Lifeof Pi Study Guideand Teacher Resource

Life of Pi by Yann Martel Literary Analysis Study Guide
© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 1

Table of Contents
Reading & Discussing the Novel ............................................................................................. 2
Why Life of Pi? ............................................................................................................................................ 2
How to Use This Unit .............................................................................................................................. 2
Limited Permission to Reproduce .......................................................................................................... 2
Reading Assignment Suggestions ............................................................................................................ 3
Format of the Study Guide ...................................................................................................................... 3
About the Instructor Notes ..................................................................................................................... 4
Using Discussion Questions & Key Quotes ......................................................................................... 4
Exciting Student Readers ......................................................................................................................... 4
Reading Checks .......................................................................................................................................... 5
Beyond Book Reports............................................................................................................................... 6
Fun with Pi ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Research Ideas............................................................................................................................................ 7
Background Notes.................................................................................................................... 8
On Yann Martel (1963 — )...................................................................................................................... 8
On Life of Pi .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Some Symbols and Motifs to Look For............................................................................................... 11
Some Themes to Look For .................................................................................................................... 11
Some “BIG” Ideas & Questions Explored in the Novel .................................................................. 11
Suggested Readings to Complement the Novel ..................................................................... 12
Quick Quizzes ......................................................................................................................... 16
STUDENT STUDY GUIDE .................................................................................................. 36
INSTRUCTOR NOTES ......................................................................................................... 69
Writing Prompts/Essay Questions ....................................................................................... 112
Close-Reading Passage Analysis ........................................................................................... 115
Close-Reading Passage Analysis Instructor Notes ................................................................ 116
Vocabulary Words By Sections & Chapter ............................................................................ 119
Literary Terms ....................................................................................................................... 124
Bibliography & Suggestions for Further Reading ................................................................ 126
About the Author ................................................................................................................... 127
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 127

Reading & Discussing the Novel
Why Life of Pi?

Students sometimes express surprise and indignation when they go to the local bookstore and
find Life of Pi by Yann Martel in the “young adult” section. Surely their venerable instructor
could not have assigned them to read a book intended for children?! Rest assured that Life of Pi is
just as “literary” as any book in the “literary fiction” section. Good bookstores realize this and
shelve it appropriately. Some bookstore managers read a synopsis, assume it is merely another
“animal story” and, therefore, assume it appropriate only for younger readers. They are
mistaken. Life of Pi is a rich resource for instruction in both literary analysis and philosophy.
After reading and analyzing Martel’s work, students may be amazed that any bookstore could
ever mistake Life of Pi for “kiddie lit.”
Perhaps the best reason to study Life of Pi with students is that it is interesting, engaging, and
ultimately hopeful. Students enjoy reading it and usually like analyzing it. Many of the works
studied in literature classes present a dark, depressing picture of the human condition. Students
comment time and again that literature teachers only seem to like works in which the protagonist
eventually is killed or commits suicide. While we know this is not entirely true, it must be
conceded that a great deal of literature studied in school leans toward the bleak. Life of Pi surely
explores the darker side of humanity—at times in graphic detail—but it does so in a way that is
often humorous, ultimately uplifting, and absolutely thought-provoking.
How to Use This Unit

This unit has been designed for use with high-achieving students in challenging literary analysis
courses such as Honors, AP, or IB. It could also be useful for post-secondary students. It is not
a basic comprehension unit. Rather, it is focused on helping students move past the surface-level
understanding of character and plot and move towards appreciating the structure, narrative
voice, literary techniques, themes, and tone of Yann Martel’s Life of Pi.
It is not intended that this unit be used from cover-to-cover in its entirety. If you were to do all
of the activities and discuss all of the questions, quotes, and vocabulary provided…well, you
might teach your students about Life of Pi, but you would likely also teach them to hate literature
in general, this book specifically, and possibly even you—the caring, thorough teacher who is
just trying to be helpful, after all. The unit is meant to offer options and ideas for teachers of
advanced learners. You know your students better than anyone. Pick and choose which elements
of the unit make sense for them and for you.
Eco-Friendly: Please take advantage of the PDF format of this unit to print only what you need
to print.
Limited Permission to Reproduce

This unit is designed to be used in a learning environment with students. Instructors may make
photocopies of pages from this unit for use with their students. Instructors may not reproduce
any pages from this unit electronically for use with their students or otherwise. Do not make any

pages of this unit available on your class website, for example. Instructors may not reproduce
this unit in whole or in part for any other purpose than instruction with their own students. This
unit should not be reproduced and dispersed throughout a teaching department or other
organization in print or electronically.
It may help you to know that this unit was created by a working public high school English
teacher, not by a company or publishing house. Making copies without payment to the creator is
unethical and illegal even when it affects a multi-millionaire rock-star. It’s even more nefarious
(almost cannibalistic) when one teacher pirates and distributes the hard work of a fellow teacher.
Reading Assignment Suggestions

There are many ways an instructor could assign this novel to be read. Some students may read
the entire novel at once as summer reading or over a school break. Other students may read the
novel in three large parts: Author’s Note & Part One, Part Two, Part Three. For the purposes of
this study guide, the novel has been divided into twelve manageable discussion sections:
Author’s Note concerns the author’s motivation & story inspiration

Part One—Chapters 1-7 concerns Pi’s early life in India and school days
Part One—Chapters 8-14 concerns information regarding animals & zoology
Part One—Chapters 15-28 concerns Pi’s explorations into religions
Part One—Chapters 29-36 concerns the Mr. Kumars & Pi’s move to Canada
Part Two—Chapters 37-47 concerns Pi’s shipwreck and first harrowing days at sea
Part Two—Chapters 48-55 concerns Pi’s acclimation to survival at sea with a tiger
Part Two—Chapters 56-62 concerns Pi’s survival
Part Two—Chapters 63-80 concerns Pi’s survival
Part Two—Chapters 81-91 concerns Pi’s declining welfare & the blind Frenchman
Part Two—Chapters 92-94 concerns the algae island & Pi’s rescue
Part Three—Chapters 95-100 concerns the immediate aftermath of Pi’s ordeal
Format of the Study Guide

For each of the sections outlined above, this guide provides a “quick quiz” to check reading,
vocabulary words, key allusions and references, a list of characters that appear or are significantly
mentioned in the sections, specific discussion questions, and key quotes. Instructors should use
these tools in any way deemed appropriate for their diverse students and curriculum needs.
Vocabulary Words—While Life of Pi is not a particularly difficult book to read, there are some
words that even advanced learners may not know. Such words have been selected from the text
and are arranged in the order that they appear in the novel. The idea, of course, is that students
will be better able to appreciate and understand the reading if they are familiar with the
vocabulary used in it. The part-of-speech as the word is used in the context of the novel is
provided. Definitions for these words are not provided—instructors may elect to ask students to
look up some or all of the words as a pre-reading activity for each section. This could be
individual student work or small-group work. Often, it is only necessary to ask students to look
up those words in the list with which they are currently unfamiliar. To provide more instruction
options, the vocabulary words are presented later in the unit in two different lists: all vocabulary

words by section in the order they appear in the text and all vocabulary words by section
arranged alphabetically.
Key References—There are many references and allusions in Life of Pi. Instructors may keep
these notes for their own use and require students to look up the references. Alternately,
instructors may reproduce the vocabulary/key reference pages for each section as a handout.
Discussion Questions—Questions have been devised to place an emphasis on students’

understanding of literary technique, narrative structure, theme, and tone. There are no basic
comprehension questions in this study guide. The discussion questions require higher level
thinking skills and most of them require use of text-based support. Instructors may require
students to write out their responses to these discussion questions, or they may merely use these
questions to spark classroom-based discussion.
Key Quotes—A few quotes from each section have been highlighted. Instructors may assign
students to write about these quotes, or may merely use them to spark discussion in the
classroom.
About the Instructor Notes

The instructor notes are not intended to be regarded as an “answer guide.” They are not meant
to represent perfect or sole responses. Students and instructors may have many valid responses
to these questions and quotes beyond those included in the instructor notes. The notes are
merely intended as a springboard of information for discussion and as a way to provide the
instructor with some ideas for teaching.
Using Discussion Questions & Key Quotes

There are many ways an instructor could use the provided discussion questions and key quotes.
Perhaps it is best to vary the method from class-to-class, so that students don’t become bored
with routine. The instructor could assign reading and questions as homework and then follow up
in class with either whole-class or small-group discussion of the students’ responses. Alternately,
the instructor could ask students to read for homework and complete the discussion questions
the next day in class. Students could be asked to pair-and-share their responses. Students could
be placed into groups to discuss the questions and then come back together for a whole-class
discussion.
Exciting Student Readers

It’s not a bad idea to think of some ways to start classes off with “hooks” to get the students
intrigued by what they will be reading. The first section (Part One) of Life of Pi can initially seem
somewhat dry to some students. The second and third sections (Part Two and Part Three) are a
lot more inherently intriguing and therefore need less from the instructor in terms of what
Madeline Hunter would have called an “anticipatory set.” Some of the following ideas might get
students thinking and talking about the concepts presented in the first section of Life of Pi. These
could be presented as journaling prompts, quick-write prompts, or discussion questions before
assigning reading. It’s a good idea to return to the students’ responses for more discussion after
they have completed the reading, too.

What does the title Life of Pi cause you to expect from this novel? Why?
Is it possible to be faithful to more than one religion at the same time? How?
In what ways are human beings like animals? In what ways are we different?
In what ways might an atheist be a lot like someone with great faith in religion?
What might cause a zoo animal to escape from its cage and/or attack a zoo visitor?
Is it possible to ever truly be “free,” as a human being? Explain.
What do you think is the most dangerous animal in the zoo? Why?
What causes a person to form his or her religious beliefs?
Why do people move (from one home to another)?
More than likely, instructors and students will come up with other interesting questions to
ponder as a result of these broad questions. The idea isn’t to come up with any one “right”
answer. The goal is simply to think about and be intrigued by the ideas.
Reading Checks
Are your students completing the assigned reading? Each teacher must know his or her own students in
order to determine whether reading checks are necessary and what kind of reading check(s) will
work best. Highly motivated readers probably won’t need to be checked at all. Other classes may
need a teacher’s gentle nudging (or perhaps brutal shoving) to keep up with reading assignments.
The size of the class will also play a part in this decision.
Conventional Reading Check Ideas:

use the “quick quizzes” included in this unit
orally assess reading progress during whole-class discussion time
(works well for small classes)
casually walk around the classroom and “check off” discussion question work
while students discuss their responses in small groups
collect and mark discussion question work at the end of each reading assignment
collect and mark discussion question work at the end of the novel
Some Creative Reading Check Ideas:
After a reading assignment, provide a 3x5” card to each student. Instruct each
student to write down a specific observation from the reading on one side of the
card and a question about the reading on the other. Pair students and give them
2 minutes to discuss their observations and questions in partners. Then call on
individual students to share theirs and use some of their observations/questions
for whole-class discussion starters.

Ask each student to write one specific observation or question about the reading
assignment on the board. Use these as a springboard for whole-class or small
group discussion.
Ask each student to choose one brief quote from the reading assignment and
write a quick paragraph explaining why the quote is significant to the section they
read. Call on some students to share theirs aloud in order to get discussion
started.
Ask each student to write a quick “review” of the reading section—posing their
opinion of it and supporting it with specific references to the text of the section.
Have some students read their reviews aloud or pair-share with one another to
serve as a springboard for discussion.
Beyond Book Reports

There are many creative and maybe even fun ways to get students thinking about a book they’ve
been reading. The following few ideas could be used as students progress through the reading or
as post-reading discussion activities.
Thinking in Threes – Ask students to pick a way the book could be discussed in “threes”
(and possibly create a visual model of the trio). Examples: examine one event from three
different characters’ perspectives; examine one character from three other characters’
perspectives; examine the importance of three different locales in the setting; examine
the importance of three actions by a single character, examine three different
tones/voices present in the novel. (The number “three” isn’t important, it’s just a way to
get students thinking and talking.)
Dear Author –Ask students to write a letter to the author, listing their questions and
offering their opinions about the novel. In the case of Life of Pi, these could actually be
sent!
Twenty Questions – Ask students to write (and possibly act out) an interview with the
protagonist and/or author. This could take the form of a talk-show or a radio interview.
Be a Journalist – Ask students to write a news article as if they were reporting the events
in the story as if they had just been discovered.
Wax Poetic – To help them examine the poetic prose of some of the chapters in the
novel, assign students to convert a short passage of the novel into a poem…using most
of the same words/phrases and staying true to the main idea and tone of the chapter.
Look at it This Way – Ask students to write about an event in the book from the
probable viewpoint of a character other than the narrator of that passage. This would
work very well in Part One by having students write the diary/journal of one of the
religious leaders after discovering Pi’s inter-faith habits. His parents’ or brother’s journals
would also be interesting.
There are many other creative ways to get students engaged in thinking about a novel. The
key for advanced learners is to make sure there’s more thinking than glue-and-glitter.
Creating a shoebox diorama loses value if students aren’t actively examining text.

Fun with Pi
Life of Pi provides many opportunities for extension, enrichment and enjoyment with students.
If school rules allow it, instructors may want to try having a food day in which students
make and sample some of the Indian foods and spices mentioned in the book.
Alternately, an outing to a local Indian restaurant might be arranged or catered in.
Naturally, this should be tied to a discussion of the importance of eating and food in the
novel.
If possible, arrange for guest speakers that represent the three religions prominent in Life
of Pi – Catholicism, Islam, and Hinduism. Students may need to be briefed about how to
politely ask questions about faith and religion.
Consider having “Pi Day,” in which students bring in and share all different sorts of pies.
This is especially fun to do if students are reading the book on or around March 14th,
which is “pi day.” This should be tied to a discussion of the implications of Pi’s chosen
nickname and the possible bearings that may have on main ideas in the novel.
Secondary students are not too old for a field trip to a zoo, especially if it is carefully
planned out to maximize thoughtful engagement and not just a “day off from school.”
This might be arranged in conjunction with a science instructor to maximize benefits to
both curricula. To really get a big impact from such a trip, it would be ideal to arrange a
discussion with the zookeeper of the zoological ideas presented by Pi in the novel.
At the time this Study Guide is being written, a film version of Life of Pi is in
development to be released in 2011. When it is released, students would likely enjoy
seeing the movie and then comparing the book they’ve read to it.
Research Ideas
Instructors looking to incorporate a research element to the study of Life of Pi are in great
luck. There are all sorts of ideas for research associated with this novel:
Hinduism, Islam and/or Catholicism – any number of topics

Indian culture and food
real-life shipwrecks
seafaring literature
bildungsroman
magical realism
zoology, specifically tigers or sloths
“The Emergency” in India and Indian politics in the 1970s
Yann Martel’s plagiarism controversy regarding Life of Pi
Hediger and the study of proxemics of zoo animals
social hierarchy among animals

Background Notes
On Yann Martel (1963 — )

Yann Martel was born in Spain in 1963 to Canadian parents who were, at the time, graduate
students. They later became members of the Canadian foreign service. He has lived in Spain, France,
Mexico, and Costa Rica. Currently living in Montreal, Martel has also traveled in India, Turkey, and
Iran. He earned a degree in philosophy from Trent University in Ontario.
Martel became a full-time writer at the age of 27. His first two books, a collection of short
stories and a novel, went relatively unnoticed. His third book, Life of Pi, won the Man Booker Prize
for Literature in 2002.
Bibliography
1993: The Facts Behind the Helsinki Roccamatios and Other Stories
1996: Self
2001: Life of Pi
2004: We Ate the Children Last: Stories
On Life of Pi
Form
Though clearly a novel, it is difficult to categorize a sub-genre for Life of Pi. The novel seems
to evade any completely tidy categorization. One critic calls Life of Pi a “hybrid of an adventure
story and a fable about belief” (Holcombe). It has also been called a bildungsroman, and has been
held up as an example of magical realism. It is often discussed as an allegory.
Life of Pi contains elements of 18th and 19th century sea adventure stories that centered on
stowaways, mutinies, shipwrecks, castaways, and cannibalism. There is an echo of Mutiny on the
Bounty or Robinson Crusoe. Indeed, Martel has said that the name he gave the 450 pound Royal
Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, was taken in part from Edgar Allen Poe’s novel about seafaring
misadventures, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.
Interesting Facts
The Name Richard Parker

In Edgar Allen Poe’s one-and-only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket
(1838), the fictional character Richard Parker is a sailor and mutineer who becomes a castaway
with three others when the ship is wrecked. They are desperate and starving, and eventually a
fed-up (excuse the pun) Richard Parker suggests that they draw straws to see which of them will
give up his life to provide sustenance for the others. Because Poe had a great sense of irony,
Richard Parker himself draws the shortest straw. He is immediately killed and, over the course of
a few days, eaten by his fellow castaways.
Nearly 50 years later, in 1884, an actual yacht (as opposed to a literary one) called the
Mignonette left England for Australia with a 17-year-old sailor named Richard Parker on board.
As fate (and weird coincidence) would have it, the Mignonette wrecked at sea and only four

castaways survived, including young Richard Parker. As if the eerie similarities to Poe’s novel
weren’t enough at this point, the castaways considered drawing lots to see which of them would
be cannibalized to save the others. They instead decided that Parker, who was already delirious
and near dead, should be the sacrifice. When the three who survived returned to England, they
were famously tried for and found guilty of murder—notable because that was a previously
uncommon outcome in cases of cannibalism in times of urgent distress at sea (Hanson,
Simpson).
Another actual Richard Parker was aboard the Francis Spaight in 1846 when it wrecked.
Although a whaler arrived and saved the crew of the dying ship, the whaler itself soon capsized
and nearly all of the crew of both the Francis Spaight and the whaler were lost—including Richard
Parker. While this Richard Parker was neither killed by nor eaten by his crewmates, I believe it
can be safely said that his name and destiny were similarly unfortunate (Simpson).
These stories (and some other, erroneous, shipwreck stories involving the name Richard
Parker) lead Yann Martel to quip, “So many Richard Parkers had to mean something” (Martel,
Canongate).
Plagiarism Controversy
One of the most interesting aspects of this book is its narrative voice and framing. The
“Author’s Note” would lead one to believe that Yann Martel is actually telling the reader how
the story came about when, in truth, it is mostly fiction with only a few tidbits of fact thrown in
for good measure. A significant factual bit is the author/narrator’s acknowledgement of Mr.
Moacyr Scliar, to whom he writes he is “indebted for the spark of life.” As it turns out, that nod
in Mr. Scliar’s direction has come to cause Mr. Martel quite a bit of grief.
In “How I Wrote Life of Pi,” Yann Martel stated that the idea for his novel was first aroused
when he read about Brazilian author Moacyr Scliar’s book Max and the Cats in a New York Times
book review by John Updike. According to Martel, this occurred about ten years before he
wrote Life of Pi. Martel remembered the story to be about a Jewish family emigrating from Berlin
to Brazil in 1933. The basic premise, as Martel remembered it, was that the ship is wrecked and
one lone person (Max) ends up in a life boat with a panther. Martel has said that reading about
this premise, “had the effect on my imagination of electric caffeine.” According to Martel, he
had never read the actual book Max and the Cats, just the one review, which he remembered as
having been fairly “indifferent” toward Scliar’s work.
When Martel won the Man Booker Prize for Life of Pi, quite a bit of fuss was raised
concerning just how much of Scliar’s book found its way into Martel’s novel. Many of the
statements made by Martel in the Powell’s article (“How I Wrote Life of Pi”) turned out to be
questionable if not downright untrue. No review of Max and the Cats has been found in the
archives of the New York Times (nor the New York Review of Books) and John Updike cannot
remember ever having read or reviewed it. At one point, Scliar has said that he contemplated
litigation against Martel based on concern for his intellectual property. However, Scliar and
Martel subsequently spoke on the telephone about the topic and no litigation has ever been
initiated (Blackstock, Rohter, Martel Q &A).
In a November 26, 2002 online interview with Britain’s Guardian titled “May Richard Parker
Be Always at Your Side,” Martel had the following to say about the matter:
These are the facts: (1) 12 years ago I read in an American paper a review of
a novel by a writer I'd never heard of. The premise struck me. I tried to find

the book in Montreal. Couldn’t find it. Forgot about the book, never read it,
end of story. (2) Seven years later, I'm in India. I remember the premise—it’s
bare bones: boy, wild animal, lifeboat—and suddenly all kinds of ideas come
to my mind. I decide to write my own book. (3) Five years later, I'm asked to
write an essay on how I wrote the book. Which I do, quickly and for no
money, and honestly. Clearly I got some of my facts wrong: it wasn’t John
Updike and it wasn't the New York Times. So, I got it wrong. So what? Do I
gain anything by dragging in one of the most famous writers in the world and
one of the most famous newspapers? I’ll tell you something: I got other
things wrong too. I told people the Scliar book was about a Jew who ends up
in a lifeboat with a panther. Well, Max apparently isn’t a Jew, and it’s a jaguar.
I suppose I’m up to something evil with that one….I have suffered from
honestly mentioning where I got the “spark of life.” But the idea of a person
on a craft with an animal is a premise that has a long history. I could have
said I got it from the Bible and no one would have raised an eyebrow. If you
think every author who borrows is a plagiarizer, you clearly know nothing
about creativity (or the history of literature). I would suggest this to you:
don’t read anything more recent than Gilgamesh, otherwise you might get
upset….Since this stupid scandal broke, I’ve learned much about Scliar and
his work. In fact, I’ve spoken to the man. He’s a gentleman.
Pi’s Name
Piscine Molitor Patel, the story’s protagonist, is said to have gotten his name from his father’s
close friend (also the fictional gentleman who first related the story of Pi to the author/narrator
in the “Author’s Note”). This man, Francis Adirubasamy, had an affinity for swimming and for
one Parisian swimming pool in particular: the Piscine Molitor. Because Pi’s father was so fond of
Adirubasamy, he allowed the man to name his second son. The name Adirubasamy chose for
the boy was that of his favorite exalted swimming pool. There is surely some relevance behind
the pristine water described in the Piscine Molitor as contrasted with the terrifying sea upon which
Pi later finds himself afloat.
This might be story enough if it were, in fact, the end of the story. But Piscine’s name winds
up causing him no end of trouble in school. At one point, he purposefully (and rather
dramatically) shortens it to simply Pi, identifying himself with the irrational number pi ().
Readers of Life of Pi may want to bear in mind some of these facts about the number pi:
• pi is considered a “fundamental constant of nature”
• 22/7 is an approximation of pi (Pi is a castaway for 227 days in the novel)
• pi represents the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter
• pi is an irrational number; it would take an infinite number of digits to convey its
exact value, so it never truly ends
These facts, and perhaps others, can make interesting starting points for conversations about Pi
and why Martel may have chosen that name. Students of Life of Pi can look for connections to pi
) as they read.

Some Symbols and Motifs to Look For

the color orange
water pi ()
light vs. dark (day vs. night) hunger and thirst
food opposites & paradoxes
blindness cannibalism
killing for survival Instructors and students are likely to find others!
Some Themes to Look For

self-preservation/survival religion vs. science
story-telling dual nature of mankind
the nature of truth/reality the nature of belief/faith
really living vs. merely existing Instructors and students are likely to find others!
Some “BIG” Ideas & Questions Explored in the Novel

What is the appropriate role & purpose of religion in human society?
What is the importance of reading/writing/story-telling to humanity?
What does it mean to live? Is that the same or different than what it means to exist?
What is the nature of truth/reality?
What is the role of art, story-telling, and creativity in relation to humanity?
Is mankind essentially good or essentially evil? (Or both?)
What does it mean to be “free”? Can human beings ever truly be “free”?
How do human beings make sense of their place in the universe?
What, ultimately, gives meaning to human life?
In what ways are human beings like animals? In what ways are human begins not like animals?
In what circumstances does human civility wane? What does that indicate about humanity?
Are logic and reason necessarily opposite to spirituality and religion?

