The diction and syntax used by Yann Martel in The Life of Pi leads the reader to draw a conclusion of a white collar worker who seems miserable and restricted within the confines of his life. Martel sketches a depressed and restricted office worker through his use of formal diction. Martel chooses to use words such as “nothing” (Martel), “inverted” (Martel), “nonetheless” (Martel), and “working life” (Martel) rather than its more forthright and simple counterparts. By turning to more formal word choices, Martel gives off a sophisticated, but restricted and stilted style specific to both the passage and the original dark feelings. Due to the wording, the diction helps illustrate a very confined atmosphere, generating the feeling of a depressed…
