Reading Challe nges for L ife of Pi

By Yann Ma rtel
PhilosophyReligionSurvival Zoology StoryTruth
What is Life of Pi about? There will probably be as many answers to that question as there are people who read the book. A perusal
of online booksellers reveals that this book can be categorized as a survival story, a tall tale, an action piece, a work about
human/animal relationships, and a fiction about (1) India, (2) adolescence, (3) zoos and zoology, and (4) the Pacific Oceanthe book
is about all of these things---and about none of these things, really. . . Life of Pi makes a good novel for discussion. There will

probably be two camps of thought those that want credible realism and resolved answers, and those that enjoy the imaginative
journey and the questions the novel raises.

(Phoebe Foster, Pop Mattters)

Questions to Consider As and After You Read

(In your journal, of courseas well as through your careful annotation of the novel)
Annotation Options:

Whichever option you select, be sure you do a thorough, consistent job.

putting annotated post-it notes in your book

flagging key passages in your book and making notes in your journal

outlining, charting, diagramming, mapping, concept-mapping, creating graphic organizers, etc.

buying your own book and highlighting with marginal notations

o
Fai th, r e ligio n, spi ri tuality : One idea Martel wanted to work with was faith; the heros ability to persevere---even
o
give thanks---despite all his hardships. He said, I wanted to look at religion a bit. I wanted to see a way of looking at
evil.Most people know just enough to reject [faith], but I thought, What is it like to have faith? (CNN Interview) Whats
the relationship of faith and truth? What is Pi seeking? Does he find it?
Sci enc e an d fai th: Faith and science, two marveling perspectives on the world, coexist throughout the book in a fine,
delicate balance.this is fiction probing the imaginative realm with scientific exactitude, twisting reality to bring out its
essence (the Guardian). Why does Martel make Pi a zoologist AND a theologian? What is the role of the animals in the
story?
The n at ur e of s to ry: Life of Pi is at once a realistic, rousing adventure and a meta-tale of survival that explores the
redemptive power of storytelling and the transformative nature of fiction (Written Voices). What is the relationship

between this story-world and reality? Does this story function as a slice of reality? A microcosm of reality? A metaphor
for reality?
The n at ur e of t r uth & cr ed ibi li ty: Some readers may find the story of Life of Pi so fantastic, so unbelievable that

their credibility is strained so badly that they set the novel aside. That would be a mistake, since the very notion of what is
credible in life=---of what we believe is true and why we believe it---is a central theme in the book. Or it may cause them to
skip ahead and read the final chapter, to see if credibility is restored in the end. That too, would be a mistake, since the
end involves a surprise integral to the exploration of truth and faith which Martel intends us to experience (Denis Haack,

Ransom Fellowship). How credible is Pi as a narrator? How do elements of magical realism affect the credibility of the
novel? How successful is Martel in conveying the theme of what is credible in life?

Read i ng S c hed ule

The novel and annotations must be completely finished by M o nd ay , Novem be r 1 4. Please follow the due
dates listed here:
Tue. 10/25

Chs. 1-44 (120 pgs)

Wed. 11/2

Chs. 79-91 (40 pgs)

Fri. 10/28

Chs.45-54 (40 pgs)

Fri. 11/4

Chs. 92-94 (30 pgs)

Mon. 10/31

Chs. 55-78 (58 pgs)

Mon. 11/8

Chs. 95-100 (Part III, 30 pgs)

A special note: Part of this story is a 227-day long journey on a boat in the middle of the ocean. This part may get long for
you. But think about itthe main character spends 227 days alone at sea. Do you think the author wants you to relate to
this tedium, pain, and frustration? Of course!