Suggested Readings to Complement the Novel

The titles listed below are either too lengthy to include in this study guide or are protected under
copyright laws and, therefore, cannot be reproduced here. Instructors and/or students will need to
provide their own copies of these titles, in whole or part:
• The Book of Job (Bible)

• The “Sermon on the Mount” (Bible)
• 1 Samuel (Bible) – specifically, the story of David and Goliath
• The Ramayana
• The Mahabharata
• The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
• The Life and Voyage of Christopher Columbus by Washington Irving
• Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
• Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
The pieces featured in the next few pages are short enough to include here and were published long
enough ago to be considered public domain.
The Lamb The Tiger

by William Blake by William Blake
Little Lamb, who made thee? Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

Dost thou know who made thee? In the forests of the night,
Gave thee life, and bid thee feed, What immortal hand or eye
By the stream and o'er the mead; Could frame thy fearful symmetry?
Gave thee clothing of delight, In what distant deeps or skies
Softest clothing, woolly, bright; Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
Gave thee such a tender voice, On what wings dare he aspire?
Making all the vales rejoice? What the hand dare seize the fire?
Little Lamb, who made thee? And what shoulder, & what art.
Dost thou know who made thee? Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee, And when thy heart began to beat,
Little Lamb, I'll tell thee. What dread hand? & what dread feet?
He is called by thy name, What the hammer? what the chain?
For He calls Himself a Lamb. In what furnace was thy brain?
He is meek, and He is mild; What the anvil? what dread grasp
He became a little child. Dare its deadly terrors clasp?
I a child, and thou a lamb, When the stars threw down their spears,
We are called by His name. And watered heaven with their tears,
Little Lamb, God bless thee! Did he smile his work to see?
Little Lamb, God bless thee! Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
Tyger! Tyger! burning bright
[1789] from Songs of Innocence In the forests of the night,
What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
[1794] from Songs of Experience

excerpt from The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket [Edgar Allan Poe 1850]
Parker turned suddenly toward me with an made up on the subject even before the
expression of countenance which made me appearance of the ship, and that only her
shudder. There was about him an air of self- heaving in sight had prevented him from
possession which I had not noticed in him mentioning his intention at an earlier period.
until now, and before he opened his lips my I now begged him, if he would not be
heart told me what he would say. He prevailed upon to abandon his design, at least
proposed, in a few words, that one of us to defer it for another day, when some vessel
should die to preserve the existence of the might come to our relief; again reiterating
others. every argument I could devise, and which I
*** thought likely to have influence with one of
I had for some time past, dwelt upon the his rough nature. He said, in reply, that he had
prospect of our being reduced to this last not spoken until the very last possible
horrible extremity, and had secretly made up moment, that he could exist no longer
my mind to suffer death in any shape or under without sustenance of some kind, and that
any circumstances rather than resort to such a therefore in another day his suggestion would
course. Nor was this resolution in any degree be too late, as regarded himself at least.
weakened by the present intensity of hunger Finding that he was not to be moved by
under which I laboured. The proposition had anything I could say in a mild tone, I now
not been heard by either Peters or Augustus. I assumed a different demeanor, and told him
therefore took Parker aside; and mentally that he must be aware I had suffered less than
praying to God for power to dissuade him any of us from our calamities; that my health
from the horrible purpose he entertained, I and strength, consequently, were at that
expostulated with him for a long time, and in moment far better than his own, or than that
the most supplicating manner, begging him in either of Peters or Augustus; in short, that I
the name of every thing which he held sacred, was in a condition to have my own way by
and urging him by every species of argument force if I found it necessary; and that if he
which the extremity of the case suggested, to attempted in any manner to acquaint the
abandon the idea, and not to mention it to others with his bloody and cannibal designs, I
either of the other two. would not hesitate to throw him into the sea.
He heard all I said without attempting to Upon this he immediately seized me by the
controvert any of my arguments, and I had throat, and drawing a knife, made several
begun to hope that he would be prevailed ineffectual efforts to stab me in the stomach;
upon to do as I desired. But when I had an atrocity which his excessive debility alone
ceased speaking, he said that he knew very prevented him from accomplishing. In the
well all I had said was true, and that to resort meantime, being roused to a high pitch of
to such a course was the most horrible anger, I forced him to the vessel's side, with
alternative which could enter into the mind of the full intention of throwing him overboard.
man; but that he had now held out as long as He was saved from his fate, however, by the
human nature could be sustained; that it was interference of Peters, who now approached
unnecessary for all to perish, when, by the and separated us, asking the cause of the
death of one, it was possible, and even disturbance. This Parker told before I could
probable, that the rest might be finally find means in any manner to prevent him.
preserved; adding that I might save myself the The effect of his words was even more
trouble of trying to turn him from his terrible than what I had anticipated. Both
purpose, his mind having been thoroughly Augustus and Peters, who, it seems, had long

secretly entertained the same fearful idea turned toward me. The bitterest anxiety which
which Parker had been merely the first to I endured at any period of this fearful drama
broach, joined with him in his design and was while I occupied myself in the
insisted upon its immediately being carried arrangement of the lots. There are few
into effect. I had calculated that one at least of conditions into which man can possibly fall
the two former would be found still possessed where he will not feel a deep interest in the
of sufficient strength of mind to side with preservation of his existence; an interest
myself in resisting any attempt to execute so momentarily increasing with the frailness of
dreadful a purpose, and, with the aid of either the tenure by which that existence may be
one of them, I had no fear of being able to held. But now that the silent, definite, and
prevent its accomplishment. Being stern nature of the business in which I was
disappointed in this expectation, it became engaged (so different from the tumultuous
absolutely necessary that I should attend to dangers of the storm or the gradually
my own safety, as a further resistance on my approaching horrors of famine) allowed me to
part might possibly be considered by men in reflect on the few chances I had of escaping
their frightful condition a sufficient excuse for the most appalling of deaths–a death for the
refusing me fair play in the tragedy that I most appalling of purposes–every particle of
knew would speedily be enacted. that energy which had so long buoyed me up
I now told them I was willing to submit to departed like feathers before the wind, leaving
the proposal, merely requesting a delay of me a helpless prey to the most abject and
about one hour, in order that the fog which pitiable terror. I could not, at first, even
had gathered around us might have an summon up sufficient strength to tear and fit
opportunity of lifting, when it was possible together the small splinters of wood, my
that the ship we had seen might be again in fingers absolutely refusing their office, and my
sight. After great difficulty I obtained from knees knocking violently against each other.
them a promise to wait thus long; and, as I My mind ran over rapidly a thousand absurd
had anticipated (a breeze rapidly coming in), projects by which to avoid becoming a
the fog lifted before the hour had expired, partner in the awful speculation. I thought of
when, no vessel appearing in sight, we falling on my knees to my companions, and
prepared to draw lots. entreating them to let me escape this
It is with extreme reluctance that I dwell upon necessity; of suddenly rushing upon them,
the appalling scene which ensued; a scene and, by putting one of them to death, of
which, with its minutest details, no after rendering the decision by lot useless–in short,
events have been able to efface in the slightest of every thing but of going through with the
degree from my memory, and whose stern matter I had in hand. At last, after wasting a
recollection will embitter every future long time in this imbecile conduct, I was
moment of my existence. Let me run over this recalled to my senses by the voice of Parker,
portion of my narrative with as much haste as who urged me to relieve them at once from
the nature of the events to be spoken of will the terrible anxiety they were enduring. Even
permit. The only method we could devise for then I could not bring myself to arrange the
the terrific lottery, in which we were to take splinters upon the spot, but thought over
each a chance, was that of drawing straws. every species of finesse by which I could trick
Small splinters of wood were made to answer some one of my fellow-sufferers to draw the
our purpose, and it was agreed that I should short straw, as it had been agreed that
be the holder. I retired to one end of the hulk, whoever drew the shortest of four splinters
while my poor companions silently took up from my hand was to die for the preservation
their station in the other with their backs of the rest. Before any one condemn me for

this apparent heartlessness, let him be placed one spoke, and still I dared not satisfy myself
in a situation precisely similar to my own. by looking at the splinter I held. Peters at
At length delay was no longer possible, length took me by the hand, and I forced
and, with a heart almost bursting from my myself to look up, when I immediately saw by
bosom, I advanced to the region of the the countenance of Parker that I was safe, and
forecastle, where my companions were that he it was who had been doomed to
awaiting me. I held out my hand with the suffer. Gasping for breath, I fell senseless to
splinters, and Peters immediately drew. He the deck.
was free–his, at least, was not the shortest; I recovered from my swoon in time to
and there was now another chance against my behold the consummation of the tragedy in
escape. I summoned up all my strength, and the death of him who had been chiefly
passed the lots to Augustus. He also drew instrumental in bringing it about. He made no
immediately, and he also was free; and now, resistance whatever, and was stabbed in the
whether I should live or die, the chances were back by Peters, when he fell instantly dead. I
no more than precisely even. At this moment must not dwell upon the fearful repast which
all the fierceness of the tiger possessed my immediately ensued. Such things may be
bosom, and I felt toward my poor fellow- imagined, but words have no power to
creature, Parker, the most intense, the most impress the mind with the exquisite horror of
diabolical hatred. But the feeling did not last; their reality. Let it suffice to say that, having in
and, at length, with a convulsive shudder and some measure appeased the raging thirst
closed eyes, I held out the two remaining which consumed us by the blood of the
splinters toward him. It was fully five minutes victim, and having by common consent taken
before he could summon resolution to draw, off the hands, feet, and head, throwing them
during which period of heartrending suspense together with the entrails, into the sea, we
I never once opened my eyes. Presently one devoured the rest of the body, piecemeal,
of the two lots was quickly drawn from my during the four ever memorable days of the
hand. The decision was then over, yet I knew seventeenth, eighteenth, nineteenth, and
not whether it was for me or against me. No twentieth of the month.

Quick Quizzes
The “Quick Quizzes” on the following pages are intended for only one purpose – to check whether
students have completed the assigned reading section. These quizzes answer the question, “Did you
do the reading?” They are not meant to be used as a test of literary comprehension or in-depth
analysis. Each quiz has between 5-15 multiple-choice questions based on surface-level
comprehension of the reading.
There are many other ways to check students’ reading (see “Reading Checks”). These quizzes are
offered here only as a quick resource. Sometimes instructors may need a speedy reading check
because there is much else to do during the class period afterwards. Instructors may wish to
alternate between quick quizzes on some days and more creative/open-ended reading checks on
other days.
An answer key follows the quizzes.

Author’s Note Quick Quiz
1. Which of these is the first sentence of the book?

a. My suffering left me sad and gloomy.
b. It was my luck to have a few good teachers in my youth.
c. This book was born as I was hungry.
d. I was named after a swimming pool.
e. none of these
2. The author says he flew to Bombay in order to write a novel about which place?
a. India
b. Canada
c. Portugal
d. Mexico
e. none of these
3. In which of these settings does the conversation with Francis Adirubasamy take place?
a. Mexico
b. India
c. Canada
d. France
e. none of these
4. What does the author say he did with the notes of his “failed novel”?
a. sent them to his publisher for further consideration
b. renamed them and published them under a pseudonym
c. mailed them to a fictitious address in Siberia
d. burned them while considering other career choices
e. none of these
5. Where does the author say he later found the “main character” of this story, Mr. Patel?
a. Pondicherry
b. Toronto
c. Paris
d. Bombay
e. none of these
6. How does the author’s note end?

a. He includes a paragraph acknowledging those who contributed to the story.
b. He explains who the main character is and why he’s so interesting
c. He explains why he no longer writes after finishing this novel.
d. He makes guesses as to why this story would “make you believe in God.”
e. none of these

Part One Quick Quiz (chapters 1-7)
1. Who narrates chapter one (about the sloths, etc.)?

a. Francis Adirubasamy
b. the author
c. Pi Patel
d. none of these
2. What two majors did the narrator of chapter one say he studied in college?
a. botany and zoology
b. zoology and theology
c. botany and biology
d. theology and psychology
e. none of these
3. What does the italic typeface used for chapters 2 and 6 indicate?
a. these are the chapters that are narrated by the author
b. these are the chapters that are narrated by Pi
c. these are the chapters that are narrated by Francis Adirubasamy
d. none of these
4. Who gave Pi his first name?

a. his mother and father
b. his older brother
c. his uncle (mother’s brother)
d. none of these
5. What did Pi’s father do for a living during Pi’s childhood in India?
a. ran a zoo
b. ran a restaurant
c. ran a tour guide company
d. none of these
6. What was Pi’s brother’s name?

a. Ravi
b. Ganapathy
c. Mamaji
d. none of these
7. In chapter six, what does the narrator note about Pi’s home?
a. His home is filled with photos of swimming pools.
b. His rooms are always dark and cold.
c. His kitchen is filled with lots of food and spices.
d. none of these

8. What does Pi compare his name to?

a. a “crown of thorns”
b. a “rainbow of possibilities”
c. a “flavorful dessert”
d. none of these
9. In Chapter 7, Pi says, “Mr. Kumar was the first ___________________ I ever met.” What
goes in the blank?
a. Catholic priest
b. government official
c. avowed atheist
d. none of these
10. What ailment did Mr.Kumar suffer from as a child?

a. polio
b. small pox
c. meningitis
d. none of these

1. What animal does Pi call the “most dangerous animal in a zoo”?

a. tiger
b. bear
c. hippo
d. none of these
2. What animal does Pi’s father say is not dangerous, during the boys’ “lesson”?
a. guinea pigs
b. black swans
c. spotted deer
d. none of these
3. When helping animals get used to human presence in zookeeping, what is the “key aim,”
according to Pi?
a. making sure they are always well-fed
b. diminishing the animal’s flight distance
c. ensuring solid, impenetrable enclosures
d. none of these
4. Pi says that “all living things contain a measure of madness.” He then goes on to say which
of the following?
a. “Without it, no species would survive.”
b. “It must be trained out of the animals in a zoo.”
c. “It requires courage to face such madness.”
d. none of these
5. Pi says, “If there is one thing an animal hates above all else, it is _________________.”
a. being separated from its cubs
b. going unfed
c. the unknown
d. none of these
6. In Chapter 11 Pi provides an example of an animal escaping from a zoo in Zurich. What

kind of animal was it?
a. panda bear
b. sea otter
c. hyena
d. none of these
7. What does the author/narrator say he told Pi that was actually a “complete lie” (chapter 12)?
a. that he liked spicy food
b. that he enjoyed Pi’s stories
c. that he could speak French
d. none of these

8. According to Pi, social rank among animals is…

a. …always a matter of size and brute force
b. …dependent upon food supply
c. …relevant to the type of animal
d. none of these
9. Which animal has the most to gain from a close relationship with its trainer?
a. alpha animal
b. beta animal
c. omega animal
d. none of these

1. What is the overall point of the author/narrator’s observations of Pi’s home in chapter 15?
a. Pi’s home is untidy to the point of being disturbingly filthy.
b. Pi’s home is filled with religious icons relating to many faiths.
c. Pi’s home is uncomfortably cold and dark.
d. none of these
2. Which religion does Pi claim was his first (according to chapter 16)?
a. Catholicism
b. Hinduism
c. Islam
d. none of these
3. True or False:
In chapter 17, Pi completely abandons his first religion in favor of Christianity?
a. true
b. false
4. Who does Pi meet in chapter 18?

a. a Hindu shaman
b. a French swimmer
c. a Catholic nun
d. none of these
5. What does the “Muslim mystic” have in common with Pi’s science teacher?
a. They are both atheists with a penchant for logic and reason.
b. They both have the same first and last names.
c. They are both passionately devoted to religion.
d. none of these
6. True or False:
This section of reading (chp 15-28) did not include any chapters narrated by the
author/narrator. All of them were narrated by Pi.
a. true
b. false
7. In chapter 23, when all three of Pi’s religious teachers meet face-to-face at the same time, Pi
quotes Gandhi to them. What quote does he use?
a. Bapu Gandhi says, “All religions are true.”
b. Bapu Gandhi says, “No religion is true.”
c. Bapu Gandhi says, “Religion is not about truth.”
d. none of these

8. What does Ravi call Pi when he finds out about Pi’s inter-faith devotion?
a. Friar Patel
b. Swami Jesus
c. Pope Allah
d. none of these
9. Besides wanting to be baptized, what does Pi ask for (chapter 26)?

a. a Muslim prayer rug
b. a Catholic rosary
c. a statue of Ganesha
d. none of these
10. What did Ravi do during Pi’s baptism (chapter 28)?

a. nothing, he wasn’t there for the baptism
b. he laughed out loud when Pi was submerged in the water
c. he decided he wanted to be baptized, too
d. none of these

1. For what reason do Pi’s parents decide to move from India to Canada?
a. religious reasons
b. political reasons
2. What did the author/narrator discover about Pi in chapter 30?

a. He isn’t really all that religious
b. He is married.
c. He once killed a man.
d. none of these
3. Who meets in chapter 31?

a. Mr. Kumar (baker) and Mr. Kumar (teacher)
b. Ravi and Mr. Kumar (baker)
c. Pi’s father and Mr. Kumar (teacher)
d. none of these
4. What “freak suspension of the predator-prey relationship” does Pi say his father’s zoo
witnessed?
a. a mouse living in peace among the vipers
b. a goat living in peace among the tigers
c. a rat living in peace among the otters
d. none of these
5. Who does the author/narrator see in one of Pi’s photo album that “amazed” him?
a. Pi’s father
b. Ravi
c. Mr. Kumar
d. none of these
6. In chapter 34, Pi says, “Moving a zoo is like __________________.”

a. moving a city
b. starting a new one
7. Which was the name of the ship Pi’s family sailed on?
a. Dim Sum
b. Nehru Salai
c. Tsimtsum
d. none of these
8. Who does the author/narrator meet in the final chapter of Part One?
a. Mr. Kumar (baker)
b. Francis Adirubasamy
c. Ravi
d. none of these

Part Two Quick Quiz (chapters 37-47)
1. What is the first sentence of chapter 37?

a. The ship sank.
b. Ravi was right.
c. My heart was chilled to ice.
d. none of these
2. Who ends up in the water near Pi’s lifeboat?

a. Ravi
b. Pi’s mother
c. the ship’s cook
d. none of these
3. Who is Richard Parker?

a. the ship’s captain
b. a Bengal tiger
c. Pi’s imaginary friend
d. none of these
4. What woke up Pi on the night of the shipwreck?

a. a strange smell
b. a strange noise
c. a strange light
d. none of these
5. Who/what joined Pi in the lifeboat almost immediately after Pi was thrown into it?
a. Richard Parker
b. a Bengal tiger
c. a zebra
d. none of these
6. In chapter 40, what did Pi say he feared more than he feared the tiger?
a. nothing
b. the Pacific ocean
c. the crew members
d. none of these
7. What other animal did Pi discover was already in the lifeboat, besides the tiger and the
zebra?
a. a snake
b. a hyena
c. an orangutan
d. none of these

8. How did Orange Juice, the Orangutan, get to the lifeboat?

a. she jumped in from the sinking ship
b. she swam from the sinking ship
c. she was there all along, Pi just didn’t know it until later
d. none of these
9. What did the hyena do to the zebra?

a. killed it immediately & swiftly
b. ignored it entirely
c. stayed as far away from it as possible
d. none of these
10. What happened with Orange Juice that made Pi laugh (chapter 45)?
a. she was seasick
b. she killed the hyena
c. she hugged the zebra
d. none of these
11. What thought caused Pi to say “I’m sorry, I would rather not go on.” (chapter 46)?
a. the thought of losing a mother
b. the thought of losing a brother
c. the thought of losing hope
d. none of these
12. At the end of chapter 47, what does Pi see below the tarpaulin?
a. the dead zebra
b. Richard Parker’s head
c. a radio transmitter
d. none of these

1. How did Richard Parker get his name?

a. He was named after the zookeeper at his first zoo.
b. The name was the result of a paperwork error.
c. It was a nickname; his real name isn’t pronounceable.
d. none of these
2. After discovering Richard Parker on the boat, what other issue was even more prominent on
Pi’s mind?
a. hunger
b. thirst
c. pain
d. none of the above
3. What color was the “whole inside of the boat and the tarpaulin and the life jackets and the
life buoys and the oars and most every other significant object aboard”?
a. white
b. green
c. blue
4. Chapter 52 is essentially a list. What is it a list of?

a. things Pi had in his life worth living/surviving for
b. ways Pi could end his own life/misery
c. items in the lifeboat locker
d. none of these
5. What did Pi construct in order to keep himself safe from Richard Parker (chp. 53)?
a. a wall/barrier on the lifeboat
b. a cage
c. a raft
d. none of these
6. What was “Plan Number Six” (chapter 54 &55)?

a. kill Richard Parker with the morphine syringes
b. wait for Richard Parker to die naturally
c. choke Richard Parker to death
d. none of these
7. What does Pi decide about “Plan Number Six” in chapter 55?

a. it is the best plan of them all
b. it is the worst plan of them all

1. Chapter 56 doesn’t continue the story. It consists of Pi’s thoughts on an emotion. Which
one?
a. hatred
b. love
c. despair
d. none of these
2. What is “prusten”?
a. a friendly tiger noise
b. the natural smell a tiger emits
c. the smaller teeth in a tiger’s mouth
d. none of these
3. What does Pi use to start “training” Richard Parker?

a. a whip
b. a whistle
c. a shield
d. none of these
4. What is “Plan Number Seven?”

a. stay on the raft and leave the tiger alone
b. keep the tiger alive
c. kill the tiger with a spear
d. none of these
5. What does the survival manual say about turtles?

a. “Many turtles are poisonous and therefore dangerous to eat.”
b. “Turtles are difficult to catch and not worth the energy expenditure to do so.”
c. “Turtles are an easy catch and make for excellent meals.”
d. none of these
6. In chapter 59, Pi says, “The last of the foreign life forms was abandoning ship.” To what is
he referring?
a. the hyena
b. the orangutan
c. cockroaches
d. the tiger
e. none of these
7. What does Pi do the first time he kills a fish for food (chapter 61)?
a. sings a celebratory song
b. weeps for it
c. cheers and shouts

1. Chapter 63 tells how long Pi’s ordeal at sea was, in total. How many days does he say it
lasted?
a. 60
b. 92
c. 180
d. none of these
2. What is the point of most of the first chapter in this reading section (chapter 63)?
a. explaining Pi’s outlook on life and survival
b. explaining the way Pi spent most of his days at sea
c. explaining the way the tides of the ocean work
d. none of these
3. What happened to Pi’s clothing at sea?

a. It eventually disintegrated entirely.
b. It was preserved by the salt in the water.
c. It became too uncomfortable so he took it off.
4. How did Pi navigate the ocean and stay on course?

a. He didn’t; he just drifted.
b. He studied the survival manual and learned the star maps.
c. He created a make-shift compass and rowed a lot.
5. What did Pi eat “like candy” every time they appeared on the underside of his raft?
a. barnacles
b. worms
c. shrimp
6. What did the smell of the spent hand-flare shells remind Pi of?
a. the smell on the ship the night it sank and he lost his family
b. the smell of cumin, which reminded him of Pondicherry
c. the smell of hunting and killing, which caused him remorse
d. none of these
7. Chapter 71 is, essentially, a list of instructions. What kind?

