5 phenomena. The phenomena in the story has the same points which can be
compared with the mystical floating island. The metaphor in this study is related to the mystical floating island as one of the symbols in novel.
2. Symbol
According to Rohrberger and Woods 1971, the symbol by definition stands for something beyond itself and often for many things p. 16. Examples of
well-known symbols are green for the symbol of Islam and tree for the symbol of life. They are modern symbols well known to most people in the world today.
Symbols are clear and much less open to interpretation compared to the use of metaphors. In the Life of Pi the mystical floating island is both a symbol and a
metaphor. In this study, the symbol is chosen because the mystical floating island is a symbol in the story which is a metaphor of phenomena.
3. Mystical
Mysticism according to Caroline 2004 mysticism is a term so irresponsibly applied in English that it has become the first duty of those who use
it to explain what they mean by it. Based on the Merriam Webster Encyclopedic 2001, mysticism is a religious practice based on the belief that knowledge of
spiritual truth can be gained by praying or thinking deeply. Mysticism in this study is to explain what the mystical floating island refers to. Mystical floating
island is something which appears suddenly after Pi got massive catastrophe on the Pacific ocean. He is always praying to God and keep believing that God will
6 help him. Then the mystical floa
ting appears as one of the God‟s ways to save him.
4. Floating
Based on Merriam Webster Encyclopedic 2001, floating is defined as something which continually moving or changing position.
The word “floating” between the title of this study means that something floating on the island not
settled in a definite place. The mystical floating island in the story is told that it has no soil and it is floating on the ocean which means that it is floating and can
move to the other directions.
