Chapter 88 starts with Pi narrating how the trash island approached him, “First the water glistened with patches of oil.” He then talks about the nature of the trash island; the “wine bottles” and “pieces of lumber”. Afterwards, Pi identifies a refrigerator with rotten vegetables, curdles milk, and expired meat in which Pi identifies as lamb. As the trash island floats away Pi writes a letter in a wine bottle he picked out and throws it into the water.
Chapter 88 serves to remind the reader the desperation Pi has to somehow get found. Specifically, in how chapter 87 talks about Pi’s attempt of escaping reality by asphyxiating himself with a piece of cloth he calls his “dream rag”. Chapter 87 already sets up the reader to Pi’s hope of being found dwindling away and the trash sort of give’s Pi false hope.
Furthemore, chapter 88 uses symbolism to show Pi’s emotions. For example, a lamb is most connotated with purity and innocence and its being in such an “advanced state of black” shows Pi’s loss of innocence due his traumatic experience. Also, the floating trash serves as a broader commentary on how humans are destroying the earth with trash and pollution. In addition, the trash island itself symbolizes false hope as it is not a real island, but an island of trash. Pi would be overjoyed to see a real island right now, but instead he is given an island of trash which ultimately “sank beneath the surface”. Finally, the bottle of wine that Pi picks up is a symbol of hope, though how little the chances may be he still wrote something in that bottle, “knotting it tightly”, and threw it into the ocean. Pi knows that the chances are slim, but is desperately trying to hold onto reality and the bottle, quite small in size, mirrors the small amount of hope he has left of making it out alive.
Furthermore, chapter 89 begins with “Everything suffered”, emphasizing Pi’s descent into hopelessness. Overall, these three chapters model Pi’s dwindling emotions from his escape from reality with a “dream rag”, to false hope with the trash island”, and finally “ everything suffered”.
Tristen, I thought this response was really interesting, especially in the connection between the three chapters. While seemingly random, this trash was an important symbol and representation of Pi’s dwindling hope. I really liked the idea of the lamb being in the “advanced state of black” speaking to the innocence lost with Pi’s experience. For example, Pi was previously vegetarian, but now consumed all sorts of animals, so this idea of a lamb being almost rotted acts as a strong way of showing the progression Pi’s journey that ultimately led him to this position of little hope.
Your perspective on how the floating trash represents Pi’s hopelessness in reaching land/being found is really interesting!
I’d like to go back to the description of the lamb, specifically about how the smell grew “bitter and angry” (237). The personification of the meat to these specific emotions parallels what Pi has felt during the journey, therefore supporting your point of how the trash island reflects Pi’s state of mind. I also think that it is interesting how it took the sea an entire “day” to wash the oil smears from the boat (237), since this implies that the desperation Pi feels constantly lingers at the back of his mind. —Joy Fei
Chapter 88 starts with Pi narrating how the trash island approached him, “First the water glistened with patches of oil.” He then talks about the nature of the trash island; the “wine bottles” and “pieces of lumber”. Afterwards, Pi identifies a refrigerator with rotten vegetables, curdles milk, and expired meat in which Pi identifies as lamb. As the trash island floats away Pi writes a letter in a wine bottle he picked out and throws it into the water.
ReplyDeleteChapter 88 serves to remind the reader the desperation Pi has to somehow get found. Specifically, in how chapter 87 talks about Pi’s attempt of escaping reality by asphyxiating himself with a piece of cloth he calls his “dream rag”. Chapter 87 already sets up the reader to Pi’s hope of being found dwindling away and the trash sort of give’s Pi false hope.
Furthemore, chapter 88 uses symbolism to show Pi’s emotions. For example, a lamb is most connotated with purity and innocence and its being in such an “advanced state of black” shows Pi’s loss of innocence due his traumatic experience. Also, the floating trash serves as a broader commentary on how humans are destroying the earth with trash and pollution. In addition, the trash island itself symbolizes false hope as it is not a real island, but an island of trash. Pi would be overjoyed to see a real island right now, but instead he is given an island of trash which ultimately “sank beneath the surface”. Finally, the bottle of wine that Pi picks up is a symbol of hope, though how little the chances may be he still wrote something in that bottle, “knotting it tightly”, and threw it into the ocean. Pi knows that the chances are slim, but is desperately trying to hold onto reality and the bottle, quite small in size, mirrors the small amount of hope he has left of making it out alive.
Furthermore, chapter 89 begins with “Everything suffered”, emphasizing Pi’s descent into hopelessness. Overall, these three chapters model Pi’s dwindling emotions from his escape from reality with a “dream rag”, to false hope with the trash island”, and finally “ everything suffered”.
-Tristen Arun
Tristen, I thought this response was really interesting, especially in the connection between the three chapters. While seemingly random, this trash was an important symbol and representation of Pi’s dwindling hope. I really liked the idea of the lamb being in the “advanced state of black” speaking to the innocence lost with Pi’s experience. For example, Pi was previously vegetarian, but now consumed all sorts of animals, so this idea of a lamb being almost rotted acts as a strong way of showing the progression Pi’s journey that ultimately led him to this position of little hope.
DeleteThanks,
Marissa
Your perspective on how the floating trash represents Pi’s hopelessness in reaching land/being found is really interesting!
DeleteI’d like to go back to the description of the lamb, specifically about how the smell grew “bitter and angry” (237). The personification of the meat to these specific emotions parallels what Pi has felt during the journey, therefore supporting your point of how the trash island reflects Pi’s state of mind. I also think that it is interesting how it took the sea an entire “day” to wash the oil smears from the boat (237), since this implies that the desperation Pi feels constantly lingers at the back of his mind.
—Joy Fei