a. how to dominate a tiger and become the super-alpha
b. how to catch and butcher a large sea turtle
c. how to use a solar still to create fresh water from sea water
d. none of these

8. What did Pi make out of the turtle shell?

a. a bucket
b. a raft
c. a shield
d. none of these
9. What was Pi’s greatest wish “other than salvation”?

a. someone human to talk to
b. a book
c. something to eat other than seafood
d. none of these
10. Chapter 75 is only one sentence long. What is it about?

a. Pi’s mother’s birthday
b. Pi’s birthday
c. Pi’s brother’s birthday
d. none of these
11. What did Pi’s body “develop a revulsion for”?

a. heat
b. salt
c. cold
d. none of these
12. What did Richard Parker battle in the lifeboat (chapter 79)?
a. a giant squid
b. a shark
c. a crab
d. none of these
13. What did Pi do that allowed him to finally feel mostly at east with Richard Parker in the
boat?
a. hit Richard Parker hard enough to scare him with brute force
b. stared Richard Parker down
c. sedated Richard Parker with a morphine syringe
d. none of these

1. What did Pi say was the “single most constant source of anxiety and suffering through our
journey”?
a. scarcity of food
b. scarcity of water
c. heat from the sun
d. dangers of the sea
e. none of these
2. True or False: the storm described by Pi in chapter 83 was so severe that it had split his
water bags open and ruined all of his fresh water.
a. true
b. false
3. What effect did the lightning have on Pi?

a. It terrified him and caused him to hide.
b. It bored him; he was beyond responding to such things.
c. It awed and impressed him.
4. What did Pi tell Richard Parker after the tanker nearly hit them and then disappeared from
view?
a. “I love you.”
b. “I hate you.”
c. “Thank you.”
d. none of these
5. What did Pi do on the same day that their boat came upon trash in the water?
a. put a message in a bottle
b. sent up a rescue flair
c. started a fire in the boat to create smoke
d. none of these
6. Why did Pi stop writing in his diary/journal while at sea?

a. he ran out of paper
b. he ran out of pen ink
c. he felt he had nothing more to say
d. he could no longer think clearly
7. In chapter 90, what does Richard Parker kill?

a. a whale
b. a shark
c. a man
d. none of these

1. What was unusual about the island Pi found?

a. it was deserted
b. it was made of algae
c. it had no vegetation
d. none of these
2. What animals did Pi discover on the island?

a. rats
b. weasels
c. snakes
d. none of these
3. What was in the fruit on the island tree when Pi opened it?
a. nothing; it was rotten
b. a human tooth
c. only seeds; nothing edible
d. none of these
4. Where does Pi find himself at the start of chapter 94?

a. still on the island
b. back at sea
c. on real land
d. none of these
5. What caused Pi to weep in chapter 94?

a. finally seeing fellow humans again
b. Richard Parker leaving him
c. joy at being on land again
d. none of these
6. In what country did Pi reach land and become rescued?

a. India
b. Canada
c. America
d. none of these

Part Three Quick Quiz (chapters 95-100)
1. Who narrates the first chapter in Part Three (chapter 95)?

a. Pi
b. the author/narrator
c. Mr. Okamoto
d. Francis Adirubasamy
e. none of these
2. What is unusual about the narration of Part Three, compared to Part One and Part Two?
a. it is just straight narration by Pi
b. it consists mostly of dialogue
c. it is the same story told from a different character’s perspective
d. it takes place before the shipwreck occurred
3. What organization does Mr. Chiba represent?

a. Japanese Ministry of Transport
b. India’s Society of Zookeepers
c. Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Department
d. The Canadian Cargo Shipping Association
e. none of these
4. What does Pi tell Mr. Chiba and Mr. Okamoto?

a. that his entire story was fake and that he had no real memory of what happened
b. a different version of the story than the one he had presented in Part Two
c. that his family survived the wreck, but he killed and ate them one-by-one to survive
d. none of these
5. True or False: By the end of the novel, Mr. Chiba and Mr. Okamoto discover the actual
reason the ship sank.
a. true
b. false

Author’s Note 7. a
Quick Quiz ANSWERS 8. b
9. a
1. c 10. a
2. c
3. b Part One Quick Quiz
4. c (chapters 29-36) ANSWERS
5. b
6. a 1. b
2. b
Part One Quick Quiz 3. a
(chapters 1-7) ANSWERS 4. a
5. d
1. c 6. a
2. b 7. c
3. a 8. d
4. d
5. a Part Two Quick Quiz
6. a (chapters 37-47) ANSWERS
7. c
8. a 1. a
9. c 2. d
10. a 3. b
4. b
5. c
Part One Quick Quiz 6. b
(chapters 8-14) ANSWERS 7. b
8. d
1. d 9. d
2. a 10. a
3. b 11. a
4. a 12. b
5. c
6. d Part Two Quick Quiz
7. a (chapters 48-55) ANSWERS
8. d
9. c 1. b
2. b
Part One Quick Quiz 3. d
(chapters 15-28) ANSWERS 4. c
5. c
1. b 6. b
2. b 7. b
3. b
4. d
5. b
6. b

Part Two Quick Quiz Part Two Quick Quiz

(chapters 56-62) ANSWERS (chapters 81-91) ANSWERS
1. d 1. b
2. a 2. b
3. b 3. c
4. b 4. a
5. c 5. a
6. c 6. b
7. b 7. c
Part Two Quick Quiz Part Two Quick Quiz

(chapters 63-80) ANSWERS (chapters 92-94) ANSWERS
1. d 1. b
2. b 2. d
3. a 3. b
4. a 4. c
5. d 5. b
6. b 6. d
7. a
8. c Part Three Quick Quiz
9. b (chapters 95-100) ANSWERS
10. a
11. b 1. b
12. b 2. b
13. b 3. a
4. b
5. b

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Author’s Note
Key References & Allusions
Vocabulary
British rule of India – Britain colonized much of India from 1776-1947
gangly (adj)
fiasco (n)
bamboozle (v) Indian tea estates – India is well-known for tea production; tea leaves
stint (n) are farmed on plantations called tea estates
crux (n)
evangelist (n) Jehovah’s Witness – Christian group known for going door-to-door to
lilt (n) share their beliefs with strangers
purveyor (n)
spry (adj)
obscurely (adv) Kierkegaard – Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a famous Danish
exemplary (adj) philosopher and theologian
Pondicherry – also known as Puducherry; Pondicherry is a Union

Territory in southern India and a former French colony
Muslim – adherent to the religion of Islam; follower of the prophet

Muhammad
Nehru – “Nehru Street,” as mentioned in the book, is probably named

after Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964), an important figure in
the Indian independence movement and the longest
serving Prime Minister in Independent India
Tolstoy – Leo Tolstoy (1828-1910), a Russian writer widely regarded as

one of the greatest novelists; author of Anna Karenina and
War and Peace
Tamil Nadu -- area on the eastern coast of southern India
Characters appearing or mentioned in Author’s Note

author/narrator Francis Adirubasamy Pi Patel Mr. Kazuhiko Oda
Mr. Tomohiro Okamoto

Author’s Note Discussion Questions

literary terms appear in bold
1. The first-person narrative voice of this “Author’s Note” starts off sounding as if Yann
Martel is writing it to the reader about the actual inspiration for Life of Pi. At what point does
the reader suspect the “Author’s Note” is part of the fictional novel? Why?
2. Analyze the simile in the following sentence and explain what effect it has on tone: “Books
lined the shelves of bookstores like kids standing in a row to play baseball or soccer, and
mine was the gangly, unathletic kid that no one wanted on their team.”
3. Discuss the potential symbolic significance of the first sentence in the novel: “This book
was born as I was hungry.” Note that its sentiment is repeated later when he says, “It leaves
you with an aching hunger.” Revisit these statements after finishing the novel, as well.
4. What might the author/narrator mean when he says, “a novel set in Portugal in 1939 may
have very little to do with Portugal in 1939”?
5. What do you make of the author/narrator mailing his “failed novel” to a fictitious address,
with a fictitious return address on the envelope? What does this tell us about him?
6. What is the tone of the paragraph in which the author/narrator discusses his profession and
what he wishes he could tell people who ask? Why does it have that tone?
7. Contrast the tone of the paragraph that begins, “Later, in Toronto…”(p. xi) with the
paragraph that begins, “I had been to India before…” (p. vii). What contributes to the tone
of each paragraph?
Key Quotes
“That’s what fiction is about, isn’t it, the selective transforming of reality? The twisting of it
to bring out its essence?”
“I have a story that will make you believe in God.”
“If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of
crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams.”

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Part One: Toronto and Pondicherry
Chapters 1-7
Vocabulary Key References & Allusions
cosmogony (n) Kabbalist – one who practices the mystical aspects of Judaism
thesis (n)
in situ (adv) Magoo – reference to Mr. Magoo, a near-blind cartoon character
indolence (n) Yogi – one who practices and teaches yoga meditations
elicit (v)
agnostic (n) memento mori – Latin for “remember you must die”; a genre of art meant to remind the
atheistic (adj) viewer of his/her mortality; memento mori paintings typically include the
oblivion (n) depiction of a skull
anemic (adj) Rhodes Scholarship – particularly prestigious international award for study at Oxford
obstetric (adj) University
epic (adj)
Gallic (adj) guru – expert or teacher, particularly of the religious sense
Britannic (adj) Roman soldier – reference to the Biblical story of the death of Christ, before which a
conspiratorial (adj) Roman soldier taunted and tortured Christ
profusion (n)
crown of thorns – another reference to the Biblical story of the death of Christ, in which
lasciviousness (adj)
the Roman soldiers forced Christ to wear a painful crown made of thorns
depraved (adj) as a means to ridicule, pain, and humiliate him
menagerie (n)
discordant (adj) Muhammad in Mecca – reference to the Islamic prophet Muhammad, who was born in
lecherous (adj) Mecca but fled to Medina to avoid persecution
founder (v) Hejira – Arabic word meaning “migration”; Muhammad’s Hejira from Mecca to Medina
raiment (n) marks the start of the Islamic calendar
imperative (n)
guffaw (v) cricket – popular bat-and-ball game in England, as well as places once colonized by
modulation (n) England
crescendo (n) the siege of Leningrad – unsuccessful attempt by Axis powers to take control of
apothecary (n) Leningrad during WWII
Kerala – an area in southern India; one of the few regions in the world where
communist parties are democratically elected
Mrs. Gandhi – reference to Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi, Indian Prime Minister from
1966-1977, influential in the Indian Independence Movement
polio – an acute viral infectious disease; a dreaded childhood diseases of the 20th century
means of production – oblique reference to Karl Marx’s ideas about the economy and
human society
garden of Gethsemane – Biblical reference to the spot Jesus took his disciples to pray
the night before his crucifixion

Characters appearing or mentioned in Chapters 1-7

author/narrator Pi Patel Richard Parker Francis Adirubasamy (Mamaji)
Ravi Santosh (father) Gita (mother) Satish Kumar (teacher)
Chapter 1-7 Discussion Questions

1. Who is narrating chapter one? How does the reader know this? What makes the beginning
of this chapter somewhat confusing to the reader?
2. What do you make of the zoology-theology double major? Do you agree that the two
complement one another? Revisit this question after you have finished the novel.
3. What are some things we can infer about the narrator as a character, from his tone in
chapter one? Give examples.
4. What does the narrator say about Richard Parker in chapter one? What is achieved by this
brief mention? Note the paradox of “nightmares tinged with love.” Revisit this after
finishing the novel.
5. What does the following quote tell us about the narrator of chapter one? Revisit this after
“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn’t biological necessity—it’s envy. Life is so
beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it
can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and
gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud.”
6. What is the purpose of chapter two? What is the change in narrative voice?
7. Discuss the potential significance of the water imagery introduced in chapter three. Revisit
this after finishing the novel.
8. Discuss Pi’s views on “freedom” as put forth in chapter four. Which is more “free”—an
animal in the wild or an animal in a well-thought-out zoo? How do his assertions challenge
what most people believe it means to be “free”? Does it apply to humans?
9. What is the potential thematic significance of this statement by Pi in chapter five? Revisit
“…in that elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe, I
found refuge.”

10. In terms of narrative structure, why might Martel have chosen to return to the
author/narrator for chapter six? What purpose does that shift in narration fulfill? Also,
what is revealed in this chapter?
11. What language and imagery does Pi use to describe Mr. Kumar in chapter seven? What is
achieved by this?
12. What does Mr. Kumar (in chapter seven) seem to symbolize or represent? How do you
know? [Pay particular attention to the diction Pi uses when describing Mr. Kumar].
13. Why does Pi feel a “kinship” with Mr. Kumar? How does this make sense? Revisit the idea
of “leaps of faith” after finishing the novel.
Key Quotes
“A number of my fellow religious-studies students—muddled agnostics who didn’t know

which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool’s gold for the bright—
reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of
the miracle of life, reminded me of God.” (chapter 1)
“Richard Parker has stayed with me. I’ve never forgotten him. Dare I say I miss him? I do. I
miss him. I still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares mostly, but nightmares tinged
with love. Such is the strangeness of the human heart.” (chapter 1)
“It was a huge zoo, spread over numberless acres, big enough to require a train to explore it,
though it seemed smaller as I grew older, train included. Now it’s so small it fits in my head.”
(chapter 4)
“I have heard as much nonsense about zoos and I have about God and religion.” (chapter 4)
“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. What is the
meaning of freedom in such a context?” (chapter 4)
“I know zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.” (chapter 4)
“And so, in that Greek letter that looks like a shack with a corrugated tin roof, in that
elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe, I found
refuge.” (chapter 5)
“I come here all the time. One might say it’s my temple.” (chapter 6)

“I said nothing. It wasn’t for fear of angering Mr. Kumar. I was more afraid that in a few
words thrown out he might destroy something that I loved. What if his words had the effect
of polio on me? What a terrible disease that must be if it could kill God in a man.” (chapter
6)
“It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every
word they speak speaks of faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry
them—and then they leap.” (chapter 6)
“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of

transportation.” (chapter 6) [note: you may wish to consider this quote in light of Pi saying
that sloths remind him of agnostics in chapter 1]

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Chapters 8-14
Vocabulary Key References
obituary (n) Goliath – though the novel speaks of Goliath as the name of a
venerable (adj) famed zoo elephant, the name Goliath is a Biblical
inflict (v) reference to a huge Philistine champion who is
deranged (adj) defeated by the much smaller David in 1 Samuel. The
sadist (n) word Goliath has become nearly synonymous with
ply (v) “giant.”
placid (adj)
vigilance (n) Ravana – king of Hindu mythology; in the Ramayana, he is
redoubtable (adj) depicted as a brute who kidnaps Rama’s wife, Sita
anthropomorphize (v)
daub (v) consort – in Hindu mythology, the word “consort” is used
incensed (adj) fairly synonymously with “wife”
tremulous (adj)
contrite (adj) Ramayana – ancient Sanskrit epic tale; important to Hindu lore
carrion (n)
domesticated (adj) Sita – wife of Rama; she is the standard-setter for Hindu
disrepute (n) women, wives, and mothers
constitutional (adj)
ascendancy (n) sari – traditional and orthodox wrap worn by Hindu women; a
sari is one long piece of cloth tied around a woman to
resemble a dress, but has no stitching
Hediger – Swiss biologist and “father of zoo biology.” Heini

Hediger did extensive work in the proxemics of zoo
animals; his research outlines the boundaries of
“personal distance” and “social distance”
alpha male – in social animals, individuals are ranked by the

group according to perceived strength and
dominance—from super-alpha (most dominant and
powerful) down to omega (most submissive and
inferior member of the group)

author/narrator Pi Patel Richard Parker Sitaram Babu
Ravi Santosh (father) Gita (mother) Mahisha


1. In Chapter 8 Pi spends a great deal of time comparing animals to humans and humans to
animals. Why? To what effect?
2. What is the point of Father’s “lesson” to Ravi and Pi at the zoo in chapter 8? After finishing
the novel, come back and re-read this chapter. In what ways does this foreshadow events
and ideas that appear in Part Two?
3. Why is the information in chapter 9 included? You may wish to revisit this question after
4. Chapters 12-14 appear to be what the New Yorker has deemed “an impassioned defense of
zoos.” What reason might Martel have had to include these chapters in the novel? What
purpose do they serve?
5. In chapter 12 we learn that Pi likes to cook, and adds a lot of spice when he does. This fact
is re-visited later in chapter 30, as well. Why do you think Martel provides this detail about
Pi? You may wish to revisit this question after finishing the novel.
Key Quotes
“The obsession with putting ourselves at the centre of everything is the bane not only of
theologians but also of zoologists.” (chapter 8)
“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes
inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt.
Without it, no species would survive.” (chapter 10)
“Animals that escape go from the known into the unknown—and if there is one thing an
animal hates above all else, it is the unknown.” (chapter 11)
“Memory is an ocean, and he bobs on its surface.” (chapter 12)
“After all of these years, Richard Parker still preys upon his mind.” (chapter 12)

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Chapters 15-28
sultriness (adj) Ganesha – Hindu deity known as the “remover of obstacles,” he has
exaltation (n) the head of an elephant
lethargy (n)
unremittingly (adv) Virgin Mary of Guadalupe – Mexico’s most well-known religious
rectory (n) image (of the Virgin Mary)
vestibule (n) Krishna – major Hindu deity, said to appear in many forms
cassock (n)
intuitive (adj) Lakshmi – Hindu goddess of wealth, prosperity, purity, and
defiler (n) generosity; embodiment of beauty, grace, and charm
usurper (n)
blight (v) Shakti – the personified concept of divine feminine creative power
reverently (adv)
avatar (n) Parvati – Hindu mother goddess, consort of Shiva
spindly (adj)
minaret (n) samskara – general term for Hindu rites
asana (n)
Allah – Arabic word for God
muezzin (n)
mosque (n) Mahabharata – epic Hindu tale, considered the companion to the
Bedouins (n) Ramayana
imam (n)
pandit (n) darshan – translates roughly as “vision of the divine”
Qur’an (n)
karma (n) puja – Hindu religious ritual meant to honor gods
incongruous (adj)
callisthenic (adj) “Bapu” Gandhi – reference to Mahatma Gandhi (not the “Mrs.
pious (adj) Gandhi” referenced elsewhere); major spiritual and
hovel (n) political leader in India. “Bapu” means “daddy.”
ineluctably(adv) hajj – pilgrimage to Mecca
bemused (adj)
devout (adj) Robert Louis Stevenson – famed novelist, poet, essayist, and travel
askance (adv) writer; notably, Stevenson wrote Treasure
intone (v) Island
apoplectic (adj)
lampoonery (n) Conan Doyle – author of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries
R.K. Narayan – one of the most famous Indian novelists
Robinson Crusoe – famous novel by Daniel Defoe about shipwreck and

being a castaway


author/narrator Pi Patel Auntie Rohini Father Martin
Father (Santosh) Mother (Gita) Ravi Satish Kumar (imam)

1. What is paradoxical about the décor in Pi Patel’s home (as described in chapter 15)? What
does that tell us about this character?
2. In what way does Pi’s anecdote about Lord Krishna as a cowherd (chapter 16) relate to the
way Pi appears to view religion?
3. What do you think Pi means when he says the following: “…Hindus, in their capacity for
love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything,
are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims”?
4. Pi seems to have experienced some conceptual difficulties with Christianity. Why did this
young Hindu boy struggle with Christian concepts? Why do you think Pi ultimately came to
embrace Christianity rather than to reject it?
5. Compare the Satish Kumar in chapter 18-20 with the Satish Kumar of chapter 7. How does
Martel use language differently when describing them? Why do you think he chose to give
these two characters the same name?
6. Martel has said that chapters 21 and 22 are at the core of the novel. Why do you suppose he
asserts that? Revisit this question after finishing the novel.
7. What does Martel seem to be suggesting about human beings and religion when he writes
about the confrontation between Pi and his three religious teachers (chapter 23)? How does
Pi diffuse the situation? Why does that work?
8. In light of the plot of this novel, what is interesting about some of the titles and authors that
Pi’s mother suggests to him as a diversion from his religious interests? Revisit this question
after finishing the novel.
Key Quotes
“His house was a temple.” (chapter 15)
“We are all born like Catholics, aren’t we—in limbo, without religion, until some figure
introduces us to God?” (chapter 16)

“The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table. That
which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us
and struggles for expression, is the same thing. The finite within the infinite, the infinite
within the finite.” (chapter 16)
“But we should not cling! A plague upon fundamentalists and literalists!” (chapter 16)
“First wonder goes deepest; wonder after that fits in the impression made by the first.”
(chapter 17)
“Our encounters always leave me weary of the glum contentment that characterizes my life.”
(chapter 21)
“Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’ I just want to love God…” (chapter 23)
“To me, religion is about our dignity, not our depravity.” (chapter 25)

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Chapters 29-36
precarious (adj) chapatti – flatbread commonly eaten in India
nemesis (n)
zoomorphism (n) The Emergency – June 25, 1975 to March 21, 1977 – a period
amorous (adj) when the Indian president, on advice by
immigration (n) Indira Gandhi, declared a state of emergency
cataract (n) that gave her the power to rule by decree,
deputation (n) and suspended elections and civil liberties. It
profusely (adv) is one of the most controversial periods in
appareled (v) the history of independent India.
incredulous (adj)
unperturbed (adj) Morarji Desai – Indian independence activist in the 1970s
Methuselah – the oldest person whose age is mentioned in the

Bible; has become a general synonym for any
living creature of great age
cricket -- game somewhat similar to baseball; popular in Britain

and India

author/narrator Pi Patel father (Santosh) mother (Gita) Mamaji
Meena Patel Mr. Kumar Mr. Kumar Raj Mrs. Radhakrishna
Nikhil Patel Usha Patel


1. Consider chapter 29 (Pi’s ruminations about why people move) to chapters 10-11 (his
discussion of why zoo animals might leave their enclosures). In what ways did India become
an “unsuitable enclosure” (chapter 10) for Pi’s father (chapter 29)?
2. Why was there “no Emergency” in Pi’s life (chapter 29)?
3. What do we find out about Pi’s adult life in chapter 30 and 36?
4. Why do you think Martel includes the chapter (31) in which Mr. Kumar (teacher) and Mr.
Kumar (Sufi) meet?
5. What is paradoxical about Mr. Kumar (Sufi) saying, “In all this there are messages intended
for people who use their reason”?
6. Martel appears to be purposefully ambiguous about Mr. Kumar and Mr. Kumar in the
scene where they are feeding the zebra a carrot. Which is which? Why does Martel not make
their identities more clear for the reader in this scene?
7. Compare the comments of Mr. Kumar and Mr. Kumar at the end of chapter 31. What does
the diction used by each one reveal about his personality and world-view?
8. Why does Martel include the chapter (32) about animals coming to “surprising living
arrangements”? Revisit this question after finishing the novel.
9. How has Martel used ambiguity purposefully in chapter 33 when discussing Richard
Parker’s appearance in an old photo? What is the reader lead to believe? After finishing the
novel, what does the reader know? What is the result of the ambiguity Martel is using here?
10. What do you make of the narrator telling us at the end of Part One that the story has a
happy ending? Why would an author let the reader know that in advance? After finishing the
novel, see if you agree that it is a happy ending.
Key Quotes
“They were there all along, but I hadn’t seen them before because I wasn’t looking for
them.” (chapter 30)
“Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to, but what can you do? You must take
life the way it comes at you and make the best of it.” (chapter 35)

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Part Two: The Pacific Ocean
Chapters 37-47

bullishly (adv) Midway – When Pi says “midway to Midway” it’s not a
dyspeptic (adj) typographical error. The capitalized version refers to
landlubber (n) Midway Island, a small atoll located in the Pacific
tarpaulin (n) Ocean between Hawaii and Tokyo.
ensconce (v)
davit (n) manna – a allusion to the Biblical manna that appears
list (v) miraculously to feed the Israelites in the book of
grommet (n) Exodus, also briefly mentioned in the Qur’an as
marauding (adj) providing sustenance for the Israelites; the word
flotsam (n) manna has become synonymous with anything
geotectonics (n)
helpful that unexpectedly appears (usually in
dissembling (v)
abundance)
malevolent (adj)
tentative (adj)
cataleptic (adj) National Geographic – a famous periodical that depicts top-
maniacal (adj) quality photographs of geography,
ostentation (n) archaeology and natural science
virulent (adj)
catholicity (n)
formidable (adj) Noah – Biblical allusion to the book of Genesis, where Noah
remonstration (n) was tasked by God with saving two of every creature
callous (adj) of the earth from a devastating flood by building an ark
simian (n) and taking them onboard
frugivorous (adj)
albeit (conj) Jesus – deities associated with Christian, Islamic, and Hindu faith
durian (n) Mary
unmolested (adj) Muhammad
haughty (adj) Vishnu
chromatic (adj)
amok (adv)
viscera (n)
pungent (adj)
coagulating (v)
fistula (n)
dilated (adj)
menace (n)
kinetic (adj)
empirical (adj)
exult (v)
sublimity (n)


Pi Patel father (Santosh) mother (Gita) Ravi
Richard Parker Orange Juice zebra hyena sailors & officers

1. In Part Two, the author/narrator’s voice disappears; all of the chapters are told in Pi’s voice,
recollecting the shipwreck and what followed it. In terms of the structure of the novel, why
does Martel do this?
2. Consider the order of the story in chapters 37-39. What is odd about it? Why do you think
Martel chose to order the narrative this way? What effect does this order achieve?
3. At what point does the reader clearly conclude the Richard Parker is the name of a tiger and
not a person? (Find a page reference.) How does Martel use language to perpetuate
ambiguity about Richard Parker right up until that point?
4. Though most of the narration of these chapters is intense and serious, Pi’s character also has
a humorous, maybe even sarcastic, voice in places. Find examples and discuss how Martel’s
use of language contributes to the humorous tone.
5. What does Pi mean/imply by the simple, two-word phrase “Oh, Ravi!” in chapter 38?
6. At times, Pi’s narration takes on a poetic quality, due in large part to Martel’s occasional use
of fragmented sentence structure, figurative language, imagery, and sound devices. For
example, Pi says that the ship sinking “was an unbelievable as the moon catching fire.” Find
several other examples of such poetic prose and discuss how they affect our perception of
the story and storyteller (Pi).
7. How is the reader’s perception of Orange Juice (and Pi’s relationship with her) affected by
the diction, allusions, and imagery apparent in chapter 42?
8. In Chapter 43, Pi says that “…red lights were blinking on consoles, alarm bells were ringing,
eyes were opening wide in horror….” it sounds as if he knows this for certain. Does he know
this for certain, or is he being wishful? How can you tell?
9. How has Martel used lightness and darkness/day and night in this section, and to what
effect?

