peace Pi was in at this point. Despite being stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean, Pi is still able to quietly observe and witness the beauty of the sealife around him, just like people enjoy going in hot air balloons to look at the city underneath them.
His construction was geometric: he looked like two triangles, a small one and a larger one, balanced on two parallel lines. (25)
“They were like nails being driven into my flesh.” (7)
“...in that Greek letter that looks like a shack with a corrugated tin roof…” (24)
My favorite similes are all found within Part 1 of the novel. The first on my list compares Pi’s biology teacher, Mr. Satish Kumar, to two triangles balancing on parallel lines. I particularly like this simile because it comes after a more detailed description of the character, making its inclusion all the more interesting since it sparks rather plain imagery. The second simile compares a waiter’s remarks to nails being driven through Pi’s flesh. This simile caught my attention because of what the waiter said prior to it. The last simile I included I liked as it refers to the nickname Pi worked to give himself. His comparison of the Greek letter to a tin shack makes for interesting imagery.
“His eviscerated torso, with its broken ribs curving up like the frame of a ship, looked like a miniature version of a lifeboat, such was its blood-drenched and horrifying state” (256)
"That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart."(6)
"Each of his claws as sharp as a knife."(135)
"Moving a zoo is like moving a city."(88)
The first simile I put as number one because of how Martel somehow was able to put two similies into one sentence. He makes a simile out of the previous simile. At number two I chose this simile because of the way you can understand what he means. It is like a throbbing pain that keeps hitting you like how an axe would keep chopping at a tree. At number three I put this simile describing Richard Parker's claws. I like this one because of its simplicity but it still allows you to picture how sharp his claws really are. For the last simile, I chose the one that is describing how difficult it is to move to a zoo. There are just so many moving parts and moving that many animals are just as hard as moving that many people.
(4)"My digestive tract to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower." (43)
(3)“On the rain catcher the rain made a drumming sound, and around me, coming from the darkness beyond, it made a hissing sound, as if I were at the centre of a great nest of angry snakes” (156)
(2)“The pink skin was peeled back and looked like the petals of a flower, revealing kneecaps that were fire-engine red” (53).
(1) "We are all born like Catholics, aren't we——in limbo, without religion, until some figure introduces us to God?" (47)
I ranked these quotes on how much I liked them compared to the others. I chose the Catholic quote because I am one. I am struggling with it because I was never really introduced to God, but more forced to go. The next was very vivid and gruesome. I am not a big fan of blood and peel skin. When I read this quote again I thought of someone actually peeling back the layers of skin and revealing tissue and couldn’t get the image out of my head. Quote number three was very detailed in its explanation of the rain. It makes you more drawn in to the scene and sort of makes the rain/elements act as a threat to Pi which I really liked. The last one stayed on theme with quote number three. I love how he keeps the similes with snakes. I find them very interesting because they are each very unique, but are connecting different things to a snake.
1. "Moving a zoo is like moving a city" (88)
2. "To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you." (127)
3." Climbing the giant swells, the boat clung to the sea anchors like a mountain climber to a rope." (225)
4.It was surging from below like a riotous crowd, raging,
frothing, and boiling. (59)
I ranked these quotes by how vivid I could see the scene in my head. Each one gets more and more descriptive allowing a clearer picture as I read. When he says moving a zoo it related so much to a city when you think about all the different animals ( people) and all the different species( races) and trying to get them all to leave home would not be easy. I ranked the mom one second because I related how much we need the sun and the amenities it provides to how much we rely on our mothers and everything she does for us. The third one really helps provide a clear image of the waves and the size of them. The description really helps put us in his shoes and see the action through his eyes. Lastly, the final quote was the topping on the cake for descriptive events throwing all sorts of powerful adjectives to help us understand the terror and adrenal rush Pi is going through.
