Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:
Yann Martel's Life of Pi explores deep ideas concerning survival, faith, and how we construct the realities we tell ourselves. At its core, the story examines how people handle raw, natural struggles for survival, such as when Pi shares a lifeboat with the fearsome Richard Parker after their voyage goes horribly wrong. This experience shows Pi's split self—the sophisticated part of him and his raw survival instincts clashing while he fights to stay alive. Moreover, Martel questions what someone can believe during desperate times. Pi takes comfort by exploring three religions—Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam—to shield himself from hopelessness. In the end, though, Pi plays with the definition of truth. He ends up telling two entirely different versions of his tale and urges the reader to ponder which is more truthful. So, Martel asserts that we shape our truths based on the accounts we latch onto rather than on cold, hard facts. Such stories help us find purpose in our lives and make sense of everything that happens to us.
According to the passage, what does Richard Parker's presence on the lifeboat signify in Pi's internal struggle?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Explanation
Correct Answer: The conflict between Pi's refined side and his basic survival instincts.
Explanation
• The passage explicitly mentions that sharing the lifeboat with Richard Parker illustrates Pi's internal division: "This experience shows Pi's split self—the sophisticated part of him and his raw survival instincts clashing while he fights to stay alive."
• Here, "sophisticated part" directly corresponds to his refined side, and "raw survival instincts clashing" denotes the conflict between them.