Connections to Other Texts: Call it Courage

While reading 'Life of Pi' it reminded me of another book, another boy on a lone craft on the Pacific with only animals for company, struggling to survive the perils of the ocean. This book is 'Call it Courage,' a classic by Armstrong Sperry. It is about a boy, Mafutu (along with his dog and albatross) growing up by conquering his fear of the sea.

The situations are similar, so why does the reader experience each story different? I would say that I could root equally for both main characters, but when it comes to pivotal moments, Pi loses more than he wins. Mafutu is always successful, never in doubt of his abilities. Basically, 'Call it Courage' gives us a winning high, where Mafutu can beat the odds over and over again (which is repetitive, but it still works in the novella.) 'Call it Courage' is like watching a superhero cartoon, you know they'll win, but it holds your attention. Although Pi must do the same things as Mafutu to survive (catching food, building shelter) Pi doesn't know how to do any of this (and has a more stressing animal companion than Mafutu.)

Pi just seems to have it worse, where his challenges are a test of faith, almost more than just survival. Yann Martel writes in a realistic manner, where Pi's story sounds like a true account, rather than an adventure story. It adds a sense of marvel to the more unbelievable parts in 'Life of Pi.' We want to believe that a boy can tame tigers, end up with a boat of flying fish, and that God is out there. When 'Life of Pi' ends with a transcript of the conversation with the Japanese representatives, it is a blow to the reader to discover the 'truth' of Pi's time on the lifeboat. Like the Japanese, the reader is likely to choose the story with God and the animals, but the alternate ending leaves a bitter taste-- and something more to think about.

I think that understanding Martel's aims for the book enlightens us on his view about the world-- that we must live with hard facts, but it is how we remember them that changes our lives. Pi's family dies, Martel highlights the mother especially, but how Pi expresses this death first as Orange Juice, shows how he alienates himself from the circumstances. When we learn that the tiger story is a fabrication, we unfortunately learn the true events on the lifeboat. Pi says,

"In both stories the ships sinks, my family dies, and I suffer." (Page 352)

His point is that both stories, in essence, are true, but we will prefer the one that gives us hope. Pi's minimal victory in an ocean of hardship makes us celebrate, even though the only thing saved is one human life.