Life of Pi Part 1, Chapter 10 Quotes

Life of Pi Part 1, Chapter 10 Quotes

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Citations follow this format: (Part.Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote 1

But even wild animals that were bred in zoos and have never known the wild, that are perfectly adapted to their enclosures and feel no tension in the presence of humans, will have moments of excitement that push them to seek escape. All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive. (1.10.2)

Sometimes we read in the news about a husband or wife who leaves his or her family without warning to live somewhere else. Yann Martel himself dropped everything and traveled to India to write Life of Pi. This "measure of madness" inexplicably lights a fire underneath happy human beings and animals and sets them wandering (1.10.2). We can also read in these sentences Pi's attempt to explain Richard Parker's sudden departure at the end of the novel.