Other Themes in Life of Pi

Throughout the novel, Pi is consistently faced with obstacles when trying to be rescued. For instance he is stranded on a small life boat with a Bengal Tiger, the flares left on the boat aren't getting anyone's attention, and he is at the mercy of the open sea. Pi's willingness to survive creates the theme that hope is one of the surest elements of survival. There is a point in the novel where Pi comes to terms with his approaching death, but something inside of him gave him hope to wait to be rescued. For instance that hope led him to face Richard Parker and explore the boat for food. That hope also gave him the incentive to leave the island he was washed up on. Because he knew that if he stayed on the island, he would never be discovered, Pi left, giving himself another chance to be rescued. Pi was stuck on the life boat for 277 days, along with a sense of creativity to survive, his hope of being rescued became his overall drive.