Abstract: Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi is a science fiction about a young boy and a tiger survive together. The novel tells an Indian boy named Pi shares a lifeboat with an adult Bengal tiger for 227 days in the spacious Pacific Ocean; they established a harmonious relationship during the drift, and finally conquered difficulties together and back to their own life. Based on the ecological thinking, this paper analyzes the tiger’s dual personality with “humanity” and “wildness” , and the process of Pi’s self-realization while getting along with animals and the nature from the following three aspects: biocentric equality, the dual personality of the tiger and the self-realization of Pi. It shows that this novel attempts to construct a new interactive mode of humans and animals, namely the “symbiosis” model, which has a great inspiring meaning for us to reconsider the relationship between humans and animals, human and nature.

Key words: deep ecology; biocentric equality; self-realization; symbiosis

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

1.Introduction.1

1.1Brief Introduction to Yann Martel and Life of Pi.1

1.2Studies at Home and Abroad2

1.3Purpose of the Study.5

2.  Theoretical Foundation.5

  2.1 Introduction to Deep Ecology6

  2.2 The Two Norms of Deep Ecology7

2.2.1 Biocentric Equality.8

2.2.2 Self-realization.8

3.  Deep Ecology Analysis of the Main Characters9

  3.1 Pi’s Biocentric Equality Thinking10

    3.1.1 Harmony with Animals.10

    3.1.2 Harmony with Nature11

  3.2 Duality of Tiger’s Personality12

    3.2.1 The Reflection on Tiger’s Humanity.13

    3.2.2 The Reflection on Tiger’s Wildness14

    3.2.3 The Game between Humanity and Wildness.15

  3.3 Pi’s Self-Realization in Game.15

    3.3.1 The Process of Identification16

    3.3.2 Becoming Ecological Self16

    3.3.3 The Symbiosis between humans and animals17

    3.3.4 The Significance of Self-Realization17

4.  Conclusion18

References19