Life of Pi: Introduction

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
Inspired to write Life of Pi on a trip to India
 Introduction ~ The Novel
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
 Story Overview
The protagonist Piscine ("Pi") Molitor
Patel
An Indian boy from Pondicherry
Exploring the issues of religion and
spirituality at an early age
His survival story: 227 days shipwrecked
with a tiger in the Pacific Ocean
 Characters
Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi)
The protagonist of the story
The narrator for most of the novel
This is his account of his seven months at sea
His unusual name stems from the French word for pool,
specifically 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
 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
At times acts as an omega, or submissive, animal
respecting Pis dominance
 Characters
The author
The narrator of the Authors Notes
Inserts himself into the narrative at several
points throughout the text
Never identified by name
Yann Martel
 Characters
Francis Adirubasamy
The elderly man
Tells the author Pis story during a meeting in a
Pondicherry coffee shop
Taught Pi to swim
Arranges for the author to meet Pi
Pi calls him Mamaji (Indian: respected uncle)
 Characters
Ravi
Pis older brother
Teases his younger brother mercilessly over his devotion to three religions

Santosh Patel
Pis father
Runs the Pondicherry Zoo
A worrier by nature
Teaches his sons not only to care for and control wild animals, but to fear
them
Decided to move his family to Canada

Gita Patel
Pis beloved mother and protector
A book lover
Encouraging Pi to read widely
Speaks her mind
 Characters
Satish Kumar
Pis 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 what religion Pi should practice
 Characters
Satish Kumar
A plain-featured Muslim mystic
With the same name as Pis biology teacher
Works in a bakery
Has a strong effect on Pis 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 Pis declaration that he just wants to love God
 Characters
The Hyena
Ugly and intensely violent
Controls the lifeboat before Richard Parker emerges

The Zebra
A beautiful male zebra
His leg is broken by jumping into the lifeboat
Tormented by the hyena and eaten alive

Orange Juice
Maternal orangutan
Floating to the lifeboat on a raft of bananas
Suffers from almost humanlike bouts of loneliness and seasickness
Fighting back valiantly when attacked by the hyena
Killed and decapitated
 Characters
The Blind Frenchman
A fellow castaway
Meets Pi by chance in the middle of the ocean
Driven by hunger and desperation
Tries to kill and cannibalize Pi
Richard Parker kills him first

Meena Patel
Pis wife

Nikhil Patel (Nick)

Pis son

Usha Patel
Pis young daughter
Shy but very close to her father
 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 Pis first account of the shipwreck

Atsuro Chiba
Okamotos assistant
More nave and trusting of the two Japanese officials
He is inexperienced at conducting interviews
 Organization of the Book
Three parts:
First section: an adult Pi Patels 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
 An Allegory
Life of Pi is an allegory: a narrative that serves as
an extended metaphor. Allegories are written in the
form of fables, parables, poems, stories, and
almost any other style or genre. The main purpose
of an allegory is to tell a story that has characters,
a setting, as well as other types of symbols, that
have both literal and figurative meanings. The
difference between an allegory and a symbol is
that an allegory is a complete narrative that
conveys abstract ideas to get a point across, while
a symbol is a representation of an idea or concept
that can have a different meaning throughout a
literary work.
 Beast Fable
Pis journey on the lifeboat with the
tiger can also be interpreted as a beast
fable. In these tales animals are used
to illustrate morals. In this sense the
allegory of the animals is apparent
according to what each animal
symbolizes.
 Literary Form
Point of View/Perspective
Martel wrote Life of Pi in a frame narrative,
story within a story.
In the author's note, the fictionalized author
tells his own reasoning for recounting Pi's
life (italicized portions).
Pi tells the story of his family and his
experience in the Pacific.
 Tone
There are three essential tones within the
novel.
1.Beginning
Nave/ innocent- Pi, a child, seems innocent
and full of life and energy as he explores the
world and all that is in it. Life is so beautiful
that death has fallen in love with it.
 Tone
2. Pessimistic
Pessimism/Fear- Stranded on a lifeboat with a
Bengal Tiger after a devastating shipwreck. In this
section Pi is forced to grow up and take care of
himself. Pi states, No! No! No! My suffering does
matter. I want to live! I cant help but mix my life
with that of the universe. Life is a peephole, a
single tiny entry onto a vastnesshow can I not
dwell on this brief, cramped view I have of things.
Pi is forced by the situation to face reality and
witness the darker side of life.
 Tone
3. Reaffirming
Reaffirmation towards life- despite the
physical, mental, and emotional pain Pi
has endured, he ends his journey as a
man with a newfound respect for life. He
understands the process of life. He
acknowledges that the experiences during
our lives create the real meaning of who
we are.