REVEALING PI’S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE …
Transcript of REVEALING PI’S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE …
REVEALING PI’S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH THE USE OF SYMBOLS IN YANN MARTEL’S
LIFE OF PI
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
MELINDA KRISTIANA
Student Number: 154214041
DEPARTEMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA
YOGYAKARTA
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ii
REVEALING PI’S CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
THROUGH THE USE OF SYMBOLS IN YANN MARTEL’S
LIFE OF PI
AN UNDERGRADUATE THESIS
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Sarjana Sastra
in English Letters
By
MELINDA KRISTIANA
Student Number: 154214041
DEPARTEMENT OF ENGLISH LETTERS
FACULTY OF LETTERS
UNIVERSITAS SANATA DHARMA
YOGYAKARTA
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
viii
THIS UNDERGRADUATE THESIS IS DEDICATED FOR ALL PEOPLE THAT I
LOVE I DID IT!
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
ix
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, I would like to thank my greatest teacher of all: God. I
know that I am here and that I am able to write all of this for a reason.
My greatest gratitude goes to my thesis advisor, Drs. Hirmawan
Wijanarka, my co-advisor Dr. Tatang Iskarna and my examiner Dr. Gabriel
Fajar Sasmita Aji who supported me and advised me through the writing process
of my undergraduate thesis with patience, critical mind, and willingness.
I would like to thank to my parents, Debora Menik Lestiowati and
Margono Andreas Kristanto, and my brothers and my sisters, Ko Candra, Ce
Erna, Ce Lia, and Ce Novi. The countless times you helped me throughout my
journey in college especially for the financial. Your encouragement when the
times got rough are much appreciated and duly noted. It was a great comfort and
relief to know that you were willing to provide everything you can give even
though I know that you have struggled a lot.
I would like to thank my beloved, Bram Putra Pratama for supporting
me spiritually throughout writing this thesis and my life in general and be there
for me. You are the most patient man that accompanies me to meet the best
version of myself. Thank you for not giving up on me and this long-distance
relationship even though world gives you a thousand reasons to give up. I love
you.
I would to thank my best friends Siti Zulaikha Anugrahini Putri and
Oksa Putri Unjunan. Thank you for being my best friends since high school.
You always spare your time to pick up my call whenever I need it. Thank you for
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
x
the never-ending support from Semarang. I also would to thank my best friend
Tomy Waskhito for teaching me how to write this thesis correctly with the
format.
I would to thank my Miracle Squad for coloring my college life with
laugh, tears, and a lot of unforgettable moments that I cannot describe one by one.
Thank you for this beautifully weird friendship that I never had.
To all members of Taj Mahal’s Squad that always spare their time to
accompany me from one coffee shop to another to do this thesis. Thank you for
willing to get up early in the morning to accompany me and give me never ending
support. Thank you for making it easier when everything seems impossible for
me.
Finally, a huge thank-you to everyone who has been a part of my life
directly or indirectly supported and prayed for me along the way.
Melinda Kristiana
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
xi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE ........................................................................................................ ii
APPROVAL PAGE ............................................................................................. iii
ACCEPTANCE PAGE ........................................................................................ iv
STATEMENT OF ORIGINALITY .....................................................................v
LEMBAR PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI KARYA ILMIAH .. vi
MOTTO PAGE ................................................................................................... vii
DEDICATION PAGE ........................................................................................ viii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ................................................................................. ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................... xi
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................ xiii
ABSTRAK ............................................................................................................ xiv
CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION .........................................................................1
A. Background of the Study .................................................................................1
B. Problem Formulation .......................................................................................4
C. Objectives of the Study ...................................................................................5
D. Definition of Terms ........................................................................................5
CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF LITERATURE .....................................................7
A. Review of Related Studies ..............................................................................7
B. Review of Related Theories ..........................................................................11
1. Theory of Character, Characterization and Character Development .....11
2. Theory of Symbol .................................................................................13
a. How to Find Symbol ..........................................................................13
b. How to Interpret Symbol ...................................................................14
3. Theory of Plot ........................................................................................15
C. Theoretical Framework ................................................................................16
CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY ..................................................................17
A. Object of the Study ......................................................................................17
B. Approach of the Study .................................................................................18
C. Method of the Study ....................................................................................19
CHAPTER IV: ANALYSIS ...............................................................................21
A. Symbols in Life of Pi ...................................................................................21
1. Water .....................................................................................................21
2. Lifeboat .................................................................................................25
3. The Animals ..........................................................................................27
a. Zebra .................................................................................................28
b. Tiger .................................................................................................30
4. The Carnivorous Algae Island ...............................................................33
B. Symbol as Representation of Pi’s Character Development ..........................38
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
xii
1. Water .....................................................................................................38
2. Lifeboat .................................................................................................41
3. The Animals ..........................................................................................43
a. Zebra .................................................................................................43
b. Tiger .................................................................................................46
4. The Carnivorous Algae Island ...............................................................48
CHAPTER V: CONCLUSION ...........................................................................53
REFERENCES .....................................................................................................55
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
xiii
ABSTRACT
Melinda Kristiana (2015). REVEALING PI’S CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE USE OF SYMBOLS IN YANN
MARTEL’S LIFE OF PI. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty
of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Life of Pi is a novel written by Yann Martell, which was first published in
2001. The novel tells about a boy named Pi who tries to survive in the middle of
the sea with a Bengal Tiger after the tragic sinking of the ship that caused him to
lose his entire family. On his way to survive, many incidents do not make any
sense in human logic that changes the Pi’s perspective to his life. That does
influence not only his perspective but also has an impact on his character
development.
There are two objectives of the study. The first objective is to find the
symbol in the novel and its meaning. Then the second objective is to observe the
symbol in the novel represents the character development of Pi.
Library research is applied in order to find reliable theories in this study.
The researcher takes the primary data from the novel Life of Pi. The secondary
data are taken from theories related to the topic of the study, such as the theory of
character and characterization, theory of plot, and also the intrinsic element that
the researcher wants to analyze, the theory of symbol, how to find a symbol in
literary work and how to interpret symbol.
The first analysis of the study shows that there are five symbols in the
novel. They are water, a lifeboat, the animals, and the carnivorous algae island.
The meaning of each symbol is destiny, hope, ability to survive, power, and faith.
The researcher analyzes the meaning by applied the theories of symbol, how to
find symbols, and how to interpret symbols. Those meaning shaped Pi’s
characters after the tragedy of the ship sank. The symbol is classified in sequence
when they show up in the novel. The second analysis of the study shows that
those symbols represent the character development of Po. The destiny, hope,
ability to survive, power, and faith of Pi are developed after the tragedy of ship
sank. Pi grows as a tough man, confidence, brave, full of ideas, and experiences.
The characters of Pi are developed, therefore, the researcher writes before and
after of Pi’s characters.
In conclusion, the symbols in the novel represent the character
development of Pi. It can be seen in the plot of the story that shows the
development of Pi before the tragedy of ship sank and after he survived in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean for about 227 days with the tiger.
Keywords: novel, symbols, character development, Pi.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
xiv
ABSTRAK
Melinda Kristiana (2015). REVEALING PI’S CHARACTER
DEVELOPMENT THROUGH THE USE OF SYMBOLS IN YANN
MARTEL’S LIFE OF PI. Yogyakarta: Department of English Letters, Faculty
of Letters, Sanata Dharma University.
Life of Pi adalah sebuah novel yang ditulis oleh Yann Martel yang pertama
kali diterbitkan pada tahun 2011. Novel ini mengisahkan tentang seorang anak
laki-laki bernama Pi, yang berjuang untuk bertahan hidup di tengah-tengah lautan
lepas dengan seekor harimau setelah tragedi kapal tenggelam yang menimpanya
dan menyebabkan seluruh keluarganya meninggal dunia. Dalam perjalanannya
untuk bertahan hidup, banyak sekali kejadian-kejadian yang tidak masuk akal
secara logika yang mengubah cara pandang Pi. Tidak hanya mempengaruhi cara
pandang, tetapi juga berimbas kepada perkembangan karakter dari Pi sendiri yang
pada akhirnya merubah hidupnya.
Dalam skripsi ini terdapat dua tujuan. Tujuan pertama adalah menemukan
simbol-simbol yang terdapat dalam novel dan artinya. Tujuan kedua adalah untuk
mengobservasi bahwa simbol yang ditemukan oleh peneliti merepresentasikan
perkembagan karakter dari Pi.
Studi pustaka digunakan dalam mencari teori-teori terkait dalam skripsi
ini. Penulis mengambil data pokok dari novel Life of Pi dan beberapa teori yang
bersangkutan dengan topik studi ini, seperti teori tokoh, penokohan, dan
perkembangan tokoh, teori plot dan teori tentang simbol, bagaimana cara
menentukan sebuah symbol dalam karya, dan bagaimana menginterpretasikan
sebuah simbol.
Analisis pertama dari studi ini menunjukkan bahwa terdapat lima simbol
dalam novel ini. Simbol-simbol tersebut adalah air, kapal sekoci, binatang, dan
pulau alga karnivora. Arti dari setiap simbol di atas adalah takdir, harapan,
kemampuan untuk bertahan hidup, kekuatan, dan keyakinan. Peneliti
menganalisis arti dari setiap simbol dengan mengaplikasikan teori simbol,
bagaimana menemukan sebuah simbol dan bagaimana menginterpretasikan
sebuah simbol. Simbol-simbol tersebut diklasifikasikan menurut urutan mereka
muncul di dalam novel. Analisis kedua dari studi ini menunjukkan bawa simbol-
simbol tersebut merepresentasikan perkembangan karakter dari Pi. Takdir,
harapam, kemampuan untuk bertahan hidup, kekuatan dan keyakinan berkembang
setelah insiden kapal tenggelam. Pi bertumbuh menjadi laki-laki yang tangguh,
percaya diri, berani, penuh ide dan pengalaman.
Kesimpulannya, simbol dalam novel ini merepresentasikan perkembangan
karakter dari Pi. Hal itu dapat dilihat dari plot cerita yang menunjukkan
perkembangan sebelum dan sesudah insiden kapal tenggelam dan saat ia harus
bertaham hidup di tengah Lautan Pasifik selama 227 hari bersama macan tersebut.