4. "...his narrow shoulders gave way to a massive stomach that looked like the base of a mountain, except that the mountain stood in thin air..." (15)
3. "And we had the lady whose sari was caught by a lion. She spun like a yo-yo, choosing mortal embarrassment over mortal end." (18)
2. "The water was shot through with what looked like white
roots; briefly, a great celestial tree stood in the ocean." (122)
1. "It was Orange Juice... surrounded by a mass of black spiders that crawled around her like malevolent worshippers." (63)
I liked quote number four because of how creative he was with his wording. Instead of just saying the man was fat, he described Mr. Kumar as a bizarre floating mountain. The reason I placed quote number three where it is, is because I thought that it was funny. Pi described the woman as a spinning top, placing humor in a place where it would not be otherwise. Martel changed the entire ambiance of the chapter with this one small simile. Quote two earned its place because of the wonder it inspires. Pi observes almost being struck with lightning as a miracle of God rather than a deathly call. This quote sends the reader into a state of wonder, similarly to how Pi is sent to his. Finally, quote four is my top choice because it demonstrates multiple literary elements in one small sentence. It talks about how Pi finds Orange Juice floating on the water, but there are so many different ways to analyze it. Pi crawls upon OJ just like the thousands of banana spiders, using her as his ray of sunshine. OJ also arrives as if a call from God floating on a large surplus of infinite food. Deus Ex Machina.
"His eviscerated torso, with its broken ribs curving up like the frame of a ship..." (256)
"It is like an end game in chess, a game with few pieces" (217).
"To think when I was a child I always shuddered when I snapped open a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an animal's neck" (197).
"The sea hisseed like sandpaper working on wood" (215).
I choose these quotes in order of realization, most upsetting to least upsetting. The first quote talks about death and how it still resembles life(as strange as this sounds). The rib cage looks like a ship, a ship would mean rescue, ultimately allowing Pi to live. The second quote is about mental toughness in this situation. In order for Pi to survive everything he does must be well thought out, always thinking one move ahead because it could determine life or death. Just like in chess, one must determine their moves previous to actually playing them in order to keep their King alive. The breaking of the neck and banana go hand and hand because Pi had to succumb to killing, although he didn't want to whatsoever, so that he could live. This all happened because he failed to grab the floating bananas. It is ironic that as a child that noise would make him think of the snapping of a neck. The last quote brings the sea to life even more than it already is, showing the dangers Pi faces on the ocean. Pi already learns the wrath of the sea when the ship sinks but it is even worse here as the elements take over. This is a realization that Pi is in for more than just the hunger,thirst, and threat of others.
"The clouds looked as if they were stumbling along before the wind, frightened." (225)
"The sea whispered in your ear like a friend telling you secrets." (215)
"My fingers, which a second before had been taste buds savoring the food a little ahead of my mouth, became dirty under his gaze. They froze like criminals caught in the act." (6)
"The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table." (48)
I chose these quotes because of the power that they have behind them. I believe without Martel’s incredible ability to draw such imagery into the book it would not be nearly as renowned as it is without his impressive ability to get you to visualize text. I put them in this order of lowest to highest, not to say number 4 is a bad use of imagery but rather that it does not provoke as strong of a reaction as the first does. The imagery within this novel is possibly the best I have read, it is not just the storyline or the plot points that make it incredible. Half of the book is plot points while the other half is made up of almost entirely imagery to only further enunciate the horrors and victories that Pi goes through bringing this character to life even more.
1. "In water that was dense, glassy and flecked by millions of lit-up specks of plankton, fish like trucks and buses and cars and bicycles and pedestrians were madly racing about, no doubt honking and hollering at each other." (175)
2. "Each time it's the same: my taste buds shrivel up and die, my skin goes beet red, my eyes well up with tears, my head feels like a house on fire, and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawnmower"(25).
3. "The day broke, humid and overcast, with the wind warm and the sky a dense blanket of grey clouds that looked like bunched-up, dirty cotton sheets." (Martel 128)
4. “Books lined the shelves of bookstores like kids standing in a row to play baseball or soccer, and mine was the gangly, authentic kid that no one wanted on their team.” (VII).
I chose four similes with intense imagery. The imagery in this story is abundant, and it is what helps keep the story interesting yet detailed. Through each of these similes, the reader can see the story clearly in their mind. Reading Life of Pi is more than just reading a story, it is a whole experience. I ranked them based on how descriptive they are, and how well they fit into the story. Comparing the animals in the sea to pedestrians in the street was such a vivid and perfect comparison that it has to be number one.
