What are a couple of ways the island is empirically impossible? Why do you think this island is in the book? (Remember that everything in this book is, more or less, supossed to be a true account of Pi's experiences.)
21 comments:
Anonymous
said...
The island that Pi recounts in his story contains many features that seem to be impossible. The island itself contains no soil or land whatsoever. This makes no sense becuase the trees that sit upon the island would have required land to grow out of. Pi describes the trees as being one with the algea, both existing soley atop the water. However, without any ground to frow from they couldn't exist.
There are multiplereasons as to why the island may seem impossible. The main item that does not seem possible is the acid algae. It may be possible that algae could tear through things, but it seems very unlikely that algae could kill many fish over the night. It does not seem possible that algae could kill people and only leave behind the teeth, but no other premains of humans. It was also odd that the only animals that lived on the island were meerkats and nothing else. There were no other insects or anything. It's weird that only one species of animals would live on the island. Pi may be stretching the truth on some of his stories.
The author at this point might be exagerating what Pi really saw and writing it as "magnificent" as it felt for Pi to come across any sort of land form. Obviously many aspects of the island Pi landed upon were false so fabrication is extremely evident.
The island at first seemed like a shining gleam of hope for Pi and Richard Parker, but upon learning that the island was poisonous, it became a false hope and another let down for the two fo them. The island was very peculiar to say the least. The algae was sweet tasting, and yet poisonous. The trees ate people. The algae melted through the ropes and the only inhabitants of the entire eisland were meerkats. It was very unlikely that the island would be as it was. Perhaps Pi just landed on an island and ate something that made him think the island was poisonous.
There are many reasons that make the island impossible. For one, the island has no soil, but it does have trees. Where do the trees grow from? The water on the island turns to acid during the nights and fresh water during the day. How would the water just turn into acid? There are too many things about the island that do not have facts to back them up, making the island seem impossible. The island is in the book to symbolize that Pi still has hope to live.
The island is empirically impossible due to some contradictions Pi states in the novel. Pi says that there is no solid land; only dense vegetation and trees. It is impossible for trees to grow out of the middle of the ocean. Also, Pi states "The combined shock of solid land and cool water gave me the strength..." (Martel 258) which contradicts his statement of there being no solid land on the island. This could falsify Pi's story and make it unbelievable.
Personally, I thought this chapter was quite a stretch. It sounded absolutely ridiculous, from the meerkats to the lack of any ground whatsoever, it wasn't believeable. One of the most ridiculous parts of the island was probably the teeth wrapped in leaves within the tree. Even if a person had died from the acidity of the algae, I highly doubt their remaining bones would naturally be wrapped up in a ball of leaves and grow from the tree. I didn't entirely understand the point of the island, aside from the fact it brought them back to life.
I found the part where Pie discovers the island to be very strange and confusing. One part that seemed impossible was when the center of every fruit was found to contain a humain tooth. Pie then refered to the Island as Carniverous. It would be impossible for an Island to literally eat people so I found this very strange. Perhaps the author used this to show Pie's fear of actually staying on the island.
There are a few thing that make the island seem like a complete fallacy. Trees would never be able to be grown on nothing but algae. The algae would never be strong enough to support such weight. Without some sort of soil the trees on the island would not be able to exsist. Furthermore, I find it difficult to believe that algae could kill many fish at one time. -ZEUS
The island is impossible because it is not a real island. The trees do not rely on soil, and at night the soild turns to acid in which no person can touch or get burned. The meerkats living on the island seem highly impossible because no other living being is living there for it to survive. The island is in the book to give Pi motivation to reach for another island in which is devestating situation will finally end.
The island that Pi lands on is strange. It has things that seem impossible to be real. It has meekrats and has algae that turns into acid at night. Things do not exist in the real world like that. Acid cannot tear through things like that and an island cannot contain no soil or land. "...but was rather a free-floating organism, a ball of algae of leviathan proportions" (Martel 271-272). Martel included this in the book to show Pi that things still existed and that life still existed. After being out to sea for so long, Pi was used to the "ocean life" and only dealing with what came upon him. This island had different things that amazed Pi and gave him hope, strength, and will power to continue to move on.