Kata kunci: novel, symbols, character development, Pi.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
1
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION
A. Background of the Study
Literature has an important role in human being life because it may give the
readers pleasure and satisfaction. People deal with many literary works such as
poem, prose, music, movie, novel and many more. Those literary works have
different characters and uniqueness. Each literary work has their own identity to
introduce the real meaning of their literary works. Novel is the one example of
the literary works that give a chance for people to read and write based on their
expressions.
Inside the novel there are many of intrinsic elements such as theme,
characters, characterization, plot, setting, point of view, style of language and
moral value. Sometimes, the intrinsic elements inside the literary works have a
connection to each other or influence the story or the plot. Those intrinsic
elements have their own purpose to deliver to the reader. With a lot of varieties
in language, the author has a chance to write a message or the meaning of the
story to the reader through the use of intrinsic elements. The message or the
meaning can be delivered implicit or explicit. If the meaning is delivered in an
implicit way, the author can write it clearly in their literary works, therefore, the
reader can understand it easily because it is already written on it. In a different
case, if the message or the meaning is delivered in an explicit way, the author
usually uses media to be a parable such as metaphor, symbols and the intrinsic
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
2
elements inside the story too. Therefore, from that parable, the reader can make
some assumption to guess the purpose or the meaning of that literary work. In
this study, the researcher chooses a novel by Yann Martel to be analyzed and
reveal the hidden meaning of the symbols and how it influences the character
development of the main character.
Yann Martel creates a personalization between the author and the reader
therefore; the readers can be drawn to understand the story of the novel. Yann
Martel’s first book is, The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios, is the
collection of some short stories with illness as the theme. Yann Martel won the
Man Booker for Fiction in 2002 for his second novel, Life of Pi. The novel is an
epic survival story with a religious theme. Martel increasingly tests the limit of
the readers’ faith by the symbols inside the story.
The novel that the researcher wants to analyze is Life of Pi. It was written by
Yann Martel and published in 2001. The novel tells the story of Piscine Molitor
Patel or Pi, the main character, and his life journey. Pi was born in Pondicherry.
The moment when France handed Pondicherry back to India in 1954, the town
decided to make a commemoration and his father decided to build a zoo and
hotel in that area. He is a child of a zookeeper and botanist in that area and he
was raised as Hindu. Time flies, long-term bad politics affects the business in
India and caused a crisis. Based on his father’s consideration about his business
and family, he decided to bring his family and business moved to Canada. The
storyline of the novel focuses on Pi’s survival after the tragic sinking of a cargo
ship and his family died. In the novel, Martell described that Pi survived from the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
3
wreck with the animals: a hyena, a zebra, a female orangutan and a royal Bengal
tiger. Pi and those animals tried so hard to survive, until in the end only Pi and
the tiger were left. This moment is the beginning of the story of the novel Life of
Pi.
In this research, the researcher will analyze the symbols that are contained in
this novel and they represent the character development of Pi. There are five
occurrences that symbolize the character development of Pi. The first one is the
connection between Pi and water and the first place. The second one is when a
lifeboat saves his life from the tragedy of ship sank. The third one is the
interaction between Pi and the suffering zebra, it is explained how the suffering
zebra represent the character development of Pi. The forth is interaction between
Pi and Richard Parker or the Bengal Tiger from being hostile to finally being
able to live side-by-side and the other animals in the lifeboat. The last but not
least is Pi with the imaginary carnivorous algae island that is founded in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean with full or meerkats. The definition of symbol is
explained by Fadaee in his article.
According to Fadaee,
“Symbol is something used for, or regarded as, representing something else.
More specifically, a symbol is a word, phrase, or other expression having a
complex of associated meanings; in this sense, a symbol is vied as having
values different from those of whatever is being symbolized . . . . Many
poets have used the rose as a symbol of youth and beauty (a flag is a piece of
cloth which stands for or is a symbol of a nation"(Fadaee, 2010, pp. 20).
Through this study, the researcher wants to observe the symbols that are
mentioned inside the novel to reveal Pi’s character development. The main
reason why the researcher chooses this literary is that many symbols that have a
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
4
hidden meaning and they represent the character development of the main
character. According to the novel, what happens after the tragedy is not that
convincing. People keep wondering about the truth. It is interesting to find out
the meaning of each symbol therefore the researcher can reveal anything behind
the symbols. In other words, it is investigating an invisible meaning about the
novel. Another reason is the researcher wants to highlight how deeper the
character development in the novel through the symbols instead of depicted in
the real terms.
This topic is worth to study because how the symbols are symbolized
something is important. Symbolism helps to create the meaning and emotion in
the literary work. The symbols in the work arouse the readers’ imagination in the
higher level. The emotion and the meaning that found in the literary work affect
the storyline. The emotion and the meaning can make the story is deeper and
significance. This analysis aims to explain the meaning of the symbols inside the
novel and how they present inside the story and represent Pi’s character
development.
B. Problem Formulation
To be able to understand how the symbols influence the character
development of Pi, two problems were formulated as follows.
1. What are the symbols presented in the Life of Pi?
2. How do the symbols represent development of the character?
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
5
C. Objectives of the Study
This research aims to explain the relation between the symbols that appear
and the development of the main character itself. The researcher believes that the
characterization of Pi is represented by the symbols inside the novel. This
research has two objectives. The first objective is the researcher’s needing to find
the symbols used in the novel. This aims to reveal how the symbols are
represented in the movie and to give understanding about the meaning of the
symbols. The researcher is required to describe in detail about the symbols inside
the novel. The second objective is explaining how the symbols represent the
character development of Pi.
D. Definitions of Terms
A work of literature has any relation between one elements to the other. The
writer focuses in the symbols and character development of the main character.
The writer uses the title: Revealing Pi’s Character Development through the Use
of Symbols in Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi”.
The first term is symbol. M.H Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary
Terms stated that symbol is anything, which signifies something; in this sense all
words are symbols. In literature discussion, however, the term "symbol" is
applied only to a word or phrase that signifies an object or event which in its turn
signifies something, or has a range of reference, beyond itself (Abrams, 1999).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
6
The second term is character development. According to Perrine,
characters development is divided into two types; the static character remains
essentially the same person from the beginning of the story to the end while
developing or dynamic character undergoes some distinct change of character,
personality, or outlook (Perrine, 2006, pp. 164-165).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
17
CHAPTER III
METHODOLOGY
A. Object of the Study
The object of the study is a novel titled Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Life of Pi
is written and published in 2001. This novel has its own movie, which is directed
by Ang Lee in 2012. The novel has sold more than ten millions copies worldwide
even though, this novel has rejected by five London publishing houses before
being accepted by Knopf Canada. Life of Pi won the 2003 Boeke Prize, a South
African novel award. In 2004, it won the Asian Pacific American Award for
Literature in best adult fiction for years 2001–2003.
Yann Martel categorized this novel as a fantasy comedy. Through his
writing, Yann Martel subdivided this novel into three parts. The first part tells
about how Pi reminisces his childhood in India. Pi’s father owns a zoo in
Pondicherry and how Pi gets his full name as a tribute to the swimming pool in
France.
In the second part, it tells about the beginning of Pi’s family aboard
Tsimtsum, a Japanese freighter that is transporting animals from their zoo to
North America. A few days out of port from Manila, the ships encounters a
storm and sinks. In this part, it also tells about how Pi survives in the lifeboat
with some animals. This is the vital part because everything explained in this
part. In the middle of his journey, Pi found many accidents that changed his
perspective in life. For example, he saw his animals tried to kill each other to
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
18
survive and in the middle of nowhere he found a mysterious island that full of
Meerkat.
In the third plot explains when Pi told to the Japanese Ministry of Transport
about everything that happened to him. Pi tried to tell him the tale but they
rejected it and did not believe it. Pi then offers them another story in which he is
adrift on the lifeboat with people not animals. In the end of the story, Pi asks
them which one the story that they really enjoy and they said the story with the
animals.
B. Approach of the Study
The most important thing while people are analyzing a literary work is
applying the most appropriate approach. Since a literary work shows us a lot of
symbols and the hidden meaning of it that influence the character development
of the main character, the researcher decides to use the New Criticism approach
in this research. The researcher uses New Criticism to do close reading and
analyze the symbols that represent character development in the story. According
to Lois Tyson, new criticism is a literary criticism that uses the authorial purpose
to define the meaning of literary work, the intentional fallacy of the fact in an
author’s intentional meaning, new criticism focuses on the text itself to find out
the meaning (Tyson, 2001, pp. 38-39). In the other words, new criticism focuses
on the author purposes to understand the meaning from literary work.
New Criticism developed as a reaction to the older philological and literary
history schools of the US North, which, influenced by nineteenth-century
German scholarship, focused on the history and meaning of individual words and
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
19
their relation to foreign and ancient languages, comparative sources, and the
biographical circumstances of the authors.
What New Critics seek in their studies of poetic form is a set of "organic"
relationships of literary elements (images, symbols, tropes, features of genre
and style, settings, and tones), whose over- all unity often depends on
ambiguity, paradox, or irony (The Norton Anthology of Theory and
Criticism., 2001).
New Criticism approach is the suitable approach for this reason because this
study is actually dealing with the relation between the symbols and development
of Pi’s character. This approach helps the writer to answer the question in the
problem formulation section. By applying this approach the writer can reveal the
reasons behind the character development of Pi, what makes Pi likes it or not has
to be someone new to survive in this tough world.
C. Method of the Study
Library research is applied in this research by the researcher since all of the
sources and data are gathered from several books in the library and online
platforms. The primary source in this research is the novel Life of Pi by Yann
Martel. The other sources for this research is theory of character and
characterization and theory of symbols, which are collected from some online
books, or e-books. The library research here is used to gather as much the
relevant data and information as possible.
