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Definition of Imagery
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After Apple-Picking" contain imagery that engages... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines from Robert Frost's poem "After... read full definition
Imagery, in any sort of writing, refers to descriptive language that engages the human senses. For instance, the following lines... read full definition
Chapter 16
Explanation and Analysis—Religious Outlook:
The book uses descriptive imagery to reflect how Pi’s religious beliefs shape his worldview. One such example of imagery appears early on in Chapter 16, when Pi discusses his relationship with Hinduism (the religion which he was born into):
I am a Hindu because of sculptured cones of red kumkum powder and baskets of yellow turmeric nuggets, because of garlands of flowers and pieces of broken coconut, because of the clanging of bells to announce one’s arrival to God, because of the whine of the reedy nadaswaram and the beating of drums, because of the patter of bare feet against stone floors down dark corridors pierced by shafts of sunlight, because of the fragrance of incense, because of flames of arati lamps circling in the darkness, because of bhajans being sweetly sung, because of elephants standing around to bless, because of colourful murals telling colourful stories, because of foreheads carrying, variously signified, the same word—faith.
His description of the sensory experience of items associated with the practice of Hinduism emphasizes how Pi’s faith encompasses the totality of his being and his connection to the physical world, not just his internal feelings. These surroundings inspire faith within him, but he also filters his surroundings through a religious lens, creating a sort of feedback loop that strengthens his faith. Pi’s spiritual connection to the beauty of the world also extends to his life as a Christian and Muslim as his religious beliefs change. In Chapter 20, Pi claims that he once saw the Virgin Mary when in Canada, looking at a snowy landscape:
Her skin was pale. She was wearing a white dress and a blue cloak; I remember being struck by their pleats and folds. When I say I saw her, I don’t quite mean it literally, though she did have body and colour. I felt I saw her, a vision beyond vision.
Pi’s description blends objective observation with faith and emotion as he compares falling snowflakes in a bright blue sky onto a blanket of snowy earth to the Virgin Mary. This intense, poetic imagery offers readers insight into how Pi’s religious way of seeing the world also impacts his account of his time on the lifeboat.
Related Themes:
Chapter 20
Explanation and Analysis—Religious Outlook:
The book uses descriptive imagery to reflect how Pi’s religious beliefs shape his worldview. One such example of imagery appears early on in Chapter 16, when Pi discusses his relationship with Hinduism (the religion which he was born into):
I am a Hindu because of sculptured cones of red kumkum powder and baskets of yellow turmeric nuggets, because of garlands of flowers and pieces of broken coconut, because of the clanging of bells to announce one’s arrival to God, because of the whine of the reedy nadaswaram and the beating of drums, because of the patter of bare feet against stone floors down dark corridors pierced by shafts of sunlight, because of the fragrance of incense, because of flames of arati lamps circling in the darkness, because of bhajans being sweetly sung, because of elephants standing around to bless, because of colourful murals telling colourful stories, because of foreheads carrying, variously signified, the same word—faith.
His description of the sensory experience of items associated with the practice of Hinduism emphasizes how Pi’s faith encompasses the totality of his being and his connection to the physical world, not just his internal feelings. These surroundings inspire faith within him, but he also filters his surroundings through a religious lens, creating a sort of feedback loop that strengthens his faith. Pi’s spiritual connection to the beauty of the world also extends to his life as a Christian and Muslim as his religious beliefs change. In Chapter 20, Pi claims that he once saw the Virgin Mary when in Canada, looking at a snowy landscape:
Her skin was pale. She was wearing a white dress and a blue cloak; I remember being struck by their pleats and folds. When I say I saw her, I don’t quite mean it literally, though she did have body and colour. I felt I saw her, a vision beyond vision.
Pi’s description blends objective observation with faith and emotion as he compares falling snowflakes in a bright blue sky onto a blanket of snowy earth to the Virgin Mary. This intense, poetic imagery offers readers insight into how Pi’s religious way of seeing the world also impacts his account of his time on the lifeboat.
