I need a little help with a few books

[Altair]

If anyone has read these books below, what do you think are some themes that are in either:
1-the old man and the sea-ernest hemingway
2-the life of pi-yann martel

[darkace]

I've read the old man and the sea and I think one clear theme presented by the book is "a man can be destroyed but cannot be defeated" (I don't really remember the exact quote). However, there are so many other themes that also fit the story pretty well.

[Altair]

thank you, that does help and i think that will work.

[Derringer]

Hi, I think darkace's advice is good. I have heard of both being analagous to a spiritual transformation in a time of suffering. In Hemingway, the sea can be seen as the provider (Christianity), the Fish can be seen as Santiago's struggle with death, and accepting of death, and I have also heard that the scene of Santiago carrying the mast over his shoulder as similar to Jesus's crucifiction. Martel's is different because there is symbolism of three faiths: Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. I do admit, it's been like three or four years since and I can't remember the details, but I have heard of analogous, with, again, Christianity being the sea.

But, I would ignore all of that. That wasn't Hemingway's style, and I don't know enough Life of Pi to create an analogy. Plus analogies suck anyway, IMHO. Hemingway was a realist writer, but The Old Man and the Sea is like a fable. Likewise Pi asks at the end, which story do you prefer, the possible fable, or the bland reality? What do you think this says about belief? The value of the narrative?

Hope I helped.

[Altair]

Both of these helped a great deal. i like the insight that you have given about the sea and the mast being symbols of christianity, it helps a whole bunch! thanks!

[grace86]

I read Life of Pi, it was very good. Maybe faith and perserverence are a couple of themes to think about...not many adults could do what Pi did, so maybe having faith like a child no matter what faith you attribute that to (he went to temple and to church didn't he?). Hope that helped a little.

[Psychosis]

Both books deal with the struggle of a man(boy) against adverse nature...yeah, they have lots of things in common... isn't the Tiger (Parker?) the same as Marlin? Even if the marlin is a much more noble being/creature than the tiger, they share some qualities.
About the religious theme, Santiago prays sometimes (at least he plans to say some Ave-Maria...); but Pi has a very unique pont of view of what religion is,as Derringer said.



P.s. for a more indeep reading about The Old's religious simbology, search at Sparknotes.