The researcher took some steps to conduct this study. The first step was
watching the movie Life of Pi and then started to read the novel, which was
people knew that the novel was more specific than the movie itself. The research
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
20
also tried to collect the information from the online sources such as related text
or articles or even the review of the novel. After all the data were collected, it
was examined and divided according to the problem formulation. The second
step was collecting the theories to help the researcher to answer the problem
formulation. The third step was starting to analyze what symbols were contained
in the novel and the character development of Pi. The fourth step was revealing
how the symbols represent the character development of Pi. After analyzed and
revealed the character development through the symbols, the researcher started to
conclude the journey of character development through the used of symbols
inside the novel.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
7
CHAPTER II
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
A. Review of Related Studies
Many researchers have analyzed about symbols in the novel. In this part, the
researcher compares this study with two undergraduate theses from Nimastama
Chrisshanti and Theresia Catur Pustakareti and two journals from Elaheh Fadaee and
Dr. S.B. Radhika Bai.
The first study is from Yoewono in his thesis The Messages Revealed through the
Main Character’s way to survive in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. Pi has several dominant
characteristics as the main character in this novel. He is intelligent, open-minded,
spiritual, and has strong determination. Those characters of Pi help him to survive
three crises: the shipwreck, his casting away on a lifeboat for 227 days, and being
alone with a Bengal tiger which is always hungry. According to Yoewono:
He survives through several ways: by recognizing and using his strength which is
made possible by his intelligence; by being realistic about situation which is
facilitated by his open-mindness; and by adopting positive attitude which us
facilitated by his spirituality and strong determination (Yoewono, 2008, pp. 26-
42).
From the quotation above, it can be conclude that Pi can survive of the tragedy
because the tragedy shaped his character. As the time goes by, the character of Pi is
developed and it is represented by the symbols in his environment. Yoewono
considers religion as a key point to the novel, but unlike this undergraduate thesis,
Yoewono does not focus on the symbols that represent the character development of
Pi. Yoewono focuses mainly on the plot of the story. Meanwhile, this undergraduate
thesis focuses on Pi‟s character development through the use of symbols.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
8
The second related study is a research by Theresia Catur Pustakareti, entitled
“Symbols Reflecting the Development of the Main Character in Jim Meenaghan’s
Chasing Maverick” in 2017. In this thesis, she explains about the character
development of Jay Moriarty trough the symbols. The character is the important part
and he is dominant from the beginning until the end of the story. The research based
on two problems formulation. The first problem formulation is what the
developments, which occurred in the character of Jay Moriarty in Jim Meenaghan‟s
Chasing Mavericks. The second problem formulation is what of the symbols of the
letter, the surfboard, and the title of the novel symbolizes and reflects Jay‟s
development.
In order to analyze the solutions to the problem formulations, the research uses
New Criticism as the theory for this study. New Criticism is an explication to analyze
the character through the close reading and basically it is verbal.
“It can be concluded that New Criticism is the approach to analyze the literary text
in Chasing Mavericks and to identify the relation between the symbols and the
main character‟s development” (Pustakareti, 2017, pp.19).
The conclusion of the research explains about how the symbols are reflecting
Jay‟s character development in the novel. The development that occurred in the novel
is firstly Jay is someone who is afraid of something even with surfing. However, in
the end, Jay turns into someone who was going to ride the great waves he was
dreaming about. He is change from nothing to daredevil that brave to face his fears.
The writer classifies the symbols to answer number two. The first symbol is letter
that has two meanings. However, to conclude those two meanings, the real meaning
of the letter is Jay‟s fear. The second symbol is surfboard that represents Jay‟s
destiny, which is surfing and portrays a device for Jay to achieve his vision. The last
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
9
symbol is the title Chasing Mavericks that also have two meanings. The first meaning
is describes of the Jay‟s desire to catch the deadly wave called Mavericks. The second
meaning of the title is his dream. The Jay‟s dream is to conquer the Mavericks.
The similarity of this thesis with the other study is the focus on the same topic
which is the character development through the use of symbol inside the novel. Even
though the researchers use different object and different story, the focus of the
research is the same which is character development trough the use of symbol.
The next review is about the journal article that the researcher uses in this thesis.
The first journal article comes from Elaheh Fadaee from Islamic Azad University of
Bandar Abbas, Iran on 2011. The title of the journal is “Symbols, metaphors, and
similes in literature: A case study of “Animal Farm””. In this journal, Fadaee
discusses about figures speech specifically symbol, metaphor, and simile have an
important role as their figurative meaning beside their literary meaning.
This journal article aims to find out the effect of using figures of speech on the
writer‟s style on writing and the understanding for the reader in the George Orwell‟s
„Animal Farm‟. Figurative speech are the imaginative tool in literature that have
functions to make the works more interesting and having the explicit hidden meaning
that makes the addressee curios about the work itself. The author wants to explain to
the reader about the meaning through the use of figures of speech implicit and
indirect. Therefore, the author does not explain the use of figure speech clearly. In this
journal, the Fadaee does not explain the types of figures of speech in short, however
he explains one by one in a specific way. For example he explains the metaphor and
the many types of metaphors.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
10
The result of this research, he prefers to use data that settled in table. Elaheh
Fadaee explains the result of his research as briefly, succinct, and pungent.
Here, in order to find out types of symbols, metaphors and similes in George
Orwell's „Animal Farm‟, the data were settled Table 1 and frequency (f), relative
frequency (Rf) and percentage of relative frequency (P.Rf) are calculated for each
type. These types are on the basis of Newmark`s (1988b), Fromilhague`s (1995)
and Rokni`s (2009) classifications respectively. According to Table 1, it is
observed that among four types of symbols stated by Rokni, metaphoric symbols
(86.9%) are used a lot, because they explain events of the real revolutions and its
subsequent incidents in an allegorical way. Among five types of metaphor, as
dead, cliché, stock, recent and original, the amount of cliché metaphors (52.63%)
is more than the other four. Cliché metaphors have an indication that tells the
reader the word or expression is not an ordinary one. Among two types of simile,
explicit and implicit, the later (84.84%) is used more which shows that the writer
wants to talk in an implicit way (Fadaee, 2011, p. 26).
The second journal article is titled “Symbolism’ In Ted Hughes’ Poetry“. The
journal article comes from Dr.S.B. Radhika Bai from S. V. University, Tirupati. A. P.
According to Bai, symbolism in literature creates interest in readers as they find an
opportunity to get an insight of the author‟s point of view in something. In the other
words, the readers can reveal the real meaning of that literary works based on their
own mind and imagination because many symbols that have a very broad meaning. In
this journal article Bai explains about Hughes short biography briefly and his literary
works.
The aim of this journal article is, the author reveals the meaning of the poetries
Edward James Hughes that uses so many symbols. A mythical framework, using the
lyric and dramatic monologue to illustrate the intense subject matter, marks Hughes‟s
work. Mostly, animals appear frequently throughout his works as deity, metaphor,
persona, and an icon. The aim of this journal article is to reveal the symbols in
Hughes‟s literary works and also introduce a little bit about Hughes and his style in
writing poetry.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
11
B. Review of Related Theories
In this research, the writer will use some theories that have connection with the
topic in this thesis. In order to solve the problem in the problem formulation, these
theories support the writer‟s argument in this thesis. The writer is going to use theory
of character, characterization and character development, theory of symbol, and
theory of plot.
1. Theory of Character, Characterization and Character Development
Character is an important part in the story because without any character, the
story will contain ambiguity and have no plot because the authors did not have any
object to be told. Character comes to mean an individual, named personality, in
literature or in life.
Characters are the persons represented in a dramatic or narrative work, who
are interpreted by the reader as being endowed with particular moral,
intellectual, and emotional qualities by inferences from what the persons say
and their distinctive ways of saying it the dialogue and from what they do –
the action. (Abrams, 2012, p.46)
In the A New Handbook of Literary Terms by David Mikics, Henry James stated
that character is being a part of the plot inside the story. It means, the character itself
is something that makes the story alive and it creates the moral value and also the
purpose of the story. The character shows some choices that probably are being
chosen or avoided by human being. It can be analyzed by the action of the main
character itself (Mikics, 2007).
The characterization is an author’s method to reveal the characters inside the
story by telling it directly or indirectly to the reader. Based on the article titled
Literary Elements Characterization by Francis Bacon, characterization is divided into
two ways. The first one is direct characterization that means the author is telling the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
12
character of the reader through the information inside the story. The author explains
clearly how the characters look like and the personality towards something. The
reader can also get the point directly and make a conclusion about the character of the
main character in that story.
The second way is indirect characterization. In this method, the author shows the
character in action and lets the reader imagine about the characterization of the main
character. In the other words, the characters will be shown explicit. The readers must
then rely on their own knowledge and experience to interpret the characters (Bacon,
n.d.).
Character development appears in two types. They are a static and dynamic
character. “ Static character is the type of character that does not change from the
beginning until the end of the story while the type of character who can change in the
story is called a dynamic character” (Perrine, 2006, pp. 164). The developing or
dynamic character is opposite to static character. A dynamic character is more
complex because it displays significant differences of behaviors in some events.
The change in the character meet three conditions: (1) it must be consistent with
the individual’s characterization as dramatized in the story; (2) it must be sufficiently
motivated by the circumstances in which the character is placed; (3) it must be offer
sufficient time for the change to take place and still be believable (Perrine, 2009,
pp.165). According to that statement, it can be conclude that the character should not
be static and there must developed.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
13
2. Theory of Symbol
M.H Abrams defines the symbols as anything, which signifies something. The
symbols are applied to a word, object, or the event that signifies another hidden
meaning (2009. p.392). As the statement above, it can be conclude that symbol has
more than one meaning. A symbol may appear in literary works to define the deeper
meaning of the work itself. The symbol can be conventional or public which means in
general people is already know about the other meaning of that symbols. The symbol
can be private or personal symbols which means the symbols have another meaning
that people does not familiar with. It needs to be analyzed with a close reading.
Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his Statesman’s Manual (1832) stated that symbol is
part of reality that makes that reality is easier to be understood. It means that symbol
has an important role in the literary works to help the reader more understand about
the author’s purpose. This is a method for the author to attract the reader’s attention in
a good way. The author wants to make the reader do the close reading to get the point
of some literary works. Therefore, literary works is not only to be enjoyed but also to
be understood (Coleridge, 1832, pp. 40).
a. How to Find Symbol
The researcher sometimes has a difficulty to find symbols in literary work. It is
because the researcher is not pointing out which one that has to be a symbol. The
researcher also cannot analyze when the symbol appears during the important
moment. However, there are clues that the researcher can employ to find a symbol in
literary work.
