Zoos, a place most people have fond memories in from their childhoods whether that be a family trip or a school outing. Nowadays, people associate zoos with animal cruelty with arguments about keeping animals enslaved and caged get thrown around. In Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” the protagonist Pi argues in favor of zoos as I will. This essay will argue in favor of zoos using Pi’s personal experiences, his comparisons with religions and the illusion of freedom in the wild.
Firstly, Pi has his own experiences in a zoo that his father ran. He lived in the zoo for nearly seven years being “brought up in the company of animals.” Hearing this, we can imagine that he was happy in the animals’ company and with the mention that he was one of them, we can interpret that as the animals were treated similarly to him. As the zoo’s children in a way. While you can argue that not all zoos have the same treatment of animals, most popular zoos are known for treating their animals well. Keep the knowledge of how animals are treated for later.
Secondly, Pi compares zoos to religion. As someone who was brought up religious themselves, I can personally say, being in a religion is similar and depends on how Pi describes his own idea of a zoo. I, and many other religious people have probably thought of how “free” and “happy” life could be if we didn’t believe in a god. I’ve learnt that isn’t the case. Without a God to forgive you, you end up burdened. Without a God, you may have the same compulsions and necessities as Pi mentions wild animals to have. We may not be as free but being in a religion makes us able to believe in something in this harsh and hostile world.
Finally, the illusion of freedom. Pi talks about how “animals lead lives of compulsions and necessity within an unforgiving social hierarchy and an environment where the supply of fear is high and…” This statement he makes highlights the lack of freedom animals actually have. They live in fear of being eaten by a predator or even their own kind. He even asks the rhetorical question; “what is the meaning of freedom in this context?” This isn’t freedom. He continues on with saying that even if zoos aren’t free, they provide animals with safety—something that isn’t found in the wild. If neither choice is an option in the wild, isn’t it better to have one of those even if it isn’t your freedom.
Teacher’s Feedback & Annotations:
• Thesis Statement: “Excellent thesis statement!”
• Ethos: “Effective use of ethos :)”
• Connections: “Excellent connection!” (regarding the religion comparison).
• Argumentation: “Very well expressed!” and “Very well argued!”
• Overall Summary: “Mature arguments :)”
Writer’s Note:
This is actually not the full essay as I had gone over the word limit 🙁 Also, as you can see, I actually got a 49/50 on this essay and I am willing to take criticism and advice on how to improve it! 🙂
I just wanted to tell you this essays title is basically impossible to read from the blog post list.
But good essay!
Oops… 😅