When Worlds Collide

In the end, I felt grateful to have been given the opportunity to be exposed to the likes of literature both from the Greek and the current era. Coming from someone who does not read a lot of history, I did not just gain more knowledge about literature, but I also gained more appreciation and understanding for it. Times may change and societies will evolve, but even though what was relevant then may be different from what is relevant now, one thing for me is certain, and it is that books never cease to captivate the mind, body and soul – a statement which I hope will be able to stand the test of time.

Myths...

"People say that what we're all seeking is a meaning for life. I don't think that's what we're really seeking. I think what we're seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonance within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive. That's what it's all finally about. "

- Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth (2001)

So...

How do they apply to us today?

Throughout the ages, Greek-Roman mythology has been prevalent in society. Whether by mere coincidence or actual influence, one cannot help but notice similarities in many aspects. Aside from its shallow depictions through portrayals of different gods, goddesses and heroes alike in the fields of plays and movies, it is also vaguely seen through modern day persona, as well as through writing. As a paradigm of human nature, it serves as a bridge that connects the past and the present. In this way, Greek-Roman mythology has continued to live on.

Ever since the Greek era, literature has emerged as one of the best means of adapting mythology. Authors have been using literature as a way to speak their minds to the reader by sharing to the world colorful stories that they themselves shaped up out of creativity. Beyond every book’s shallow plot, its message can be seen with a keen eye for depth. In modern times, one piece of literature that can be attributed to this is Yann Martel’s Life of Pi, wherein mythology is incorporated through a concept called magic realism.

What is magic realism?

MAGIC

REALISM

MAGIC REALISM

Magic and realism are two terms that we are already all too familiar with. Despite this, these two separate entities, two different concepts, when merged into one, form a union like no other. Magic realism is described as a literary style or genre originating in Latin America that combines fantastic or dreamlike elements with realism.

Mythology has influenced this book in such a way that with various parallelisms, everything Pi went through can be comparable to the journey of mythological characters in literature. Well-known for its exaggerations, Martel adapts this quality using magic realism. In retrospective, while the story in itself may seem like one big illusion, in mixing illogical and far-fetched scenarios with realistic events, one can see hints of mythological influences, one of which pours out from the idea of having three religions. This manifestation of is seen in Pi’s reverence to the gods. Like Greek gods and goddesses, who account for many different aspects of life, Pi worships gods from Christianity, Islam and Hinduism – examples of which include: God, Vishnu, Krishna and Allah. These gods are called upon by Pi from time to time as a means of getting strength from. Delving deeper into its central plot though, what is more evident is the epic journey that Pi goes through – one that resounds Odysseus' arduous journey back to Ithaca.

In the very definition of an epic, the events are based in part on historical facts, blending legend with truth. While Pi’s background gives the story solid ground to deliver its plot on, through the element of fiction, the author gives the world a uniqueness of its own. As in the case of an epic hero, Pi starts off with an unusual birth, capped with a name that would mark him for life. Aside from this, Pi also qualifies as such because he showed extraordinary strength and courage in putting up with numerous trials and struggles. To further concretize this idea, in relation with this, the concepts of the Hero Cycle/ Monomyth can be applied to the events of Life of Pi.

THE HERO CYCLE/MONOMYTH

While the concept of the Hero Cycle/Monomyth states the belief that an epic journey somehow follows an existing pattern, there is no actual written rule about it. For some reason though, this pattern has been seen time and time again in hero stories. With that in mind, first comes the Call to Adventure, which of course is when Pi gets stranded at sea after the sinking of the Tsimtsum. This event brings the shift to an unusual circumstance in Pi’s life, even by his own standards of normalcy. Then, the tiger Richard Parker, one of the surviving animals from the ship, arrives as the First Helper. He eventually proves to be Pi’s only surviving companion throughout the duration of his time at sea, being the very reason why Pi, resigning himself to reality, decides to embark on his adventure of survival. In doing so, he leaves behind the mundane world, serving as the Crossing of his epic journey.

As a hero goes through many Tests in order to prove himself worthy of success in his mission, Pi also encounters a fair share of his own trials and tribulations within this odyssey of his. After getting past the preliminary stages of survival, he meets several anomalies. As if managing food, water, and bad weather are not difficult enough, Pi has to put up with a couple more animals other than Richard Parker. Apparently, there are other zoo animals who survive the Tsimstum's sinking, namely: an orangutan called Orange Juice, a zebra and a hyena. While none of them survive for long, taming Richard Parker proves to be his toughest matchup. By mimicking a lion tamer, it requires extreme patience and perseverance from him to accomplish this task. Then, a sympathizing blind Frenchman comes along as a fellow castaway who turns out to have a cannibalistic nature.

The Supreme Ordeal of his epic journey though, comes in the form of a floating island. Appearing in the middle of nowhere, this island mainly comprises of algae, along with a lot of meerkats. At first, things seem fine as both Pi and Richard Parker start getting accustomed to life there, but just as things are going along well, the twist comes. These algae turn carnivorous at night, devouring anything on the ground.

This pushes Pi to make a life-changing decision to go home. In a frantic return back to the mundane world, Pi's Flight eventually comes to an end, making his Return after drifting on the shores of Mexico. In his return to normalcy, Pi's Boon can be considered as either getting to tell his story to a couple of Japanese interviewers, gaining strength, fervor and courage from the experience, or getting to live the rest of his life safely in Canada.

Thousands of years have passed and yet the general truth of the epic is still present today. Epics reinforce hope in people, and I think that it is because of this that hero stories have not yet been obsolete. At first, I could not believe how Greek-Roman mythology managed to still have an impact on contemporary literature, so I was greatly enamored by that fact. Remembering the past is one thing, but managing to pass down a legacy from generation to generation is another. I did not realize that mythology even had the slightest connection to it, but as I learned more about it and read more of the book, I began to see its presence in Pi’s struggles at sea. Everything he underwent seemed reminiscent of Odysseus – hope, despair, loneliness, frustration, weakness and many more – that for me Pi was somewhat of a second coming of his in the modern era. Of course, not all details were the same since the author had to adapt the plot to what the average reader today would comprehend, but all things considered, the main idea of the fall and rise of the epic hero was there.

Whether in the past, present or future, Greek-Roman mythology will forever leave its mark in history.

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