"This beach, so soft, firm and vast, was like the cheek of God, and somewhere two eyes were glittering with pleasure and a mouth was smiling at having me there." (285)
"Nothing but some enamel, like change in a pocket." (282)
"A modest glow of hope flickered to life within me, like a candle in the night." (159)
"Each of his claws as sharp as a knife." (135)
The first quote makes me imagine what the beach looks like. I also like the visual of the glittering eyes. I feel as though it brings us to the end of Pi's suffering like we are also relieved of the worry and dread just like he was in that moment. The second one irked me because at that moment Pi knew that the island was dangerous. I kind of knew all along that the island was bad and that line confirmed it for me. The next quote about hope made me think of the Great Gatsby. It reminded me of the great light and having Pi say that his hope was like a candle in the night made me think that Pi really did have hope. As for the last one, I just really liked the imagery of Richard Parker. I've always found tigers fascinating and beautiful. Besides Richard Parker is my favourite character.
1. "A single fly buzzed about, sounding to me like an alarm bell of insanity." (page 127)
2. "I felt like a prisoner being pushed off a plank by pirates" (pg 154)
Martel's use of similies allows readers to get hooked on the story more. My first favorite simile is the one with the fly being compared to an alarm bell of insanity. At this point, Pi has been on the lifeboat for a couple days with the zebra, hyena, and Richard Parker. With the fly being around it is a constant reminder that there is nothing for them to do on the lifeboat except sit around till he is insane. The second quote is also a great simile because it is describing what Pi felt like when he had to hide away on his raft. Every time he would try to get on the lifeboat Richard Parker would push him back to his raft. I like this because I can just imagine what it looks like for Pi to get pushed to his tiny raft away from the 22 foot long lifeboat.
1. “My tongue began to tremble as if it were a finger flipping through a dictionary, trying to find a long-forgotten word. It found it, and my eyes closed with pleasure at hearing it: sweet.” (259)
2. “I blinked deliberately, expecting my eyelids to act like lumberjacks. But the trees would not fall.” (257)
3. “To take in green, after so much blue, was like music to my eyes. Green is a lovely colour. It is the colour of Islam. It is my favorite colour.” (257)
4. “When he advanced, he crawled close to the ground and with trembling limbs. Like a newborn cub.” (261)
I chose all of these from chapter 92 because I think that it is one of the most significant chapters of the story considering that this is when Pi and Richard Parker finally stumble upon land. Pi’s description of the island creates an emotional appeal to the readers as he discusses what it was like to discover land and resources after enduring a copious amount of suffering for seven months. Essentially, this is when he realizes that he’s going to live. I like these quotes because of the visuals they give to the readers. I particularly love the first quote because it gives Pi’s perspective on eating something that was sweet instead of raw meat or other inedible things. I like how the second quote is him basically saying how he thought he was imagining things, but he realized he wasn’t. The third one lets readers visualize how intense it was to see something other than the sea. Pi later describes how overwhelming this was to his senses. The last one I admire because it shows how Richard Parker, normally perceived as a ferocious animal, is seen in his most vulnerable state.
1. "With her incongruously small legs and massive torso, she looked like a refrigerator on crooked wheels." (126)
2."His up-turned pads with their wet fur looked like little desert islands surrounded by seaweed." (172)
3. "Ice cream heaped as high as the Himalayas." (212)
4. "And when I appeared, it seemed that all of them turned to me, astonished, like chickens in a farmyard, and stood up." (265)
The first simile I ranked because the idea of the comparison I thought was comical. Immediately I was able to imagine a refrigerator on wheels as a gorilla. It was by far the most comical. The next simile I ranked because of the imagery I was able to get while reading it. I was able to imagine how dry and coarse the tiger's paws were with his fur wet from the sea surrounding them. It gave insight into the condition Richard Parker was in after being out at sea for so long. I ranked the comparison to “ice cream heaped as high as the Himalayas” third because you get a sense of how hungry Pi was and how relatable I thought the quote was. The last one I talked about was all the meerkats turning and looking at Pi like chickens on a farm. When I read this I was immediately able to imagine how these meerkats were acting when Pi appeared.
1. "I blinked deliberately, expecting my eyelids to act like lumberjacks. But the trees would not fall."(257)
2. "They were like nails being driven into my skin." (7)
3. "Each of his claws as sharp as a knife."(135)
4. "Moving a zoo is like moving a city."(88)
I chose these four because they in my opinion give me the best visualizations of what he sees or is doing. Like the lumberjack one that I had first makes me think of him sitting there in awe and disbelief, just completely stunned and in shock because of the way he compares his eyes to lumberjacks saying that he believes the island is fake at first. The Claws as sharp as a knife one also helps me understand just how sharp his claws are. I think of claws normally as being sharp but not that scary because I have never seen them on a large animal like that but this makes me think of them being deadly and dangerous. I liked the zoo one because it makes me think of trying to move all those animals and all the chaos that would cause. I think of the news stories of animals escaping zoos and running all over cities because of this. Then the nails being driven into my skin one just makes me realize how miserable it really was.