Key Quotes
“Every single thing I value in life has been destroyed. And am I allowed no explanation? I
am to suffer hell without any account from heaven? In that case, what is the purpose of
reason, Richard Parker? Is it no more than to shine at practicalities—the getting of food,
clothing and shelter? Why can’t reason give greater answers? Why can we throw a question
further than we can pull in an answer? Why such a vast net if there’s so little fish to catch?”
(chapter 37)
“Something in me did not want to give up on life, was unwilling to let it go, wanted to fight
to the very end. Where that part of me got the heart, I don’t know.” (chapter 37)
“I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the Pacific, hanging on to an oar, an adult tiger
in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me. Had I considered by prospects
in the light of reason, I surely would have given up….I just held on, God only knows why.”
(chapter 40)
“Accidental cannibalism is a common occurrence during the excitement of a feeding…”

(chapter 43)
“When your own life is threatened, your sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish
hunger for survival.” (chapter 45)

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Chapters 48-55
sustenance (n) divining rod – also called a “dowsing rod” or “witching rod” – a branch,
insouciant (adj) rod, stick, or other implement said to assist a person in
conundrum (n) finding underground water
chandler (n)
rudder (n) masala dosai – a southern Indian dish (like a filled crepe)
prow (n)
keel (n)
hull (n) chutney – a sweet and spicy Indian condiment
propulsion (n)
cache (n) idli – a savory Indian cake made from lentil and rice; popular for snack or
tautly (adv) breakfast
unambiguous (adj)
supplication (n)
vintner (n) tiffin – snack, light lunch, or other light meal
prise (v)
suppleness (n) Tarzan – fictional character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs in the
savory (adj) novel Tarzan of the Apes (magazine publication 1912, book
palate (n) publication 1914); Tarzan was the archetypal “child raised in
lucidity (n) the wild by animals”; he appeared in twenty-three sequels and
poignancy (n) many works in other media since, such as movies and comic
bated (adj) books
implore (v)
affected (adj)
lithesome (adj)
ponderous (adj)
voraciously (adv)
furtively (adv)
erratic (adj)
mantra (n)
attrition (n)
appease (v)

Pi Patel mother (Gita) Richard Parker hyena


1. Why might Martel have chosen to give the tiger a human-sounding name? Think of the
earlier chapters about the zoo animals. Also think of what Richard Parker might represent
and what he comes to mean to Pi. Revisit this question after finishing the novel.
2. A book’s cover art can be deceiving; read chapter 50 carefully to get a good idea of the size
and shape of the lifeboat. If your school has 12x12 floor tiles, use them to figure out how
long and how wide the lifeboat was. If possible, draw a sketch of the boat based on Pi’s
description.
3. Why do you think Martel provides such detailed and specific description of the lifeboat and
its contents (chapter 50-52)? What effect do these chapters have on the reader? Why?
4. Why do you think Pi deems “plan number four” to be a “clever, suicidal plan”?
Key Quotes
“In English it said the ration consisted of eighteen fortified biscuits of baked wheat, animal
fat and glucose…Pity about the fat, but given the exceptional circumstances the vegetarian
part of me would simply pinch its nose and bear it.” (chapter 51)
“ 1 boy with a complete set of light clothing but for one lost shoe
1 spotted hyena
1 Bengal tiger
1 lifeboat
1 ocean
1 God” (chapter 52)
“Some of us give up on life with only a resigned sigh. Others fight a little, then lose hope.
Still others—and I am one of those—never give up. We fight and fight and fight. We fight
no matter what the cost of the battle, the losses we take, the improbability of success. We
fight to the very end. It’s not a question of courage. It’s something constitutional, an inability
to let go. It may be nothing more than life-hungry stupidity.” (chapter 53)

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Chapters 56-62
oestrous (adj) “the greatest show on earth” – an allusion to the slogan made
detonation (n) famous by the Ringling Brothers and Barnum &
resonant (adj) Bailey circus
inflection (n)
edification (n) yarn spinning – a colloquial, idiomatic way of saying “telling
arid (adj) stories,” having nothing to do with yarn or
brackish (adj) spinning, at all; sailors at sea were known to
exertion (n) “spin yarns” or tell tales
morale (n)
daunted (adj) Markandeya – an ancient sage (wise man) of Hindu mythology;
cryptic (adj) a devotee of both Shiva and Vishnu
injunction (n)
gastronomic (adj) swarm of locusts – could be a general reference to the tendency
tantamount (adj) of locusts to swarm in large masses,
disconsolate (adj) destroying crops and property; could also be
patriarch (n) an oblique allusion to the eighth plague on
still (n) Egypt in the Bible (Exodus)
distillation (n)
requisite (adj) Saint Sebastian – a Catholic saint who was said to have died
flotilla (n) during the persecution of Christians by being
mien (n) tied to a post and shot repeatedly with arrows
evanescent (adj)
phosphorescent (adj) yogi – an accomplished practitioner of yoga (both meditation
luminescence (n) and poses)
putrefied (adj)
stalactite (n) Cain – a Biblical allusion to the son of Adam (in Genesis) who
stalagmite (n) is said to have been the first murderer, having killed his
martyrdom (n) brother Abel
onslaught (n)
deliberation (n)
sentient (adj)
bludgeon (v)
elusive (adj)
sanguinary (adj)
consecrated (adj)
lethargic (adj)
calibration (n)


Pi Patel Richard Parker

1. In terms of plot, nothing really happens in Chapter 56. It is Pi’s homily on fear and its
effects. Why do you think Martel inserts it here? What do you make of Pi’s thoughts about
fear and survival in this chapter? Revisit this question after finishing the novel.
2. Note the tone shifts in chapter 58. The list of advice from the manual has a distinct tone.
The paragraphs that follow Pi’s reading have another. The last three paragraphs have a
different tone altogether. What is the tone of each of those segments? What literary
techniques contribute to the tone in each segment?
3. Discuss the advice in the fifth bullet in chapter 58: “If a castaway is injured, beware of well-
meaning but ill-founded medical treatment.” Re-consider this advice and how it relates to
the story after finishing the novel.
4. Track Pi’s emotions throughout this section. What is the pattern? What causes each mood?
5. Describe Pi’s range of feelings towards Richard Parker. Use text to support your response.
6. Discuss the tone of chapter 60. How is that tone achieved?
7. Note the use of voice in chapter 61. Who is talking to Pi about what to feed the tiger? What
tone does this speaker take? What might account for this sort of conversation?
8. Contrast the language and imagery in the section where Pi kills the first flying fish with the
language used when he is killing the dorado.
9. Pi’s struggle with the dorado reminds the literate reader of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the
Sea. If you haven’t read it, do some quick research. Why is this section reminiscent of that
novella?
Key Quotes
“It is the irony of this story that the one who scared me witless to start with was the very
same who brought me peace, purpose, I dare say even wholeness.” (chapter 57)
“It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. We were, literally and figuratively,
in the same boat. We would live—or we would die—together.” (chapter 57)

“A part of me did not want Richard Parker to die at all, because if he died I would be left
alone with despair, a foe even more formidable than a tiger. If I still had the will to live, it
was thanks to Richard Parker….It’s the plain truth: without Richard Parker, I wouldn’t be
alive today to tell you my story.” (chapter 57)
“I was sixteen years old, a harmless boy, bookish and religious, and now I had blood on my
hands. It’s a terrible burden to carry.” (chapter 61)
“It is simple and brutal: a person can get used to anything, even killing.”

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Chapters 63-80
leprosy (n) Robertson family – a real-life family that was shipwrecked for over a
decipher (v) month in 1972 and survived, headed by Dougal
sextant (n) Robertson, who went on to write Survive the Savage
ambit (n) Sea in 1973
carapace (n)
Captain Bligh – an officer of the British Royal Navy; an infamous
jubilant (adj) mutiny occurred during his command of HMS Bounty
barnacle (n) in 1789; Bligh and loyal men made a voyage to
cumin (n) Timor, after being set adrift by the mutineers
opaquely (adv)
goad (v) Bounty – reference to the HMS Bounty (see Captain Bligh, above)
forbearance (n)
afflict (v) Owen Chase – First Mate of the whale ship Essex, sunk by a whale in
pique (v) 1820. Chase wrote about the incident in Narrative of the
affronted (adj) Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whale-
construe (v) Ship Essex. This book inspired Herman Melville to
incapacitating (adj) write Moby-Dick.
ordnance (n) Herman Melville – famed author of Moby Dick
covert (adj)
excrete (v) Bailey family – British couple that survived for 117 days on a rubber
ominous (adj) raft in the Pacific Ocean before being rescued (1973);
fastidiously (adv) they returned to England and wrote 117 Days Adrift
respite (n)
coagulated (adj) Poon – reference to Poon Lim (or Lim Poon), a Chinese sailor on a
vestige (n) British merchant ship that was torpedoed and sunk in 1942;
acrid (adj) he survived 133 days in the Atlantic before being rescued
post-haste (adv)
Hanuman – an important personality in the Ramayana; one of his
curmudgeonly (adv)
distinguishing characteristics is enough strength to lift a
epic (adj) mountain
honed (adj)
tubercle (n) pop can – “soda can”; Martel’s use of the colloquial term “pop”
gregarious (adj) marks him as a Candadian; “pop” is in the northern United
States and Canada what “soda” is in the South
Elvis Presley – famed Rock-and-Roll star known for swiveling his hips
Arjuna – important hero of the Hindu epic Mah bh rata

Gideons – evangelical Christian organization famous for placing Bibles

in hotel rooms worldwide
Ganges – major river in India
dhal – a thick, spicy stew made from dried beans
Rajasthan – the largest state in the Republic of India
Uttar Pradesh – a large state in India, the country’s most populous
Sambar – a vegetable stew or chowder popular in India
lassi – a traditional yogurt-based drink
poriyal –a South Indian vegetable dish
kootus –a common Indian dish made of vegetables and lentils
cardamom payasam – a traditional Indian rice-pudding dessert; in this

case, flavored with the spice cardamom
thali – a variety of different dishes, usually served together in several

small bowls on a tray
gulab jamun – sweet dish made of a dough consisting mainly of milk

solids in a syrup flavored with cardamom seeds and
rosewater or saffron
Jesus-Matsya – an appropriate but paradoxical combination of

religious figures, both relating to fish; Jesus is
referenced due to the New Testament stories of him
miraculously multiplying the supply of fish to feed the
multitudes who had come to hear him teach; Matsya is
the Hindu name of an incarnation of Vishnu, in the
form of an ever-growing fish

Pi Patel Richard Parker


1. Do a little “quickie research” on the names in the first paragraph of chapter 63. A fast
Wikipedia check or Google search will show that many of the shipwreck/castaway stories
alluded to have a lot in common with Pi’s ordeal. Be able to discuss some of the similarities.
What does this tell us about Martel as an author?
2. Pi says his ordeal lasted 227 days. Because he is telling the story, we already know he
survives. Now we also know how long it takes before he is rescued. What effect does this
knowledge have on the story? Why?
3. How is the number 227 related to pi ( )?
4. In the list of typical activities provided in chapter 63, Pi includes “picking at of turtle bones.”
This is confusing, since the previous chapters specifically stated that he had “recoiled in
horror” at merely touching a turtle’s flipper and that he had seen another turtle but “did
nothing about it.” How do you account for this inconsistency in the story-telling?
5. What might be significant, symbolically, about Pi ending up naked?
6. Trace the change in Pi from the first tearful killing of the flying fish to the way he kills by the
end of this section. What changes? How does Martel’s use of diction, figurative language
and imagery convey that change? Provide examples.
7. Discuss Martel’s juxtaposition of light and dark imagery in chapter 69.
8. Martel’s use of narrative voice shifts sharply in chapter 71. Explain the change. What is the
effect on the tone of this chapter?
9. What does Martel seem to be saying about the value of reading and writing in chapter 73?
10. Note the juxtaposition of light and dark imagery in the last paragraph of chapter 74. What
is equated with the dark? What is equated with the light?
11. Why is chapter 75 just that one sentence?
12. Note the poetic prose of chapter 78. What literary techniques contribute to the chapter’s
poetic quality?
13. Re-read the paragraph in chapter 78 that begins, “To be a castaway is to be a point….” How
does this paragraph potentially relate to the mathematical implications of Pi’s name?
14. Examine Pi’s words about opposites in chapter 78. How has Martel used binary opposition
throughout this novel? What things or ideas have been presented in opposition to one
another? To what effect?

Key Quotes
“I survived because I made a point of forgetting. My story started on a calendar day—July

2nd, 1977—and ended on a calendar day—February 14th, 1978—but in between there was no
calendar. I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. Time is an illusion that only
makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of time.” (chapter 63)
“I had no means of controlling where I was going—no rudder, no sails, no motor, some
oars but insufficient brawn. What was the point of plotting a course if I could not act on it?
And even if I could, how should I know where to go?” (chapter 65)
“Lord, to think that I’m a strict vegetarian. To think that when I was a child I always
shuddered when I snapped open a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an
animal’s neck. I descended to a level of savagery I never imagined possible.” (chapter 66)
“In time I gave up entirely on being saved by a ship….that it would cut into such a tiny circle
and see me—what chance was there of that? No, humanity and its unreliable ways could not
be counted on. It was land I had to reach, hard, firm, certain land.” (chapter 69)

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Chapters 81-91
forestall (v) Brahman – according to Jefferey Brodd in World Religions (2003),
torrential (adj) Brahaman is a Hindu concept of the unchanging,
hillocks (n) infinite reality which is the “Divine Ground of all
pummel (v) matter, energy, time, space, being, and everything
consolation (n) beyond in this Universe”
archipelago (n)
behemoth (n) oothappan – (also spelled uthappam) a southern Indian
dastardly (adv) “comfort food” consisting of ingredients cooked
heinous (adj) in a pancake-like batter made from lentils
albatross (n)
regurgitate (v)
bulbous (adj) NOTE: there are many foods from both Indian cuisine and
juggernaut (n) French cuisine mentioned in this section. It is not necessary to
languish (v) know the exact ingredients and nature of each to understand the
bulwark (n) conversation (chapter 90). Suffice it to say that the Indian foods
ricochet (v) mentioned by Pi are all vegetarian in nature, while the foods
asphyxiation (n) mentioned by the other voice are not only meat-based, but
putrefaction (n) include what is known as offal – the entrails and internal organs
subjugation (n) of the animal. While considered delicacies in some cultures,
emaciated (adj) these meats are often considered repulsive not only to
primeval (adj) vegetarians and many of their meat-eating counterparts, as well.
disconsolately (adv)
infernal (adj)
glutinous (adj)
timbre (n)
sacrilegious (adj)
amoral (adj)
niggling (v)
perplexing (adj)
eviscerated (adj)
unremitting (adj)

Pi Patel Richard Parker blind French castaway


1. Why did it cause a “pinching of the heart” for Pi to realize that he had begun to eat the way
Richard Parker ate? What might be symbolic about eating?
2. During the worst storm at sea, Pi was more terrified of dying in it than dying at Richard
Parker’s hand. He says, “The only choice left to me was death by water or death by animal. I
chose death by animal.” He gets under the tarpaulin with Richard Parker, the one he’d been
staying as far as possible from all along. Why might this chapter be significant?
3. Why doe Pi gush about his love for Richard Parker at the end of chapter 86? He says, “If I
didn’t have you now, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t think I would make it.” How
true or false is his belief that he needs Richard Parker?
4. How does Martel use the chapters in this section to create a downward spiral of
hopelessness in Pi’s trial at sea? What images and plot points lead the reader to feel that Pi is
nearing the end?
5. In chapter 90, Pi consecutively appears to be talking with himself, then with Richard Parker,
and then with a blind Frenchman. How does Martel create ambiguity so that the reader is
somewhat confused about who is talking to whom, just as Pi is, until the very end of the
chapter?
6. A lot of what happens to Pi at sea is difficult to believe. As a matter of fact, he starts this
section by saying, “I know my survival is hard to believe.” By the time they reach chapter 90,
though, many readers find the encounter with the blind French castaway to be much less
believable than what had come previously. Was that your reaction? Why might Martel have
included this incident that is so very unlikely and difficult to believe could happen?
Key Quotes
“I know my story is hard to believe. When I think back, I can hardly believe it myself.”
(chapter 81)
“At moments of wonder, it is easy to avoid small thinking, to entertain the thoughts that
span the universe, that capture both thunder and tinkle, thick and thin, the near and the far.”
(chapter 85)
“I have a story,” I said, after a while.

“A story?”
“Yes.”
“Of what use is a story? I’m hungry.”
“It’s a story about food.”
“Words have no calories.”
“Seek food where food is to be found.” (chapter 90)

“It’s astonishing what you hear when you’re alone in the blackness of your dying
mind….Misery loves company, and madness calls it forth.” (chapter 90)
“The very definition of an animal, that’s all you are.” (chapter 90)
“This was the terrible cost of Richard Parker. He gave me a life, my own, but at the expense
of taking one…Something in me died then that has never come back to life.” (chapter 90)

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Chapters 92-94
botanical (adj) oasis – paradoxically, the algae island is something of an oasis
chimera (n) on the ocean; Pi also speaks of it in terms of mirage
porosity (n) (disbelieving that it was real based merely on sight),
precipitously (adv) feeling as if his senses deceived him
chlorophyll (n)
olfactory (adj) Eden – the innocence of the meerkats and the existence of the
commensal (n) one fruit-bearing tree at the center of the algae island
vertigo (n) bring to mind the Biblical garden of Eden (Genesis)
girth (n)
plateau (n) Tree of Knowledge – like the famous tree in the Biblical Eden
diurnal (adj) story, the fruit-bearing tree on the algae
vagary (n) island holds great promise but ends up
vie (v) demolishing Pi’s innocent wonder by
euphoria (n) revealing an ugly truth/reality; like Adam
bedlam (n) and Eve, he can no longer live there after
chaos (n) gaining this knowledge
symbiotic (adj)
conjecture (n)
leviathan (adj)
copiously (adv)
rote (n)
arboreal (adj)
rambutan (n)
treachery (n)
bereft (adj)
vital (adj)

Pi Patel Richard Parker Mexican rescuers


1. Note that, at the end of chapter 91, Pi says, “I pray for his soul every day.” He does not say
“prayed.” He says “pray,” present tense. This is not the only time Pi has broken from his
past-tense narration of what happened to insert a present-tense comment. What does this
indicate?
2. Pi starts this section, like the last section, with a quip that, “there will be many who
disbelieve the following episode.” He seems to be acknowledging that the existence of the
algae island and what he finds out about it are perhaps beyond belief. Martel has said (in an
online interview with fans) that he wanted his readers to have to “take a leap of faith” at this
point in the story. How does that idea relate to what Pi was saying about believers and
atheists in Part One?
3. Notice that Richard Parker not only regains his strength while they are on the algae island;
he also begins to kill for the sake of killing—indiscriminately and overzealously. He killed
more than he needed to eat. He killed to kill. Why? Revisit this after finishing the novel.
4. Pi discovers that the tree, in fact the entire island, is carnivorous. He finds proof that a
human body has been consumed by it. What might this be indicating, symbolically?
5. If Pi and Richard Parker know how to survive on the island, why would Pi choose to go
back to the uncertain future he faced on the sea?
6. Why did Pi wish Richard Parker had said good-bye somehow? Revisit this question after
Key Quotes
“I did not ask myself why the algae did this, or how, or where the salt went. My mind
stopped asking such questions.” (chapter 92)
“How long does it take for a broken spirit to kill a body that has food, water and shelter?”
(chapter 92)
“I preferred to set off and perish in search of my own kind than to live a lonely half-life of
physical comfort and spiritual death on this murderous island.” (chapter 92)
“The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar.” (chapter 93)

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

Part Three: Benito Juárez Infirmary, Tomatlán, Mexico
Chapters 95-100
surreptitiously (adv) Columbus – Although there was, of course, an actual explorer
verbatim (adj) named Christopher Columbus, this allusion more
pliable (adj) appropriately correlates to the mostly-fictional
metropolis (n) work by Washington Irving called The Life and
scimitar (n) Voyage of Christopher Columbus (1828), in which
rapt (adj) Irving portrays Columbus as having convinced
abject (adj) society that the world was round when they had
reprieve (n) always believed it to be flat. In reality, the “flat
interrogation (n) earth” theory had not been believed for quite a
impressionistic (adj) long time when Columbus made his famous
licit (adj) voyage. But Irving’s version of the story is the
one most people remember and associate with
Columbus.
Copernicus – (1473-1543) The first astronomer to formulate a

scientifically-based heliocentric cosmology that
showed the Earth is not the center of the universe
Darwin – (1809-1882) an English scientist who stated that all

species of life have evolved over time from common
ancestors through a process called natural selection.
Eden – Biblical allusion to the Garden of Eden (in Genesis)

Pi Patel Richard Parker Mr. Tomohiro Okamoto Mr. Atsuro Chiba


1. Note that Part Three returns to the author/narrator’s voice, but that the narration changes
form. What format does most of Part Three take?
2. Other than Pi’s telling of the “story without animals,” what is the tone of most of the
conversation between Pi and the Japanese officials? How does Martel use language to
achieve that tone?
3. Pi reveals his feelings about the sinking of the Tsimtsum, more-or-less directly. How does he
feel about it and how do you know? (provide page references)
4. Revisit the conversation between Mr. Chiba and Pi where Mr. Chiba tells Pi that they don’t
believe his animal story because, “these things don’t exist.” What idea is Pi getting at in his
responses to Mr. Chiba?
5. Do the Japanese officials understand the points Pi is trying to make? How do you know?
6. Pi tells a different version of his story that involves humans rather than animals. Mr.
Okamoto finds correlations between the human beings and their animal counterparts. The
two officials conclude that Pi must be the tiger. Do you agree? Why or why not?
7. The “story without animals” does not explain the carnivorous island or the presence of the
meerkats on it. Why might Martel have left these unexplained in Pi’s revised version of the
story?
8. When Pi asks the officials which story they prefer, they say that the “story with animals is
the better story.” Pi replies, “so it is with God.” What do you think he meant by that? What
does it mean that the men (and possibly the reader of the novel) prefer the story with the
animals?
9. In their final report to their government, Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba report that Mr. Patel
had survived at sea “in the company of an adult Bengal tiger,” indicating that they chose the
animal story over the other version, even in their official documentation of the ordeal. Why
might Martel have ended the book that way?
10. Is the end of the book the end of Pi’s story? Where does Pi’s story begin? Where does it
end?
11. Does the story have a “happy ending” as the author/narrator assured us it would be at the
end of Part one?

