Not too far away from you lies that majestic creature. 

With a magnificent coat, a stern built, and an impressive gait, the tiger glares at your direction with its keen eyes, sensing even the slightest of movement. 

As you reach in your bag for some food, the tiger suddenly lets go of its steady position and lunges forth—heading toward your direction.

When all hell could have broken loose, and your life could have ended, you actually had nothing to fear. You extend your hand towards the tiger and feed him that raw chicken leg, noting that only metal bars and rails are separating you from each other.

On the other hand, what if you encountered this tiger, not in the comfort of a well-secured vehicle, but in a lifeboat—in the middle of the pacific ocean?

That proposition, of course, is simply preposterous.

However, there is no such thing as “no such thing” in a world where ‘magic’ meets reality. Anything can happen in the world of magic realism, an oxymoron in itself. In this realm, anything is possible and need not be rationalized. What was always deemed unlikely to occur now happens nonchalantly, with those involved paying no particular shock towards it.

When we look at it, such cases have not only existed in recent literature, but have actually dated back to the times when Greek and Roman myths were prevalent. Albeit obviously impossible, ancient people such as the Greeks found it possible then to travel to the underworld, or be punished by the gods, for instance, and these were evident in the stories such as the Odyssey. In fact, these stories also narrate encounters with gods, be it pleasant or unpleasant. 

These myths actually tell of the Greek faith, the Greek's concept of religion, of gods. These myths strive to rationalize happenings -- and these objectives echo from other ancient texts to contemporary stories. For instance, we can see old stories, such as that of Jesus Christ, showing influences from mythology. Certain distinctions can be seen, such as having a particular flow of events. 

This influence can also be seen in modern books, such as Life of Pi. In the same way mythology aims to showcase the Greek religion, this book shows a boy who practices three religions: Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. The book not only shows the clear lines of difference between the three religions, but also the coherence of the three. It shows that the three religions are in fact coherent and aim the exact same thing. Apart from that, the book is also clearly influenced by mythology in the presence of the monomyth.

THE MONOMYTH

The monomyth is a concept that all myths can be laid out such that they all have the same progression of events. The stories all begin with a call to adventure, where the protagonist is pulled out of his normal life to pursue an adventure. With the aid of some helpers, the protagonist will then progress and eventually cross from normal life to his adventure. There will, of course, be numerous tests in store for the hero, and more often than not, this involves challenges from the gods. Nothing stops the hero from stumbling and falling, however, helpers might come to support the hero. After a number of challenges, the hero will then encounter his supreme ordeal; the very event he was destined to overcome. After this, he will then begin his adventure going back to his old life, and he will do so with a few rewards for accomplishing his adventure.

The Life of Piscine Patel

Pi's story begins ordinarily. He is the typical young boy concerned in everyday activities, like making his classmates in school pronounce his name properly. Eventually, however, he takes a step above the rest as his parents decide to move the family to Canada. As the story progresses, however, Pi's life is shattered by the sinking of the Tsimtsum, signifying his crossing to the to the life of adventure. 

Pi also encounters his supreme ordeal upon arriving at the algae island, where he can choose to stay [and eventually die] or leave what seems to be paradise in order continue his journey and return to the real world. Eventually, he does make his return to the real world upon arriving to Mexico, after exactly 227 days to traveling the Pacific Ocean.

Who we are is always influenced by the things that surround us, and mythology is no exception. In analyzing various myths and stories, I cannot help but analyze my own life as well. I can only say this: our lives, in one way or another, are also myths. Albeit our actual experiences are unique and different, we all have the same plot. We all live our normal lives, and then are called to do something bigger, a supreme ordeal. On the way of accomplishing that task, we might fall or fail, however, there will always be someone, mortal and divine to help us get back up. We will all be able to overcome our ordeals, and we will learn from this and grow as people. We will gain our treasures and rewards. That is the cycle of life. That is how all things work. We are given goals, achieve them, and learn from them. That is the magic of reality.

As I further contemplate on my hero cycle, I look forward to my next supreme ordeal: my trip to Korea.