Essay and feedback

I strongly disagree with the statement, as I believe that the writer has presented the hyena as a primitive animal that are dangerous. The onomatopoeia used by the writer to describe the sound of the hyena, “yip yip yip yip”, suggests that the hyena is really primitive, as the sound “yip” creates an imagery of a harsh or beast-like noise similar to what they might use when they want something. The loud “yip”, odd as it is, suggests they are impatient, ready to make noise — perhaps they are starving or wanting to attack or prey on Pi, causing threat to Pi. Furthermore, the writer uses repetition of “yip” in the same sentence, emphasising they are really desperate or excited for something, vigorously. They could be really aggressive if they have a chance to achieve their goal, such as hunting down a prey — perhaps the aggression from the hyena could cause physical harm on Pi, reinforcing how the hyenas can do serious damage if Pi is being targeted as their prey.

I also strongly disagree with the statement, as I believe the writer has presented the hyena as a threat to Pi not only physically, but a threat to his life and safety. The writer describes the hyena’s eyes as “bright and black.” The use of plosive sound created by the writer could suggest the aggressive nature of the hyenas. This elevates the level of danger as the stare from the hyena was not only normal stare, but the fear of death, suggested by the aggressive tone. Furthermore, the plosive sound could also create a set of violent auditory imagery in the reader’s mind, hinting the brutal consequence of what could the hyenas do to Pi if they decided to attack him. This imagery of violence can perhaps elicit fear from reader for Pi, as he could soon be dismembered and destroyed, dehumanised by the very hyenas. The phrase “black” could also be emblematic for death, as darker colours and black are colours often seen or used in funerals, enhancing the idea that the hyena is really powerful, that the eyes and stare of them already giving a threat of death. In compound, this shows that the hyena not only uses threat physically, but could also result in brutal consequences and death upon Pi, reinforcing they are causing a degree of threat to Pi.

I also strongly disagree with the statement, as the writer emphasises the threat of the hyena through the reaction of Pi. The writer employs a simple short sentence “for waiting,” this short simple sentence evokes a sense of hopelessness, revealing that Pi is haunted by the belief that he may die, that he may get hurt down by hyenas and die, suggesting the fear is extremely overwhelming which makes him become wordless and cannot express his feelings. Alternatively, the short sentence can also reveal his psychological turmoil he experiences as he have become completely hopeless that nothing can save him, so he have decided to give up. The simple sentence can suggest the lack of motive to fight for his life, as he already gave up on trying to fight for his life, reinforcing how the hyenas is so powerful that Pi have not only being threat physically, but also affect psychologically and give up.