According to Robert Stanton (1965, pp. 31-32) there are three clues that make the
researcher can decide the symbols in literary work. The first one is symbols that
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
14
appear during an important moment. The researcher requires being able to analyze
during the important moment, what is the thing that being influential in that moment.
The second one is repetition. The symbol repeated several times reminds the
researcher of some constant element in the story. In this point, an author repeats or
resembles certain things. The author also can make it obvious in describing that thing
more than other thing in the novel. The author also can mention it in the title and he
makes its detail repeated (Stanton, 1965).
Another theory is stated by Mary Rohrberger and Samuel H. Woods, Jr. They
explain that when people write a story, the author has to understand how to make the
symbol clear for the reader and do not confuse them. In literary work, the author can
describe the symbol through emphasis, repetition, implication or recurring patterns
that can help the readers to find the symbols in the literary work that the author writes
(Rohrberger & Woods, 1971, pp. 15–17).
In conclusion, both theories have one similarity. It is stated that the way the readers
find a symbol can be seen in two ways. The first one when the thing appears during
an important moments and being influential. The second one is repetition. When
author mentions that thing on repeats and describe it more detail than the other things,
the reader must be more sensitive to find the symbol in the literary work.
b. How to Interpret Symbol
The symbol can be analyzed from two angles: of the person who uses it or of the
one who discovers it (Gagiu, 2015). In the first case, the symbol is a rhetorical means,
as it is used for the indirect transmission of general meanings. In the second situation,
the symbol is the instrument of an action of psychological identification or of mystical
revelation, being subject to deciphering in order to identify, beyond appearances, a
profound sense. So, it can be said that the symbol exists through the relation that is
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
15
established between the concrete object (image and meaning) and the abstract
meaning reference is made to.
Among symbolic systems, the language has a special place, at least out of two
reasons: “Firstly, it is almost wholly based on pure or arbitrary convention. The
second special feature of language is far more important. Language alone is able to
relate its symbols to every part and every sort of human experience” (Robins, 1968:
13,14)
According to Fyre, the word symbol means any unit of any literary structure that
can be isolated for critical attention (Frye, 1957, p.71). Frye, in his Anatomy of
criticism asserts that when we are reading, we focus our attention for two directions at
once. One direction is outward, in which we go outside with our reading, from the
writers to the things they mean in the text. The second direction is the inward in
which we try to appreciate and analyze the meaning from the word. Here Frye brings
this notion to bring the concept symbol for the surface because in both cases readers
deal with symbols. These two types of understanding take place simultaneously in all
reading. However, the verbal structure may be classified according to whether the
final direction of meaning is outward or inward.
3. Theory of Plot
M.H Abrams in his book A Glossary of Literary Terms, 7th
edition stated that, “plot
is constituted by its events and actions, as these are rendered and ordered toward
achieving particular artistic and emotional effects” (Abrams, 1999, pp. 224). That
means from the description above, it is simple because the character in a work
performs the events or actions and it reflects their moral, dispositional qualities. In
another words a plot is an organized story. The theory of plot helps the researcher to
analyze the important moment in the story.
According to German novelist, Gustav Ferytag, he created a pyramid to explain the
basic of plot. Plot is divided into five parts. The first one is Exposition. This part
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
16
explains the setting is set, characters, introduced and situation established. Exposition
falls at the beginning of the story. The second one is Rising Action. This part is
usually introduces the conflict which events complicate of intensify the conflict. The
third one is Climax. This part explains the transition from rising action to falling
action. The fourth is Falling Action. This part occurs after the climax, when the
problem of the story resolves. The last but not least is Denouement. This part
explains about the resolutions and conclusion (Freytag & MacEwan, 1895).
C. Theoretical Framework
There are three theories that the researcher applies in this thesis. All of these are
here to help the researcher to answer and analyze the problem formulation, which
have been formulated in the first chapter.
The first theory is theory of character, characterization and character development.
This theory is used to reveal and describe the entire characteristics of Pi from the
beginning until the end in this story. This theory also helps the researcher to analyze
the character development of Pi. The second theory is about symbol. This theory
reveals the hidden meaning of the symbols that the researcher wants to discuss in this
thesis; therefore, it will not be an assumption. This theory helps the researcher to
analyzed and prove that the symbol have another meaning that the author wants to
deliver to the reader and it has a relation with the character development of Pi. In the
theory of symbol, the researcher also explains how to find a symbol in literary work
and how to interpret symbol. The third theory is theory of plot. This theory helps the
researcher to divide the symbols in some moments inside the story. Theory of plot
will make the researcher easier to analyze the placement of the symbols and how to
identify it.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
21
CHAPTER VI
ANALYSIS
A. Symbols in Life of Pi
As the researcher stated in the previous discussion, this part discuss the
representation of symbols in the novel Life of Pi. Due to the fact those
symbols hide the hidden meaning that the researcher has to reveal, therefore, it
is easier to understand and it does not create ambiguity. The researcher
discusses the analysis based on the problems that are formulated, the theories
that support the analysis, and the data provided in the object of the study. The
researcher identifies the symbols that can be found in the novel. The
researcher can find the author mentions things repeatedly and they resemble
certain things because those things have significance on Pi’s life story in the
novel and the researcher can find those things are employed as the symbols in
the novel and develop it with the addition of information from the author. In
the following discussion, the researcher explains symbols that are found in the
novel:
1. Water
In part one, the novel tells the reader about the background of Pi and his
family that live in Pondicherry. The author tries to reveal Pi’s name at the
beginning. The history behind Pi’s name is interesting to be known because it
is not a regular name that everyone can accept. Pi does not get the name from
his parents but he gets his name from his father’s earliest business contacts
named Francis Adirubasamy or Pi calls him Mamaji.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
22
I called him Mamaji, mama being the Tamil word for uncle and ji being a
suffix used in India to indicate respect and affection. When he was a
young man, long before I was born, Mamaji was a champion competitive
swimmer, the champion of all South India (Martel, 2001, pp.8).
As an introduction of Mamaji, it can be seen that Mamaji has a strong
relation with water. Pi’s full name comes from a famous and beautiful
swimming pool in Paris “I named after a swimming pool” (Martel, 2001,
pp.8). In the novel, the swimming pool is described as a great swimming pool
with the very clear water.
But no swimming pool in Mamaji’s eyes matched the glory of the Piscine
Molitor. It was the crowning aquatic glory of Paris, indeed, of the entire
civilized world. “It was a pool the gods would have delighted to swim in.
Molitor had the best competitive swimming club in Paris. There are two
pools, an indoor and an outdoor. Both were as big as small oceans. The
indoor pool always had two lanes reserved for swimmers who wanted to
do lengths. The water was so clean and clear you could have used it to
make your morning coffee. (Martel, 2001, pp.11).
That swimming pool is described as heaven in Mamaji’s eyes. His
memory to this swimming pool is too many lengths to mention because of the
clean and clear water in that swimming pool. Mamaji gave Pi that swimming
pool name in a hope that Pi’s life will be as beautiful as that pool.
The symbol of water does not stop in his name only. The symbol is
repeated in part two of the novel. In part two of the novel, the struggling of Pi
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean begins. The tragedy of the ship sink that
brings Pi’s family and their zoo to Canada changes his life.
The ship sank. It made a sound like a monstrous metallic burp. Things
bubbled at the surface and then vanished. Everything was screaming: the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
23
sea, the wind, my heart. From the lifeboat I saw something in the water
(Martel, 2001, pp. 97).
It is mentioned in a journal that is written by Mi-yeon Eom (2014), Water
represents the origin of all possibilities, indeed the origin of the very universe,
hence its strong associations with birth, femininity, and life. Eom also
explains that water functions as a symbolic mediator that reveals human
problems and offers the possibility of healing (Eom, 2014).
According to the article above, the researcher can conclude that the water
in this novel is used as a symbol of all possibilities in life or destiny. All
possibilities come in many ways in life and it is unpredictable. Sometimes,
destiny will not always fit with human’s expectations. It talks about the origin
of life on earth.
The one example of destiny in Pi’s life is the way he was born with the
name of Piscine Molitor Patel three years after Ravi, his old brother. Pi comes
with a name of swimming pool because of Mamaji’s memory of that
extraordinary swimming pool and Pi’s father that dreamed about that
swimming pool base on Mamaji’s story.
It was the only pool that made Mamaji fall silent, his memory making too
many lengths to mention.
Mamaji remembered, Father dreamed.
That is how I got my name when I entered this world a last, welcome
addition to my family, three years after Ravi: Piscine Molitor Patel
(Martel, 2001, pp.12).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
24
Another possibility that happens in Pi’s life is when India has a moment
that the country is in long-term bad politics that caused bad for business in
the mid-1970s. India is on crisis and it gives bad impact for the zoo that
owned by Pi’s father. Due to the worry of his father has, they decide to move
with hope for a better life.
But worry he did. Any business is risky business, and none more so that
small b business the one that risks the shirt on its back. A zoo is a cultural
institution. Like a public library, like a museum it is at the service of
popular education and science (Martel, 2001, pp.78)
Due to the moment that happens in Pi’s family, he brought all the family
members moved to Canada by ship. Pi’s father brought the animals in his zoo
too. Pi’s father had a plan to sell the zoo in India but Americans zoo would
pay higher. However, Pi and Ravi did not want to move because Pi thought
that moving a zoo is like moving a city and how it can be possible.
Considering that animals dispense with clothes, footwear, linen, furniture,
kitchenware, toiletries; that nationality means nothing to them; that they
care not a jot for passport, money, employment prospects, schools, cost of
housing healthcare facilities-considering, in short, their lightness of being,
it’s amazing how hard it is to move them. Moving a zoo is like moving a
city (Martel, 2001, pp.88)
The researcher concludes that the first symbol is water because of active
elements in Pi’s journey. As the theory said, the symbol has mentioned
repeatedly in the story, and it appears during the vital moment. It can be seen
when water becomes the base of Pi’s name, and the tragedy of the ship sank
in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that makes Pi has to survive. Until the end
of the story, the survival of Pi happens above the water. The researcher
interprets the symbol by concluding one source to another source in general.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
25
2. Lifeboat
In the novel, Pi survived from the tragedy because of the lifeboat. The
crew of the ship throws in the lifeboat when the ship sinks in the middle of
the Pacific Ocean. In the time Pi knows that something wrong with the ship
because there is water that enters the ship, he ran and tries to find the crew
but they just hold him and walks into the lifeboat and talk a few words that Pi
does not know. Pi thinks that everything will be okay and his family will be
safe too. However, Pi starts to have doubt when the crew throws him into the
lifeboat.
