Fantasy tales helped us believe in faith, and made us hope for the better, but often times, the stories our mothers used to tell have lost its meaning, leaving us harmed and affected in the real world.

These roles of fantasy in human existence have been present throughout the book, Life of Pi and the movie, Big Fish in many ways. It has been the source of determination, helping the characters shed some darkness in their lives. However, fantasy has also hurt their characters and the people around them, because even though fantasy can bring faith and hope in people’s lives, it can also push us away from reality, making us unaware of the truth.

In Life of Pi, the role of fantasy is evident in the story during Pi’s great adventure. It is still questionable whether Pi’s story is real, but as he foretells another version of his story to Mr. Chiba and Okimoto, we learn that his journey might have been a fantasy after all. If this was the case, fantasy has helped Pi survive his high adventure, as it gave him something to believe in. The story with animals made Pi’s adventure less traumatic, helping him overcome death’s door. During his travel across the Pacific Ocean, Pi might have put aside the reality so that he would be able to overcome the unordinary.

Fantasy was especially present in the story when Pi heard Richard Parker’s voice and started talking to the animal. This is significant because it helped him overcome the feeling of fatal weakness in him, giving him strength to live. In his fantasy-like conversation with Richard Parker, we see his determination to keep going when he said,

“Once upon a time there was a banana and it grew. It grew until it was large, firm, yellow and fragrant. Then it fell to the ground and someone came upon it and ate it.” (Life of Pi, pg. 251)

However, fantasy has also harmed Pi when he finally landed into the “real world.” When he reached Mexico, we see how Mr. Chiba and Okimoto struggle to believe Pi’s story. This has hurt Pi because in his heart, he believes that it was real and the reason why he survived was because of his fantasy tale. Nevertheless, in the end, we see how the characters all preferred fantasy over reality. This point is particularly important in the story, as it shows how society always wants to separate fact from fiction. Most people prefer the better version that hides the existence of darkness and evil, because often times, it is fiction that makes us believe and find faith.

In the movie, Big Fish, we also see the role of fantasy coming into play, as Edward Bloom tell-tales about his life, full of giants, blizzards and witches. His stories gave people hope about the journey of life, using allegories to describe his defeats and failings. Although Bloom’s story has made a big impact in almost everyone’s lives, his son, Edward, slowly drifted away, as he believed that his father’s stories were all lies. Edward grew up believing his father’s tales, but realizes that such stories cannot be told to a grown man anymore.

Because of that, he had become distant, believing that he could no longer trust his father. But as Edward uncovers the real story behind the tales, he had come into realization that his father was just trying to protect him. He learns that the tales are real after all, which helps build a strong bond between father and son.

After analyzing both the book, Life of Pi and the movie, Big Fish, fantasy clearly plays a significant role in human existence. In reality, fantasy is still a determining factor of our faith. Even though we do not often believe in what we see, somehow, it still affects us in both helpful and harmful ways. Fantasy tales often take away the truth and the real facts, but at the same time, it is our on-going source of hope and determination, giving us a greater belief in the unordinary.