Though I understand how the Ritz is supposed to represent the idealism and high-class living that we're all supposed to desire, the speaker can honestly compare that to animals living in a zoo. Yes, maybe living in a zoo does provide a more consistent shelter and food supply, but does that actually make it better?
Sure things aren't perfect in the wild, and being that none of us are animals, we can really know which environment they prefer, but that being set aside, the idea of free will still remains. People who check into fancy hotels like the Ritz can make a conscious and sovereign decision to do so... The same can't be said for the animals in the zoo.
Perhaps, the speaker is right that the environment provided by the zoo is somehow superior to that of the wild, again, until we determine how to communicate effectively with animals, we may never know the answer for sure, but the big idea that I'm highlighting here is the fact that he speaker is comparing one's purposeful decision for himself with a decision he's made for something, or someone else. As far as I can see, those two scenarios simply are incomparable.
That reminds of US history class when we read that the southers believed their slaves were relatively well treated, fed, clothed and happier than the "wage slaves" in the North. Yet Frederick Douglass put it nicely "Better even die free, than to live slaves." I believe animals must feel the same way. Freedom is valuable to any living being.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to people making the decision to be at the Ritz as opposed to the animals being trapped in the zoo, I think that while we have the choice of high-class and luxury things, we, as a society, are also kind of trapped by it -- We have this idea that those things are ideal and that those are the things we need to work for, and people push themselves and put so much pressure on themselves to obtain these things so that they aren't looked down upon. I think we forget that to have those things and to be a certain way is a choice. We act more along the lines of this being something that we must accomplish because if we don't, we've somehow failed.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the authors comparisons throughout this part of the book. I felt like he did a very good job of explaining Pi's view of the world through some overly simplified comparisons like the zoo being a Ritz Carlton for animals. These are definitely opinions and they're up for debate as far as their validity, but I think the point was to understand the way Pi sees things as a teenager who has grown up in a zoo.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with Andrew when he's says that he's is making these comparisons as a teenage boy. However, as you pointed out I agree that we as humans cannot make a comparison and speak on the animals behalf. We as humans have the choice of what hotel we would like to check into. Whether it be an luxurious Ritz Carlton or a Best Western. We as humans make the decision oh where we want to stay based on what suits us. Whereas animals are just put in a zoo regardless of their standard of living.
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