Richard Parker

While reading ‘Taking the future as read’ [ FT415:40-44], I was particularly interested in the stories of two Richard Parkers who were the victims of cannibalism – either in fictional or real-life shipwrecks. Another manifestation of Richard Parker is in Yann Martel’s book Life of Pi, in which he is characterised as a tiger and part of the narrator’s psyche. However, in this story, Richard Parker gets to survive. Was Martel inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and the story of the Mignonette? Perhaps he wanted to give poor old Richard a break from being a sailor’s dinner while leaving a lovely Easter egg for the Poe fans.

Elly Reiszner

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