Symbols

In Life of Pi and Slumdog Millionaire symbols have been represented with certain colours.

Life of Pi: The colour orange

In Life of Pi, the color orange symbolizes hope and survival. Just before the scene in which the Tsimtsum sinks, the narrator describes visiting the adult Pi at his home in Canada and meeting his family. Pi’s daughter, Usha, carries an orange cat. This moment assures the reader that the end of the story, if not happy, will not be a complete tragedy, since Pi is guaranteed to survive the catastrophe and father children of his own. The little orange cat recalls the big orange cat, Richard Parker, who helps Pi survive during his 227 days at sea. As the Tsimtsum sinks, Chinese crewmen give Pi a lifejacket with an orange whistle; on the boat, he finds an orange lifebuoy. The whistle, buoy, and tiger all help Pi survive, just as Orange Juice the orangutan provides a measure of emotional support that helps the boy maintain hope in the face of horrifiic tragedy.

The colour green:

The colur green is used in Life of Pi as green represents the colour of Islam and the tradition site of the tomb of Mohammed, was painted green.

Slumdog Millionaire: The colour yellow

In Slumdog Miliionaire the colour yellow is used to develop the deeper idea of destiny. The colour yellow symbolizes positivity and hope. Throughout the film the character of Latika is always seen wearing some element of clothing that is yellow. In the scene where she meets Jamal for the first time it is raining and she is standing in the rain alone. In this scene Latika is wearing a yellow top, symbolising the hope that Jamal will invite her into the safety of the shelter he is sharing with Salim. The yellow also symbolises the positivity in this moment where Jamal and Latika meet for the first time, this is their destiny. Another scene where Latika is wearing yellow is the scene where she is standing on the lower level platform at the train station looking for Jamal. Here Latika’s top is also yellow and although this is a very short scene and the audience only sees her for a brief moment. The colour yellow shows them the hope Latika has in finding Jamal and how she has stayed positive while she waited for him to find her.