1. “I gazed upon this urban hurly-burly like someone observing a city from a hot air balloon.” (176)
2. “To take in green, after so much blue, was like music to my eyes.” (257)
3. “Ice cream heaped as high as the Himalayas.” (212)
4. "Nothing but some enamel, like change in a pocket." (282)
The first simile makes it easy to visualize what Pi was seeing when he looked down into the ocean off the lifeboat. He saw the interesting cars—aquatic animals—and how they interacted but had a birdseye view like the view you get from a hot air balloon. Or well what I imagine it would look like since I have never been on a hot air balloon and quite frankly don’t want to. The second simile is interesting because you can’t see music but instead of using ears he used eyes, which I just found interesting in itself. The third simile just shows Pi’s appetite and how hungry he is with wanting ice cream that large. Finally, the last simile shows that all that is left is the teeth, no cash just some loose change.
1. "This beach, so soft, firm and vast, was like the cheek of God, and somewhere two eyes were glittering with pleasure and mouth was smiling at having me there." (285)
2. "The pink skin was peeled back and looked like the petals of a flower, revealing kneecaps that were fire-engine red" (53)
3. "Richard Parker opened his maw and the squealing rat disappeared into it like a baseball into a catcher's mitt." (153)
4. "The ship sank, it made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp
(87)
I chose all of these similes because they provide strong examples of imagery, they helped me better visualize scenes while reading. My favorite simile was the one where Pi was comparing the island he had longed for and finally discovered, to laying on God's cheek. It made it very clear how happy he was, and he even later refers to the island as sort of heaven. I picked the second simile because it shows how Pi became enchanted by Christianity. I chose the third quote because I drew a great picture in my head while reading, and even now I remember it clearly; the rat disappearing into Richard Parker's mouth, slurping the tail. I chose the fourth simile because of its importance to the story and the interesting sound I thought of, it all happened because the boat sank.
"Often a group of meerkats will take the stance collectively, standing in a huddle and gazing in the same direction, looking like commuters waiting for a bus." (265)
“It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp.” (97)
“Dolphins, very fast swimmers, play about boats and ships much like dogs chase cars…” (176)
"You are as likely to see sea life from a ship as you are to see wildlife from a car on a highway." (176)
These similes are great examples of the imagery that Life of Pi is rife with. The dolphin simile, as well as the "sea life from a ship" simile, helps create an image of the ocean. These two lines do a great job explaining what the ocean is like while being aboard a big ship. The metallic burp on page 97 is another great example of imagery. It is hard to imagine what a sinking ship would sound like but Martel does a great job creating this imagery. The island is one of the most thoroughly described parts in the book. The imagery in this section of the book is amazing. It is very easy to imagine people waiting for a bus so this line makes it very easy to create a mental image of the meerkats.
1) “My tongue began to tremble as if it were a finger flipping through a dictionary, trying to find a long-forgotten word.” (page 259)
2) "And when I appeared, it seemed that all of them turned to me, astonished, like chickens in a farmyard, and stood up. " (page 265)
3) "They took to my barging without any offence, making room for me like a good-natured crowd." (page 267)
4) “After such a long time at Sea, my skin was like a hide and my hair was long, matted and as silky as a fly-catching strip.” (Page 268)
I ranked these accordingly because of how I interpreted them. The first one appeared in my mind as if I was watching a movie, I love how descriptive it is. For the second one, I used to have chickens so I related to it personally. It seemed like every time you would walk up to their fence they would all turn toward you, while reading this I pictured my chickens. “Making room for me like a good-natured crowd.” This makes me think of the movie scenes with big crowds when the main character walks in and they all part like the red sea. The last one has two in one, he explains that his “...skin was like a hide…” I thought really rough and scratchy. “...My hair was long, matted and as silky as a fly-catching strip.” This made me visualize the sticky fly traps that you put in your garage.