Key Quotes
“Reason is excellent for getting food, clothing and shelter. Reason is the very best tool kit.
Nothing beats reason for keeping tigers away. But be excessively reasonable and you risk
throwing the universe out with the bathwater.” (chapter 99)
“Tigers exist, lifeboats exist, oceans exist. Because the three have never come together in
your narrow, limited experience, you refuse to believe that they might.” (chapter 99)
“Doesn’t the telling of something always become a story?...Isn’t telling something—using

words, English, Japanese—already something of an invention? Isn’t just looking upon this
world already something of an invention?” (chapter 99)
“The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding
something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn’t that make life a story?” (chapter 99)

INSTRUCTOR NOTES
Author’s Note Discussion Questions
1. The first-person narrative voice of this “Author’s Note” starts off sounding as if Yann
Martel is writing it to the reader about the actual inspiration for Life of Pi. At what point does
the reader suspect the “Author’s Note” is part of the fictional novel? Why?
Students will have varied responses to this question. By the time they reach chapter two, students should be
questioning the fact that Pi is clearly a fictional character and yet the “author” is saying he met, talked to,
and interacted with Pi. Astute students will have already grasped this by the end of the Author’s Note.
2. Analyze the simile in the following sentence and explain what effect it has on tone: “Books
lined the shelves of bookstores like kids standing in a row to play baseball or soccer, and
mine was the gangly, unathletic kid that no one wanted on their team.”
The tenor in the simile is the author’s first book that didn’t sell well. The vehicle is a child that no one wants
to be on his or her team. The author is comparing something very adult and serious—the success of his
publication—with something mostly childish—being picked last for sports. The effect, in part, is that the
reader already begins to hear the tone of levity and subtle humor that rides just below much of the narration of
this novel. The phrase “gangly, unatheletic kid” has a colloquial tone to it that alerts the reader to the fact
that this narration will not necessarily be stiff and serious.
3. Discuss the potential symbolic significance of the first sentence in the novel: “This book
was born as I was hungry.” Note that its sentiment is repeated later when he says, “It leaves
you with an aching hunger.” Revisit these statements after finishing the novel, as well.
One of the recurring motifs in the novel is that of hunger and thirst. This question allows students to engage
in a discussion of the potential symbolic or metaphysical implications of hungering and thirsting (for something
other than food and drink).
4. What might the author/narrator mean when he says, “a novel set in Portugal in 1939 may
have very little to do with Portugal in 1939”?
This is one of the first indicators of the novel’s storytelling motif. Martel is indicating that a story on the
surface—its plot and setting—is not necessarily the important aspect of the story.
5. What do you make of the author/narrator mailing his “failed novel” to a fictitious address,
with a fictitious return address on the envelope? What does this tell us about him?
For some students, this may arouse subtle suspicion that the author’s voice in the Author’s Note is part of the
fictional novel, itself. If it is accepted that the author actually did this, students may pick up on two things:
(a) the author does not trust himself to just throw away the manuscript, and (b) the author has a sense of
humor—he could have merely burned it.
6. What is the tone of the paragraph in which the author/narrator discusses his profession and
what he wishes he could tell people who ask? Why does it have that tone?
The author is bemoaning the fact that he must truthfully tell people he is an author rather than pretending to
be a doctor or lawyer or philosopher. The paragraph has a tone of sarcasm and irony. This is conveyed

through his portrayal of hypothetical situations in which he might be called upon to demonstrate his skill in
the false profession.
7. Contrast the tone of the paragraph that begins, “Later, in Toronto…”(p. xi) with the
paragraph that begins, “I had been to India before…” (p. vii). What contributes to the tone
of each paragraph?
The paragraph that begins “I had been to India before” has a humorous, tongue-in-cheek tone. The use of
words such as bamboozle and bamboozlement, and the goofy depiction of the Indian clerk’s dialogue
contribute to the absurd humor. The paragraph that begins, “Later, In Toronto” has a much more serious
and somber tone. It consists of short, simple, declarative sentences, for the most part. The final sentence in the
paragraph underscores the solemnity of the tone while simultaneously creating a sense of intrigue about the
story to come.
Key Quotes
“That’s what fiction is about, isn’t it, the selective transforming of reality? The twisting of it
to bring out its essence?”
This is a quote to discuss in-and-of-itself as students read the Author’s Note, and then again after the
students have finished the novel and realize that a central theme of the novel explores the nature of fiction and
its role in the human experience. In a PBS interview with Ray Suarez for News Hour (November 11,
2002), Yann Martel said, “My novel is about the line between fiction and fact. It is about how we interpret
reality, right? Reality isn’t just out there; it’s how we interpret it. And to me, that’s what religion is about,
isn’t it?”
“I have a story that will make you believe in God.”
Students will want to revisit this claim after finishing the novel. Do they agree? Have they noted a distinction
being drawn between believing “in God” and believing in a single, specific religion? This is also a good time to
discuss the Los Angeles Times Book Review claim that Life of Pi is “a story to make you believe in
the soul-sustaining power of fiction.”
“If we, citizens, do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our imagination on the altar of
crude reality and we end up believing in nothing and having worthless dreams.”
This appears to be Yann Martel’s commentary about the importance and role of art (creation) to human
society. This quote provides an excellent opportunity for students to discuss human beings as creative beings
and the relation this quote may have to the novel (fiction being an art).

1. Who is narrating chapter one? How does the reader know this? What makes the beginning
of this chapter somewhat confusing to the reader?
Chapter one is narrated by Pi Patel; we figure this out because at the end of the Author’s Note, the
author/narrator tells us he will be telling the story “in the first person—in his voice and through his eyes.”
When chapter one starts out in a first-person narrative voice, we assume it is Pi Patel’s. Unless the reader

already knows the book is about Pi’s ordeal as a castaway, the first sentence about “my suffering” and his
comment about the practice of religion bringing him slowly “back to life” may confuse readers about what he
is referencing. It is also confusing that he inexplicably begins his story by talking about sloths.
2. What do you make of the zoology-theology double major? Do you agree that the two
complement one another? Revisit this question after you have finished the novel.
At first, it appears paradoxical that one person would be drawn to study a “hard science,” like zoology, and
also a more abstract, metaphysical course of study, like theology. This is the first introduction to the many
paradoxes and binary opposites presented in Life of Pi. A good portion of the novel appears dedicated to the
quest to reconcile roles of science (reason) and religion (faith) to humanity. By the end of the novel, we find
that the two concepts may not be as diametrically opposed as we may have previously assumed. You may wish
to revisit this question after students have read chapter 78, in which Martel explores the nature of (and
necessity of) opposites. You might also want to discuss the Asian philosophy suggested, the “yin-yang.”
3. What are some things we can infer about the narrator as a character, from his tone in
chapter one? Give examples.
Pi’s homily on the habits of three-toed sloths begins with a detached, scientific tone. The inclusion of facts,
data, numbers, and quantities—combined with the parenthetical citation of sources—give the opening of the
chapter the feeling of a scientific article. Pretty soon, however, the reader picks up on Pi’s humorous (often
playfully sarcastic) undertones. We get the impression that Pi is a very bright, reasonable, educated man who
is also personable, funny, introspective, and warm. Students should be able to provide text examples that
support this.
4. What does the narrator say about Richard Parker in chapter one? What is achieved by this
brief mention? Note the paradox of “nightmares tinged with love.” Revisit this after
“Richard Parker has stayed with me. I’ve never forgotten him. Dare I say I miss him? I do. I miss him. I
still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares mostly, but nightmares tinged with love. Such is the
strangeness of the human heart. I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously,
without any sort of goodbye, without looking back once. That pain is like an axe that chops at my heart.” Of
course, this passage arouses the reader’s curiosity about (a) who Richard Parker might be, and (b) when and
why Richard Parker “unceremoniously abandoned” Pi. It evokes intrigue and suspense. “Nightmares tinged
with love” is another of many paradoxes presented in the novel in association with the human “heart” or
spirit. Martel appears to be hinting that humanity is inherently paradoxical.
5. What does the following quote tell us about the narrator of chapter one? Revisit this after
“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn’t biological necessity—it’s envy. Life is so
beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it
can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and
gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud.”

The lovely, positive imagery presented here in association with love tells the reader that the narrator,
Pi, is not only philosophical about life, but also hopeful and positive—despite the fact that “his
suffering left him sad and gloomy” at the start.
6. What is the purpose of chapter two? What is the change in narrative voice?
Chapter two is told in the author/narrator’s voice. This achieves two things: (1) It sets up a narrative frame
story in which Pi is telling the author/narrator his story over a series of visits; and (2) it provides a physical
description of Pi
7. Discuss the potential significance of the water imagery introduced in chapter three. Revisit
There is much talk of water, swimming, and swimming pools in chapter three. Mamaji compares the lesser
pools of Paris with the Piscine Molitor, for which Pi is eventually named. There is irony in the fact that Pi
took to swimming as a child and was later forced to exist on the sea as a castaway. There is irony that
Mamaji took Piscine to the ocean and said, “This is my gift to you,” when Pi later felt trapped and tortured
on the ocean (in the end, perhaps that ordeal was a gift of a kind, after all). There is symbolism in the fact
that Pi is named after a pool renowned for its purity and cleanliness, a pool “the gods would have delighted to
swim in.” Pi is not so much named after a pool as after an ideal (“father dreamed”).
8. Discuss Pi’s views on “freedom” as put forth in chapter four. Which is more “free”—an
animal in the wild or an animal in a well-thought-out zoo? How do his assertions challenge
what most people believe it means to be “free”? Does it apply to humans?
While most people assume that being “free” (for an animal) means being unfettered and un-caged, Pi asserts
that zoo animals with quality enclosures are actually more free because they are not bound by the constant
search for food and fear of predators. The essence of the debate is, “free from what?” This question should
lead to a lively debate over whether it’s ever possible to be truly “free.”
9. What is the potential thematic significance of this statement by Pi in chapter five? Revisit
“…in that elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe, I
found refuge.”
This book is only the story of Pi’s ordeal at sea on the surface-level; on a more profound thematic
level, it is Martel’s attempt to help readers “try to understand the universe,” using Pi as the
exploratory vehicle. Much of this novel is concerned with philosophical questions of what it means to
be a human being, where we fit in the natural world, and where we fit in the spiritual world.
10. In terms of narrative structure, why might Martel have chosen to return to the
author/narrator for chapter six? What purpose does that shift in narration fulfill? Also,
what is revealed in this chapter?
Chapter six abruptly interrupts Pi’s past-tense narration of his school days and the origin of his name with a
present-tense anecdote from the author/narrator. It serves to remind that this is a frame story, with Pi
relating his thoughts to the author/narrator to record for posterity. It provides a transition from Pi’s ideas

about his name to Pi’s ideas about Mr. Kumar—a transition that might have taken many more
pages/chapters to achieve if not for this structural trick. It reveals that Pi hoards food (as a result of having
gone without for so many days while a castaway). The reader does not necessarily know why Pi hoards food
yet, so this adds to the story’s intrigue.
11. What language and imagery does Pi use to describe Mr. Kumar in chapter seven? What is
achieved by this?
Mr. Satish Kumar is a science teacher. His appearance and gait is described in geometrical terms. Students
should be able to point out examples that support this. He is also an atheist. In another of Life of Pi’s
apparent paradoxes, Pi adores and respects Mr. Kumar as “my favorite teacher and the reason I studied
zoology.” Mr. Kumar’s geometrical description and logic-based dialogue underscore the symbolic association of
Mr. Kumar with logic and reason.
12. What does Mr. Kumar (in chapter seven) seem to symbolize or represent? How do you
know? [Pay particular attention to the diction Pi uses when describing Mr. Kumar].
Mr. Kumar represents logic & reason—completely opposed to religion. He is an atheist. Pi describes him as
physically unbalanced: “He walked off, pitching and rolling in the wild sea that was the steady ground.” In
this quote we see another paradox, as well as a brilliant metaphor). Mr. Kumar may appear unsteady not
only because of his polio, but perhaps also because of he has no religion to steady him. Mr. Kumar does not
have any balance between reason and religion
13. Why does Pi feel a “kinship” with Mr. Kumar? How does this make sense? Revisit the idea
of “leaps of faith” after finishing the novel.
Yet another paradox. Here we can really tell that Martel was a philosophy major in college. This is a clever
allusion to the ages-old philosophical and logical dichotomy: “God exists because it can not be proven that He
does not/God does not exist because it can not be proven that he does.” By the end of the novel, it becomes
clear that Pi falls strongly on the side of “God exists because it can not be proven that he does not.” Pi
chooses belief over non-belief because belief is the “better story,” not because he requires any proof. Clearly,
Mr. Kumar falls on the side of “God does not exist because it can not be proven that he does.” Pi
paradoxically feels a “kinship” with Mr. Kumar because he respects the fact that Mr. Kumar commits to his
belief in the absence of God. Pi expresses his distaste not for atheists, but for agnostics—who refuse to take a
“leap of faith” in one side or the other. [Note that it is also paradoxical that an atheist’s “leap of faith” is
really a “leap of faith” in non-faith—depending on how you want to define the word faith.]
Key Quotes
“A number of my fellow religious-studies students—muddled agnostics who didn’t know

which way was up, who were in the thrall of reason, that fool’s gold for the bright—
reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three-toed sloth, such a beautiful example of
the miracle of life, reminded me of God.” (chapter 1)
This quote can spark an hours-long discussion. Students can discuss what they see the sloths having in
common with agnostics—perhaps also referencing the last sentence in chapter 7: “To choose doubt as a
philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation,” as it relates to slothful
movement and agnosticism.

This quote also poses a logic problem. It is set up in a way that may mentally create a syllogism in the minds
of many readers: If agnostics=sloths and sloths=god, then agnostics=god. This is the logical reasoning.
Clearly, though, Pi does not believe that agnostics are god; he expresses his distaste for agnosticism repeatedly
in the novel. So what do we make of this logical syllogism?
One possibility is that Martel is challenging readers who automatically set up the logic problem in their
minds; they must see this sentence in a different way in order to accept it. Students can discuss other ways the
sentence can be made sense of that rely less on logic.
“Richard Parker has stayed with me. I’ve never forgotten him. Dare I say I miss him? I do. I
miss him. I still see him in my dreams. They are nightmares mostly, but nightmares tinged
with love. Such is the strangeness of the human heart.” (chapter 1)
Another Life of Pi paradox: “nightmares tinged with love.” Is Martel saying that the human heart
(soul/psyche) is paradoxical by nature? This quote is confusing to the reader because he or she had no idea
who Richard Parker might be, at this point. Why does Pi miss him? Where did he go? Why does Pi have
nightmares about him? Why are those nightmares “tinged with love?” All of these questions in the readers
mind equal intrigue and suspense. Martel’s inclusion of this ambiguous statement makes us want to find out
more.
“It was a huge zoo, spread over numberless acres, big enough to require a train to explore it,
though it seemed smaller as I grew older, train included. Now it’s so small it fits in my head.”
(chapter 4)
This quote may spark discussion about the qualities of imagination and the impact of time upon it. The
figurative language in the last statement is a lovely expression of what happens to memories over time.
“I have heard as much nonsense about zoos and I have about God and religion.” (chapter 4)
Pi is acknowledging, once again, the relationship he sees between his zoology major and his theology major—
the relationship between fact and faith.
“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. What is the
meaning of freedom in such a context?” (chapter 4)
This is an excellent quote to spark a discussion about the meaning and implications of the word “free” as it
relates not only to zoo animals, but to human beings. To what extent can we ever be “free”? If we are free to
live without rules and restrictions (zoo enclosures), what problems do we become burdened with? Is that
freedom? After much debate, students may come to the conclusion that “freedom” is a relative concept, rather
than a definite one.
“I know zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem.
Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.” (chapter 4)

This quote once again correlates fact and faith in the reader’s mind. The last sentence adds nicely to the
discussion of the quote above. We understand how “certain illusions about freedom” affects the zoo; but what
about religion? This might spark a discussion of “free will.”
“And so, in that Greek letter that looks like a shack with a corrugated tin roof, in that
elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe, I found
refuge.” (chapter 5)
In an online chat session (October 2, 2002) at WrittenVoices.com, Yann Martel said this: “I chose the
name Pi because it’s an irrational number. Yet scientists use this irrational number to come to a “rational”
understanding of the universe. To me, religion is a bit like that, “irrational” yet with it we come together, we
come to a sound understanding of the universe.”
After finishing the novel, students may want to discuss the symbolic implications of Pi’s name with regard to
how he “came to a sound understanding of the universe” through his ordeal at sea.
“I come here all the time. One might say it’s my temple.” (chapter 6)
It is paradoxical that Mr. Kumar uses diction associated with religion, since he is the biology teacher (and
symbolic representation of hard science) that is so vociferously opposed to religion. It implies that he puts his
faith in science, just as others put their faith in God.
“I said nothing. It wasn’t for fear of angering Mr. Kumar. I was more afraid that in a few
words thrown out he might destroy something that I loved. What if his words had the effect
of polio on me? What a terrible disease that must be if it could kill God in a man.” (chapter
6)
This quote may prompt an interesting discussion of the fragility of faith. If Pi has such ardent faith, why
would Mr. Kumar’s mere words be able to “destroy” it? When students finish the novel, they may want to
discuss whether Pi’s faith appears to still be as fragile as he implies it might be, here.
“It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every
word they speak speaks of faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry
them—and then they leap.” (chapter 6)
This quote goes hand-in-hand with discussion question #13:
Yet another paradox. Here we can really tell that Martel was a philosophy major in college. This is a clever
allusion to the ages-old philosophical and logical dichotomy: “God exists because it can not be proven that He
does not/God does not exist because it can not be proven that he does.” By the end of the novel, it becomes
clear that Pi falls strongly on the side of “God exists because it can not be proven that he does not.” Pi
chooses belief over non-belief because belief is the “better story,” not because he requires any proof. Clearly,
Mr. Kumar falls on the side of “God does not exist because it can not be proven that he does.” Pi
paradoxically feels a “kinship” with Mr. Kumar because he respects the fact that Mr. Kumar commits to his
belief in the absence of God. Pi expresses his distaste not for atheists, but for agnostics—who refuse to take a
“leap of faith” in one side or the other. [Note that it is also paradoxical that an atheist’s “leap of faith” is
really a “leap of faith” in non-faith—depending on how you want to define the word faith.]

“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of

transportation.” (chapter 6) [note: you may wish to consider this quote in light of Pi saying
that sloths remind him of agnostics in chapter 1]
What does Pi mean by this analogy? He appears to be saying that doubters can make no progress forward (or
in any direction) in life, just as those who do not move can not go anywhere in the physical world. He is saying
that doubt is as ridiculously antithetical to living as standing still is to moving.

1. In Chapter 8 Pi spends a great deal of time comparing animals to humans and humans to
animals. Why? To what effect?
Martel (through Pi) is attempting to demonstrate the ways in which human beings are like their animal
counterparts. Animals are dangerous, but human beings are just as dangerous—if not more (as postulated in
this chapter). Animals follow behavior patterns and social norms; and nature dictates their instincts. So it is
with humans, to an extent. This chapter causes the reader to reflect on the nature of humanity. It also serves
as foreshadowing, since we later see Pi placed in situations where he has to rely not only on his human
capacity for logic and reason but also his more brutish, animalistic instinct for survival. [This becomes the
central idea of the novel.]
2. What is the point of Father’s “lesson” to Ravi and Pi at the zoo in chapter 8? After finishing
the novel, come back and re-read this chapter. In what ways does this foreshadow events
and ideas that appear in Part Two?
Pi’s father is attempting to instill a sense of awe and fear in his sons in order to prevent them from being
harmed by one of the wild animals kept at the zoo. That he chooses a tiger, rather than one of the other large,
predatory cats, for the lesson is foreshadowing regarding Richard Parker and the ordeal at sea. That he
includes warnings and information about the hyena also foreshadows the role of the hyena in Part Two of the
novel.
3. Why is the information in chapter 9 included? You may wish to revisit this question after
Chapter nine foreshadows Pi’s need to “tame” Richard Parker though “Plan Number Seven: Keep Him
Alive.”
4. Chapters 12-14 appear to be what the New Yorker has deemed “an impassioned defense of
zoos.” What reason might Martel have had to include these chapters in the novel? What
purpose do they serve?
These chapters foreshadow Pi’s “taming” of Richard Parker at sea. In one way, Pi will need to know this
information in order to tame a wild tiger in order to survive. If the reader later accepts that Richard Parker is
Pi (or at least a part of Pi’s psyche), the “taming” becomes less about training a wild animal separate from

one’s self and more about taming the animalistic side of oneself. This can serve for good classroom discussion
at the end of the novel—when is it good or necessary to allow the primal, animalistic side of one’s self free
reign, and when is it better to train one’s self to control that aspect of human nature? (Again, very clear that
Martel was a philosophy major).
5. In chapter 12 we learn that Pi likes to cook, and adds a lot of spice when he does. This fact
is re-visited later in chapter 30, as well. Why do you think Martel provides this detail about
Pi? You may wish to revisit this question after finishing the novel.
Clearly, eating and hunger are motifs in this novel. When they are finished reading, students may wish to
explore the various ways eating appears (literally and symbolically). It is certainly amusing when the
author/narrator expresses that his “digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor
that has swallowed a lawn mower.” That line is great to discuss for the imagery and figurative language alone.
But there is more going on here with the spices and flavor. After reading the novel, students may note that Pi
admires people who live a full, rich existence. Whether they are believers or atheists, he respects those who
grasp life’s richness and appreciate it. He disparages agnostics for preferring things that are “dry” and
“yeastless.” Eating—consuming—is metaphorical in this book, to a large extent and in varied ways. In this
case, Martel appears to be correlating flavorful, spicy foods with a flavorful, spicy life. What Pi chooses to
consume (and serve others) is not bland, yeastless, or dry. It is spicy (obviously a bit too spicy for the
author/narrator) and full of flavor. This has a lot to do with Pi’s outlook on life.
Students might note the correlation to chapter one, in which Pi says his “sambar lost its taste.” Clearly, this
is figurative. Why might his food lose its flavor in the situation he described?
Key Quotes
“The obsession with putting ourselves at the centre of everything is the bane not only of
theologians but also of zoologists.” (chapter 8)
Here, Pi (Martel?) is clearly making a commentary on the nature of human kind. Do the students agree?
“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes
inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt.
Without it, no species would survive.” (chapter 10)
After students have finished the novel, they may want to discuss this quote with regard to Pi’s survival. How
did “madness” serve him during his ordeal?
“Animals that escape go from the known into the unknown—and if there is one thing an
animal hates above all else, it is the unknown.” (chapter 11)
Pi is making this statement to underscore his belief that zoo animals do not escape their enclosures because
they dislike the enclosure; they escape because something has occurred or shown up in the enclosure that scares
them more than even their fear of the unknown. How are people like this? Compare this to statement to Pi’s
rhetorical questions at the start of chapter 29: “Why do people move? What makes them uproot and leave
everything they’ve known for a great unknown beyond the horizon?” What spooked Pi’s family into moving?

