How a Fantastic Novel Constructs the Enemy Figure. The Untamed Other and the Role of Fantasy in Life of Pi
How a Fantastic Novel Constructs the Enemy Figure. The Untamed Other and the Role of Fantasy in Life of Pi

Summary/Abstract: This study seeks to bring out the aesthetic means of constructing the enemy/foe figure in the fantasy novel entitled Life of Pi by the Canadian author Yann Martel, published in 2001 and screened in 2012 by director Ang Lee. The main focus is on the literary, fantastic, configuration of the Bengali tiger, Richard Parker, a fictional character often minimised by literary criticism with reference to its cultural meanings. We posit that even though Life of Pi is a postmodern novel, the way in which the author constructs the character contrasts with contemporary postmodern paradigm through which the Other is fully interpreted as a positive value. Our perspective will be based on different methodological instruments, combining diverse fields like literary critique, cultural studies or social anthropology.

• Details
• Contents