Life Of Pi was my favorite book that we had read so far because of the way the main character described things. With the use of figurative language and lots of imagery, it was really easy to understand the character and his situation. Some of the best similes were:
1. "The sea thundered like avalanches. The sea hissed like
sandpaper working on wood. The sea sounded like someone vomiting." (page 215)
2. "I popped them one after another into my mouth like candy until there were none left." (page 197)
3. "The rise was gentle, to a height of perhaps fifty or sixty feet,
but in the state I was in, that height loomed like a mountain." (page 260)
4. "Its big, bulbous head had a very pointed orange-yellow beak and the red eyes behind the black mask made it look like a thief who had had a very long night." (page 231)
The simile on page 215 was my favorite because it is actually a group of similes and I didn't even include all the ones featured on this page. The page does a great job explaining the sea through figurative language and they were some of my favorite descriptions in the book. The second simile was my 2nd favorite because it's during the part when he's describing the things he ate on his journey. This portion describes his love for eating crabs and how he "popped them in his mouth like candy". I liked this description and I also really like crab so this was relatable. The third simile was my 3rd favorite because it detailed Pi when he reached the algae island. He was so weak at this point in the journey that just getting from the boat onto the island seemed like an insanely difficult task. The last simile was my 4th favorite because it does a good job describing this seabird and it's a description I've never seen applied to something yet somehow I can totally see it. There were probably a multitude of similes I'm forgetting about seeing as how this is novel is packed with figurative language, but these were certainly some of my favorites from this great book.
1. "The clouds looked as if they were stumbling along before the wind, frightened." (225)
2. "His eviscerated torso, with its broken ribs curving up like the frame of a ship," (256)
3. "...my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawn mower." (43)
4. "The pink skin peeled back and looked like the petals of a flower, revealing kneecaps that were fire-engine red." (53)
These are definitely my favorite four similes, but I wasn't able to rank them. I picked them because of how creative and unique they were. Yann Martel has some of the most interesting figurative language and imagery that I have ever read, and it makes reading this novel very enjoyable. He compares things that I would never even think to compare—like ribs to the frame of a ship. It helps me visualize the book a lot better, despite the unusual comparisons. I also think some of them are funny. Quote number three for example: I would never even imagine a boa constrictor swallowing a lawn mower, but in a way that perfectly describes a stomach ache. I really like the way Martel writes, and I had zero trouble visualizing anything in this book because of it.
1. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it." (119)
2. “Every fish that hit me was like an arrow entering my flesh.” (181)
3. "A single fly buzzed about, sounding to me like an alarm bell of insanity." (127)
4. "each of his claws as sharp as a knife." (135)
I chose these similies because they provided a lot of good visuals for the novel. My favorite simile was Pi describing the sun. It was my favorite because throughout reading the novel I was constantly thinking about how hot it would be on that boat being out in the sun all of the time. My second favorite simile was Pi describing how it felt to get hit by the fish on the boat. When I was reading it I didn't really realize how much the fish would hurt flying at you. My third favorite simile was Pi describing a fly that was bussing around the boat. I liked it because I related to having an annoying fly around me. My fourth favorite simile was Pi describing Richard Parker's claws. Throughout reading the book I forgot how strong and powerful he was but that line provided a lot of imagery.
"His eviscerated torso, with its broken ribs curving up like the frame of a ship..."
"Often a group of meerkats will take the stance collectively, standing in a huddle and gazing in the same direction, looking like commuters waiting for a bus."
“To take in green, after so much blue, was like music to my eyes. Green is a lovely colour. It is the colour of Islam. It is my favorite colour.”
"The day broke, humid and overcast, with the wind warm and the sky a dense blanket of grey clouds that looked like bunched-up, dirty cotton sheets."
All of these similes give the reader vivid imagery that would normally not be there. Each of these is a perfect example of how a writer can keep a reader intrigued in a story, even when there may not be much action going on. My favorite simile is the first one. It may be gruesome but it shows us what Pi has to endure and what he sees everyday with Richard Parker on the boat. I like similies a lot because not only do they give us an image in our head, they also may give us a little more insight into the story.
"They were like nails driven into my flesh"(7).
