Life of Pi : Introduction

1. Life of Pi: Introduction Literature in English Secondary 6

2. Introduction ~ Author • Yann Martel • Born June 25, 1963 in Salamanca, Spain • Canadian • Travelled in Iran, Turkey and India • Studying philosophy at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, • Started writing at age 27 • To write Life of Pi… • Six months spent in India visiting mosques, temples, churches and zoos • An entire year reading religious texts and castaway stories • Actual writing: two more years

3. Introduction ~ The Book • First published by Knopf Canada in September 2001 • Won: • Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 2002 • Boeke Prize, a South African book prize, in 2003 • A film adaptation in 2011

4. Story Overview • The protagonist Piscine ("Pi") Molitor Patel • An Indian boy from Pondicherry • Exploring the issues of religion and spirituality from an early age • His survival story: 227 days shipwrecked with a tiger in the Pacific Ocean

5. Characters • Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi) • The protagonist of the story • The narrator for most of the novel • His account of his seven months at sea • His unusual name from the French word for pool • A pool in Paris in which a close family friend, Francis Adirubasamy, loved to swim • A student of zoology and religion • Deeply intrigued by the habits and characteristics of animals and people

6. Characters • Richard Parker • The Royal Bengal tiger sharing a lifeboat with Pi • His captor, Richard Parker, named him Thirsty • A shipping clerk reversed their names • From the Pondicherry Zoo • Weighing 450 pounds and about nine feet long • Kills the hyena on the lifeboat and the blind cannibal • Acts as an omega, or submissive, animal respecting Pi’s dominance

7. Characters • The Author • The narrator of the (fictitious) Author’s Note • Inserting himself into the narrative at several points throughout the text • Never identified by name • Yann Martel • He lives in Canada • Published two books • Inspired to write Pi’s life story during a trip to India

8. Characters • Francis Adirubasamy • The elderly man • Telling the author Pi’s story during a meeting in a Pondicherry coffee shop • Taught Pi to swim • Bestowed upon him his unusual moniker • Arranges for the author to meet Pi • Pi calls him Mamaji (Indian: respected uncle)

9. Characters • Ravi • Pi’s older brother • Teases his younger brother mercilessly over his devotion to three religions • Santosh Patel • Pi’s father • Runs the Pondicherry Zoo • A worrier by nature • Teaching his sons not only to care for and control wild animals, but to fear them • Decided to move his family to Canada • Gita Patel • Pi’s beloved mother and protector • A book lover • Encouraging Pi to read widely • Speaking her mind • Taking the place of Orange Juice on the lifeboat (in Pi’s another version of his story to his rescuers)

10. Characters • Satish Kumar • Pi’s biology teacher at a secondary school in Pondicherry • A polio survivor • Odd-looking man, with a body shaped like a triangle • Devotion to the power of scientific inquiry and explanation • Inspiring Pi to study zoology in college • Father Martin • The Catholic priest • Introducing Pi to Christianity • Preaching a message of love • Disagrees about whose religion Pi should practice

11. Characters • Satish Kumar • A plain-featured Muslim mystic • With the same name as Pi’s biology teacher • Working in a bakery • A strong effect on Pi’s academic plans • His faith leads Pi to study religion at college • The Hindu Pandit • One of three important religious figures • Outraged when Pi begins practicing other religions • Quieted by Pi’s declaration that he just wants to love God

12. Characters • The Hyena • Ugly and intensely violent • Controlling the lifeboat before Richard Parker emerges • The Zebra • A beautiful male Grant’s zebra • His leg broken jumping into the lifeboat • Tormented by the hyena and eaten alive • Orange Juice • Maternal orangutan • Floating to the lifeboat on a raft of bananas • Suffering from almost humanlike bouts of loneliness and seasickness • Fighting back valiantly when attacked by the hyena • Killed and decapitated

13. Characters • The Blind Frenchman • A fellow castaway • Meeting Pi by chance in the middle of the ocean • Driven by hunger and desperation • Trying to kill and cannibalize Pi • Richard Parker kills him first • Meena Patel • Pi’s wife • Nikhil Patel (Nick) • Pi’s son • Usha Patel • Pi’s young daughter • Shy but very close to her father

14. Characters • Tomohiro Okamoto • An official from the Maritime Department of the Japanese Ministry of Transport • Investigating the sinking of the Japanese Tsimtsum • Interviews Pi for three hours • Highly skeptical of Pi’s first account of the shipwreck • Atsuro Chiba • Okamoto’s assistant • More naïve and trusting of the two Japanese officials • His inexperience at conducting interviews • Agrees with Pi that the version of his ordeal with animals is the better than the one with people

15. Characters • The Cook • The human counterpart to the hyena in Pi’s second story • Rude and violent and hoards food on the lifeboat • Kills the sailor and Pi’s mother • Pi stabs him and he dies • The Sailor • The human counterpart to the zebra in Pi’s second story • Young, beautiful, and exotic • Speaks only Chinese • Very sad and lonely in the lifeboat • His leg broken and infected after jumping off the ship • His leg cut off by the cook • Dies slowly

16. Organization of the Book • Three parts: • First section: an adult Pi Patel’s rumination over his childhood • Second section: a blend of a detailed and realistic survival memoir and a fantastic allegory in a medieval style • Last section: • The report to the Japanese government • A choice to actually choose the story version the readers prefer • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQhwAvW2nWA