Some of the ways that the island might seem impossible is when Pi describes the isalnd. He says that the island itself contains no soil or land but there are trees. Also the acid algae seems impossible to be there because if the algae touched anything it would eat right through it and therefore there would be nothing on the island,not even trees like Pi said there was. I think the island is in the book because giving false hope to Pi seems revelant to the story. At first he doesnt care if he dies and wantsto die, then Richard Parker gives him hope and when he finally has hope that he is going to live he sees an island that isnt really real. The island gives Pi a reality check on life and in a way tells Pi that he can go on living but he needs to just stick with it without giving up. -Athena
The island can be seen as untrue becuase of the nature on the island. The island had trees that ate things with some kinda killer algea. The fact that the island represented Mexico, and Mexico has a hot climate, so how does the algea live on the trees. THe issland also has dark sand, that is described. YEt, Mexico has white snady beaches. Most of all Pi descirbes that the island has no ground. WEll if there not solidy in the island how does the island ecome an island.
It is biologically impossible for a bunch of trees to emerge and grow without any type of soil or land to grow from. This contributes in making his account of the island unbelievable. In addition to the soil/landless island itself, there was the acid algae. It easy to find it impossible to have discovered an algae that could eat through fish, people, and the rope that it ate through. In addition, if it was able to eat through all of those things, wouldn't it have consumed all of the trees as well?
When Pi reaches this island, he believes that there is hope for him to survive because he is finally able to get out of the lifeboat he has been stuck in for months. However, this island is a bit strange. "On very hot days, the algae's weave became tight and dense, and the island increased in height; the climb to the ridge became steeper and the ridge higher" (Martel 270). This is why this island is impossible to be real. There is no way that an island can be made of algae and sustain so many animals and trees and not collapse. Also, if on hot days it tightened, that means on colder days it would sink, causing the habitants of the island to either collapse with it or fall into the water because of the moving. I believe this island is put into the book to reiterate that this story is false and real in some respects. While the island may be crazy, here are a lot of things on the island that can be real, like the trees and the algae and the meerkats. It shows that there is a way for crazy things to happen, even though it is unlikely.
The island that Pi found seems to be a little unbelievable. There are certain aspects that Pi describes that make it seem unreal and impossible. When Pi first sees the island, there is no soil. "Hte island had no soil. Not that hte trees stood in water" (Martel, 257). Also, the algae was acidic, yet Pi ate it without any harm. Also, Pi found that the island itself was carnivorous. It sucked in fish and the algae and trees ate people. Even more unbelievable, after a person died, their teeth became wrapped in the trees. Also, Pi remembers watching the tide and seeing that no waves broke on the island, but away from the island. All of this taken into account, the island that Pi landed on seems completely false and unrealistic.
Biologically speaking, this island is not possible. There is no way an entire island could sustain itself without any soil or dirt to grow from. Also, algae can be acidic, but it is powerful enough to deteriorate the previous inhabitant’s body and bones, his teeth should have also been engulfed.
The island makes very little sense. Pi finds human teeth in what he believes to be fruit to eat. The entire set up is also strange with only one creature, the meercats that seem to actually be able to survive for more then a few days. I think the island was included as something for Pi to overcome on his journey to be rescued and on an island this was very unlikley espically with the island killing every thing on it. The island was something used for Pi to not give up hope.-Squirtle
The island is very impossible. Since there are not any inhabitants or barely any type of food or water it is impossible to cultivate it. It is very hard for one to start a new life on this island. Martel puts the island in the book so that readers can see Pi's perception on what land will be since he has not seen it in a long time. He also puts it in the book so he can take reader's mids off the story as a whole and focus on something else. -Leonardo
I agree with mocha on this question. It seems as if the island is impossible even the little details. The acid algea that kills the fish overnight is a possibility but when it kills humans and only leaves behind teath makes zero sense. Pi says that the animals sleep in the trees as well. If meercats are the only creatures on the island that would be hard because they live in borrows and dont climb trees. Foxtrot
The island that Pi talks about in his story has many elements that are hard to believe. For example, the algae that kills all of the fish overnight also kills people and leaves no remains but their teeth. It is also odd that there is no other type of animal on the island besides meerkats.
21 comments:
The island that Pi recounts in his story contains many features that seem to be impossible. The island itself contains no soil or land whatsoever. This makes no sense becuase the trees that sit upon the island would have required land to grow out of. Pi describes the trees as being one with the algea, both existing soley atop the water. However, without any ground to frow from they couldn't exist.
There are multiplereasons as to why the island may seem impossible. The main item that does not seem possible is the acid algae. It may be possible that algae could tear through things, but it seems very unlikely that algae could kill many fish over the night. It does not seem possible that algae could kill people and only leave behind the teeth, but no other premains of humans. It was also odd that the only animals that lived on the island were meerkats and nothing else. There were no other insects or anything. It's weird that only one species of animals would live on the island. Pi may be stretching the truth on some of his stories.
The author at this point might be exagerating what Pi really saw and writing it as "magnificent" as it felt for Pi to come across any sort of land form. Obviously many aspects of the island Pi landed upon were false so fabrication is extremely evident.
The island at first seemed like a shining gleam of hope for Pi and Richard Parker, but upon learning that the island was poisonous, it became a false hope and another let down for the two fo them. The island was very peculiar to say the least. The algae was sweet tasting, and yet poisonous. The trees ate people. The algae melted through the ropes and the only inhabitants of the entire eisland were meerkats. It was very unlikely that the island would be as it was. Perhaps Pi just landed on an island and ate something that made him think the island was poisonous.
There are many reasons that make the island impossible. For one, the island has no soil, but it does have trees. Where do the trees grow from? The water on the island turns to acid during the nights and fresh water during the day. How would the water just turn into acid? There are too many things about the island that do not have facts to back them up, making the island seem impossible. The island is in the book to symbolize that Pi still has hope to live.
The island is empirically impossible due to some contradictions Pi states in the novel. Pi says that there is no solid land; only dense vegetation and trees. It is impossible for trees to grow out of the middle of the ocean. Also, Pi states "The combined shock of solid land and cool water gave me the strength..." (Martel 258) which contradicts his statement of there being no solid land on the island. This could falsify Pi's story and make it unbelievable.
Personally, I thought this chapter was quite a stretch. It sounded absolutely ridiculous, from the meerkats to the lack of any ground whatsoever, it wasn't believeable. One of the most ridiculous parts of the island was probably the teeth wrapped in leaves within the tree. Even if a person had died from the acidity of the algae, I highly doubt their remaining bones would naturally be wrapped up in a ball of leaves and grow from the tree. I didn't entirely understand the point of the island, aside from the fact it brought them back to life.
I found the part where Pie discovers the island to be very strange and confusing. One part that seemed impossible was when the center of every fruit was found to contain a humain tooth. Pie then refered to the Island as Carniverous. It would be impossible for an Island to literally eat people so I found this very strange. Perhaps the author used this to show Pie's fear of actually staying on the island.
There are a few thing that make the island seem like a complete fallacy. Trees would never be able to be grown on nothing but algae. The algae would never be strong enough to support such weight. Without some sort of soil the trees on the island would not be able to exsist. Furthermore, I find it difficult to believe that algae could kill many fish at one time.
-ZEUS
The island is impossible because it is not a real island. The trees do not rely on soil, and at night the soild turns to acid in which no person can touch or get burned. The meerkats living on the island seem highly impossible because no other living being is living there for it to survive. The island is in the book to give Pi motivation to reach for another island in which is devestating situation will finally end.
-Calypso
The island that Pi lands on is strange. It has things that seem impossible to be real. It has meekrats and has algae that turns into acid at night. Things do not exist in the real world like that. Acid cannot tear through things like that and an island cannot contain no soil or land. "...but was rather a free-floating organism, a ball of algae of leviathan proportions" (Martel 271-272). Martel included this in the book to show Pi that things still existed and that life still existed. After being out to sea for so long, Pi was used to the "ocean life" and only dealing with what came upon him. This island had different things that amazed Pi and gave him hope, strength, and will power to continue to move on.