"That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart"(6)
“The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table.” (48)
"To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you." (127)
I chose four similes in the novel that I think are all relatively gruesome but also very descriptive or "deep". These are ranked from the least to the greatest in description or pain. The first two similes are about Pi Patels' PTSD after arriving to the America's. The first simile is talking about Pi being made fun of for being Indian and having his Indian traditions after being asked if he is "fresh off the boat". The second simile is about Richard Parker abandoning Pi. I like these two similes because they take place at the start of the novel and at the time we do not fully understand these because we don't understand what Pi has gone through and his hardships. The last two are about Pi's life. The first one is about Pi's religious backgrounds and how all religion is interconnected to one another and the last one, the deepest one, is about Pi losing his mother.
1. "I stared at his knees. They were badly scraped. The pink skin was peeled back and looked like the petals of a flower, revealing kneecaps that were fire-engine red." (Martel 52)
2. "It was blocking my way. It was surging from below like a riotous crowd, raging, frothing and boiling." (Martel 103)
3."The pattern, in gold lines upon a background of red, was plain: a narrow rectangle with a triangular peak at one extremity to indicate the qibla, like wisps of smoke or accents from a strange language." (Martel 76)
4." Moving a zoo is like moving a city." (Martel 88)
These favorite similies are ranked based on how creative the similies were. The first simile was in my opinion the most creative because it both compared the knees to flower petals and the color of the knees to the redness of a firetruck. I felt that the second simile had a very specific way of describing the water and how it was like a crowd. The third simile also has two different comparisons in one simile, however, I felt that it wasn't as creative as the previous two. The last simile is very simple, so it has the least creativity of all the similes.
1. "Warmth came only when the sun, looking like an electrically lit orange, broke across the horizon, but I didn't need to wait that long to feel it" (119).
2. "Often a group of meerkats will take the stance collectively, standing in a huddle and gazing in the same direction, looking like commuters waiting for a bus." (265)
3. "They were like nails being driven into my skin." (7)
4. "To lose your mother, well, that is like losing the sun above you." (127)
I chose these similes based on the imagery they gave while reading. My first one was detailed it's easy to lean back and see the sun in its orange light. The second one was also entertaining. Seeing the meerkats standing there with an almost human quality. All crowded together waiting just as we do when waiting. The third one was my favorite. It's a religious reference as well as giving imagery. Throughout the entire book Pi references different religions, this one fits really well and gives foreshadowing even to the struggles Pi will have to endure. The last simile is about Pi's mother and how he realizes that he most likely won't see her again. His mother gave him light and life just as the sun does. This simile helps the reader understand the emotions Pi is feeling during the boat journey.
"Richard Parker opened his maw and the squealing rat disappeared into it like a baseball into a catcher's mitt." (153)
"It glowed in the sunlight, looking like a glass of apple juice.” (172)
“It was as unbelievable as the moon catching fire.” (103)
"It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp" (97)
I arranged the similies in this order because they get the most vivid and descriptive to less vivid or descriptive. The first quote belongs here because baseball is a very common game for almost everyone to relate to and it perfectly describes the size of Richard Parker. Rats are fairly big rodents and for it to disappear in his paw, you can get an idea of how intimidated Pi must feel just from the sheer size of the predator in front of him. The next also gives you an idea of how nice the glass of pee must look to him because there aren't many people who would refuse a nice glistening glass of apple juice. The second to last simile is a great example as you are able to imagine it but you can also understand what it is trying to convey with impossibility. The last simile is still descriptive but in my mind, it isn't as vivid as it takes more imagination on the reader's part where everyone won't make the same sound in their head. It is still able to provide the proper picture but almost lacks the common picture I believe similes need.
I arranged the similes based on emotions and descriptions they incite.
1. “...my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawn mower.” (43)
This simile is very descriptive. You can read this and almost feel the pain in which he would go through when eating spicy food.
2. “They froze like criminals caught in the act” (7)
This simile is talking about his hands when the waiter asks Pi if he is “Fresh off the boat” You can feel the shame that overcame Pi in this instance.
3. “As things emerged in outline and filled with colour, hope increased until it was like a song in my heart” (119)
This simile was after Pi survived the night when there was fighting. He was grateful to survive through the night and it is still early enough in the story that he has the hope of being rescued.
4. “Otherwise, to grab a wild guinea pig with your bare hands would be like taking hold of a knife by the blade.” (39)
Pi’s father meant to end the tiger encounter on a light note. By using the comparison between the tiger and the guinea pig it shows how dangerous the tiger can be and sets up the rest of the story. The section in which this simile resides provokes thoughtful and almost somber emotions.
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