“Memory is an ocean, and he bobs on its surface.” (chapter 12)
This is a great metaphor, in-and-of-itself. It becomes even richer to discuss after students have finished reading
Part Two. The wry irony is lovely. Why would Pi’s memory be afflicted in this way? How is that reflected in
the way Part Two is narrated?
“After all of these years, Richard Parker still preys upon his mind.” (chapter 12)
Again, Martel’s use of figurative language makes this sentence fun to appreciate on multiple levels—at least
after reading the rest of the novel. Once we know that Richard Parker is a tiger, a predatory carnivore, the
trite phrase “preys upon his mind” becomes less cliché and more poignant. After Pi’s ordeal, the concept of
Richard Parker does, in fact, consume his mind to a certain extent.

1. What is paradoxical about the décor in Pi Patel’s home (as described in chapter 15)? What
does that tell us about this character?
Pi’s home in Canada is filled with relics and images of all three of the religions he began to follow as a boy.
Students should be able to point out specific examples from the text of chapter 15. This tells the reader that,
even after his ordeal at sea, Pi has retained faith in God. Not only that, but the mish-mash of religious
elements in his home show that the ordeal has not forced him to choose one religion over the others; he
continues to be an ecumenical believer.
2. In what way does Pi’s anecdote about Lord Krishna as a cowherd (chapter 16) relate to the
way Pi appears to view religion?
Pi tells the story of Krishna taking the form of a cowherd who dances with girls in the forest. He has “made
himself so abundant as to be in the arms of each and every girl.” But, when any of the girls begins to believe
that Krishna is hers alone, he disappears. This is very much like Pi’s view of God and the world’s religions.
Pi sees God as Love and Love as available and abundant to all. When any one religion proclaims itself to
have the only true set of stories and practices, the believer loses sight of what was in his grasp all along.
3. What do you think Pi means when he says the following: “…Hindus, in their capacity for
love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything,
are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims”?
This line provides great visual imagery and an undertone of humor. Pi is noting that the physical
characteristics associated with the followers of the different faiths are only external appearances. To Pi, it does
not matter whether a person looks a certain way or believes a certain set of stories and doctrines; what
essentially matters is that the person loves God. In this, he believes, all followers of religion are the same.

4. Pi seems to have experienced some conceptual difficulties with Christianity. Why did this
young Hindu boy struggle with Christian concepts? Why do you think Pi ultimately came to
embrace Christianity rather than to reject it?
In the first sentence of chapter 17, Pi acknowledges that, “first wonder goes deepest; wonder after that fits in
the impression made by the first.” He has spent the previous chapter explaining his introduction to the Hindu
faith and states that, “I have been a Hindu all my life. With its notions in mind I see my place in the
universe.” When Pi hears about Christ, a deity vastly different in many ways from the gods and heroes he’s
grown up learning about, the disparity between what he’s always known and this newly introduced idea clash
in his mind for a while. He questions and rebels as old ideas in his mind change/morph to allow room for
these new ideas. Rather than rejecting the new ideas in favor of his old ones, as many people might, he
assimilates what he knows with what he has newly learned. Finally, he accepts Christianity on the notion of a
god who loved his devotees so strongly that he sacrificed his only son for their salvation.
5. Compare the Satish Kumar in chapter 18-20 with the Satish Kumar of chapter 7. How does
Martel use language differently when describing them? Why do you think he chose to give
these two characters the same name?
The biology teacher introduced in chapter 7 is described in detail, using terms of geometry. Pi provides a great
deal of physical description of this first Mr. Kumar. He speaks of scientists such as Gregor Mendel and
Charles Darwin, and he makes it clear that his reverence is for science and medicine rather than religion. He
says, “Reason is my prophet” and he calls the zoo his “temple.” Mr. Kumar, the biology teacher, clearly
represents reason, logic, and hard science.
The Sufi described in chapter 20 is the polar opposite of the first Mr. Kumar. He defies description; his
appearance is vague and undistinguished. Pi even laments that this Mr. Kumar is so difficult to recognize. He
is a Muslim mystic, deeply reverent of God and the practice of his religion. Just as it is fitting that the biology
teacher is described in the specific, tangible terminology of science and math, it is also fitting that the Muslim
mystic is described only vaguely and abstractly. This second Mr. Kumar represents faith, rather than reason.
Faith is abstract in nature, metaphysical—difficult to describe, quantify, prove, or relate to others. So this
Mr. Kumar’s physical presence mimics his role, just as the first Mr. Kumar’s does.
Pi says that “Mr. and Mr. Kumar were the prophets of my youth.” As the biology teacher lead Pi to study
zoology in college, so did the Sufi lead Pi to study religion. The two men represent the two halves of Pi, of
humanity in general. In Part Two, Pi comes to learn that he needs both halves, both the reason/logic and the
belief/faith, to survive. This is a commentary by Martel on the essence of the human condition.
It is another paradox that Martel uses the same name for these two characters. Perhaps he does so to
underscore the idea that reason (biology teacher Kumar) and faith (Sufi Kumar) are two parts of one whole,
rather than two separate and mutually-exclusive entities. Together, Mr. Kumar and Mr. Kumar equal one
whole Pi.
6. Martel has said that chapters 21 and 22 are at the core of the novel. Why do you suppose he
asserts that? Revisit this question after finishing the novel.
The response to this question relates heavily to the students’ understanding of “the better story” theme. This is
a novel about belief (“the story with animals”) versus doubt (“the story without animals”). Pi (Martel?)
believes that people who prefer “the story without animals” are missing out on the richness of existence, living

a “dry, yeastless factuality.” He believes that those who choose the “story with animals” as the “better story”
are living a more fulfilled existence.
It doesn’t appear to matter to Pi whether the person prefers the “story with animals” because of an interest in
the science and reason involved in surviving such an ordeal (as the atheist Mr. Kumar may be) or because of
an interest in the metaphysical implications of his ordeal (as the Sufi Mr. Kumar may be). It is the
doubter—the person who can not believe in either reason or faith—that Pi feels is missing out.
The novel seems to be an illustration of what is known as “Pascal’s Wager” or the “Gambler’s Argument”
for belief in God. Pascal’s “Gambler’s Argument” says that the most rational thing for anyone to do in any
given “gamble” is to increase one’s chance of winning. Since we can not prove that God exists or does not
exist, Pascal says that the best “bet” is to believe—if we believe and are right…we win; if we believe and are
wrong…we lose nothing. On the other hand, if we do not believe, and are right…we gain little; if we do not
believe and are wrong…we lose our eternal souls—a big loss. So, says Pascal, believing—seemingly the
irrational course of action—is the more rational thing to do, in the end. (Here again, it becomes obvious that
Martel was a philosophy major).
[Students may wish to discuss the fact that Pi’s definition of “God” is quite broad and liberal—not tied to a
certain deity or religion.]
7. What does Martel seem to be suggesting about human beings and religion when he writes
about the confrontation between Pi and his three religious teachers (chapter 23)? How does
Pi diffuse the situation? Why does that work?
Because the three religious figures clash and insult one another, we get the idea that Martel is saying that
religious dogma and doctrine—the stories, rites, and rituals inherent in a specific religion—often blind human
beings to the essence of what religion should be about. It takes this small, unassuming boy (Pi) to remind
them. “I just want to love God,” he says, and the religious leaders desist. He has stated in one simple phrase
what they realize should be the basis of any believer’s faith; he has reminded them that the stories, rites, and
rituals are not the important point of religion. Later, in chapter 25, Pi says, “To me, religion is about our
dignity, not our depravity.” He refers to the preference of one religion over another as “small-mindedness” that
doesn’t do God “any good.” This novel clearly endorses the idea of religious tolerance.
8. In light of the plot and themes of this novel, what is interesting about some of the titles
and authors that Pi’s mother suggests to him as a diversion from his religious interests?
Revisit this question after finishing the novel.
Pi’s mother attempts to divert his attention from religion by suggesting that he read a book. Pi says, “This
was her usual tactic.” Presumably, he means that she frequently tried to distract his mind with literature
when she did not particularly want to deal with some troublesome thing he was asking about.
She hands him a book by Robert Louis Stevenson, possibly Treasure Island. The students will likely
recognize the irony in this after reading the entire novel, as Treasure Island is a famous children’s story
about adventure at sea. Students may not be aware that the original title of Treasure Island was The Sea
Cook, or Treasure Island (when it was first published in a children’s magazine, 1881-1882). Although
Jim Hawkins is the protagonist of Treasure Island, the first title indicates the importance of the story’s
most notorious character—Long John Silver, the lead mutineer who had, in years past, been the ship’s cook,
earning him the nickname “Barbeque.” Silver has been described as charming—hard to dislike even if one

hates everything he represents. His personality changes depending on the situation he’s in. He has loyalty only
to himself. He is intelligent, helpful at times, manipulative, ruthless, and appears to lack a moral conscience.
Once they know this and have finished Life of Pi, students may appreciate the correlation between the
murderous cook in the “story without animals” and to Long John Silver. Pi acknowledges to his mother that
he had already read the book, “three times.” His familiarity with it leads one to wonder about its influence
on the story he tells about his survival at sea.
Pi’s mother also recommends “Conan Doyle.” Pi quips that he’s read this author’s works multiple times, as
well. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about crime mysteries involving the famous fictional sleuth, Sherlock
Holmes—a character famous for his use of cool reason and deductive logic. The reference to Doyle could be an
indirect nod to the role that reason and logic will have in Pi’s story. It is also interesting to note that Doyle
also wrote a series of stories about Professor Challenger, an imposing and pompous figure who was obsessed
with science.
R. K. Narayan is one of the most famous and acclaimed Indian authors. He has written fourteen novels
(many centered on a fictional town in Southern India), five volumes of short stories, collections of nonfiction
and travelogues, and a memoir. This proliferation of writings is probably what prompts Pi’s mother to
exclaim, “You can’t possibly have read all of Narayan.” It is interesting to note that, in the 1970s,
Narayan published condensed versions of the famous Indian epics (The Ramayana and The
Mahabharata) in English. The influence of these epics (though not necessarily Narayan’s abridged English
versions) on Pi is clear in the novel.
Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, Pi’s mother recommends Robinson Crusoe, a work written by
Daniel Defoe. It is the fictional autobiography of the title character, who spends twenty-eight years as a
castaway on a remote tropical island. It is a story of mutiny, shipwreck, ordeal at sea, survival, cannibals,
and eventual rescue. Like Life of Pi, Robinson Crusoe is told in the structure of a frame story—the entire
novel being presented as an actual document, when, in fact, it is entirely fictional.
Key Quotes
“His house was a temple.” (chapter 15)
This quote goes hand-in-hand with discussion question #1:
Pi’s home in Canada is filled with relics and images of all three of the religions he began to follow as a boy.
Students should be able to point out specific examples from the text of chapter 15. This tells the reader that,
even after his ordeal at sea, Pi has retained faith in God. Not only that, but the mish-mash of religious
elements in his home show that the ordeal has not forced him to choose one religion over the others; he
continues to be an ecumenical believer.
“We are all born like Catholics, aren’t we—in limbo, without religion, until some figure
introduces us to God?” (chapter 16)
Students may wish to first discuss the concept of “limbo,” as not all students will be familiar with it. The
concept behind “limbo” is that some people die without attaining salvation (for varied reasons) and are
therefore relegated to an afterlife state in which they are in neither heaven nor hell. Here, Pi is using this
statement as a preface to the story of how he was introduced to the Hindu religion.

“The individual soul touches upon the world soul like a well reaches for the water table. That
which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us
and struggles for expression, is the same thing. The finite within the infinite, the infinite
within the finite.” (chapter 16)
Another paradox. This appears to be Pi defining what he means by “God” (perhaps Martel’s idea expressed
through his character). Pi seems to believe that divinity is both within us and without us. This explains, at
least in part, his ability to take part in three different religions. Clearly, Pi does not subscribe to the discrete
idea of divinity presented by any of the three religions he practices; he accepts them all because they all fit
within this broad definition of “that which sustains the universe.” This quote provides ample opportunity for
students to discuss varied ideas of what is divine, as well as the extent to which an author (Martel) conveys
his or her own idea through his or her characters.
“But we should not cling! A plague upon fundamentalists and literalists!” (chapter 16)
This is a rare instance of Pi making emotional proclamations. It only happens a handful of times throughout
the novel. “We should not cling” reminds us of the Buddhist concept that nothing in life is permanent and
that, therefore, attachment to things or ideas is foolhardy. The second exclamation denounces those who insist
that faith is about a particular religions’ doctrine and dogma—Pi is expressing his (Martel’s?) belief that
faith is about the larger idea of divinity, rather than the minutia involved in a particular tradition.
In an interview for PBS with Ray Suarez (News Hour, November 11, 2002), Martel said, “What’s
remarkable is how the mystics of each religion speak the same language…which is a language of a personal
relationship with god and a language of love, where God is love. It’s once you get further away from the
mystics that you start getting differences, which sometimes seem unbridgeable. Now, I think those
unbridgeable differences are due to dogmas, and sometimes dogmas stray very far away from faith.”
“First wonder goes deepest; wonder after that fits in the impression made by the first.”
(chapter 17)
In this metaphor, Pi is referencing the fact that his first religion was Hindu; he then had to reconcile what he
learned of Christianity and Islam with what he had already learned about his native religion. This is how
philosophers work—when presented with new ideas, they question their existing knowledge and assumptions,
then either reject their old beliefs in light of the new information, or find a way to assimilate the old ideas with
the new ones.
“Our encounters always leave me weary of the glum contentment that characterizes my life.”
(chapter 21)
Socrates, one of the western world’s earliest philosophers, is credited with having said, “The unexamined life is
not worth living.” This is the same notion expressed in the quote, above. The narrator/author is
acknowledging that, when he compares Pi’s deeply examined life to his own relatively unexamined life, he
realizes that he has been living a life of “glum contentment” rather than a rich, satisfying existence—hardly a
positive revelation.
“Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’ I just want to love God…” (chapter 23)

This quote provides a good opportunity to discuss the allusion to Mahatma Gandhi. The second half of this
quotation relates to discussion question #7:
Because the three religious figures clash and insult one another, we get the idea that Martel is saying that
religious dogma and doctrine—the stories, rites, and rituals inherent in a specific religion—often blind human
beings to the essence of what religion should be about. It takes this small, unassuming boy (Pi) to remind
them. “I just want to love God,” he says, and the religious leaders desist. He has stated in one simple phrase
what they realize should be the basis of any believer’s faith; he has reminded them that the stories, rites, and
rituals are not the important point of religion. Later, in chapter 25, Pi says, “To me, religion is about our
dignity, not our depravity.” He refers to the preference of one religion over another as “small-mindedness” that
doesn’t do God “any good.” This novel clearly endorses the idea of religious tolerance.
“To me, religion is about our dignity, not our depravity.” (chapter 25)
By “depravity,” Pi probably means the human tendency to get caught up in all of the “shoulds” associated
with religious doctrine. Because Pi was practicing three religions, the proponents of each one tended to ostracize
him for not choosing theirs over the others. Pi refers to this as “small-mindedness.” This quote provides a good
opportunity for students to discuss what “depravity” usually means and compare that to what it seems to
mean here.

1. Compare chapter 29 (Pi’s ruminations about why people move) to chapters 10-11 (his
discussion of why zoo animals might leave their enclosures). In what ways did India become
an “unsuitable enclosure” (chapter 10) for Pi’s father (chapter 29)?
In chapter 10, Pi asserts that animals in good enclosures do not usually attempt to leave them unless
something within the enclosure changes to scare them significantly enough to leave their familiar territory for
the “unknown.” Pi’s family is leaving the familiar territory of Pondicherry because Pi’s father and mother are
disturbed and frightened by political goings-on in India. They are willing to gamble on the “unknown” of
Canada rather than bear what they fear in their home country. This is a good time to briefly talk to students
about “The Emergency” in India in the 1970s.
2. Why was there “no Emergency” in Pi’s life (chapter 29)?
The capital-E on Emergency shows that Pi is referencing not just any emergency, but The Emergency in
India. He says that there is “no Emergency” in his life because, as a boy, he does not feel or comprehend the
potential impact of the political goings-on in India at the time. Pi talks a great deal about how the animals
are going on about their lives as normal—students may wish to discuss this fundamental difference between
humans and animals. Animals don’t create politics and laws, and wars. They live by instinct alone, and the
only politics that affect them are the politics of their own social rules of dominance and submission.
3. What do we find out about Pi’s adult life in chapter 30 and 36?

We find out that the adult Pi has not only a wife and pet, but children—a son and a daughter. Students
might want to discuss why this is symbolic of Pi’s innate and unending sense of hopefulness. He could have
survived his ordeal only to renounce ever loving anyone again, as he had loved his family and as he came to
love Richard Parker. Many people would not risk starting a family when they had experienced such
devastating loss and hurt. Pi, however, has built a happy family life. He has continued to live a rich existence.
4. Why do you think Martel includes the chapter (31) in which Mr. Kumar (teacher) and Mr.
Kumar (Sufi) meet?
It was inevitable that Pi’s two mentors should meet. The ideas of the two combine in Pi and here we see them
side-by-side in order to note the way each looks at the world and orders his universe.
5. What is paradoxical about Mr. Kumar (Sufi) saying, “In all this there are messages indeed
for people who use their reason”?
The Sufi speaks of “reason” in a way that most people might not; he is saying that the universe has ordered
the animals and the universe in a way that should alert us to “messages.” Most people would refer to his
beliefs as mysticism or metaphysical, not reasonable or logical.
6. Martel appears to be purposefully ambiguous about Mr. Kumar and Mr. Kumar in the
scene where they are feeding the zebra a carrot. Which is which? Why does Martel not make
their identities more clear for the reader in this scene?
The dialogue in this chapter is very telling. Mr. Kumar (Sufi) says, “Thank you, Piscine,” using his full first
name. Mr. Kumar (teacher) prefers, “Thank you, Pi.” He is more comfortable with Pi’s mathematical
connotation. It’s most likely that Mr. Kumar (teacher) is the one who would not let go of the carrot; he seems
to be testing the zebra, studying what it will do. It makes sense that Mr. Kumar (Sufi) is the one who
“wasn’t so demanding of the zebra.” Interestingly, they both “looked delighted.” An astute reader will
acknowledge that while they both experience “delight” at the zebra, it is for different reasons.
This encounter should remind the reader of Pi’s feelings for both atheists and believers; he respects and
admires both. They may not both look at or experience the world in the same way, but they both experience it
richly and with appreciation.
7. Compare the comments of Mr. Kumar and Mr. Kumar at the end of chapter 31. What does
the diction used by each one reveal about his personality and world-view?
It’s simple to tell who’s who in this chapter by the words each chooses. Mr. Kumar (teacher) calls the zebra
“the Rolls-Royce of equids.” He refers to the animal’s biological categorization, as a member of the equine
family. He further shows his predilection for ranking and categorizing items (a scientific trait/habit) by
referring to the animal in comparison to the Rolls-Royce, thereby quantifying its value. Mr. Kumar (Sufi)
merely says, “It’s a wondrous creature.” He appears to feel no need to quantify or categorize, and is content to
simply experience the animal with awe. When Pi tells them what kind of zebra it is, Mr. Kumar (teacher)
shows off his knowledge of the family, genus, and species names. Mr. Kumar (Sufi) says, “Allahu akbar,”
which translates as “god is great”—showing no interest in what the zebra is called or how it is categorized,
instead showing reverence to the god he feels created such a thing.

8. Why does Martel include the chapter (32) about animals coming to “surprising living
arrangements”? Revisit this question after finishing the novel.
When first reading Part One, students probably don’t pick up on the significance of this chapter. Only after
finishing the novel will they be more likely to appreciate that this chapter foreshadows Pi and Richard
Parker’s living arrangements in the lifeboat.
9. How has Martel used ambiguity purposefully in chapter 33 when discussing Richard
Parker’s appearance in an old photo? What is the reader lead to believe? After finishing the
novel, what does the reader know? What is the result of the ambiguity Martel is using here?
The author/narrator says that he sees Richard Parker “looking away” in the photograph, continuing, “He
doesn’t even realize that his picture is being taken.” The fact that a first and last name are used to refer to
Richard Parker and the fact that he is being talked about here as if he could realize that he’s being
photographed, lead the reader to believe he is a human being. Although the narrator never says he is, the
reader most likely assumes it. The effect of this segment is to increase intrigue; the reader, more than ever,
wants to know what will be so important about this Richard Parker character.
10. What do you make of the narrator telling us at the end of Part One that the story has a
happy ending? Why would an author let the reader know that in advance? After finishing the
novel, do you agree that it is a happy ending?
If it hadn’t been apparent before, this is when it becomes abundantly clear that this is not necessarily a plot-
driven novel. Martel lets us know right away that Pi has survived his ordeal, so we don’t ever wonder, “will
he make it?” (We may wonder, “HOW does he make it?”—so there’s still suspense). Now, at the end of
Part One, the author tells us “this story has a happy ending.” The only reason an author would tell his
reader that the ending is a positive one is because how the story ends isn’t the important thing—the ideas in
the story are ultimately more important than the series of events or the eventual resolution.
Martel may also be challenging us to decide whether we agree that the story’s ending is happy or not. Can it
really be a happy ending if Pi has lost everything he ever loved?
Martel is also being ambiguous about what he means by “this story.” Does he mean the novel, which ends at
the end of Part Three, or does the mean Pi’s story, which ends at the beginning—with the author/narrator
interviewing Pi as a happy, well-adjusted adult with a family in Canada?
Key Quotes
“They were there all along, but I hadn’t seen them before because I wasn’t looking for
them.” (chapter 30)
This is the narrator/author talking about signs in Pi’s home that Pi was married. It surprises him that he
hadn’t noticed the signs on previous visits. This statement is probably intended to be somewhat
metaphorical—saying that we often miss things when we aren’t searching for them, whether it’s physical
details or abstract concepts.
“Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to, but what can you do? You must take
life the way it comes at you and make the best of it.” (chapter 35)

Once students have finished the novel, this quote should strike them as particularly touching; it says a great
deal about Pi’s character. In terms of rhetorical technique, it’s a good example of m eiosis—purposeful
understatement for an effect. Pi is talking about his family’s trans-Pacific boat trip from India to Canada.
We find out that the ship sinks and Pi’s entire family is either lost at sea or, if one believes the “story without
animals,” murdered. This is clearly a huge, devastating loss. For Pi to say “things didn’t turn out the way
they were supposed to,” is a vast understatement. The effect of the understatement is that we come to
understand Pi’s character to be deeply spiritual, forgiving, and accepting of fate.

1. In Part Two, the author/narrator’s voice disappears; all of the chapters are told in Pi’s
voice, recollecting the shipwreck and what followed it. In terms of the structure of the
novel, why does Martel do this?
At this point, Martel clearly wants the reader to become absorbed in Pi’s ordeal at sea. If the
narrator/author interrupted the story with his commentary, it would divert the reader’s attention from
Pi’s story. And Pi’s story is, after all, the “better story.” According to Yann Martel in an interview for
PBS with Ray Suarez (NewsHour, November 11, 2002), “the central part of the novel is how Pi
gets along with the tiger.”
2. Consider the order of the story in chapters 37-39. What is odd about it? Why do you
think Martel chose to order the narrative this way? What effect does this order achieve?
The order of these chapters is not chronological. Chapter 37 begins with the ship having already sunk
and Pi trying to save Richard Parker in the immediate aftermath. Chapter 38 explains the living
accommodations on the ship and the events leading up to it sinking. Chapter 39 explains how Pi and the
zebra got into the lifeboat. Chapter 40 picks up where chapter 37 had ended—with Richard Parker in
the lifeboat and Pi in the sea, worried that Richard Parker would jump in after him.
Reading the last sentence in Part One and then the first sentence in Part Two goes like this: “This story
has a happy ending. The ship sank.” It is a jarring paradox resulting from the juxtaposition of such a
positive, optimistic statement followed by such a stark, blunt horrifying statement.
3. At what point does the reader clearly conclude the Richard Parker is the name of a tiger
and not a person? (Find a page reference.) How does Martel use language to perpetuate
ambiguity about Richard Parker right up until that point?
On page 99, Pi finally comes right out and says that Richard Parker is a “wet, trembling, half-drowned,
heaving and coughing three-year-old adult Bengal tiger.” Up until this point, Martel’s references to
Richard Parker have remained ambiguous. He describes Richard Parker swimming and struggling. He
describes Richard Parker’s hopefulness at seeing the lifebuoy—something we’d normally think a human
would feel. We don’t expect an animal to recognize a lifebuoy. Pi’s obvious concern for Richard Parker’s
survival (at least at first) also leads the reader to believe he might be a human being.

4. Though most of the narration of these chapters is intense and serious, Pi’s character also
has a humorous, maybe even sarcastic, voice in places. Find examples and discuss how
Martel’s use of language contributes to the humorous tone.
The most obvious moment of levity amid the horror of the ship sinking is when Pi reacts to Richard
Parker being safely in the lifeboat: “I turned around, stepped over the zebra and threw myself
overboard.” After so much concern with survival, we don’t expect him to throw himself into the angry
sea. The matter-of-factness inherent in the sentence and the imagery conveyed in that sentence make it a
bit funny.
Similarly, the last sentence of chapter 38 is funny. Pi says of the Chinese sailors, “Only when they threw
me overboard did I begin to have doubts.” Here again, Martel is relying on meiosis to convey levity; when
one is being thrown overboard during a storm at sea, it would seem that one would be experiencing more
emotion than merely “beginning to have doubts.” The contrast of the situation and Pi’s matter-of-fact
statement make it humorous, even amid the horror.
5. What does Pi mean/imply by the simple, two-word phrase “Oh, Ravi!” in chapter 38?
Sometimes a writer can convey a lot of meaning in very few words. By adding the exclamation “Oh,
Ravi!” at the end of the description of how Pi tried to rouse his brother unsuccessfully, he is really
conveying Pi’s lingering sense of profound regret and loss. What he means is, “Oh, Ravi, how I wish
you’d awoken, or that I’d tried harder to awaken you. How I wish you had come up on deck with me
and been thrown into that lifeboat with me! How I wish you’d have been my fellow castaway and
survived with me!” But all he needs to say, for the reader to understand all of this, is “Oh, Ravi!”
6. At times, Pi’s narration takes on a poetic quality, due in large part to Martel’s occasional
use of fragmented sentence structure, figurative language, imagery, and sound
devices. For example, Pi says that the ship sinking “was an unbelievable as the moon
catching fire.” Find several other examples of such poetic prose and discuss how they
affect our perception of the story and storyteller (Pi).
Student responses to this will vary. There are certainly plenty of poetic phrases and segments of the novel
to choose from. The instructor may want to pull a particularly “poetic” passage and ask students to do a
close reading and annotate it with an eye for these literary techniques.
7. How is the reader’s perception of Orange Juice (and Pi’s relationship with her) affected
by the diction, allusions, and imagery apparent in chapter 42?
Chapter 42 provides plenty of opportunity to discuss use of language. References to the concept of mother
are abundant: “Great Mother,” “fertility goddess,” “provider of milk and love,” “picker-up of crying
ones,” Mary, “matriarch,” and “mother of two fine boys.” After finishing Part Three, students will see
this even more—clearly Orange Juice represents a mother-figure for Pi. In addition, it is easy to see Pi’s
reverence for this concept of motherhood. The chapter is riddled with the diction of veneration and awe.
Moreover, Pi repeats, “I love you, I love you, I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you.” He alludes to
the sacred images of the Virgin Mary and the Great Mother—meaning Shakti, the principal Hindu
mother goddess. To reference such holy icons is to bestow upon Orange Juice a sense of majesty and
respect. The description of Orange Juice in a “halo of light” with the rising sun behind her and her
“flaming hair” serves to underscore this deification.

8. In Chapter 43, Pi says that “…red lights were blinking on consoles, alarm bells were
ringing, eyes were opening wide in horror….” it sounds as if he knows this for certain.
Does he know this for certain, or is he being wishful? How can you tell?
Some students may be confused about this because, in truth, Martel does switch narrative voice frequently
enough that one could be fooled into thinking this is Pi telling the narrator/author what was actually
happening. But more observant students will notice that this is Pi comforting himself. The short, staccato
sentence structure mimics the sort of panicked voice one hears in one’s head when attempting to reassure
oneself of something that one is, in fact, quite unsure of. In addition, Pi prefaces his thoughts by saying,
“I was certain that…” and “It was inconceivable that….” These are our verbal clues that he is
imagining what should be happening, what he hoped was happening—not what was happening.
Finally, students might point out Martel’s use of the word would in this passage. “We would be
rescued soon…A ship would appear…A gun would be found….” Would is a very flexible word,
with various purposes; here, it is being used to express what is sometimes called “the future in the
past”— in the past Pi thought something would happen in the future…in this case, things that never
ended up occurring, after all.
9. How has Martel used the binary opposition of lightness and darkness/day and night in
this section, and to what effect?
Students should notice that Pi feels his fear, suffering, hopelessness, and loss more poignantly at night.
Day usually brings him renewed spirits, hope, and will to survive. The ship sinks at night. Sun rises on
the “dawn of a beautiful day in the Pacific Ocean” just before Orange Juice arrives, bringing fresh hope
to Pi (chapter 41-42). In chapter 44, Pi tells us that “as evening approached, my anxiety grew.” That
chapter describes the first hellish night that “passed, minute by minute” at sea. In chapter 45, day
breaks and Pi says, “with the very first rays of light it came alive in me: hope.” In chapter 46, the day
comes to a close. Pi relates, “the passing of the day slowly did the job of unbending my smile.” He then
describes a night he remembers as “one of exceptional suffering.”
Students should be able to trace this night/day (light/dark) motif through the rest of Part Two, as well.
Key Quotes
“Every single thing I value in life has been destroyed. And am I allowed no explanation? I
am to suffer hell without any account from heaven? In that case, what is the purpose of
reason, Richard Parker? Is it no more than to shine at practicalities—the getting of food,
clothing and shelter? Why can’t reason give greater answers? Why can we throw a question
further than we can pull in an answer? Why such a vast net if there’s so little fish to catch?”
(chapter 37)
This quote provides an opportunity to compare Pi’s situation to that of Job in the Bible. The quote doesn’t
provide a specific biblical allusion/reference, but astute students may pick up on the similarities—a person of
great faith who has lived a righteous life nonetheless experiencing extreme hardship, suffering, and loss. As
Job does in chapter 7, Pi complains of his plight and questions the reason for it. Like Job, the ultimate
question is whether Pi can/will keep his faith in God through the ordeal, or renounce his faith (as Mr.
Kumar, the biology teacher, did after experiencing polio).
There are enormous philosophical implications in this quote, including “What is the nature of God?”

This quote also provides opportunity to discuss the dichotomy between reason and faith. The diction and
metaphorical language of this quote bring both into question. To a large extent, the central question in this
novel is, “How do reason and faith co-exist in man…or can they?” Martel has isolated his main character in
an indifferent natural environment—the sea—in order to grapple with this question. After finishing the
novel, students should note Pi’s clear conclusion that both reason and faith are necessary.
“Something in me did not want to give up on life, was unwilling to let it go, wanted to fight
to the very end. Where that part of me got the heart, I don’t know.” (chapter 37)
Later in the novel, we come to understand that Richard Parker is the physical manifestation of this
“something in me.” Pi is referring to the instinctive, animalistic imperative to survive that is inherent in
human beings, just as it is in other living beings.
This quote offers a good opportunity to discuss Martel’s choice of a tiger as the animal that accompanies Pi in
his ordeal. In “How I Wrote Life of Pi,” Martel has said that, after considering other animal possibilities,
he “settled on the choice that in retrospect seems the obvious one.” Students may want to read and discuss
Blake’s “The Tiger” (and possibly “The Lamb”) while studying this chapter. Those poems introduce the idea
of the dual nature of mankind. Students can discuss the attributes associated with the tiger (strong, powerful,
carnivorous, scary, dark, evil?) and those attributed with the lamb (sweet, innocent, blameless, etc.). These
poems also introduce the idea of question how (why?) God could have created both. More symbolically, these
poems bring into question how God could create man with the capability of both sets of attributes—and why.
On the basis of these philosophical questions, students can start to look at the possibility that Richard Parker
isn’t just a tiger in a story. He may be a symbolic representation of Pi’s “darker” side—his animalistic,
instinctive, survival-driven side. Pi may have thought he was merely a pacifist, vegetarian, innocent, righteous
boy. He finds out at sea that he is capable of much more when hungry and desperate for survival.
Students may also wish to reference the following quote from chapter 10 when discussing this: “All living
things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness
can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.”
Students who are intrigued by the “dual nature of mankind” theme may be interested in reading Joseph
Conrad’s Heart of Darkness or William Golding’s Lord of the Flies. Students who have already read
one or both of these works may wish to draw comparisons to the ideas presented in Life of Pi. Note that, in
all three, the author deems it necessary to remove the protagonists from “civilization” to explore the true
nature of man.
“I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the Pacific, hanging on to an oar, an adult tiger
in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me. Had I considered by prospects
in the light of reason, I surely would have given up….I just held on, God only knows why.”
(chapter 40)
Here is another great opportunity to discuss the dichotomy between reason and faith. Students may want to
discuss why Pi finds reason inadequate to sustain him. The phrase “God only knows why” is an idiomatic
colloquialism and, therefore, easy to dismiss as Pi merely expressing exasperation. Students should try to
consider it at face value. Perhaps Pi truly means that God really does know why, and only God. Considered
in that way, the phrase’s appropriateness in the situation transcends its usual clichéd meaning.

“Accidental cannibalism is a common occurrence during the excitement of a feeding…”

(chapter 43)
Students may want to recall Pi’s words about the hyena after reading Part Three and discovering that there is
a correlation between the hyena and the cannibalistic cook.
“When your own life is threatened, your sense of empathy is blunted by a terrible, selfish
hunger for survival.” (chapter 45)
This quote goes hand-in-hand with the earlier quote from chapter 37. Students may wish to discuss how
human beings “change” in survival situations. If time permits, this offers students the opportunity to share
stories of survival that have required people to do things they would not ordinarily do in their daily lives. The
instructor may wish to bring in several “real world” stories/examples to aid this discussion from history, the
news, or literature.

1. Why might Martel have chosen to give the tiger a human-sounding name? Think of the
earlier chapters about the zoo animals. Also think of what Richard Parker might represent
and what he comes to mean to Pi. Revisit this question after finishing the novel.
The instructor may want to share Yann Martel’s explanation of why he chose “Richard Parker” as the name
for the tiger (from “Notes for the Instructor” earlier in this study guide). Students can then compare the
fictional justification for Richard Parker’s name (a mistake on paperwork) with Martel’s stated reasoning.
Giving the tiger a first and last name that sounds “human” allowed Martel to maintain a high level of
ambiguity regarding the tiger’s true identity until he was ready to reveal it—creating greater impact when the
reader realizes that Pi is at sea with a huge, dangerous carnivore. As the novel progresses, Richard Parker
comes to symbolize the animalistic, instinctive, brutal aspect of Pi’s human nature. Considering this, it makes
sense for the animal to be anthropomorphized with a human moniker—this correlates to the discussion of
anthropomorphizing zoo animals in Part One and the “lesson” that Pi’s father staged with the tiger at the
Pondicherry zoo.
2. A book’s cover art can be deceiving; read chapter 50 carefully to get a good idea of the size
and shape of the lifeboat. If your school has 12x12 floor tiles, use them to figure out how
long and how wide the lifeboat was. If possible, draw a sketch of the boat based on Pi’s
description.
Because human beings are essentially visual, the cover art for the book being used can greatly affect a student’s
perception of what life must have been like on the lifeboat for a person and a tiger. Asking students to
visualize, or even draw, the lifeboat (to scale, if possible), does two things: (1) It helps the students accept the
plausibility of these two dichotomous beings living for so long together, and (2) it forces students to do a “close
reading” of the text in chapter 50, always good practice.
3. Why do you think Martel provides such detailed and specific description of the lifeboat and
its contents (chapter 50-52)? What effect do these chapters have on the reader? Why?

At this point in the novel, Pi is bracing himself for survival. He is beginning to form a plan that will get him
through his ordeal. By cataloguing the contents of the lifeboat and figuring out how best to use its shape and
available space, he is giving himself hope that (perhaps) it is possible to survive. In turn, the reader feels hope
that the story is plausible and that Pi’s survival isn’t too far-fetched to believe. Sometimes readers will “shut
down” if they are being asked to believe something in a story that is beyond plausibility—a fact that Martel
knows and will use later in the story. For now, he appears to want the reader to feel comfortable with the idea
that these two characters could plausibly co-exist in a lifeboat. He is not pushing his reader’s faith/belief yet.
4. Why do you think Pi deems “plan number four” to be a “clever, suicidal plan”?
Here’s Martel’s fondness for paradoxical statements again. To call the plan both clever and suicidal seems
oxymoronic. Pi offers specific, detailed reasons that the other plans won’t work. For this one, he is
ambiguously dismissive. He may be indicating the physical improbability of what he has proposed in “plan
number four”—Richard Parker would possibly react and kill him before the rope was even in place around
his neck. How would he ever manage to noose a tiger?
Key Quotes
“In English it said the ration consisted of eighteen fortified biscuits of baked wheat, animal
fat and glucose…Pity about the fat, but given the exceptional circumstances the vegetarian
part of me would simply pinch its nose and bear it.” (chapter 51)
After they finish the entire novel, students will find this quote a bit laughable. It is used to demonstrate how
pacifist and vegetarian Pi considers himself at the outset of his ordeal. Students may wish to discuss how
quickly such notions are abandoned in the face of a live-or-die situation.
This quote provides good opportunity to have students compare the character traits of Pi and Richard Parker,
who are, after all, polar opposites. Students should be able to notice that Pi is physically small, relatively
weak and vulnerable, pacifist, spiritual, intellectual, and vegetarian. Richard Parker is big, strong, imposing,
predatory, instinctive, animalistic, brutish, and carnivorous.
Martel has given us these two “separate” characters in one lifeboat. Symbolically, he’s showing the two sides of
human nature that dwell within one man. (Reference the William Blake poems again, perhaps).
“ 1 boy with a complete set of light clothing but for one lost shoe
1 spotted hyena
1 Bengal tiger
1 lifeboat
1 ocean
1 God” (chapter 52)
This is how Pi ends his inventory of items available in the lifeboat. The list clearly progresses from concrete,
utilitarian items to more abstract ideas. Students may want to discuss the effect of this shift in the list. The
list begins with a detached, rational tone and ends on a spiritual tone. They may also be interested in Pi’s
ability to believe in “1 God” when he, in fact, chooses to practice three religions. Clearly, Pi defines “God”
differently than many people do.

“Some of us give up on life with only a resigned sigh. Others fight a little, then lose hope.
Still others—and I am one of those—never give up. We fight and fight and fight. We fight
no matter what the cost of the battle, the losses we take, the improbability of success. We
fight to the very end. It’s not a question of courage. It’s something constitutional, an inability
to let go. It may be nothing more than life-hungry stupidity.” (chapter 53)
This quotation repeats the ideas conveyed in the earlier quote from chapter 37 regarding human beings’
imperative to survive. Here, however, Pi is acknowledging that human beings appear to feel that imperative to
varying degrees. He says it may only be “life-hungry stupidity.” Students may want to discuss another reason
Pi has the ability to sustain his quest for survival—faith.

1. In terms of plot, nothing really happens in Chapter 56. This chapter contains Pi’s homily on
fear and its effects. Why do you think Martel inserts it here? What do you make of Pi’s
thoughts about fear and survival in this chapter? Revisit this question after finishing the
novel.
At the end of chapter 55, Pi is talking to himself about the threat that Richard Parker poses and what he
has to do to survive. Chapter 56 abruptly turns to Pi’s thoughts on fear. The frame story becomes important
again here. The reader must remember that Pi is, ostensibly, telling his story to someone else who is, in turn,
writing it down for publication. It is natural that Pi, in telling his story to the author/narrator, should be
waxing philosophical about the role of fear in his survival. He has had time to think about it over the years
and to draw conclusions about how his emotions and actions affected his survival.
The first paragraph of chapter 56 discusses the fact that reason and disbelief is no match for fear, in terms of
the human psyche. He says that our “last allies” against fear are “hope and trust” (AKA “faith”). If one
loses faith, Pi seems to be saying, one succumbs to fear. In order to maintain faith, Pi espouses putting fear
into words, to “shine the light of words upon it” so as not to allow fear to become a “world of darkness.”
(Note the light/dark motif here again).
2. Note the tone shifts in chapter 58. The list of advice from the manual has a distinct tone.
The paragraphs that follow Pi’s reading have another. The last three paragraphs have a
different tone altogether. What is the tone of each of those segments? What literary
techniques contribute to the tone in each segment?
The survival manual does not sound like a formal, official survival manual. It has a tongue-in-cheek quality
to it, an air of humor. Students might note that this tone is partially the result of colloquialisms, such as
“yarn spinning,” “mind the beak and the claws,” and “puff up like balloons.” The fragmented sentence
structure also contributes to the informal tone: “Do not drink urine. Or sea water. Or bird blood.” Instead of
sounding like a survival manual, it reads as advice from a casual friend. The manual appears to be written
not for a veteran sailor, but for a novice with little understanding of the sea. Instead of listing the actual
names of fish, it describes sea creatures in childish terms. Furthermore, some of the advice is epigrammatic, for
example: “Ultimately, a foot is the only good judge of land,” and “The momentary warmth is not worth the
nappy rash,” and “if you feel thirsty, suck a button.”

The middle section of this chapter has a tone of optimism, conviction and determination. Pi’s attitude has
clearly been bolstered by the manual and he is contemplating the action he needs to take to ensure his survival.
Students might note the short, direct, declarative sentences that punctuate this tone. The use of a naphora
contributes to the tone, as well. Multiple sentences begin with, “I had to….” Pi is cataloguing what he needs
to do, ordering his new reality in a very physical sense.
The last three “paragraphs” (really just a few sentences) show that Pi’s hope for survival wavers. After listing
all that he has to do, he states, “There is much I had to do.” This is, again, m eiosis. What Pi had to do
was achieve the near-impossible. “Much,” indeed. This thought appears to significantly sober Pi. He looks
around at the “empty horizon” and immediately feels his isolation in the form of hopelessness. The imagery
in the last three sentences drives home the tone of despair.
3. Discuss the advice in the fifth bullet in chapter 58: “If a castaway is injured, beware of well-
meaning but ill-founded medical treatment.” Re-consider this advice and how it relates to
the story after finishing the novel.
On first read, this seems to be innocuous and probably unnecessary advice; after all, there isn’t anyone else in
the lifeboat to give Pi “well-meaning but ill-founded medical treatment.” After reading the “story without
animals,” however, students may make a connection between this bit of advice in the survival manual and the
cruel cook who persuaded Pi and his mother to help amputate the injured Chinese sailor’s leg. [It becomes
clear that the cook’s ‘treatment’ was indeed ‘ill-founded,’ but never actually ‘well-meaning’—though he
presented it to them as if it were].
4. Track Pi’s emotions throughout this section. What is the pattern? What causes each mood?
Students should be able to track Pi’s emotions as they range from “reassured and hopeful” to “hopeless
despair” to “terrified” and back. They should be able to explain what new discovery or realization causes
each turn of his emotion.
5. Describe Pi’s range of feelings towards Richard Parker. Use text to support your response.
Students will likely be able to explain that Pi ranges from terrified of Richard Parker (chapter 56) to
impressed or awed by Richard Parker (chapter 57) to pragmatic about Richard Parker (chapter 58) . There
are other chapters in the book in which Pi seems thankful for Richard Parker. Students should be able to
locate and discuss particular sentences in the book that display these emotions.
6. Discuss the tone of chapter 60. How is that tone achieved?
With the exception of the parenthetical comment towards the end, chapter 60 has a t one of calm resignation.
Martel creates this tone by incorporating a llusions to Hindu mythology, vivid i magery of the sea and sky,
and f igurative language. Pi waxes philosophical toward the end of the chapter, accepting his fate and
resigning himself to the idea that his place in the universe, after all, is minute.
Students should be able to point out specific i mages, m etaphorical language, and a llusions. They
should discuss Martel’s use of d iction in the chapter, as well.
Discuss how the tone of the parenthetical comment is different (and therefore set off by parentheses). Students
may want to discuss why it’s appropriate that Pi’s renewed desire for survival and sense of importance in the

universe resurges with the daybreak. This correlates to Martel’s use of the dark/light and night/day motif
throughout the novel.
7. Note the use of voice in chapter 61. Who is talking to Pi about what to feed the tiger? What
tone does this speaker take? How is that tone achieved? What might account for this sort of
conversation?
Pi says “some part of my mind rebuked me….” In this chapter, Pi begins to have a conversation with
himself. Though the point-of-view is second person, the reader understands that this is Pi talking to himself.
The voice speaking to him is sarcastic and remonstrative. Students should note the use of multiple r hetorical
questions as contributing to the t one. Students should also be able to pick up on Martel’s sardonic
diction. Towards the end of the “conversation,” Pi’s inner voice uses a c olloquialism (“speak of the
devil”), i magery, and f igurative language in a way that is clearly intended to be sarcastic.
Students may discuss that it makes sense for a castaway to begin having conversations with himself after too
many days alone at sea. It could be “descent into madness,” or it could just be boredom and lack of company.
This conversation f oreshadows the one he has with the blind Frenchman later in the book. Because Pi has
talked to himself here, the reader later accepts that Pi might be talking to himself later—which helps set up
the plot twist when it is revealed that someone else is actually there.
8. Contrast the language and imagery in the section where Pi kills the first flying fish with the
language used when he is killing the dorado.
Within a couple of pages of text, Pi changes his outlook on killing for food. When he kills the small flying
fish, students should note that it takes several paragraphs for him to build up the ability to kill it, follow
through, and then express regret. By the time he catches the dorado, Pi says, “Killing it was no problem.” The
language and imagery included when Pi was killing the flying fish make clear that he is struggling emotionally
with the action. Students should be able to point out specific sentences and images that convey his remorse.
When he kills the dorado, his tone is much more matter-of-fact and detached. There are far fewer references to
Pi’s emotions when he is killing the dorado; most of the language is description of what he did and how he did
it.
9. Pi’s struggle with the dorado reminds the literate reader of Hemingway’s The Old Man and the
Sea. If you haven’t read it, do some quick research. Why is this section reminiscent of that
novella?
Anyone who has read Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea will hear echoes of it in the chapter where
Pi is catching and killing the dorado, at least. In Hemingway’s novella, the title character also must catch
and kill a magnificent and huge fish—one too large to fit in his boat, one with which he must struggle. In
both works, the human expresses not just appreciation, but true reverence and awe for the animal that is
giving its life. In both stories, the human admires the fish’s beauty in terms of wonderment.
In an online chat session at WrittenVoices.com (October 2, 2002), Yann Martel was asked by a reader
how he feels when people draw the Hemingway comparison. He said, “People always seek to compare. They
can take the new, but only if it is somehow connected to the familiar. We need that in our lives, the mix of the
new and the old. But of course I’m flattered about the comparison….Hemingway is a great writer.”