Some of the ways that the island might seem impossible is when Pi describes the isalnd. He says that the island itself contains no soil or land but there are trees. Also the acid algae seems impossible to be there because if the algae touched anything it would eat right through it and therefore there would be nothing on the island,not even trees like Pi said there was. I think the island is in the book because giving false hope to Pi seems revelant to the story. At first he doesnt care if he dies and wantsto die, then Richard Parker gives him hope and when he finally has hope that he is going to live he sees an island that isnt really real. The island gives Pi a reality check on life and in a way tells Pi that he can go on living but he needs to just stick with it without giving up.
-Athena
The island can be seen as untrue becuase of the nature on the island. The island had trees that ate things with some kinda killer algea. The fact that the island represented Mexico, and Mexico has a hot climate, so how does the algea live on the trees. THe issland also has dark sand, that is described. YEt, Mexico has white snady beaches. Most of all Pi descirbes that the island has no ground. WEll if there not solidy in the island how does the island ecome an island.
It is biologically impossible for a bunch of trees to emerge and grow without any type of soil or land to grow from. This contributes in making his account of the island unbelievable. In addition to the soil/landless island itself, there was the acid algae. It easy to find it impossible to have discovered an algae that could eat through fish, people, and the rope that it ate through. In addition, if it was able to eat through all of those things, wouldn't it have consumed all of the trees as well?
When Pi reaches this island, he believes that there is hope for him to survive because he is finally able to get out of the lifeboat he has been stuck in for months. However, this island is a bit strange. "On very hot days, the algae's weave became tight and dense, and the island increased in height; the climb to the ridge became steeper and the ridge higher" (Martel 270). This is why this island is impossible to be real. There is no way that an island can be made of algae and sustain so many animals and trees and not collapse. Also, if on hot days it tightened, that means on colder days it would sink, causing the habitants of the island to either collapse with it or fall into the water because of the moving. I believe this island is put into the book to reiterate that this story is false and real in some respects. While the island may be crazy, here are a lot of things on the island that can be real, like the trees and the algae and the meerkats. It shows that there is a way for crazy things to happen, even though it is unlikely.
The island that Pi found seems to be a little unbelievable. There are certain aspects that Pi describes that make it seem unreal and impossible. When Pi first sees the island, there is no soil. "Hte island had no soil. Not that hte trees stood in water" (Martel, 257). Also, the algae was acidic, yet Pi ate it without any harm. Also, Pi found that the island itself was carnivorous. It sucked in fish and the algae and trees ate people. Even more unbelievable, after a person died, their teeth became wrapped in the trees. Also, Pi remembers watching the tide and seeing that no waves broke on the island, but away from the island. All of this taken into account, the island that Pi landed on seems completely false and unrealistic.
Biologically speaking, this island is not possible. There is no way an entire island could sustain itself without any soil or dirt to grow from. Also, algae can be acidic, but it is powerful enough to deteriorate the previous inhabitant’s body and bones, his teeth should have also been engulfed.
The island makes very little sense. Pi finds human teeth in what he believes to be fruit to eat. The entire set up is also strange with only one creature, the meercats that seem to actually be able to survive for more then a few days. I think the island was included as something for Pi to overcome on his journey to be rescued and on an island this was very unlikley espically with the island killing every thing on it. The island was something used for Pi to not give up hope.-Squirtle
The island is very impossible. Since there are not any inhabitants or barely any type of food or water it is impossible to cultivate it. It is very hard for one to start a new life on this island. Martel puts the island in the book so that readers can see Pi's perception on what land will be since he has not seen it in a long time. He also puts it in the book so he can take reader's mids off the story as a whole and focus on something else.
-Leonardo
I agree with mocha on this question. It seems as if the island is impossible even the little details. The acid algea that kills the fish overnight is a possibility but when it kills humans and only leaves behind teath makes zero sense. Pi says that the animals sleep in the trees as well. If meercats are the only creatures on the island that would be hard because they live in borrows and dont climb trees.
Foxtrot
The island that Pi talks about in his story has many elements that are hard to believe. For example, the algae that kills all of the fish overnight also kills people and leaves no remains but their teeth. It is also odd that there is no other type of animal on the island besides meerkats.
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