Related Themes:
Chapter 31
Explanation and Analysis—Religious Outlook:
The book uses descriptive imagery to reflect how Pi’s religious beliefs shape his worldview. One such example of imagery appears early on in Chapter 16, when Pi discusses his relationship with Hinduism (the religion which he was born into):
I am a Hindu because of sculptured cones of red kumkum powder and baskets of yellow turmeric nuggets, because of garlands of flowers and pieces of broken coconut, because of the clanging of bells to announce one’s arrival to God, because of the whine of the reedy nadaswaram and the beating of drums, because of the patter of bare feet against stone floors down dark corridors pierced by shafts of sunlight, because of the fragrance of incense, because of flames of arati lamps circling in the darkness, because of bhajans being sweetly sung, because of elephants standing around to bless, because of colourful murals telling colourful stories, because of foreheads carrying, variously signified, the same word—faith.
His description of the sensory experience of items associated with the practice of Hinduism emphasizes how Pi’s faith encompasses the totality of his being and his connection to the physical world, not just his internal feelings. These surroundings inspire faith within him, but he also filters his surroundings through a religious lens, creating a sort of feedback loop that strengthens his faith. Pi’s spiritual connection to the beauty of the world also extends to his life as a Christian and Muslim as his religious beliefs change. In Chapter 20, Pi claims that he once saw the Virgin Mary when in Canada, looking at a snowy landscape:
Her skin was pale. She was wearing a white dress and a blue cloak; I remember being struck by their pleats and folds. When I say I saw her, I don’t quite mean it literally, though she did have body and colour. I felt I saw her, a vision beyond vision.
Pi’s description blends objective observation with faith and emotion as he compares falling snowflakes in a bright blue sky onto a blanket of snowy earth to the Virgin Mary. This intense, poetic imagery offers readers insight into how Pi’s religious way of seeing the world also impacts his account of his time on the lifeboat.
Related Themes:
Chapter 78
Explanation and Analysis—Sky and Sea:
Pi describes and sometimes personifies the sky and sea in various ways, from lively, antagonistic forces to apathetic and inanimate to intimate friends. In Chapter 78, he describes the changing nature of the sky and sea using personification, simile, and imagery:
There were many skies. The sky was invaded by great white clouds, flat on the bottom but round and billowy on top. The sky was completely cloudless, of a blue quite shattering to the senses. The sky was a heavy, suffocating blanket of grey cloud, but without promise of rain…The sky was many clouds at many levels, some thick and opaque, others looking like smoke. The sky was black and spitting rain on my smiling face. The sky was nothing but falling water, a ceaseless deluge that wrinkled and bloated my skin and froze me stiff.
There were many seas. 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. The sea was dead silent.
Pi’s intense focus on the sky and sea is partially due to how these two forces make up the entirety of his surroundings beyond the boat, trapping him on all sides. His life and death depend greatly on the weather of the sky and sea, and his lengthy descriptions emphasize this all-consuming nature. The long list of descriptions reflects the endless nature of the sky and sea. He uses personification (the clouds "invade" the sky and the sea "whisper[s]") as well as simile (the sea "roar[s] like a tiger") to emphasize how fearsome and powerful the natural elements are, and how small and vulnerable he is in comparison. To make this descriptions even more impactful and help the reader comprehend the magnitude of what he's experience, Pi also weaves in vivid imagery: the sky is "a heavy, suffocating blanket of grey cloud," and the sea "thunder[s] like avalanches."
The fact that Pi cannot stick to just one comparison also shows his inability to fully understand or articulate the nature of the sky and sea. Yet, all he can do is try and better understand the two, because they are a constant presence in his current situation. Furthermore, Pi’s inconsistent characterization of the two forces demonstrates how he views the sky and sea simultaneously as beautiful parts of God’s world; inanimate and uncaring forces of nature; and, more bitterly, as two of many things trying to kill him. The comparison of the sea to the tiger is especially telling in this regard, as the forces are like Richard Parker in their dual ability to provide comfort and pain.
Related Themes:
