Life Of Pi Questions

Part 1: Toronto & Pondicherry – Chapters 1-361). Pondicherry was the birth place of Pi the protagonist of the story. It was during Pi’s time in Pondicherry that he has suffered intensely and found comfort in religion and zoology; which proves to be the basis of the stories plot. With this in mind, he was raised in a time where there were many political problems arising which leads to Pi’s family leaving the country to Canada. This town is an appropriate choice for Pi’s upbringing as it is part of French India which contributes to his name, and way of life.

2). Early in the novel, we discover that the narrator majored in religious studies and zoology, with particular interests in a “sixteenth-century Kabbalist and the admirable three-toed sloth”. In subsequent chapters, he explains the ways in which religions and zoos are both steeped in illusion. Having the reader know he has researched these areas allows us to understand the story from a factual point of view while he entices his audience with his story telling abilities, going back to the difference between the “dry yeastless factuality”, to the “better story” where reason crosses with imagination.

3). Early in the novel, we discover that the narrator majored in religious studies and zoology, with particular interests in a “sixteenth-century Kabbalist and the admirable three-toed sloth”. In subsequent chapters, he explains the ways in which religions and zoos are both steeped in illusion. Having the reader know he has researched these areas allows us to understand the story from a factual point of view while he entices his audience with his story telling abilities, going back to the difference between the “dry yeastless factuality”, to the “better story” where reason crosses with imagination.

4) I agree with Pi’s beliefs that animals enjoy being in a zoo. I believe that in a zoo you are given everything you need without having to work for it. For example, the carnivores have there meat fed to them they do not have to hunt and are not at risk of starving due to lack of basic necessities. Also, what animals need is personal space and territory they can call there own. With this in mind, a zoo gives these animals there space enclosed from all other animals who would threaten that. Pi states that, “Animals in the wild lead lives of compulsion and necessity within an unforgiving social hierarchy in an environment where the supply of fear is high and the supply of food low and where territory must constantly be defended and parasites forever endured” (Martell 16). Cleary demonstrating the luxury zoo animals endure and for these reasons are why I agree with Pi’s beliefs that animals enjoy being at the zoo.

5).Pi is named after a swimming pool, which is symbolic of water, further symbolizing the sacrament of baptism. Baptism the washing away of sin and the welcoming of a new identity, and the beginning of a new journey; ironic how the whole story is based around one man journey. Also, Pi = 3.14 an irrational number that is never ending and is not a defined number may symbolize the events of the novel, it is clear to the reader that some questions will go unanswered and can not be rationalized; examples of this are the fact Pi believes in 3 religions. Also, in his journey he was stuck at sea with no end in sight and Pie (3.14) measures the center of a circle.

6). A religious believer could argue it was Mr. Kumars medicine that saved him because God is a sign of faith and without faith you lack the key ingredient needed to overcomeillness. Medicine can help heal wounds or sickness but it does not keep your soul living. Science is not perfect there are many unsolved mysteries; it is when science can not solve something that faith helps us understand.

7). The Biology teacher did not believe in God he was agnostic. While the baker was a Muslim mentor and preached about God and religion. With this in mind, Mr. Kumar the Biology teacher represents the scientology perspective where he will look to prove how something was down scientifically, while Mr. Kumar the baker will look at things from a religious perspective. In the book it talks about the difference between a person with faith and a person without. When Pi states that, “the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, “Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,” and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story”. Spoken by Pi, this quotation-[chapter 22] in its entirety emphasizes the important distinction between facts and imagination, the background of the entire novel. This was used to show the distinct division between people with faith and people without, linking faithless people as “dry yeastless factuality”, and people with faith being able to see “the better story”.

8). Mr. Patel uses his zoo-keeping abilities and knowledge of animal behavior to demonstrate to Ravi and Pi what dangers there are within a zoo by starving a tiger for three days and feeding it a live goat, which it then tears to shreds. He shows his children that things are not as they seem, in this case, something cute and cuddly being ferocious and life threatening. The feminist theory can be applied because the tiger was given all male attributes and not one female attribute. Also, it was the male [father’s] job to teach the children harsh lessons, where as the mother comes to their aid and comforts them.

