Throughout the ages, authors have dedicated themselves to trying to find a literary formula that would transport readers to another dimension and fully immerse them in the world they created. In this world, through trials and triumph, heartbreak and success, adversity and success, a story unfolds. Symbols and images are carefully integrated into the text to enrich themes that the author believes will enlighten his audience. Yann Martel makes a memorable contribution to this pool of authors in his novel The Life of Pi. Martel uses very descriptive images such as scenes on the lifeboat, the cannibal island and in Pi's house, associated with a exceptional symbolism through the animals depicted in the novel, the color orange and even the name Pi to support the themes of fear, anthropomorphism, suffering, survival, hope and vulnerability. Yann Martel uses a hyena as a symbol of evil and violence to support themes of fear and survival. The hyena is described by Pi as "ugly beyond redemption" (145) and has a personality that matches her appearance. A hyena is just as likely to eat its own kind as any other animal when hunger sets in: “Hyenas attack in packs any animal that can be killed” (145). With this knowledge of hyenas, Pi's fear for his own survival grows (147). Martel describes the hyenas as brutal, thoughtless and purely animal, giving them none of the human qualities that he shows on behalf of the other animals in the text, thus showing that it is an animal to be afraid of. While Pi and the zebra fear for their lives, the hyena does everything she can to survive, bringing out these two essential themes in The Life of Pi. Conversely, Yann Martel uses a zebra to illustrate beauty, vulnerability... middle of paper ......ful using a plethora of symbols and images to support the main themes of his novel Life of Pi. Using animals, places, colors and names not only to act as symbols in the novel, but also to create colorful images of the themes, Martel is able to effectively convey the themes of fear, anthropomorphism, suffering, survival, hope and vulnerability. . Martel is able to weave symbols together to create powerful images such as the scene on the lifeboat with the hyena eating the zebra, the symbols evoked by the color orange, the scene on the cannibal island and Pi's own name . Yann Martel proves to be a breathtaking author and storyteller. Works cited Martel, Yann. The Life of Pi. Canada: Random House of Canada, 2001 Dickinson, Emily. “After great pain, a formal feeling comes.” Unknown. 1890Hopkins, Gérard. “The greatness of God”. Unknown. 1877