「少年Pi 的奇幻漂流」之隱喻解讀

A Metaphorical Reading of Life of Pi

「少年Pi的奇幻漂流」是Yann Martel於2002年所寫的奇幻小說，內容敘述16歲的印度少年Pi，遭遇船難後和老虎一起在救生艇上漂流227天獲救的故事。本論文旨在以寓言的角度探討此小說，並引用坎伯的神話理論來闡明此小說暗喻生命的痛苦和救贖。Pi是每一個人的原型，他的旅程是我們每個人的生命之旅，如同神話英雄人物，在經歷啟程及回歸的過程後，改變原有的認知。本研究內容分三部分。第一部分闡釋示海洋的寓意，第二部分探討老虎的複雜角色，第三部分解析神祕小島的意義。大海意指生命之存在受到限制與繫縛不能自主。老虎代表恐懼，是邪惡及神秘的力量。小島是誘惑及慾望之象徵。生命之海永不平靜，充滿恐懼及欲望的危機。一旦通過這些試煉，即可到達安全的彼岸。此小說不只是引人入勝的冒險故事而已，它是人生困境及潛能的寓言。在當下以科學客觀性為主流論述的現代社會中，這部小說提供了另類的真理讓我們深思並遵循。

Life of Pi is a fantasy adventure novel written by Yann Martel in 2002. It depicts how a 16-year-old Indian boy survives a shipwreck by drifting on the lifeboat with a Bengal tiger for 227 days. The purpose of this paper is to explore the metaphorical meanings of this book by appropriating Joseph Campbell's mythic theory. Interpreted from this perspective, Life of Pi is a metaphor of life imbued with suffering and redemption. Pi is an archetypal person within us. His journey, like that of the mythological hero, involves a leaving and returning with a transformation of consciousness. The contents of this paper consist mainly of three parts, corresponding to the three metaphorical components of this story—the sea, tiger and island. The sea on which Pi drifts symbolizes the universal human condition of limitation and unpredictability. The tiger functions as an overwhelming power of evil and mystery. The island signifies temptation and desire for material comforts. The sea of life is never smooth and peaceful but full of the perils of fear and desire. Once passing the trials, one reaches the land of safety. Life of Pi is an allegory of human predicament and potentialities instead of a mere intriguing survival story. While scientific objectivism has become the dominant discourse in today's world, this novel offers a different kind of truth for us to ponder and follow.