One of the men interrupted me by thrusting a life jacket into my arms and
shouting something in Chinese. I noticed an orange-whistle dangling
from the life jacket. The men were nodding vigorously at me. When they
took hold of me and lifted me in their strong arms, I thought nothing of
it. I thought they were helping me I was so full of trust in them that I felt
grateful as they carried me in the air. Only when they threw me
overboard did I begin to have doubts (Martel, 2001, pp.105).
According to Merriam Webster, the definition of a word lifeboat is a
sturdy buoyant boat (such as one carried by a ship) for use in an emergency
and especially in saving lives at sea (https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/lifeboat). Due to the definition above, the researcher
conclude that saving lives in the emergency situation create a chance to be
saved from the danger that might be happen. In another word that chance is to
survive or it is a hope to life longer.
That conclusion is supported by the research findings of Moodley (2016).
In her research, Moodley argued that the arbitrary symbolism of the lifeboat
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
26
is one of hope, the promise of life, and the connection with the land. In the
novel, the lifeboat does not sink and the element keeps him alive. Pi can see
all inside the ship is disappear, drown into the Pacific Ocean. Pi thinks about
his family that might bring him hope. Hope that he is not the only one who
survived in the Pacific Ocean with some animals inside his lifeboat
(Moodley, 2016).
I watched the ship as it disappeared with much burbling and belching.
Lights flickered and went out. I looked about for my family, for survivors,
for another lifeboat, for anything that might bring me hope. There was
nothing. Only rain, marauding waves of black ocean and the flotsam of
tragedy (Martel, 2001, pp.107).
The meaning of lifeboat is a hope is strengthened with the statement of Pi
when he is about to leave the lifeboat. Pi realizes that living in the lifeboat
with a tiger is giving him a little chance to live. He is surrounded by the
anxiety. However he realizes that it could be more impossible leaving the
lifeboat and survive instead of stay on it.
I considered jumping overboard and swimming away, but my body refused
to move. I was hundreds of miles from landfall, if not over a thousand
miles. I couldn’t swim such a distance, even with a lifebuoy. What would I
eat? What would I drink? How would I keep the sharks away? How would
I keep warm? How would I know which way to go? There was not a
shadow of doubt about the matter: to leave the lifeboat meant certain death
(Martel, 2001, pp.147).
In the novel, it is explained there is nothing Pi can see expect sea and the
sky. He looks around and imagines what is out there. Pi still tries to find
another lifeboat but there is none. Seeing another lifeboat in his lonely
situation brings him hope. Some things floated in the water but that is not a
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
27
lifeboat. There are some things that floated in the water but that is not
lifeboat.
I looked about. Nothing but sea and sky. The same when we were at the
top of swell. The sea briefly imitated every land feature- every hill, every
valley, every plain. Accelerated geotectonics. Around the world in eighty
swells. But nowhere on it could I find my family. Things floated in the
water but none that brought me hope. I could see no other lifeboats
(Martel, 2001, pp.110).
The researcher makes the lifeboat become a symbol because the boat
appears during the critical moment of Pi’s journey. The lifeboat is the only
hope for Pi to survive until the end of his journey. Pi did many changing in
that lifeboat to survive. Pi has to put on one’s thinking cap to get the comfort
angle for him and the best place for him to take shelter. The reason why Pi
reorganizes the lifeboat is not only to get the best place to take a rest but also
to make him safe from the animals. A lot of moments happen in the lifeboat
until the hardest one when Pi sees the animals die. That lifeboat is being a
silent witness for the Pi’s journey wade through the Pacific Ocean.
3. The Animals
The researcher makes the lifeboat become a symbol because the boat
appears during the critical moment. In the novel, Martel tells the reader that
Pi is trapped in the raft with four wild animals. Those animals are zebra,
Orangutan that named Orange Juice, hyena, and the last one is the Bengal
Tiger named Richard Parker. The researcher analyzes two of four those wild
animals, which are the zebra and the tiger. Since the zebra is the first animal
that Pi describes with suffering and pain, just like what he feels after the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
28
tragedy of the ship sank. The tiger is the animal who stays with him until he
is saved. The tiger plays an integral part in Pi’s journey because that animal
spends a lot of time with Pi from the beginning until the end of his journey
wade through the Pacific Ocean. The strong bond between Pi and the animals,
especially the zebra and the tiger, can be seen when the author describes what
Pi feels about those two animals. The characteristic of the animals also
reflects Pi’s characters.
However, the conversation between the Maritime Department
representations in the Japanese Ministry of Transport, the story of those
animals is not believable since the animals and humans are different in both
spiritually and physically. The representation symbolizes human into an
animal does not make any sense. That is why the animal symbolism in Yann
Martel Life of Pi are analyzed one by one to make this analysis more
understandable and acceptable.
a. Zebra
In Pi’s story, he describes the animals that are trapped with him is an
injured zebra. In his story, Pi tells that he is surprised enough because the
zebra is still alive. Meanwhile, there is a 450-pound carnivore in the lifeboat.
The zebra has badly broken a rear leg and it lay near the stern and his sight
expressing a terror.
I was surprised to see that the zebra was still alive. It lay near the stern,
where it had fallen, listless, but its stomach was still panting and its eyes
were still moving, expressing terror. It was on its side, facing me, its head
and neck awkwardly propped against the boat’s side bench.it has badly
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
29
broken a rear leg (Martel, 2001, pp.109)
Base on the story that Pi tells to the people from the Maritime Department,
the zebra described as an injured sailor. The pain makes the zebra suffer so
much. It can be seen when the zebra just lay quietly in the place where it had
fallen. However, the zebra does not lose his hope to stay alive. It can be seen
when the zebra’s eyes are still moving to watch out the carnivore that tries to
eat the zebra.
Zebra has excellent hearing and eyesight and are capable of running at
speeds of up to 40 miles per hour and their bodies are well adapted to their
surroundings (https://animalcorner.co.uk/animals/zebras/). According to that
characteristic of zebra, their survival ability is high. In the every condition,
they can survive as far as their habitats are concerned. (Animal Corner, n.d.)
The high ability to live in zebra, it can be seen clearly in this novel. It
reflects the Pi’s ability to live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean alone with
the wild animals in his lifeboats. It can be seen when Pi never ran out of ideas
to survive he watches the hyena’s movement so it cannot attack him. Pi
watches and learns and then Pi takes action to make him alive.
I was hoping the hyena would stay under the tarpaulin. I was
disappointed. Nearly immediately it leapt over the zebra and onto the
stern bench again. There it turned on itself a few minutes, whimpering
and hesitating. I wondered what it was going to do next. The answer
came quickly: it brought its head low and ran around the zebra in a circle,
transforming the stern bench, the side benches and the cross bench just
beyond the tarpaulin into a twenty-five-foot indoor track. It did one lap-
two-three-four-five-and onwards, non-stop, till I lost count. And the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
30
whole time, lap after lap, it went yip yip yip yip yip in a high-pitched
way. My reaction, once again, was very slow (Martel, 2001, pp.114).
As people know, zebra lives in wild nature with the predators. Zebras are
courageous animals and are not afraid to confront predators. Their instinct is
powerful and this is just like a human being. They try to develop by seeing
their surroundings and blending in. The human react when there are problems
in their life, they learn how to develop and listen, trust their instinct and
intuition to guide them to safety.
b. Tiger
The second animal that the researcher wants to discuss is the Bengal
Tiger. In the story, Pi has a strong bond with that wild animal. In the first
place, Pi tries to save that tiger from the tragedy of the ship. Pi helps the tiger
to swim to the lifeboat and then Pi realizes that he invite the dangerous animal
that can threaten his life.
“Hold on tight, I’ll pull you in. Don’t let go. Pull with your eyes while I
pull with my hands. In a few seconds you’ll be aboard and we’ll be
together. Wait a second. Together? We’ll be together? Have I gone
mad?”
I woke up to what I was doing. I yanked on the rope (Martel, 2001,
pp.99).
After the tiger reaches the lifeboat and pulls himself aboard, Pi has to
face the fact that he spares a space with the wild animal in his lifeboat. Pi
arranges the strategy to still alive and the tiger will not attack him or he will be
the next goat for the tiger. Pi divides the lifeboat into two parts; the main
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
31
lifeboat and the raft. Therefore, Pi will not die early because the tiger attacks
him.
In the novel, Pi describes that the tiger is an aggressive nature and has the
vitality to make the enemy feel anxious because the tiger will be the greater
predator in the lifeboat. It can be explained from what the hyena feel when the
hyena is about to attack the zebra. The hyena will not presumptuously step
over the tiger.
“Super alpha is watching me-I better not move“? I don’t know.
… the hyena had confined itself to such and absurdly small space behind
the zebra and why it had waited so long before killing it. It was fear of
the greater beast ad fear of touching the greater beast’s food (Martel,
2001, pp.136)
Beside of being the great predator in the lifeboat, the tiger also has the
different character with the hyena. Both of those animals are the predator but
the way they kill their prey is different. In the novel, explain that the hyena kill
the zebra in the disgusting way. Whereas, the tiger kill the prey without a
sound and move like straightly jump to the prey. “But it happened practically
in silence. The hyena died neither whining nor whimpering, and Richard
Parker killed without a sound” (Martel, 2001, pp.150).
In this case, it can be seen in the Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi the tiger
means strange or power, consideration, and position that how Pi describes it
like him. Pi explains that the tiger is the last animal that survives with him
even though it's full of danger to live with that predator. However, the tiger
shows its power when the hyena tries to attack the zebra but it has to spend a
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
32
few days because the hyena feels anxious about the great predator in the
lifeboat.
Pi describes the tiger when their eyes meet in the lifeboat after the tiger kills
the hyena. Pi tries to look the tiger straight in the eyes and wish that he could
describe as what he sees on the tiger and what he feels about it. The great
reflection of himself showed in that wild animal. Even though, Pi cannot lie
that fear of the tiger still control him.
