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By analyzing and comparing Pi’s relationship with Richard Parker Yann Martel portrays the theme that the meaning of life is less about one’s nature as an animal or human but more about surviving the insufferable.

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Pi recognizes that Richard Parker, a ferocious predator, is essential to his survival as he is the same color as the lifebuoy -orange- which represents survival. 

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Pi recognizes that Richard Parker, a ferocious predator, is essential to his survival as he is the same color as the lifebuoy -orange- which represents survival. 

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“His head was the size and color of the lifebuoy, with teeth” (99).

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Regardless of Pi's differences with Richard Parker they must work together to outlast their harrowing journey because survival is only possible if they find common ground. 

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Regardless of Pi's differences with Richard Parker they must work together to outlast their harrowing journey because survival is only possible if they find common ground. 

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“I had to tame him. It was at that moment that I realized this necessity, It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me” (164).

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Pi must put aside his humanity to provide food for himself and Richard Parker and follows the example of Richard Parker to act savagely and kill.

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Pi must put aside his humanity to provide food for himself and Richard Parker and follows the example of Richard Parker to act savagely and kill.

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“Killing it was no problem. I would have spared myself the trouble-after all, it was for Richard Parker and he would have dispatched it with expert ease” (185).

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Similarly to Pi, Richard Parker, even as an animal, desires anything more than what's available to them on the lifeboat and in the Pacific Ocean. 

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Similarly to Pi, Richard Parker, even as an animal, desires anything more than what's available to them on the lifeboat and in the Pacific Ocean. 

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“The hours were long, the fish were small, and Richard Parker was forever hungry” (194).

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Pi- who once feared Richard Parker for his predator brutality- has lost his innocence as a human and mimics the barbarity of Richard Parker.

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Pi- who once feared Richard Parker for his predator brutality- has lost his innocence as a human and mimics the barbarity of Richard Parker.

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“I shuddered at opening a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an animal’s neck. I had descended to a level of savagery I never imagined possible” (197).

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At the beginning of the story Pi is the weaker creature in the lifeboat and views Richard Parker as a majestic killer but soon finds that Richard Parker also has his weaknesses when pressure is high.  

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At the beginning of the story Pi is the weaker creature in the lifeboat and views Richard Parker as a majestic killer but soon finds that Richard Parker also has his weaknesses when pressure is high.  

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“Perhaps it was because Richard Parker was not familiar with sharks…one of those few times I was reminded that Richard Parker was not perfect, that despite his honed instincts he too could bumble” (219).

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As a 350 pound Bengal tiger there is much for Pi to fear in Richard Parker; however, as Pi's mental determination to survive grows he finds the weak spots in Richard Parker which allows Pi to present himself as an equal competitor. 

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As a 350 pound Bengal tiger there is much for Pi to fear in Richard Parker; however, as Pi's mental determination to survive grows he finds the weak spots in Richard Parker which allows Pi to present himself as an equal competitor. 

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“I looked Richard Parker dead in the eyes, Suddenly his brute strength meant only moral weakness” (222).

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Pi has a lot of love in his heart and regardless of his differences with Richard Parker he still loves the Bengal tiger greatly because without accepting his presence survival would be impossible. 

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Pi has a lot of love in his heart and regardless of his differences with Richard Parker he still loves the Bengal tiger greatly because without accepting his presence survival would be impossible. 

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“Truly I do. I love you, Richard Parker. If I didn’t have you now, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t think I would make it. No, I wouldn’t. I would die of hopelessness. Don’t give up Richard Parker” (236).

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Pi's self-identity becomes so entwined with Richard Parker's in the face of suffering that he begins to emulate the characteristics of a tiger and blurs the boundary between animal and human. 

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Pi's self-identity becomes so entwined with Richard Parker's in the face of suffering that he begins to emulate the characteristics of a tiger and blurs the boundary between animal and human. 

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“I began to imitate Richard Parker in sleeping an incredible number of hours” (239).

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Pi has developed a close relationship with Richard Parker and the thought of abandoning Richard Parker--"to leave him would mean to kill him"--is heartbreaking. Pi regains much of his strength on the Carnivorous island; this strength allows him to have confidence in his survival. Earlier in the story, Pi acknowledges his dependence on Richard Parker to survive, exclaiming, "I love you, Richard Parker. If I didn’t have you now, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t think I would make it" (236). At heart, Pi is still a humane person and through that lens makes a decision that reflects his loneliness and infuses human characteristics into the tiger. The human attributes he projects in Richard Parker reflect Pi's own mental and physical state when he first found himself on the lifeboat, such as fragility and fear. Unbeknownst to Richard Parker, Pi realizes it is now his turn to help Richard Parker: "I could not abandon Richard Parker... he would not survive the first night" (283). Pi does not visualize Richard Parker as a ferocious beast but as an equal partner in his survival.