The Juxtaposition of Comedy and Tragedy in Life of Pi by Ava Taylor https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb en-us 2023-03-10 18:35:27 UTC 2023-03-14 06:19:48 UTC hello@padlet.com MAIN CLAIM taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512213104 Throughout the novel Life of Pi, Yann Martel’s juxtaposition of comedic and tragic events aid in Pi’s character development and foster the contrasting witty and dark tones in the novel.]]> 2023-03-10 18:39:20 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512213104 Comedy is used to portray the novel's witty tone by exposing the human ego in a way that is more tangible to the reader. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512216275  “DO YOU KNOW WHICH IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL IN THE ZOO…behind it was a mirror” (31).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:42:00 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512216275 The quote's sarcastic tone softens the blow of the true tragedy being portrayed (death) while contributing to the novel's major theme of religion vs. science. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512216857 “the agnostic…might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying “possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain, “ and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story (64).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:42:38 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512216857 Using Ravi's mocking tone in this comment, the author points out the judgmental nature of our society towards religion in a way that is more socially acceptable. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512217058  “At the rate you’re going, if you go to temple on Thursday, mosque on Friday, synagogue on Saturday, and church on Sunday, you only need to convert to three more religions to be on holiday for the rest of your life” (70).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:42:50 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512217058 Without the use of comedy to lessen the intensity of the tragedy, the tone of the novel shifts to a much darker one, making the material harder to digest for the reader. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512217560 "that second night at sea stands in my memory as one of exceptional suffering…the broken down kind consisting of weeping and sadness and spiritual pain, and different from later ones in that I had the strength to appreciate what I felt” (124).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:43:18 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512217560 Contrasting the very emotional human reaction Pi has with the very primal reaction of the hyena creates a nonchalant tone towards death, further developing the theme of man vs. nature. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512217769 “I lay down…and spent the whole night weeping and grieving, my face buried in my arms. The hyena spent the whole night eating” (128).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:43:31 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512217769 This comedic anecdote sways the readers into associating Richard Parker with human traits which takes away from the tragedy and death that follow in his wake. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512217975  “All the papers we received with the cub clearly stated that its name was Richard Parker, that the hunter’s first name was Thirsty, and that his family name was None Given” (133).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:43:43 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512217975 The conjunction of these quotes create a blunt tone that is comedic in its unexpectedness, highlighting the true tragedy that Pi has been ignoring up to this point. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512218241  “‘I’m going to die’” (147).
“Oncoming death is terrible enough, but worse still is oncoming death with time to spare” (147).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:44:02 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512218241 This humorous anecdote fosters an upbeat tone that turns delusional when used to mask the true horror of Pi's predicament. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512219398 “Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, without further ado, it is my pleasure and honor to present to you: THE PI PATEL, INDO-CANADIAN, TRANS-PACIFIC, FLOATING CIRCUSSSSSSSSSSS!!!” (165).]]> 2023-03-10 18:45:13 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512219398 Juxtaposing the horrific idea of being eaten by a carnivorous animal with a comedic inner monologue fosters a condescending tone from Pi towards himself and his situation. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512219602  “But don’t you think that before he submits to eating puffy, putrefied zebra he’ll try the fresh, juicy, Indian boy just a short dip away?...My, my, what an enormous pink cave. Look at those long yellow stalactites and stalagmites. Maybe today you’ll get a chance to visit” (179).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:45:26 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512219602 The use of comedic language as well as Pi's indifferent nature towards his own death implies that his character has developed to the point where he has become desensitized to his own emotions and the gravity of his situation. taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512219794 “But something was niggling at me. I couldn’t say what. Whatever it was, it was disturbing my dying” (248).

]]> 2023-03-10 18:45:40 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512219794 ANALYSIS taylora5101 https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512221320 In Part one of the novel, Pi, a young Indian boy fascinated with religion, (appositive) is forced to move away from his home. The introductory chapters' tone is pleasant and nostalgic, giving Pi's character an innocent outlook on life. The author ends the first part with an anecdote of present-day Pi and divulges, “This story has a happy ending” (93). This gives the readers a false sense of hope, quickly dashed by the first line of the second part noting, “The ship sank” (97). The dramatic switch in tones is caused by the juxtaposition of these two lines (semicolon transition comma connecting two related ideas); additionally, the tone switch also alludes to new challenges for Pi in the section of the novel that follows these lines. This juxtaposition demonstrates the turbulence and complexity of human emotions, one of the themes explored in the novel. The abrupt shift between happy and tragic leads the readers to understand that Pi, coping with the challenges of leaving his home behind, (participle) will be undergoing significant character development and emotional change throughout the rest of the novel.]]> 2023-03-10 18:47:28 UTC https://padlet.com/taylora5101/zdhnqtuxhuj4yavb/wish/2512221320