I beheld Richard Parker from the angel that showed him off to greatest
effect: from the back, half-raised, with his head turned. The stance had
something of a pose to it, as if it were an intentional, even affected,
display of mighty art. And what art, what might (Martel, 2001, pp. 151).
According to that statement, Pi describes how the mighty of the tiger that
shown in the tiger appearance, the power or strange can be felt to someone who
see it and connected with it. The power of Pi influences the tiger indirectly. I
had an effect on Richard Parker. At the very first blow of the whistle he
cringed and he snarled (Martel, 2001, pp.165). Pi tries to tame the tiger with
the circus trainer tricks. At that moment, Pi shows his power above the great
predator in the lifeboat. Pi proves that he is not only human that full of fear due
to the tiger but also he can manage his fear upon the tiger. Pi can control the
tiger’s behavior. Pi realizes that tame him is the best way to make peace
between the tiger and him. It is not about the tiger or him but it is about the
tiger and him.
I had to tame him. It was at the moment that I realized this necessity. It
was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. We were, literally
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
33
and figuratively, in the same boat. We would live—or we would die—
together (Martel, 2001, pp. 164).
4. The Carnivorous Algae Island
The story of Pi does not stop in how Pi survives with the four wild animals
in the lifeboat until the tiger is the last animal that can survive. The survival of
Pi is full of the story that cannot be understood by human logic. In the middle
of his journey, Pi finds trees at first and it becomes a forest. Pi does not believe
it and he is certain that it is an illusion.
In the near distance I saw trees. I did not react. I was certain it was an
illusion that a few blinks would make disappear.
The trees remained. In fact, they grew to be a forest. They were part of a
low-lying island. I pushed myself up. I continued to disbelieve my eyes
(Martel, 2001, pp. 256).
According to Carl Gustav Jung in Psychology and Alchemy, the meaning
of island as a symbol has different varies. Carl Gustav Jung writes island are
the one of the most treasured motifs both in myth and literature. Jung’s quote
shows that it has amazing intuitive grasp of island significance: the island is
both beautiful and dangerous. He also writes that the island can be incredibly
scenic but their detachment from the mainland may create a feeling of
entrapment (Böcklin, 2014).
Based on the explanation above, the island can a trap for Pi’s faith
between his basic needs physically and spiritually. In other words, the island is
an entrapment for Pi because the existence of the island is a faith test for Pi. Pi
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
34
gets the basic needs from the island but not for his soul. It is like physical
comfort and spiritual death.
The carnivorous algae island in this story is symbolizing the faith of Pi.
The way Pi finds the island and he shouts to the tiger that they are saved
physically. It is explained that Pi thinks they are saved because the island
contains much nutrition. The green color in the island becomes the color that
he loved and it can replace the nutrients that are lost from the body of Pi after
lingering in the middle of the sea. In the novel, the excitement of Pi defeats his
curiosity about the island. That explanation can be concluded that his faith or
his religion gives him convenience, food, safety and sometimes give him a
purpose.
“Richard parker! Land! Land! We are saved!” I shouted.
The smell of vegetation was extraordinarily strong. As for the greenness, it
was so fresh and soothing that strength and comfort seemed to be
physically pouring into my system through my eyes (Martel, 2001, pp.258-
259).
Pi describes the island contains many things that can save his life and the
tiger. In the novel, Pi explains that the island has no soil but it is full of algae.
How it can be possible an island without soil but algae and its edges. Pi tells
that the algae are something that he can eat after the food for a can in the
lifeboat. The taste of the algae makes Pi amazed because after a long time,
finally, he can eat something good, not that delicious but good enough. Pi’s
basic needs feel fulfill due to that island after a week of malnourishment. This
is how his religion gives him convenience.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
35
I bit into it. My chops were in for a shock. The inner tube was bitterly
salty-but the outer was not only edible, it was delicious. My tongue began
to tremble as if it were finger flipping through a dictionary, trying to find a
long-forgotten word. It found it, and my eyes closed with pleasure at
hearing it: sweet. Not as in good, but as in sugary. Turtles and fish are
many things, but they are never, ever sugary. The algae had a light
sweetness that outdid in delight even the sap of our maple trees here in
Canada (Martel, 2001, pp.259).
Besides the fulfillment of his basic needs, the researcher explains that
Pi’s spiritually and physically must be balance. Pi mentions that green are his
favorite color, the color of Islam (pp.257). When he was child, Pi went to many
worship places because of his curiosity. Once he said to Mr. Kumar that religion
saved him due to Pi felt like religion was too close to his heart, however Mr.
Kumar did not believe it (pp.27). The innocent Pi went to many worship places
and tried to talk to the people who had there. He said that he has been a Hindu
all his life (pp.49).
Pi experienced acculturation due to his school is at St. Joseph’s School
and then he moved to Petit Séminaire, the best private English-medium
secondary school in Pondicherry. Even though Pi was born in Hindu’s family, it
does not make Pi has to spend his school life only in the Hindu’s School. It
gradually affects the mindset of Pi. It is proven in the critical situation, Pi always
calls four holy names; which are Jesus, Mary, Muhammad and Vishnu on repeat
(pp. 150).
In this case, the island does not give him a convenience only but also a
purpose or temptation. After Pi stayed on that island for a few nights, he started
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
36
to find something strange with that island. All his thoughts about how good the
island is wrong. He founds a human tooth.
A human tooth.
A molar, to be exact. The surface stained green and finely pierced with
holes.
The feeling of horror came slowly. I had time to pick at the other fruit.
Each contained a tooth.
One a canine.
Another a premolar.
Here an incisor.
There another molar.
Thirty-two teeth. A complete human set. Not one tooth missing.
Understanding dawned upon me.
I did not scream. I think only in movies is horror vocal. I simply
shuddered and left the tree (Martel, 2001, pp. 280-281).
Pi thinks about the teeth and trying to find a conclusion from all of it. In
the night, Pi wants to prove his thought. He went down from a tree and tried to
put his feet on the ground and then it felt burned. Now Pi can conclude that the
island is carnivorous because, in the night, the water becomes the dangerous
chemical acid that makes the fish dead there. In this case, Pi has to sacrifice his
comfort on that island or his fate will end like the owner of the tooth. It is
leading in spiritual death.
The researcher concludes the carnivorous algae island as the symbol
because that island has the longest chapter on the novel. In the novel, the island
is described in chapter 52. The author describes the detail of the island and the
occurrence that happens on the island. The island has a strange history, and it
happens to human before Pi. The researcher believes that the island has a
specific meaning, and it has to be revealed. It is like in the theory of symbol part
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
37
how to find a symbol explains that the symbol resembles certain things, and it
happens during a critical moments. The island appeared when Pi had
malnutrition.
All the symbols are taken by the close reading of the researcher to the
novel. The researcher arranges them in a sequence which part they show up in
the novel. The researcher can conclude that the object becomes a symbol
because it appears on a critical moment, and it has something to be revealed. The
researcher interprets a symbol by reading some sources and concludes it.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
38
B. Symbols as the Representation of Pi’s Character Development
The researcher will discuss the character development of Pi in this
chapter. In the previous discussion, the researcher reveals the meaning of the
symbols that have been found in the novel because it has a strong relation to
Pi’s journey. The symbols have various meaning. The researcher identifies
the character of Pi and then find out how Pi is developed. The development
that happens in Pi’s character can be seen through the symbols.
1. Water
In the previous discussion, the water is symbolizing his destiny.
Start from his name that taken by the name of the swimming pool and
then he ended up in the middle of the Pacific Ocean after the tragedy. In
these symbols, the character of Pi is developed as time goes by. The
destiny demands him to change therefore Pi can stand on his own feet
to face reality.
Destiny does not make Pi live peacefully with that name. There is a
struggle behind that name. The name of Pi is considered different from
others. Pi has to prove himself because, in his mid-school life, his
friends always mocking on his name. Pi’s friends likened his name to a
negative connotation. Pi’s friends spelled his name carelessly and
create an improper meaning.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
39
The words would waft across the yard to my ears, unprovoked,
uncalled for: “Where’s Pissing? I’ve got to go. “ Or: “ You’re
facing the wall. Are you Pissing?” Or something of the sort, I
would freeze or the contrary, pursue my activity, pretending not to
have heard. The sound would disappear, but the hurt would linger,
like the smell of piss long after it has evaporated. (Martel, 2001,
pp.26).
Pi tired of hearing all the taunts of his friends due to Piscine
Molitor Patel’s name. Pi has a plan to change the situations; therefore,
the God of fortune can beside with him occasionally. However, Pi tries
something new in his secondary school in the very first class and very
first meeting. The teacher starts to call the students’ name Pi starts to
write his name and explain it.
My name is
Piscine Molitor Patel known to all as
I doubled underline the first two letters of my given name.
Pi patel
For good measure I added
and I drew a large circle, which I then sliced in two with a diameter
to evoke that basic lesson of geometry (Martel, 2001, pp. 22-23).
It can be seen the development of Pi. At first, Pi becomes a boy
with no sound because of his name and then destiny shaped him
become someone who braves to prove that Pi cannot be someone who
always can be harassed continuously. Pi tries to prove that his name is
something worth because it means a lot. Pi relates his name with the
geometry lessons and makes the moment of silence in class including
his teacher.
The development of Pi can be seen also in his journey after the
tragedy. Destiny made him live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean for a
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
40
long time. After the tragedy, Pi has to live with the wild animals in the
lifeboat. Pi has no food, no clothes, and no preparation for that. One
time he wants to give up but the destiny says no. The elements allowed
me to go on living. The lifeboat did not sink (Martel, 2001, pp.107).
Pi has been through a lot of feeling after the tragedy. Pi feels alone,
empty, and he cannot imagine what is next in the night. However, he
realizes that the complaint of the situation will not save him. In this
case, it can be seen that his character is developed from someone who
has no hope becomes someone tougher. He has to save his life.
I slept all morning. I was roused by anxiety. That tide of food,
water and rest that flowed through my weakened system, bringing
me a new lease of life, also brought me the strength to see how
desperate my situation was. I awoke to the reality of Richard
Parker. There was a tiger in the lifeboat. I could hardly believe it,
yet I knew I had to. And I had to save myself (Martel, 2001,
pp.147).
