? Yann Martel, the original author of this novel, said that the name comes from the novel The Story of Argo Pim by American mystery writer Allan Poe. In the novel, Richard Parker is a rebel sailor on a whaling ship. After the ship was killed in the storm, Richard Parker proposed to draw lots to decide who to sacrifice to save the lives of others. As a result, he was drawn and became food for the other three survivors.
? In addition, this name is also associated with several other recorded shipwrecks. At 1846, there was a victim named Richard Parker in a shipwreck. Richard Parker is also the name of a real 17-year-old hero in a shipwreck. The mignonette sank at 1884, and four crew members were trapped in the South Atlantic. In addition to the three crew members, there is a boy named Richard Parker, aged 17. During the drifting in the vast sea, three adult crew members lost their minds, killed Richard Parker and shared his meat, so they survived.
? These coincidences of Richard Parker have certain significance. In some English contexts, Richard Parker's "Richard Parker" is often associated with shipwreck, meaning shipwreck and cannibalism.