As an expert in literature and popular culture, I can provide you with a comprehensive answer regarding the character Richard Parker.
Richard Parker is a name associated with two significant narratives in literature and film. The first and most well-known is the character from Yann Martel's 2001 novel "Life of Pi," which was later adapted into a critically acclaimed film directed by Ang Lee in 2012. In the story, Richard Parker is a Bengal tiger who survives a shipwreck along with the protagonist, Pi Patel. The tiger is named after a real-life survivor of a shipwreck in the 19th century, who shared a lifeboat with a man named Richard Parker.
The second reference to Richard Parker is a bit more obscure and is related to maritime law. There is a famous case in English common law known as the case of R v Dudley and Stephens, which took place in 1884. In this case, Richard Parker was a sailor who was cannibalized by his fellow crew members when they were stranded at sea without food. This case is often cited in discussions of survival ethics and the legal principles surrounding extreme emergency situations.
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