The one example of his action that proves Pi is being someone
tougher is when he tries to find a way to keep him busy. Pi has some
activities like writing a diary, fishing, general inspection of the lifeboat
and many more. Instead of bemoaning the situation, Pi chooses to be
more productive during the day. Pi becomes someone tougher than
before.
I kept myself busy. That was one key to my survival. On the
lifeboat, even on a raft, there’s always something that needs doing.
An average day for me, in such a notion can be applied to a
castaway, went like this: …(Martel, 2001, pp. 190).
According to the discussion above, the characters of Pi before the
tragedy of the ship sank are innocent, afraid, and cannot stand for
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
41
himself. However, after the tragedy, the characters of Pi are developed
to become tough, brave, and he can survive in the lifeboat by himself.
In other word, he can stand for himself because destiny shaped his
characters.
2. The lifeboat
In the previous discussion, the lifeboat is symbolizing hope, the
promise of life. Based on the definition of the lifeboat in literary works
that means hope or the promise of life, in this novel the lifeboat
influence the character development of Pi especially on his hope,
enthusiastic to survive, or his willingness to be safe. It can be seen
when Pi loses his hope in the middle of the sea after the tragedy. He
realizes that he lives with the wild animals gives him a little chance to
survive and it full of fears.
I looked about. Nothing but sea and sky. The same when we were
at the top of a swell. The sea briefly imitated every land feature-
every hill, every valley, every plain, accelerated geotectonics.
Around the world in eighty swells. But nowhere on it could I find
my family. Things floated in the water but none that brought me
hope. I could see no other lifeboats (Martel, 2001, pp.110).
He had lost his hope for a while until he thought that leaving the
lifeboat may be would be a good idea. After that he understand that
leaving the lifeboat is not a good idea and it is impossible for him to
survive out there from the lifeboat. He finds his spirits and hope again
after that. In his mind, give up on the situation does not make him stay
alive.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
42
I was giving up. I would have given up – if a choice hadn’t made
itself heard in my heart. The voice said, ”I will not die. I refuse it. I
will make it through this nightmare. I will beat the odds, as great as
they are. I have survived so far, miraculously. Now I will turn
miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen everyday. I will put
in all the hard work necessary. Yes, so long as God is with me, I
will not die. Amen (Martel, 2001, pp.148).”
The action of Pi that can be proof if he is developing is when he
has an idea to recreate safe access for him. It is because he cannot
shares the place with the tiger peacefully and he aware of the threat that
has to be faced. When it comes to the tiger makes a move it will always
become a terror for Pi. Therefore, Pi tries to make something for his
survival.
Starts from that idea, Pi tries to apply it little by little. Pi collects
the things in the lifeboat and builds a raft (pp. 148). Pi has to make a
raft to save himself from the tiger’s attack. Based from the things that
he finds in the lifeboat, he makes a space for himself and the tiger.
However, Pi still makes it tethered with a rope (pp.153).
According to the statement that Pi makes the lifeboat and the raft
connects each other, it can be explain that Pi cannot away from the
lifeboat. Pi still need it because the lifeboat is his hope. The things that
he needs are still inside the lifeboat including the tiger. This is
explained that even though Pi needs another space from the lifeboat but
still he cannot let the lifeboat go. The great dependence on life looks
real by this situation. Due to the fact that compared to the raft, the
lifeboat now seemed a heaven of comfort and security (pp.155).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
43
According to the discussion above, the researcher can conclude the
characteristic of Pi at first. Pi is described often to express his sadness
and his loneliness, lamenting his fate and does nothing, hopeless, and
thinks to leave the lifeboat. However, after he learns the angle of the
lifeboat and reorganizes the lifeboat, Pi becomes someone that full of
hope to live, full of ideas, confidence, brave to face a storm right on his
face, and he realizes leave the lifeboat means death.
3. The Animals
The animals also have an influence on the character development of
Pi. The animals that have been discussed in the previous point have
meanings for Pi and his journey. The animals that will be discussed at
this point are the zebra and the tiger. The researcher takes the example
of those two animals because the zebra and the tiger have an important
impact on Pi and it reflects Pi’s character.
a. Zebra
In the previous discussion, the zebra is symbolizing Pi’s ability
to live. The researcher can conclude the meaning of that symbol
because the researcher analyzes the basic character of the zebra and
then it is connected with Pi’s character. However, it has one point
where it is shown that Pi’s ability to live develops as time goes by.
Pi is not being the same person from the beginning until the end of
the story.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
44
At first, it can be seen the nervousness of Pi in his journey when
he faces the hyena. Pi sees the hyena attacks the zebra and indicates
the braveness of zebra to protect itself from hyena even though the
zebra is in a bad injury. The ability to live of the zebra is high
because the zebra does not give up that easily. The zebra still has a
defense for itself without showing the sign that the zebra is
suffering. The nervousness of Pi can be seen at the moment when
he sees the zebra’s feel and what happens next when they surround
by two predators.
The zebra’s broken leg was missing. The hyena had bitten it off
and dragged it to the stern, behind the zebra. A flap of skin hung
limply over the raw stump. Blood was still dripping. The victim
bore its suffering patiently, without showy remonstrations. A
slow constant grinding of its teeth was the only visible sign of
distress (Martel, 2001, pp.120).
Pi is eaten up by the anxiety because he surrounds by two
predators especially the hyena. The hyena can attack him every
time the hyena is being active again. Pi is afraid when the darkness
comes because it is hard for him to see when it comes to dark.
Many things that scared him and makes he does not believe with
his ability because of the mindset that he cannot defend himself
from the hyena.
As evening approached, my anxiety grew. Everything about the
end of the day scared me. At night a ship would have difficulty
seeing me. At night the hyena might become active again and
maybe Orange Juice too (Martel, 2001, pp. 118).
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
45
Nevertheless, there is the moment when the concept of Pi’s
surviving starts to change as time goes by. Pi’s ability to live is
being strong than before. The anger envelops Pi’s soul after he
watches the hyena kill the zebra. There is a willingness to do
something to the hyena although Pi ends up does nothing.
Shock, revulsion and anger surged through me. I felt intense
hatred for the hyena. I thought of doing something to kill it. But
I did nothing. And my outrage was short-lived. I must be honest
about that (Martel, 2001, pp.120).
After that, Pi is being someone who has the strong
determination to survive. Pi tries to defend himself from a hyena
and the tiger. Pi learns how make himself away from the danger.
Although sometimes Pi is getting tired of the situation and all he
can do is crying. However, it does not give him a chance to give up
and die in that situation. Due to the fact that when his life is
threatened, the sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish
hunger for a survival (pp.120).
According to the explanation above, the researcher concludes
the characteristic of Pi at first. He is anxiety, feels terrors, and
cannot be calm because he surrounds by the two wild animals.
However, after he saw hyena kills the zebra, the anxiety of Pi is
gone. He has a strong determination to survive.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
46
b. Tiger
In the previous discussion, the tiger is symbolizing strange or
power, consideration, and position that how Pi describes it like
him. As time passing by, the power inside Pi develops stronger
than before. In the novel, it describes that the tiger hides under the
tarpaulin and he does not show up for Pi and the other three
animals. The tiger does not involve the accident between the hyena
and the zebra or the hyena and the orangutan. It is like the animal
world law run the rules in one group of the animals there is always
one the stronger male that becomes a leader. If there is another
male in the group until both of the males have to fight each other to
be part of the group. The hyena and the tiger, both of them are
male.
The characters of the tiger like the silences, savageness, and the
enlightenments that Pi described can be interpret as extension of
the changes Pi characters when he is at the lifeboat. As it is said
that the tiger has completely hiding at first time it aboard in the
lifeboat. For the enlightenment that Pi can learn from the tiger
when both of them are alone, stresses of hopeless of Pi’s situation
at sea. Pi often expresses his lack of hope during his survival. Pi
does not have family and he only has the tiger to accompany him.
Pi’s world has turns out upside down and all he can feel is
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
47
disappointment and sorrow. Pi is alone and orphan, in the middle of
the Pacific, and an adult tiger in front of him (pp.107).
I began to wait. My thoughts swung wildly. I was either fixed on
practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain,
weeping silently, my mouth open and y hands at my head
(Martel, 2001, p.111).
The suffer, pain, and the incident that happens in lifeboat has to
influence the development of Pi’s character. The sense of lost
anything, not only his family but also the animals has an effect that
makes Pi feels he suffer more multiplied in every single day in the
lifeboat. Moreover, Pi feels a constant need to secure any of the
surviving creatures, including the tiger.
At first, when Pi finds himself on the lifeboat with the tiger, the
fear does not leave him until the end of the journey. The feeling of
terror follows him every day. However, the existence of the tiger
gives him strength. Pi can find his strength to not give up to his life
and still survived. At least, Pi does not wade through the sea alone.
Some of us give up on life with only a resigned sigh. Others
fight a little, then lose hope. Still others-and I am one of those-
never give up. we fight and fight and fight. We fight no matter
the cost of battle, the losses we take, the improbability of
success. We fight to the very end. It’s not a question of courage.
It’s something constitutional, an inability to let go. It may be
nothing more than life-hungry stupidity (Martel, 2001, pp.148).
The bravery to be survived that becomes a new purpose for Pi,
as evidenced in his character, the presence of the tiger serves as
Pi’s faith and hope. It influences his feeling to it and gratitude. In
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
48
fact, without the presence of the tiger, Pi maybe die soon after the
death of the zebra and orangutan. Furthermore, Pi expresses his
gratitude for the tiger by admitting that a part of him does not want
him to die and keep survive.
“I love you!” The words burst out pure and unfettered, infinite.
The feeling flooded my chest. “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, don’t give up. I’ll
get you to land, I promise, I promise!” (Martel, 2001, pp. 236).
According to the explanation above, the researcher can conclude
the characteristic of Pi before. He is powerless, weak, afraid, and
always looking sad. However, as time goes by, the character of Pi
is developing after saw the hyena and the zebra fight. The
enlightenment brings a new Pi. Pi becomes brave, someone that has
purposes, gratitude, and the most important part Pi believes in
himself and his power until the end of his survival.
4. The Carnivorous Algae Island
In the previous discussion, the carnivorous algae island is
symbolizing faith of Pi. The journey of Pi across the sea makes some
changes on himself. One of the changes that can be seen is his faith.
