I believe that a tiger was not the best companion Pi could have on the lifeboat with him. Tigers are not domesticated creatures, they are wild animals. Tigers were not bred to be tamed or trained, they are violent creatures who cannot control their actions. The director of the Nee Stork City Bronx Zoo says, “No matter how tame a tiger may appear, it is not tame. Dogs and cats have been bred for thousands of years to live with humans. This is not the case with tigers. They are wild animals. This explains why Pi had such a hard time trying to train Richard Parker while he was in the lifeboat. In chapter 92 of "The Life of Pi", Pi tries to train Richard Parker by using Richard Parker's seasickness against him as well as the sound of an orange whistle that Pi finds in the lifeboat. Pi uses both of these things to its advantage. To make the tiger respect and obey him, Pi whistled and also shook the lifeboat. The tiger then begins to realize that the seasickness he feels is linked to the sound of the whistle. This means that Pi was considered the dominant one. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay But it can also create tension between the “dominant” and the tiger. “People who play with tigers constantly assert their dominance over the animals, which can create negative reactions. That's why, Paquette says, it's surprising that Roy Horn and his partner Siegfried Fischbacher hadn't been attacked before. A tiger, especially if stressed, is a time bomb waiting to explode. This is true because in chapter 92, when Pi and Richard Parker were on the algae infested island, Richard Parker went full speed to try and attack Pi when he regained his strength. In chapter 92 it says: “It was Richard Parker and he was coming towards me at great speed. He looked determined. His powerful neck rose above his lowered head. His fur and muscles trembled with every step. I could hear the drumming of his heavy body against the ground. He also says: “I looked for the whistle. When he was twenty-five feet from the lifeboat. I whistled with all my might. A piercing scream split the air. These animals create this tension towards the “dominant” and this can cause dangerous attacks because tigers are not made to be tamed. Additionally, when Pi first attempts to tame the tiger, he struggles. He used turtle shells as a shield when trying to tame the tiger, but this provoked Richard Parker and Richard Parker repeatedly threw him over the side of the lifeboat. In chapter 72 it says: “Richard Parker made his point to me on four occasions. Four times he hit me with his right paw and sent me overboard, and four times he lost my shield. I was terrified before, during and after each attack, and spent a lot of time shivering in fear on the raft. He was provoked and threw Pi off the ship because he's not used to a dominant species since he's supposed to be a wild animal, which is why he wouldn't make a very good companion because anything can happen. If Pi was not protected by any shield, the animal could have attacked and seriously injured Pi, probably even killed him. A better option as Pi's companion instead of Richard Parker would have been a dog. I say this because dogs have been trained to be pets for thousands of years. In Lemonick, Mr. Never Trust A Tiger,..