9). The super alpha male is one who is dominant, the top of the chain in this case the trainer. The beta male does not have as much respect and is at a lower social hierarchy for example, “When two creatures meet, the one that is able to intimidate its opponent is recognized as socially superior… an encounter in some circumstances may be enough,”(Martell,44). In these encounters, a trainer entering into a ring of lions, it is immediately established that the trainer is the super alpha male. This is important to a lion trainer so that he can establish that he is in command and has full power over the lions, and so that the lions themselves would listen to his demands.

10). Pi’s assertion was his way of proving a point. Since his father was atheist he had to let him know that he was a strong believer in religion and states the importance in his view I agree with Pi because we do not know of a religion unless we are introduced to one; for Catholics the first encounter would be Baptism and from there on we have 7 more sacraments in which you are choosing yo be catholic and that religion Is not chosen for you. When Pi states, “Become loyal to these sense impressions even before we knew what they meant or what they were for,” (Martell, 47). This is saying that you do not choose what religion you believe in, but you choose if you want to believe in it. I do think that Pi’s piousness is a response to his father’s atheism; I think the fact that he went out in pursue of finding faith was because he recognized his family truly lacked that aspect. It was than he found a love for religion, and his deep faith in God.

11).Pi was Hindu and it was first introduced to him when his Auntie Rohini took him to Madurai to the temple where he went through his first Hindu rite of passage, the samskara.

12).Pi finds Christianity compelling mostly because the basis of the religion was love and although it seemed to be a violent religion the act of forgiveness was so apparent that the son of God would be sacrificed for his peoples’ sins. When he states, “The more He bothered me, the less I could forget Him. And the more I learned about Him, the less I wanted to leave Him,” (Martell, 57). Shows why he felt Christianity was so compelling. Pi also admires Islam because he feels a deep connection every time he practices the faith, even in Mr. Satish Kumar’s home, which he describes as a hovel, “no mosque, church or temple ever felt so sacred to me,”(Martell, 62).

13).On Pi’s fourth day in Munnar he came upon a Christian Church sitting. Standing outside he looked inside the church. At around the same time the next day he entered the church once again to be greeted by Father Martin who told him about Jesus and his crucifixion. Pi originally felt this was absurd but slowly came to terms as to why this was done as he learned more about the religion as days passed.

14).When Pi stated, “possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain and to the very end lack imagination and miss the better story,” Pi was referring to agnostic people who do not believe in God. He was stating that when these people see the white light on there death bed they would say it was due to a lack of oxygen as opposed to the white light to heaven. He states there inability to use there imagination and take a leap of faith is there downfall as they are unable to see the better story.

15). Believing in three religions is impossible in many aspects. Although Pi points out that there are certain similarities between the 3 religions he fails to mention the differences. For example, how can you believe in a religion that believes in reincarnation, while at that same time believe in a religion that believes when we die we go to heaven? Thus demonstrating why we cannot believe in several religions at once.

16). When Pi states his view of the religions for the first time he describes it with colours. He relates Christianity to white. White is a suitable selection because it can symbolize important aspect stressed within Christianity; examples are good vs. evil, love, etc.

17). Pi tried to save Richard Parker because it is a natural human instinct to reach out and help something or someone in need, Pi tried to save Richard Parker because The presence of Richard Parker, though initially terrifying, eventually soothes him and saves him from complete loneliness. Moreover, the necessity of training and taking care of Richard Parker fills up Pi’s long, empty days [staying busy helps time pass].

18). When Pi states that Ravi was right. Truly I was to be the next goat” you know Richard parker is a Tiger. It goes back to when Pi was shown the tiger eating a goat as a lesson of how dangerous the “cute tiger” can be. This fear is instilled when Ravi says, “Just wait till we’re alone. You’re the next goat!”(39). Foreshadowing future events while informing the reader they are talking about a tiger.

19).The ship was at sea for 4 days before it sank. Leading up the ships “death” it all happened very fast. Pi is sleeping when a loud noise, perhaps an explosion, wakes him. He tries to wake Ravi so they can see what happened, but Ravi stays asleep. Pi passes his parents’ cabin door and climbs up to the main deck, where he sees that it is raining. The boat is listing considerably to one side and making awful groaning noises; Pi begins to feel afraid. He tries to run back down to the level of the ship where his family is, but the stairwell is full of water. Pi goes back up to the main deck, where he hears animals shrieking. Three Chinese crewmen put a life jacket on him and throw him over the side of the ship. He falls forty feet through the air before landing on a tarpaulin partially covering a lifeboat hanging from the ship’s side. A Grant’s zebra jumps into the lifeboat after him, smashing down onto a bench. The lifeboat falls into the water.

20). Pi returns to the life boat when he sees that there was a shark in the ocean. Although he knows danger lies within the boat the site of a shark left him with no choice but to flea from the water where his flesh was exposed. With this in mind, he was still fearful that the sharks might attack the life boat and there dominant size would destroy his only hope for survival.

21). When the Hyena eats the leg of the zebra the reader now knows that the life boat is not a safe place to be. Once the animals are against each other it raises the tension and leaves the reader wondering how much longer will Pi remain safe? How many animals will survive this catastrophe? … These questions are what keeps the reader interested in the climax of this story and entices them to want to read on.

22. A hyena is an extremely disgusting creature; “It’s thick neck and high shoulders that slope to the hindquarters look as if they’ve come from a discarded prototype for the giraffe and its shaggy coarse coat seems to have been patched together from the leftovers of creation. The colour is a bungled mix of tan, black, yellow, grey, with the spots having none of the classy ostentation of a leopard’s rosettes; they look rather like the symptoms of a skin disease, a virulent form of mange. The head is broad and too massive, with a high forehead, like that of a bear, but suffering from a receding hairline, and with ears that look ridiculously mouse-like, large and round… the mouth is forever open and panting” (Martell 115,116). Hyenas will also drink from the water they’ve urinated in and also use their urine to take “mud baths”. They also snack on automobiles and the excrement of other animals. Pi makes it clear that the Hyena is a disgusting creature which is clear foreshadowing that at some point the hyena will do something in the novel to match the description so brutally explained by Yann Martell.

23). Chapter 45 begins with Pi searching for hope by eagerly scanning the horizon for ships or anyone who could possibly rescue him. He spent his time looking out at the sea for any sign of human life that would be able to save him from his predicament being stranded at sea and now knowing how much time he has.

24). Pi realized that the hyena attacked the zebra and had bitten off its broken leg. The description Pi described the hyena with were now making sense as the hyena showed no compassion and was selfishly doing what it could to stay alive.

25). Martel ensures that there is tension inside and outside of the lifeboat because Pi is both scared of Richard Parker inside of the boat and the potential danger that lay beneath the life boat. Pi fears Richard Parker and builds his life raft to keep away from him. However he then has the added tension of making sure he stays tethered to the lifeboat, checking knots and ropes constantly. Also, he has to be on the lookout for sharks and other fish swimming around him. Pi best explains this when he states that “I felt like a prisoner being pushed off a plank by pirates” (Martell, 154) showing that Pi was feeling the tension being on the boat as well as coming off of it. Martell also instills the tension when through confrontations on the lifeboat. At this point it is apparent to the reader that this journey was not going to go smoothly and you begin to fear for Pi’s life as when a crisis such as being stranded in the middle of the ocean with limited supplies confronts you, animal instincts overtake logic.

26). Orange Juice previously disgusted by the actions of the Hyena began to defend herself and roared at the hyena; although the hyena was startled it continued to advance on Orange Juice while roaring at her. After roaring at each other they finally ended turning away from each other and backing away. Although nothing came out of the first meeting on their second meeting the hyena lunged at Orange Juice, and in defense she thumped it on the head. However the hyena got up immediately to bite at her throat as the Hyena began to take control and destroy Orange juice all while Pi was stranded in his lifeboat without enough energy to do anything about it27).Richard Parker became the tigers name due to an error. A professional hunter was hired to capture a predator that was terrorizing a city in Bangladesh. The hunter caught a tiger and cub together, the cub whom he named Thirsty. However, the shipping clerk at became slightly confused and sent papers stating the cub’s name was Richard Parker and Pi’s father decided to keep this name for the tiger.

28).The life boat was three and a half feet deep, twenty six feet long, and eight feet wide; it could accommodates a maximum of thirty two people, contained a tarpaulin used to cover the boat, and benches across the boat.

29).Pi says that his feelings can be imagined, but not described. Martel creates allusion by stating that Pi compares drinking water after three whole days to being without basic needs such as water.

30).The five items I would choose in order of highest rank are the cartons of emergency rations for immediate food, the solar stills to make my own water, the fishing kits with hooks, the large hunting knife to kill and/or gut the fish, lines and sinkers for gathering food and the first aid kit in case of accidental injury; otherwise the safety kit becomes of little importance in this situation.

31).Pi did not give up because he survived for so many days and had beat the odds and would keep doing just that and make it all the way through. Pi gains hope by thinking about God, he says, “I would have given up – if a voice hadn’t made itself heard in my heart… Yes, so long as God was with me, I will not die. Amen,” (Martell, 148).

32).Pi decided to build a canopy. Its purpose was shielding him from the sun or rain for because it would both “exhaust his body and his mind”. This canopy was made of blankets, ropes, and the buoyant life jacket.

33). Pi uses Plan number six to rid himself of Richard Parke. This was where he decided that he had enough food and water to outlive Richard Parker, and he would wait until the tiger wasted away. However, Pi then realizes that if need be Richard Parker had the ability to swim and drink salt water when he was thirsty and the food supplies were on that lifeboat with Richard Parker. These were the critical flaws in Pi’s plan.

34).In Pi’s opinion life’s only true opponent is fear. According to Pi fear is what causes irrational decisions and abandon all hope and trust and submit to defeat by fear. When Pi says, “Only fear can defeat life; fear shows no mercy… It goes for your weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease,” (Martell, 161).

35). In Pi’s opinion, a person who is fearful will fall apart when instead they need to keep calm. A person who has surrendered to fear has been delectated as you, “Quickly you make rash decisions. You dismiss your last allies: hope and trust. There, you’ve defeated yourself. Fear, which is but an impression, has triumphed over you,” (Martell, 162). Pi makes it clear that in order for him to survive he could not live in constant fear.

36).The name of the sound Richard Parker made was Prusten. It means that Richard Parker meant no harm and was willing to negotiate with Pi and would not attack.

37). “A solar still is a device to produce fresh water from salt water.

38). In chapter 60, Pi demonstrates his faith when he loses the belief in his ability to live during the night, yet gains it back in the morning, ironically after reciting Muslim prayers and rituals.

39).Pi meant that in life and death situations your level of priorities no longer remain the same, as the situation becomes worse surviving becomes the number one priority. When your survival needs are not met then you change as a person doing anything in your power to help you stay alive, which will bring out the animal characterizes in someone even if that means the need to kill animals, eat meat when you’re a vegetarian, etc.

40). Mother Nature has made things difficult for Pi in a variety of ways. Pi is being rocked against the current instead of with it, making them horribly seasick. Also, fishing for food Pi sometimes isn’t able to catch food for days, and when this happens with no regularity in his eating habits staying healthily is virtually impossible41).The reader can see that Pi has become more like a animalistic cave man through some of the things he mentions about how he has changed, one example would be: “You may be astonished that in such a short period of time I could go from weeping over the muffled killing of a flying fish to gleefully bludgeoning to death a dorado…But in point of fact the explanation lies elsewhere. It is simple and brutal: a person can get used to anything, even to killing,” (Martell, 185). Also, addition to this another example is when Pi tried to eat Richard Parker’s feces and he states, “I will be considered to have abandoned the last vestiges of humanness…” (Martell, 214). Also, the fact he goes from not being able to eat meat to killing fish by jabbing them in the eyes demonstares how drastically Pi has changed.

42). Chapter 68 is when Pi says that he rested most of the time however he never had slept for an hour or more, because of the “apprehension and anxiety he was feeling”. However, Richard Parker, he states, became a good sleeper and would sleep for long periods of time.

43). Pi attempts to control Richard Parker through nine steps. First he chose a day when the waves were small but regular. Second, he anchored his boat to make it as stable as possible. Third, he provokes Richard Parker, but in the slightest way. Fourth he provoked a border intrusion. Fifth, when Richard Parker trespasses on Pi’s territory, Pi shows that he is extremely mad and starts blowing his whistle and trips the sea anchor in order to rock the boat. Sixth, Pi blows the whistle continuously to show the animal who is in charge. Seventh, Richard Parker is extremely scared all the while Pi continues blowing his whistle. Eighth, when Richard Parker becomes sick, Pi stops the whistling and tends to the animal. And lastly, Pi must repeat this treatment until the animal is able to associate that the blowing of the whistle is not a good thing, and when it hears the whistle the animal will retreat back to its territory as a sign of being trained.

44). Pi sang to his mother because he became aware it was his mothers’ birthday and although he was sure his family was physically gone he was still emotionally connected to them.

45).Pi’s form of psychological bullying occurred whenever Richard Parker would do something wrong; he received a long glare and be bombarded by the whistle of Pi. This was done to further establish who is the super alpha male, (going back to question 9). Had Pi failed to do this he would become the beta male and Richard Parker would have full control of what took place on that lifeboat.

46). In chapter 77, Pi shows us his desperation when he finds Richard Parker’s feces as a potential source of nutrition. It is when Pi realizes there are no nutrients in what he’s eating that he spits it out, but not because of the taste, he states, “When I couldn’t stand the wait any longer, I popped the ball into my mouth…The taste was acrid, but it wasn’t that. It was rather my mouth’s conclusion, immediate and obvious: there’s nothing to be had here. It was truly waste matter, with no nutrients in it,” (214). Looking back you begin to see the transition in Pi’s behavior as his life was being pushed further and further passed necessity.

47). I find this statement ironic because so far along this journey, Pi has been scared for his life, his only objective was to survive and his biggest obstacle was Richard Parker. Pi goes as far as to devise 6 plans to kill o Richard Parker. However, now for the first time in the novel, he has a change of heart and says, “I love you!” to Richard Parker.

48). The first five entries of Pi’s journal compared to the last three, you slowly see a man losing all hope for survival and his entries which were once very descriptive, slowly become bare facts where the bright spot is no where to be seen. The first five entries Pi takes the time to describe his surroundings and the weather; however it is visible by his writing when he loses hope and the will to live in the last three entries where they lack any sort of detail and/or devised plan/tactics of how to continue surviving.

49). In chapter 90, at first Pi thinks that he’s going crazy and he is talking to some voice in his own head. After a while he realizes that he’s talking to Richard Parker because the voice in his head is nothing like himself, but the complete opposite. However, he then comes to the realization that the person he’s talking to is French and that could not be Richard Parker, it had to be some one else at sea.

50). Another human unexpectedly arrived at Pi’s lifeboat. Pi discovers that the man is French and that he has consumed two humans in his life because of the need for surviva”. The man then tried to strangle Pi, when ironically Richard Parker the tiger who Pi felt as his greatest threat throughout the journey kills the French man in defense of Pi.

51).The disturbing information that Pi reveals was that he himself took small bites of the man because of his extreme need for food, Pi states, “I will further confess that, driven by the extremity of my need and madness to which it pushed me, I ate some of his flesh. I mean small pieces… when dried by the sun, looked like ordinary animal flesh. They slipped into my mouth nearly unnoticed. You must understand, my suffering was unremitting and he was already dead. I stopped as soon as I caught a fish,” (Martell,256). If ever an example Pi’s animal instinct were exemplified in within this as the vegetarian has now become a cannibal.

52). I believe that this island is an allusion. When you look closely as to what it can represent it resembles the story of Adam and Eve. In paradise with only one fruit tree, and when Pi picks a “fruit” from that tree he is punished as he finds the teeth and was now afraid of the consequences.

53). Pi would join the many meerkats that invested the island and would go as far as to join them in there daily activities while Richard Parker stayed in the life boat occasionally feasting on the meerkats when hungry.

54). Pi found a perfect set of teeth inside what at first seemed like “fruit”. He then decided that the island itself was a threat, that it was carnivorous in its ways. He believed the acidity levels would eventually consume him in his sleep if he did not flee the island.

55). In chapter 93, Pi turned to God in his moment of anguish, when Pi states, “It was natural that bereft and desperate as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God,” (Martell, 284). It becomes apparent if Pi was to survive faith would have to take over.

56). Pi was found by 2 men in Mexico (an increeible distance as he traveled across the entire ocean in a life boat!). Richard Parker left Pi, without even acknowledging Pi, and ran off into the jungle alone. Pi was extremely hurt by Richard Parker’s actions and was upset that he never had the chance to say a final goodbye.

Part 3: Benito Juárez Infirmary, Tomatlán, Mexico – Chapters 95-10057). If I were one of the two men, I also would not believe Pi’s story, because it is too far fetched to give any real consideration to. Also, with not one piece of evidence found on the boat it would be apparent that he is not telling his story in a literal factual form and is basically telling a story.

58). Pi proves that he is telling the truth when he re-tells his story for a second time this time second story replacing the animals with humans, showing the two men that he was using metaphors to describe what took place.

59). I prefer the story with animals because even though the real story is based upon facts and is written to the point, It would be more disgusting to follow along and it’s harder to understand the fact that humans can be so harsh when it comes to life and death situations. Generally a reader can only understand what he or she can visualize and the use of animals allows the material to be grasped and although it seems far fetched it gives the reader a better understanding of what really transpired. It is not difficult to imagine 2 wild animals fighting each other to the death, but when its humans the idea off cannibalism becomes too far fetched to picture. When Pi says to the two men, “And so it goes with God.”

He means that not everything can be proven; there are many irrational things about our world and when we cannot scientifically prove something the answers lie with our creative minds. Things. This can be related to our religions. As humans we do not know how humans were created so we look to our Gods to explain what we can’t. Pi also gives examples of love and life relating to this when he states, “Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?” (Martell, 297). He describes that there is a line where not everything will be easy to understand but where factuality falters, the better story is created; it is natural to want facts, but without imagination we will never understand the better story.

60). In Pi’s new story orange juice represents his mother, the zebra represents the sailor, the hyena represents the French cook, and Richard Parker represents Pi.

61). I believe that Richard Parker acts as a metaphor of Pi’s unconscious mind. In Freud’s theory there are three levels in the brain – your super ego, ego and id. Both your super ego and your id are conscious parts of the mind; with this in mind, your id is responsible for your survival. The id has no real perception of reality, and what your super ego thinks is important your id doesn’t even consider. It seeks to satisfy its needs through primary processes for example hunger and self-protection. In Pi’s case, Richard Parker reveals himself at many critical points during the course of the journey, and all of these points seem to coincide with the points when Pi is most in need of food or self protection.

It must be noted that Richard Parker only came into play when Pi was in great danger which would mean his animal instincts or id came to play. To contrast, In Pi’s first story Richard Parker first appears when the hyena kills the orangutan and out of pure hatred Pi feels he needs to take revenge on the hyena, when Richard Parker comes into to sight and kills the hyena himself. However in Pi’s second story when the cook kills his mother it is he who kills the cook after realizes what the cook was doing in an attempt to live. This is a genius contrast between animals and humans showing the differences and similarities between the two using the Freud theory to explain how this was done by Yann Martel.

62). This passage relates to the major ideas behind Life of Pi because what Pi says here is we understand through our imagination. Our imagination comes from what we see of our world. Having this perception changes the facts of a story slightly to show how something is seen from one’s viewpoint. This is like Pi’s animal and human story… He changes the facts according to how he sees them and how he can best demonstrate what happened on that life boat without necessarily giving the true facts.

63). There are several examples of human beings reflecting the animal behavior. Like the trainer in the ring, adults and parents must show a child who is dominant, through punishment and instilling in them who they must submit to, so that the children do not take advantage of them and resist obedience. Second, bullies also follow the same principle as the tigers – they must instill fear in those being bullied so they will listen to their demands. If someone bigger or stronger comes along, the alpha male perhaps, then they would become scared of that male and submit to them. Pi’s strategies for confronting Richard Parker show us that we must not show fear if we want to overcome your circumstance.

64). I don’t think Pi has anything to lose at that point other than life he has already lost everything you can possibly take away, from his family, to the shirt on his back he now has nothing but life to live for. In the book Pi often looses sight of the light at the end of the tunnel but his faith in God is what ultimately got him through the tough situation.

65). I wouldn’t say that Noah and Piscine are too similar in that aspect because the passengers on the boat left to drown weren’t sinners, apart from the fact that Pi’s father was an atheist, and his brother didn’t care much for religion. I’d say that Pi resembles Noah with the washing away of the sinners when the cook or hyena is killed. However, Pi does kill the cook, and no matter the case a saint would never kill another human being. Also his mother and the sailor were innocent and didn’t deserve to die so therefore I don’t think this situation is completely different that that of Noah’s Arc66). Life of Pi is a tragedy for obvious reasons. When someone endures so many detrimental blows as pi did it is hard to see how this story can be seen as a comedy. To explain, he lost his family, he had to survive on a journey for seven months alone without any aid. Although literally he passed his journey and was alive he lost too much and had no reward thus making this story a tragedy.

67).I thought that Pi was very clever. Pi was able to counter every argument they had against his story with something deeper and more meaningful. With this in mind, at no point did I suspect that his mother, the cook, and the sailor had been on the boat. Yann Martels ability to connect abstract ideas to the reader by using animals was brilliant and the way he told the story was factual, and had many facts for the reader, yet told with imagination creating the better story.

68). In the Life of Pi the narrator tells a story from his point of view using metaphors, and analogies to describe the events of his story. This narration is effective because it builds one of the main themes for this book, which is the importance of telling stories. It is here that he tells us a story through his perception the “better story”, the fact their was that element of truth made this believable and not mystical to the reader. It was the ultimate contrast between fiction and non-fiction.

69). Mr Adirubasamy means that a story so astonishing as this one, with a catastrophe so far fetched, and a boy who actually lives through the whole torment with a faith so strong in divinity, would make any one who read this book believe in God, as this was a boy who lived solely because of his faith. Yes, I think it does deliver that promise because someone who is so indomitable in their faith(s), like Pi, who when all hope is lost he turns to God for support. The author agrees with Mr. Adirubasamy after hearing the tape from the Japanese Ministry of Transport after almost a year of being in contact with Mr. Pi Patel. He would have believed it after hearing both stories the metaphoric one describing what went on, and the literal giving it tangibility.

71). The arousing sustenance that Life of Pi provided for Yann Martel was the creative spark that his previous attempts lacked and was the reason his other novels were as great as a success story as life of Pie.

72). Had orange juice or another animal survived the ordeal it could be the difference between this story being a tragedy or comedy. To explain, had orange juice (his mother) survived that would mean that throughout the whole battle Pi had companionship which was a key factor he lacked which caused him to verge of insanity. Also, I feel had the journey ended and the two have each other they can move on with there life and be prepared to meet the rest of the family in the after life ( which ever afterlife Pi decides to follow).