The Perfect Storm and Life of Pi Essay Example
The Perfect Storm and Life of Pi Essay Example

The Perfect Storm and Life of Pi Essay Example

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A book's introduction is vital as it needs to captivate and engage its audience. It should immerse readers in the narrative, making them feel like participants in the tale. Intriguing beginnings often foster curiosity, provoking readers into seeking answers. This strategy draws in readers and motivates them to persist with reading in their quest for resolution. Although 'The Perfect Storm' and 'Life of Pi' have common themes and motifs, the contrast in writing approach between both authors becomes evident from just the initial paragraph.

'The Perfect Storm' is a novel that can be accurately characterized as factual and crafted in a journalistic manner, detailing the events from an all-knowing viewpoint. The book starts with a precursor and intertextuality, evident in every chapter, through the quote 'It's no fish ye're buying, its men's lives.' This prelim

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inary remark establishes an ominous ambiance by straightforwardly communicating the riskiness of fishermen's lives to the audience.

The eerie mood in the opening of 'The Perfect Storm' is enhanced by the presence of the pathetic fallacy. The mention of the 'soft fall rain' in the first narrative of the novel represents the depressing mood surrounding the departure of the 'Andrea Gail' to sea. Onomatopoeic language, such as the mention of 'trucks rumble', immerses the audience in the setting and creates a realistic atmosphere. Although no major events occur in the opening of 'The Perfect Storm', it hints at a foreboding calm before the storm, leaving the audience in anticipation of what will happen during the fishermen's time at sea.

One apparent difference in The Life of Pi is its use of the first person narrative, in which Pi tells the story and Marte

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serves as a narrative voice at different points. On the other hand, Junger's story is written from an unbiased third person perspective. However, both novels share an extensive knowledge of fishing boats, which contributes to an overall omniscient tone.

Martel's writing in the 'Life of Pi' is highly impactful, as the title itself suggests that the story will revolve around Pi's life. By utilizing a first-person narrative, Martel effectively enables the audience to empathize with Pi, as they are privy to his thoughts and emotions. The frame narrative ensures that readers maintain their interest, as they are essentially experiencing two interconnected stories simultaneously, spanning both the past and present. Additionally, the novel is situated in Toronto, Canada, with Pi recounting his journey from India to his current location.

Both Martel's novel 'Life of Pi' and the novel 'The Perfect Storm' use strong opening sentences to capture the reader's attention. In 'Life of Pi', the opening sentence 'My suffering left me sad and gloomy' suggests that something significant has occurred during the protagonist's travels to cause his current state of sadness. Similarly, in 'The Perfect Storm', the main character Bobby Stratford, who will captain the Andrea Gail, is introduced with a mention of his 'black eye'.

This passage emphasizes the author's mortality and humanity, reminding the readers that this is not a fictional fairytale but a true account of men facing the sea. Junger repeatedly refers back to this small imperfection at the beginning of the novel, aiming to establish the idea that the characters in the story are not flawless visions or mere characters, but rather individuals like Bobby who have actually lived in the small fishing town,

frequenting the pub on Rodgers Street. Junger uses a simile, describing the black eye as resembling an overripe plum.

In 'The Perfect Storm', Bobby's girlfriend Christina Cotter is introduced as the one who has caused Bobby's infliction, including giving him a black eye. This portrayal of reality reflects the everyday occurrences in life. With this introduction, it becomes evident to the audience that Bobby will have a significant role in the novel, albeit not as a hero. His obvious love for Chris is demonstrated through his sadness over their impending separation, suggesting that he is not an evil villain either. As a result, the audience is left wondering about Bobby's role in the unfolding events.

In the novel Life of Pi, there are only a few characters introduced, namely Pi who is telling the story and Richard Parker, a Bengal tiger who initially appears human-like. This connection to the ending of the novel raises doubts about whether the animals described in the book are actually humans based on what is written. However, in Life of Pi, it is not necessary for many characters to be introduced as the focus is on Pi's thoughts and emotions. Both books have hints of themes that will be explored further later in the story.

In 'The Perfect Storm', the themes of the sea, fishing, boats, reality, and weather are evident from the beginning. The primary theme is the conflict between the sea and men. Similarly, in 'Life of Pi', the key theme of nature versus humans is introduced when Pi compares sloths to humans, using anthromorphism. The story also explores topics such as family, animals, religion, and life and death. Both openings

effectively engage the audience and create intrigue, inviting the reader to continue reading and becoming immersed in the plot.

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