TIGER IMAGERY
in
Life of Pi
Physical Characteristics
 The largest and most awesome of the big cats,
the tiger exudes grace, beauty and an uncanny
ability to disappear and re-emerge from the
shadowy outlines of its forest habitat. Few
animals evoke such strong feelings of fear and
awe as the tiger.
 All cats will swim if they are forced to, but most
species carefully avoid water except to drink.
Only the tiger and jaguar seem to relish
bathing and cooling off in ponds, lakes and
rivers. Often inhabiting the steamy jungles of
India and Asia, tigers discovered that water
was a convenient coolant and are often found
sitting or lying immersed to the neck in rivers
or pools.
Cultural Beliefs
 In many Asian cultures, tigers were a symbol of strength
and royal power and were used as "executioners" in Asian
courts.
 In the Hindu religion, the God Shiva rides a tiger and wears
a tiger skin for his role as destroyer. In the Buddhist religion,
followers of Buddha ride tigers to show their supernatural
ability to overcome evil. Tigers were treated as God by
many of the forest dwelling peoples of India and great
temples and shrines were constructed to worship the tiger.
The followers of Islam, in Sumatra, believe tigers punish
sinners for Allah.
Tiger Medicine

The use of tiger parts in traditional healing remedies has been
traced back to more than 1,000 years in Chinese culture. The
practices have now spread to Korea, japan, India and other
areas where significant Asian populations exist. Renewed
interest in traditional cures, particularly among the Asian
cultures, has accelerated consumption of tiger parts and
poaching to fill the demand for this trade has pushed three of
the remaining species of tiger close to extinction. Nearly every
part of the tiger has been reported to have healing properties by
Chinese medical practitioners and in Chinese folklore. Some of
the most prevalent claims are; tiger fat to treat leprosy and
rheumatism; tiger bone mixed in a salve to alleviate rheumatism
and fatigue; eyeballs as a treatment for epilepsy; tiger tail for
skin diseases; tiger bile as a treatment for convulsions in
children; tiger whiskers for tooth ache; the brain for fatigue and
pimples; Tiger bone appears to be an Asian cure-all when
ground into a powder, mixed with any number of herbal
additives and ingested orally. The consumption of tiger parts
also seen as a status symbol among Asian populations. Since
the international trade in tiger bone is illegal in all but a few
countries, the relatively large supply of tiger parts is presumed
to be the result of poaching causing the prices of the
contraband to skyrocket. It has been estimated that an entire
tiger, when being utilized in traditional medicines, is valued in
excess of $20,000 at the retail level.
Metaphysical Meanings…
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Deeper imagery is also associated with Tiger.
As the lion symbolizes the sun, so the tiger
symbolizes both the new and the full moon.
This symbolic connection is partially based
on tigers' habit of hunting at night and on
both the black and gold coloring of the
Bengal tiger and the moonlike hue of the
Siberian
In the lines, "Tyger, tyger, burning bright/In
the forests of the night," the poet, William
Blake, connects both of these ideas and
leads us to a deeper meaning for Tiger. Night
itself often symbolizes silence, a time of
drawing inward. In sleep, we detach from the
physical world and travel, through our
dreams closer to the essence of our eternal,
spiritual selves.
The tiger, a solitary, silent hunter who stalks,
rather than chases its prey, represents our
quest for the silent peace of the soul. It
symbolizes removing all distractions from
the mind and being purely focused on the
present moment.
Richard Parker
 “I beheld Richard Parker from the angle that showed him
off to greatest effect: from the back, half-raised, with his
head turned. The stance had something of a pose to it, as
if it were an intentional, even affected, display of mighty art.
And what art, what might. His presence was overwhelming,
yet equally evident was the lithesome grace of it. He was
incredibly muscular, yet his haunches were thin and his
glossy coat hung loosely on his frame. His body, bright
brownish orange streaked with black vertical stripes, was
incomparably beautiful, matched with a tailor’s eye for
harmony by his pure white chest and underside and the
black rings of his long tail…But when Richard Parker’s
amber eyes met mine, the stare was intense, cold and
unflinching, not flighty or friendly, and spoke of selfpossession on the point of exploding with rage.” (151)
Pi the Tiger
 “I was weeping because Richard Parker had left
me so unceremoniously…That bungled goodbye
hurts me to this day. I wish so much that I’d had
one last look at him in the lifeboat, that I’d
provoked him a little, so that I was on his mind. I
wish I had said to him then—yes, I know, to a tiger,
but still—I wish I had said, “Richard Parker, it’s
over. We have survived. Can you believe it? I owe
you more gratitude than I can express. I couldn’t
have done it without you. I would like to say it
formally: Richard Parker, thank you. Thank you for
saving my life.” (286)