Since Pi could lose his faith than many accidents happen in his journey.
Pi feels depress, angry, sad, and many more. However, mixed feelings
are not always bad. Pi without realizing it took him in a better way.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
49
The innocent of Pi has a small talk with his teacher when he is in
the Pondicherry. That small talk is about religion and it makes Pi
curious about that. The faith of Pi sometimes becomes a question for
the reader. In the first part, it is explained that the doubt in religion is
useful for a while.
I’ll be honest about it. It is not atheists who get stuck in my craw,
but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through
the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we.
If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from
the Cross, “ My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” then
surely we are also permitted doubt. But we must move on. To
chose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility
as a means of transportation (Martel, 2001, pp.28).
Pi was born as Hindu. All his life is Hindu and also his family. Pi
feels like home when he is at the temple. Pi is Hindu because of the
faith inside his soul. It is explained in the novel that his heart
commands him. He is aware of Presence, not personal the way we
usually feel presence, but nothing larger (pp. 48).
However, Pi learns three religions. Pi is practicing Hindu, Christian
and Muslim. One day his secret is known by his father because his
father and Pi meets those three wise men, not only one. The fate that
makes Pi wants to love God by the three religions. It is not a crime to
learn three religions but it cannot be true that Pi has three religions. Pi
states that all religions are true and he just want to love God (pp.69).
In the novel, before he finds the island, he is about to die. Pi writes
in his last page of his diary that he will not survive until the end of the
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
50
day. He is certain that he will die on that day. The hopes of Pi is lost,
even he has God to save him, he still not sure about that.
In the middle of his hopelessness, he finds the island that gives him
nutrition after the malnutrition that he suffered. The island gives him
what he needs physically but not spiritually. The island does not make
his soul feel peace at all. The island gives him satisfaction at first but
not for the last. Knowing that the island is carnivorous because it
contains a dangerous chemical acid in the night.
The fact above makes Pi has to fight his faith to the island and he
has to leave the island before he dies. Pi realizes that stay on that island
does not make him better but it is dangerous for his life. He has to
refuse that his physical needs because all his need has to balance
between spiritual and physical. Since the needs for his physically not
necessarily good for his soul too
By the time morning came, my grim decision was taken. I preferred
to set off and perish in search of my own kind than to live a lonely
half-life of physical comfort and spiritual death on this murderous
island (Martel, 2001, pp. 285).
Pi’s faith develops after that. He realizes that he has turned back to
God. As he knows that as long as he is with God, he will be saved. Pi is
weary with his situation, everything gets messed up but he knows that
life will not leave him. Start from many beliefs he learned, and then the
tragedy of the ship sank makes him lose his hope and then he finds the
island but it turns out becomes dangerous for him and then he decides
to leave that island. Many journeys in that Pi that makes his faith up
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
51
and down but at last, he should turn back to God because what he needs
is on God.
I grew weary of my situation, as pointless as the weather. But life
would not leave me. The rest of this story is nothing but grief, ache,
and endurance. …It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I was,
in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God (Martel,
2001, pp.283-284).
Pi’s faith is getting stronger after the tragedy. It can be seen in his
house now. When the author explains his house condition that his house
is a temple with a picture of Ganesha hangs in the wall. There is a
picture of Virgin Mary of Guadalupe and then next to it is black-robed
Kaaba. After that on his television set is a brass statue Shiva as
Nataraja. However, the center of all is Ganesha in the larger frame,
smiling and blue-skinned, Krishna playing the flute. A Hindu symbol is
representing the male and female energies of the universe. In his office
there is a brass Ganesha sitting cross-legged next to the computer and
wooden Christ on the Cross-from Brazil on the wall. There is a book on
the beside table is a Bible (pp. 46).
In the end, Pi still becomes someone who wants to love God. He
believes that loving God can be through many ways not only one
religion. He becomes someone who braves to spread diversity. It can be
seen at his house there are many signs from different religions. It is
different from before when he was a child and three wise men met his
father and said that Pi went to church, mosque, and temple. The
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
52
innocent of Pi develops becomes someone who has a strong stance in
loving God.
According to the explanation above. The Pi’s before is someone
that full of doubt, not opinionated, afraid, and hiding from reality.
However, after it, Pi becomes someone opinionated; he is not afraid to
embrace his love for God in many ways. He becomes someone with no
doubt about the way he worships God anymore.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
53
CHAPTER V
CONCLUSION
This part concludes all the analyses of the undergraduate thesis. After the
researcher did a close reading and extensive analysis in Life of Pi, a conclusion
can be made. The researcher concludes that this novel contains symbols that can
be analyzed, and each symbol has a different meaning. The meaning of the
symbol represents the main character inside the novel.
In this research, there are two questions or problem that the researcher has
answered. The first question relates to the meaning of symbols that found in the
novel. After analyzing through the approach and all the theories, the research
discovers findings from the novel. The researcher discovers that symbols in the
novel Life of Pi have their own meaning. The meaning of the symbol influences
the character development of Pi. Through the theory of symbol and how to find
the symbol, the researcher decides to take the water, a lifeboat, the animals, and
the carnivorous algae island are the objects that become a symbol. Those symbols
symbolize Pi’s destiny, hope, ability to survive, power and his faith. The meaning
of the symbol represents the characters of Pi that can be develop as time passing
by. Through the theory of plot, the researcher can find the symbol coherently and
arrange it from beginning until the end.
The second question revolves around the character development of Pi as
the main character through the use of symbol. Through the theory of characters
and characterization, the researcher observes the character development of Pi
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
54
from the beginning. Before the tragedy Pi is describes as innocent, afraid,
hopeless, cannot stand for himself, doubtful, and he is not confidence with his
power. However, it can be seen on his development that Pi grows become
someone tougher because his situation shaped him like that. Surviving in the
middle of Pacific Ocean alone with the tiger in his lifeboat gives him a lot of life
lesson and gives him power and confidence. He becomes a man with full of ideas
for reorganizing his lifeboat to survive. The tragedy of surviving in the middle of
Pacific Ocean stuck in his mind and he is growing up as the sweet man who
loving God through many ways. He is a shy man because life teaches him to not
show off what the most precious for him. Due to the fact that a realization that the
founding principle of existence is what we call love. Pi learns that he has not lose
a hope in life because when the time is right, everything will be a great lesson that
Pi can take. That character development, represented by the symbols that already
described above.
As the closing statement, literary work contains many elements and it has
connection with each other. The symbols inside the novel relates to the changing
of character of Pi. The character development of Pi is supported by the element
inside the novel. The use of symbol is not only to embellish a literary work but
also engage the reader to analyze the real meaning of that symbol and the relation
with another element inside the novel.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
55
REFERENCES
Abrams, M. (1999). A Glossary of Literary Terms (Seventh Ed). Boston:
Heinie & Heinie,
Animal Corner. (n.d.). Zebras. Retrieved from
https://animalcorner.co.uk/animals/zebras/(on 15 August 2019)
Arp. Thomas R., Greg Johnsom. and Laurence Perrine. Perrines
Literature: Structure, Sound and Sense. Wadsworth. 2006.
Bacon, F. (n.d.). Literary Elements Characterization. Retrieved May 26,
2019, from https://ofpanthers.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/03/Characterization.pdf
Böcklin, A. (2014). The Symbolism of Islands. Retrieved from
https://symbolreader.net/2014/01/19/the-symbolism-of-islands/ (on
20 August 2019)
Chrisshanti, N. (2017). Symbols that Reflect Elizabeth’s Life in Cecelia
Ahern’s If You Could See Me Now. Yogyakarta: Universitas Sanata
Dharma.
Coleridge, S. T. (1832). The statesman’s manual or, The Bible the Best
Guide to Political Skill and Foresight; a Lay Sermon, Addressed to
The Higher Classes of Society. Burlington: Chauncey Goodrich.
Eom, M. (2014). Water: A Symbol of Potential. Journal of Symbols &
Sandplay Therapy, 5(1), 30–35.
https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.12964/jsst.130015
Fadaee, E. (2010). Symbol, metaphors and similes in literature: A case
study of "Animal Farm. Journal of English and Literature, 2(2),
18–27.
Freytag, G., & MacEwan, E. J. (1895). Freytag’s Technique of the drama,
an exposition of dramatic composition and art (pp. ix, 366 p.). pp.
ix, 366 p. Retrieved from
http://www.archive.org/details/freytagstechniqu00frey
Frye, N. (1957). Anatomy of Criticism Four Essays. New Jersey: Princeton
University Press.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
56
Gagiu, Elena Pedersen. (2015). Semantics of the symbol: main theories
about the symbol and the themes of symbols in Alexandru
Macedonski's poetry. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences
586–592
Laar, E.Th.M Verstegen-van de, and Nicolas Hendricus Gerardus
Schoonderwoerd. An Aprroach to English Literature. Malmberg,
1969.
Mikics, D. (2007). A New Handbook of Literary Terms. New Haven: Yale
University Press.
Moodley, V. (2016). Symbols, Symbolism and Significance in Yann
Martel’s Life of Pi: Specific Content Knowledge for Teacher
Development. International Journal of English Language,
Literature, and Humanities, VI(IX September), 398–418.
Perrine, L. (1985). Structure, Sound, and Sense. London: Hadcourt Brace
Jovanovic.
Pustakareti, T. C. (2017). Symbols Reflecting the Development of the
Main Character in Jim Meenaghan’s Chasing Maverick.
Yogyakarta: Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Robins, R., H., (1968) General Linguistics: An Introductory Survey,
London: Longmans Publishing House.
Rohrberger, M., & Woods, S. H. (1971). Reading and Writing About
Literature (First Edit). New York: Random House.
Stanton, R. (1965). An Introduction to Fiction. New York: Holt,
Rinehart, and Winston, Inc.
The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism. (2001). New York:
Vincent B. Leitch.
Tyson, Lois. (2011). Using Critical Theory: How to read and write
About Literature, 2nd
ed. London: Routledge.
Yoewono, Rendy. (2008). The Messages Revealed Through the Main
Characters ways to Survive in Yann Martel Life of Pi. Yogyakarta:
Universitas Sanata Dharma.
PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI