Life of Pi

Title: Life of Pi

Author: Yann Martel

Year of Prize: 2002

Historical Context for Novel:

Setting:

Biographical Information about the author:

Plot Summary: 500 words

The Author's Note, explains that the author has traveled to India, restless and in need of a story. At a coffeehouse in Pondicherry, an elderly man named Francis Adirubasamy strikes up a conversation with the author saying, "I have a story that will make you believe in God." He refers the author to Piscine Molitor Patel who lives in Toronto, Canada. The novel then begins in Piscine's voice.

The book has three parts. The first part is a young boy's reflection on spirituality and Indian life. The main character, Piscine Patel (aka "Pi") talks about his life living as the son of a zookeeper, and speaks of how he became familiar with animal behavior. He also talks about religion; Pi practices Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, having seen merits in all three religions. He says "I just want to love God." He says that when he is asked to choose between the religions.

The second part is a mixture of a detailed and realistic survival memoir. After his father decides to sell the zoo and relocate the family to Canada, the cargo ship on which the family uses as a mean of transport sinks. Pi manages to find refuge on a lifeboat, where he finds himself sharing space with a female orangutan named Orange Juice, a wounded zebra, a hyena, and a Royal Bengal Tiger by the name of Richard Parker. At first Pi believes that Richard Parker has abandoned the boat, and focuses on surviving the hyena which is so close that he can grab it by the tail. It is not long before the hyena begins to feed on the zebra. After the zebra's death, the hyena kills the orangutan, prompting Pi to approach it, expecting that he be next. It is then that he notices that Richard Parker has been resting under a tarpaulin and has been aboard the lifeboat the entire time.

The tiger kills and eats the hyena, but does not immediately attack Pi. The young man manages to construct a raft using supplies aboard the boat, and avoids direct confrontation with Richard Parker by keeping out of the tiger's territory on the deck of the boat. Pi eventually marks his own territory, and uses his knowledge of zoology to tame the tiger. Therefore keeping the tiger alive becomes his primary focus. He catches fish and turtles, and uses solar stills to obtain drinkable water. Due to poor diet, nutrition, and weakness, Pi goes temporarily blind, and during this state meets another castaway on a boat traveling parallel with his own. The other man has a French accent,