The idea of archetypal heroes finds its ways into countless prominent religions, literature, films, and epics. There are many types of archetypal heroes, dating all the way back to ancient times, namely Hercules of Rome or Prometheus of Greek mythology, to modern heroes, such as the Spiderman or the Hulk. However, one may perceive some characters in a story to be heroes, while others may not. These characters may own some key attributes of a hero, but may lack other essential traits. An example of this is the main protagonist of the novel The Life of Pi, Piscine Molitor Patel, by Yann Martel. After selling the zoo in India, Pi and his family decide to move to Canada. During their trip to Canada, however, their cargo ship encounters a raging storm that sinks the ship. In the wake of the shipwreck, Pi is the sole human survivor as he boards a lifeboat, and spends what seems like an eternity out in the Pacific ocean in the company of a 450-pound adult Bengal tiger. Throughout his 227-day journey, Pi becomes a clear archetypal hero.
Pi and his family live in an unfortunate time period, where economic downfall and the threat of martial law plagues the country of India. Pi’s father believes that the family should move to Canada because poor, long-term politics is bad for the business of their zoo. He also wants his sons to live a better life, and hold better chances at a successful future in a prosperous land. When Pi’s father announces the news during a family dinner, Pi is found