Richard Parker and Me

                                  പൈടെ ജീവിതത്തിലേക്ക് ഒരു എത്തിനോട്ടം 

I believe his story without animals is the real series of events that occurred in his months at sea. Pi creates an imaginary, far fetched  yet almost charming version of this tragedy in order to cope with what has happened. By creating a separate identity as Richard Parker for his shocking animal instincts , and replacing the other people on the lifeboat with animals, he distances himself morally and emotionally from the horrible things he has experienced during the 22 days at sea.The cannibalistic, disturbing second story reveals things that he would rather not know or remember about himself. 

Even as a kid  Pi  has a deep understanding of who God is to him, and he prays regularly. He says that he “just wants to love God”, but he is soon forced into a situation where survival is a priority, and where morality sinks to the bottom of the ocean along with the ship.

Richard Parker is the primitive, darker side of Pi that appears as his situation becomes desperate.His efforts at taming Richard Parker, his own efforts at keeping reign over himself.. On the lifeboat, Pi finds himself doing certain things for his survival.His moral beliefs cannot come before his more powerful primitive instincts if he wishes to survive. He kills and eats fish, sharks and even another human being. Normally, under different circumstances, he would never even think of doing these things.

Initially Richard Parker is nowhere to be seen in the lifeboat. At the same time, Pi is hanging on his side of the lifeboat, terrified and very sad. which definitely means his primitive instincts have not kicked in yet, . As the situation on the lifeboat worsens, Richard Parker springs into the scene, and Pi appears stronger and bolder in his actions.The taming of Richard Parker can be seen as a symbolism for Pi’s taming of the brutal part of himself. He learns to control his primitive self, something he never had to do in modern civilization. His moral being would forbid the slaying of any sort of life, but, under the circumstances, his primitive instincts take control and he grudgingly kills the  fish enjoys the meat. On the other side, Pi kills a man, and then eats him,  one of the worst sins one can think of. Pi only does it so he can continue to survive.

As their boat washes up onto shore in Mexico, Richard Parker leaps off deep into the jungle, never to be seen by Pi again as Richard Parker is Pi’s darker side, Now he has returned to the civilization  where he will no longer need his primitive instincts. At the end of movie, while Pi is watching and hoping he would turn back,Richard Parker simply disappears into the wild, leaving a screaming Pi on the shore. He doesn't need the wilder side of him anymore and so richard Parker has disappeared from his life without a goodbye.

Pi created Richard Parker, to help him cope with the guilt. So that he can imagine he never actually was the one to do these disgusting things. 

We all have a Richard Parker, the darker side of us sleeping unaware within us, which will awake in times of need.This movie leaves you thinking about all the times you ever lost hope and just when you think you’ve lost it all, someone or something comes along and helps you survive the “storm”. Just someone like RICHARD PARKER!!!