This provides a good opportunity for students to discuss the ever-present, “Did he mean to do that?” question
that comes up in literary analysis classes. Martel does not say that he purposefully sought to emulate
Hemingway’s story; but, neither does he say that he didn’t. He sort of hints that he didn’t. Students may find
that the answer to this question (“did he mean to do that?”) is: “It doesn’t matter.” Whether an author
intended for a connection to occur or not does not stop it from occurring. And, if it does, it’s fair game to
discuss in terms of the effect on the literature. The author’s intent is generally interesting to know, but not
essential. Once the correlation is there, it adds richness to the discussion of the text.
Key Quotes
“It is the irony of this story that the one who scared me witless to start with was the very
same who brought me peace, purpose, I dare say even wholeness.” (chapter 57)
This quote more-or-less sums up the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker. It is ironic, and
paradoxical. What Pi finds out during his ordeal is that Richard Parker brings something to his survival
that he needs. It may be the “madness” he refers to earlier .Richard Parker is a metaphysical symbol for that
part of Pi’s psyche that is instinctive, animalistic, brutal, and capable of doing terrible things in order to
survive. Pi needs both this side of himself and the introspective, kind, spiritual, loving side of himself.
Together these two “halves” of Pi’s psyche make up a “whole” human being. (“Did he who made the lamb
make thee?” ~ William Blake)
The dual nature of human kind is a central idea in this work. If we look that the “story without animals”
and accept that Richard Parker is an a llegorical reference to Pi, himself…we must accept that Richard
Parker is that part of Pi that is capable of doing horrible things to survive.
Students may wish to revisit the chapter about opposites when discussing this t heme. Martel appears to be
saying that opposites are not only necessary in the universe, but that human beings themselves are paradoxical
in nature. Those students who know about Eastern religions may wish to discuss this idea in reference to the
yin-yang concept (used to describe how seemingly opposing forces are interdependent in the natural world).
“It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. We were, literally and figuratively,
in the same boat. We would live—or we would die—together.” (chapter 57)
This quote also relates to the dual nature of mankind and yin-yang concept discussed in regard to the quote,
above. Students might note the author’s use of the i diomatic expression “in the same boat” as both oddly
profound in this situation (for a clichéd phrase), and somewhat humorous. There is a presence of meiosis
here again; to use that phrase is to somewhat make light of the situation. The sentence after negates that sense
of levity, however.
“A part of me did not want Richard Parker to die at all, because if he died I would be left
alone with despair, a foe even more formidable than a tiger. If I still had the will to live, it
was thanks to Richard Parker….It’s the plain truth: without Richard Parker, I wouldn’t be
alive today to tell you my story.” (chapter 57)
Students can discuss how this quote contributes, once again, to Martel’s theme regarding the duality of
mankind. Pi may be literally talking about Richard Parker the tiger; but he is metaphorically talking about
that aspect of his psyche that allowed him to survive even when it called for dreadful, instinctive survival
actions.

“I was sixteen years old, a harmless boy, bookish and religious, and now I had blood on my
hands. It’s a terrible burden to carry.” (chapter 61)
Pi laments that, to survive his ordeal, he had to lose some of the innocence with which he began it. This is one
of the reasons the novel gets referred to as a sort of bildungsroman or coming-of-age story. To “come of
age,” it is necessary to shed much of the innocent ideas of youth.
An interesting thing to note about this quote is the subtle switch from past tense to present tense. Students
may be reminded at this point that Pi is telling his story to the author/narrator, who is writing it down to be
published. The first sentence relates what Pi had to do in the past. The second sentence implies that Pi carries
this burden in the present, to this day.
“It is simple and brutal: a person can get used to anything, even killing.”
Students might note that the sentence structure mimics the sentiment being expressed. The sentence is a simple,
direct, declarative statement. It underscores the blunt truth it discusses. Students may also wish to discuss this
quote as foreshadowing, after finishing the novel. Pi eventually kills a man in the “story with animals.” In
the “story without animals” he kills a man (the cook) early on.

1. Do a little “quickie research” on the names in the first paragraph of chapter 63. A fast
Wikipedia check or Google search will show that many of the shipwreck/castaway stories
alluded to have a lot in common with Pi’s ordeal. Be able to discuss some of the similarities.
What does this tell us about Martel as an author?
Students should be able to discuss the fact that Martel was either already well-versed in actual shipwrecks
and castaway situations, or else did a lot of research while working on the novel. In his essay for Powell’s
Books, titled “How I Wrote Life of Pi,” Martel says he spent a year and a half doing research, including
not only zoology, biology, and theology—but also reading castaway stories, both factual and literary.
2. Pi says his ordeal lasted 227 days. Because he is telling the story, we already know he
survives. Now we also know how long it takes before he is rescued. What effect does this
knowledge have on the story? Why?
Knowing how long Pi is at sea has a couple of effects. For one, the length of time is astonishing—not too
much shy of a whole year. It is nearly unbelievable that someone could be lost at sea that long. Probably the
longest recorded time lost at sea (surviving) is Poon Lim, at 133 days. Pi’s ordeal nearly doubles that.
Another effect this knowledge has is to, once again, let the reader know that Pi’s survival isn’t the question.
Nor is the focus supposed to be on figuring out how long it took before he was rescued. The focus is Pi’s story
and his personal discoveries in the process.
3. How is the number 227 related to pi ( )?

This may not be terribly relevant or even important, but 22/7 used to be an acceptable approximation of pi
( ). At the very least, it’s an interesting bit of trivia.
4. In the list of typical activities provided in chapter 63, Pi includes “picking at of turtle bones.”
This is confusing, since the previous chapters specifically stated that he had “recoiled in
horror” at merely touching a turtle’s flipper and that he had seen another turtle but “did
nothing about it.” How do you account for this inconsistency in the story-telling?
Pi is recalling his story as he is being interviewed by the author/narrator. It appears that he does not
remember the story in a strictly chronological sense. As a matter of fact, at the end of chapter 63, Pi explains
this directly. He says that he remembers “events and encounters and routines….But I don’t know if I can put
them in order for you. My memories come in a jumble.” The you being addressed by Pi is the
author/narrator who is interviewing Pi to write his story. It makes sense that someone who had been through
such an ordeal would not necessarily remember everything clearly or in specific, accurate order. Some things he
will remember vividly, other things he will remember in the hazy, jumbled way distant memories occur.
5. What might be significant, symbolically, about Pi ending up naked?
It would be very easy to dismiss the short chapter in which Pi talks about his clothes “disintegrating” and
states that he spent most of his ordeal naked. Two things are interesting about this, however. One of them is
that the “boils” he suffers remind the reader, once again, of Job. In addition, students may want to discuss the
symbolic relevance of clothing. Clothing is not only protection from sea and sun. It is a covering, an external,
man-made contrivance. In literature, the shedding of clothing often s ymbolizes a stripping down of man to
his most basic, natural, primal state. In addition, becoming naked is often s ymbolically associated with
vulnerability in literature. Students may wish to discuss those possible s ymbolic meanings with relation to
Pi’s story and situation.
6. Trace the change in Pi from the first tearful killing of the flying fish to the way he kills by the
end of this section. What changes? How does Martel’s use of diction, figurative language
and imagery convey that change? Provide examples.
Clearly, by chapter 80, Pi is not only accustomed to killing for sustenance, he is overjoyed in it. He excitedly
repeats the phrase, “What a catch! What a catch!” He no longer grimaces at the feel of a fish’s spine
snapping or eyes bulging; now he says, with appreciation, “It’s eyes and spine would irrigate a desert”—
implying that he will use the fluid from those parts to quench his thirst.
7. Discuss Martel’s juxtaposition of light and dark imagery in chapter 69.
This short chapter is organized oddly (interestingly?). The first half of the chapter explains that Pi used to
send up flares whenever he saw a ship on the horizon, but stopped doing so because he lost hope that it did
him any good. The second half of the chapter describes what the flares were like when he did send them up. It
seems backwards, this construction.
Seeing “light in the distance” not only indicates a possible rescue ship, but also metaphorically indicates the
presence of hope. The light of the flares is described as difficult to look at, yet fascinating. Perhaps Martel is
metaphorically discussing the painful experience of excruciating hope—hope that is desperate and wild and
incredibly intense, but goes unrewarded time after time. The water around the raft, “opaquely black” before a
flare went off, was revealed to be “crowded with fish” in the bright light of the flare. This could be correlated

to the way that hope illuminates things when it is present and the way that life without hope appears dull and
dark.
8. Martel’s use of narrative voice shifts sharply in chapter 71. Explain the change. What is the
effect on the tone of this chapter?
Pi changes from first person narrative voice to second person; the tone becomes didactic, instructive. He is
teaching the reader how to train a tiger at sea. This is silly, of course, as it isn’t very likely that the reader will
ever find him or herself in the same predicament as Pi. Perhaps it is indicative that Pi is growing delusional
as a result of his ordeal.
9. What does Martel seem to be saying about the value of reading and writing in chapter 73?
Martel has alluded to the value he places on words earlier in the novel when he says that the only way to
subdue fear is to put words to it and express it. In chapter 73, he returns to the power of language. Pi’s
“greatest wish,” he says, is to “have a book.” When he is finished lamenting the fact that he had no scripture
and no novel, only the survival manual, he moves on from his desire to read to a desire to write. He says that
he began to keep a diary. This explains, in part, why Pi can recall some of the details of his ordeal.
It has often and repeatedly been said that the development of a written language is at the base of civilization,
a key factor in separating human kind from animal kind. Many people believe that the fall of the written
word signals the fall of civilization. Students may wish to discuss this idea. Specifically, they may wish to
discuss why—at this point in the narrative—Pi might be particularly interested in holding on to the idea of
being “civilized.”
10. Note the juxtaposition of light and dark imagery in the last paragraph of chapter 74. What
is equated with the dark? What is equated with the light?
The light/dark motif becomes glaringly obvious at the end of chapter 74. Pi says, “Despair was a heavy
blackness that let no light in or out.” He equates God (hope) with light, saying, “God would remain, a
shining point of light in my heart.”
11. Why is chapter 75 just that one sentence?
Sometimes a lot can be conveyed in very few words. It’s interesting that the end of the chapter just before this is
full of spiritual, metaphysical ruminations. This chapter, this sentence, is extremely personal, concrete, and
down-to-earth. After speaking of love in a very abstract, broad way in chapter 74, Martel shows love in a
very concrete, specific way in chapter 75.
It strikes the reader’s heart that Pi sings to his mother, someone he clearly loved deeply. That he sings “happy
birthday,” a song almost everyone knows, helps the reader feel the emotion all the more. That he sings it “out
loud” speaks volumes about Pi’s loneliness and loss.
12. Note the poetic prose of chapter 78. What literary techniques contribute to the chapter’s
poetic quality?
The first paragraph is characterized by a naphora, repetition of the beginning of each line: “The sky
was….” This, coupled with the fact that the s tructure of nearly every sentence in the first two paragraphs is

exactly the same, captures the monotony of life as a castaway, with hours on end spent looking at the sky and
the ocean. The i magery in each line changes, however. This conveys the changing nature of the sky. It is not
one thing, but many. There is p ersonification in this chapter, too. The sea “roars” and also “whispers.”
(Note the paradox there). Students should also be able to point out specific m etaphors and s imiles in this
chapter.
The use of a naphora and p arallel sentence structure continues into the chapter; students should be
able to point out some specific examples. The entire chapter represents Pi’s metaphysical ruminations on life
as a castaway. Ideas in the chapter are a bstract, but conveyed through c oncrete sensory experience—as in
poetry.
13. Re-read the paragraph in chapter 78 that begins, “To be a castaway is to be a point….” How
does this paragraph potentially relate to the mathematical implications of Pi’s name?
Of the choice for his protagonist’s name, Yann Martel has said, “I chose the name Pi because it’s an
irrational number….Yet scientists use this irrational number to come to a ‘rational’ understanding of the
universe. To me, religion is a bit like that, ‘irrational’ and yet with it we come to a sound understanding of
the universe.” (online chat session, WrittenVoices.com; October 2, 2002)
In this section of chapter 78, Pi talks about being at the center of a circle. This is interesting, given the
relationship of to geometry and circles, in particular. Pi describes the universe around him as a “ballet of
circles.” Clearly, Pi’s ordeal at sea is causing him to contemplate the order of the universe and his place in it.
14. Examine Pi’s words about opposites in chapter 78. How has Martel used binary opposition
throughout this novel? What things or ideas have been presented in opposition to one
another? To what effect?
This question provides an opportunity to talk about the role of paradox in the novel and the students’ ideas
about why Martel includes so many seemingly “opposite” ideas co-existing. Students should be able to provide
several specific examples of places in the novel where two incongruous ideas are presented together
paradoxically. The most obvious is the zoology-religion double major (science + faith). Martel uses the second
half of chapter 78 to more-or-less sum up the idea that life (the universe) is made up of opposites (again, “yin
and yang”) and that those opposites co-exist simultaneously rather than separately. So it is with human
beings—supposedly opposite traits co-exist within man. Students may wish to re-visit the ideas in Blake’s
“The Tiger” at this point.
Key Quotes
“I survived because I made a point of forgetting. My story started on a calendar day—July

2nd, 1977—and ended on a calendar day—February 14th, 1978—but in between there was no
calendar. I did not count the days or the weeks or the months. Time is an illusion that only
makes us pant. I survived because I forgot even the very notion of time.” (chapter 63)
Although time and its passage don’t seem to be major themes of the work, this quote does provide an
opportunity for students to talk about what Martel has done in this novel. By shipwrecking a character
without human companionship in the middle of the ocean, Martel has stripped away most (if not all) human
constructs (time, social expectations, etc.) and switched the focus to the interaction between the natural universe

and raw humanity. [In this book, Martel explores the ages-old philosophical question: “Is man essential good
or essentially evil?” The answer he seems to propose is—both.]
“I had no means of controlling where I was going—no rudder, no sails, no motor, some
oars but insufficient brawn. What was the point of plotting a course if I could not act on it?
And even if I could, how should I know where to go?” (chapter 65)
Students may want to discuss the metaphysical implications of this statement. Is Pi talking only about
navigating the ocean, or is this a metaphor for life? If we accept that it may be the latter, what is being asked
in the two rhetorical questions at the end of this quote? Perhaps what is really being asked here is, “What
degree of freedom and control does man really have in life?” (Students may wish to re-visit Pi’s ideas about
freedom vis-à-vis zoo animals in chapter 4). Astute students may notice that Pi is expressing ideas associated
with existentialist philosophy.
“Lord, to think that I’m a strict vegetarian. To think that when I was a child I always
shuddered when I snapped open a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an
animal’s neck. I descended to a level of savagery I never imagined possible.” (chapter 66)
Students will have already discussed this idea in earlier chapters, but may wish to explore the philosophical
implications of it more here. Martel seems to be implying that a level of “savagery” (or “madness” as put in
chapter 10) is necessary to survival. Perhaps the idea of what is “savage” is dependent upon the situation?
Students might want to discuss human social expectations (mores) in terms of what affects them. It is
arguably true that what is acceptable in one social situation is not acceptable in another, just as it is true that
what one society accepts another might reject.
You may wish to bring the real Richard Parker (1884, Mignonette) up at this point. The men who killed
and ate Richard Parker were tried and eventually found guilty. What is interesting is that the legal decision
broke precedent and established a new one in human law. Up until that point, cannibalism at sea during
extremely dire situations (like starving as castaways) typically went unpunished because of the circumstances.
Students may wish to discuss their ideas about whether it’s OK to do something they would otherwise consider
“immoral” in the interest of survival, or not. Should the men have been punished or was it justifiable?
“In time I gave up entirely on being saved by a ship….that it would cut into such a tiny circle
and see me—what chance was there of that? No, humanity and its unreliable ways could not
be counted on. It was land I had to reach, hard, firm, certain land.” (chapter 69)
Here again we hear the echoes of existentialist philosophy, which generally proposes that man must ultimately
create his own meaning.. Students might wish to know that there are two “kinds” of existentialism – theist
and atheist. Both assume the universe is absurd—that there is no meaning to be found in the world beyond
what we give to it. Atheistic existentialism rejects the notion that there is any “created” meaning of life and
espouses that man must create his own meaning. Theistic existentialism holds that God has designed the
world in such a way that we must define our own lives, and we are accountable for that self-definition.
Students may wish to discuss the ways Martel has expressed an existentialist outlook in Life of Pi. By
centering the novel around the question of which is the “better story,” Martel appears to be saying exactly
what existentialism says—that our world has no true meaning beyond whatever meaning we give it. We can
give it an atheistic meaning or a theistic meaning, but the meaning comes from what we choose to believe

rather than from any innate meaningfulness of the universe. Martel only seems to have disdain for those who
choose not to give it a meaning at all (agnostics).
Students may wish to re-visit the discussion associated with chapter 21and 22 again here.
Ask students to look at the last sentence of this quotation and discuss whether finding land will really provide
Pi with the certainty he seems to be craving. If he sees it with his own eyes and feels it with his own foot, will
it provide him with the answers he seeks? What does land symbolize here? Answer: Truth. Knowledge.
Meaning. (A central question of philosophy is whether anything can ever be known with certainty and
whether the human senses can be considered a trustworthy judge of something’s existence & meaningfulness.)

1. Why did it cause a “pinching of the heart” for Pi to realize that he had begun to eat the way
Richard Parker ate? What might be symbolic about eating?
Students probably already realize that hunger, thirst, and eating make up a major m otif in this novel.
Eating = consuming = getting nourished = survival. How it is done, what is consumed, and what happens
when one goes without it—these are all key ideas in the novel. In this quote, the previously civilized and well-
mannered Pi expresses surprise and disgust that he has become animalistic. He is no longer picky about what
he eats or how he eats it. The physical imperative of surviving has taken precedence over any emotional
attachments he used to have to the societal idea of manners or propriety.
This offers a good opportunity for students to discuss what “proper” means. Like “savagery,” is our idea of
propriety dependent upon the situation?
2. During the worst storm at sea, Pi was more terrified of dying in it than dying at Richard
Parker’s hand. He says, “The only choice left to me was death by water or death by animal. I
chose death by animal.” He gets under the tarpaulin with Richard Parker, the one he’d been
staying as far as possible from all along. Why might this chapter be significant?
This chapter provides an important shift or turning point for Pi. Up to this point, he has kept a safe distance
from Richard Parker. Now, he is crawling under the tarpaulin with the tiger! Physically, Pi and Richard
Parker are now sharing the same space. If we think of Richard Parker not as an actual tiger but more as the
animalistic, instinctive, brutal side of Pi’s psyche, what does it mean that the two are sharing the same space?
3. Why doe Pi gush about his love for Richard Parker at the end of chapter 86? He says, “If I
didn’t have you now, I don’t know what I would do. I don’t think I would make it.” How
true or false is his belief that he needs Richard Parker?
Here, Pi appears to be acknowledging that he needs Richard Parker’s terrifying, animalistic, instinctive,
brutishness. He appears to be recognizing that these are necessary traits for survival—a necessary part of
being human. Students may wish to discuss whether they agree or disagree with that belief.

4. How does Martel use the chapters in this section to create a downward spiral of
hopelessness in Pi’s trial at sea? What images and plot points lead the reader to feel that Pi is
nearing the end?
Up until this point in Part Two, Martel has provided a narrative that almost mimicked the sea in that it
was up and down—at times Pi has hope and things are going well for him and then, alternately, Pi
experiences despair and things are difficult. During this set of chapters, however, things stay mostly negative.
There is the realization that Pi eats like Richard Parker, followed by the terrifying storm, followed by the
lack of land, followed by the ship bypassing them (and nearly hitting them in the process), followed by the
trash in the ocean, followed by the description of the suffering of the lifeboat and its occupants, followed by his
writing pens running out, followed by Richard Parker and then Pi’s blindness. There are very few hopeful
moments or images in this series of chapters.
5. In chapter 90, Pi consecutively appears to be talking with himself, then with Richard Parker,
and then with a blind Frenchman. How does Martel create ambiguity so that the reader is
somewhat confused about who is talking to whom, just as Pi is, until the very end of the
chapter?
At first Pi assumes that he is hallucinating, talking to himself. One of the ways Martel perpetuates
ambiguity about who is talking to whom is by eliminating d ialogue tags. There are references to “the
voice,” but no s peaker attribution tags to help the reader avoid confusion. When this is done
accidentally by a writer, it is considered poorly written dialogue. Here, Martel is being purposeful. He wants
the reader to experience the same confusion that Pi is experiencing. When the voice begins to talk about only
meat-based foods (and mostly offal, at that), Pi concludes that he is not talking to himself but to Richard
Parker (an equally delusional idea, since tigers can’t talk). It is not until he realizes that the voice speaks
with a French accent that Pi becomes suspicious that there may be another human being nearby answering
him.
Students may wish to discuss the fact that the tone of this conversation—right up until the point when the
blind Frenchman boards Pi’s boat—is humorous. It’s the “calm before the storm,” so to speak. The reader
gets lulled into a false sense of good humor by this ridiculous conversational exchange right before the brutal
death and cannibalizing of the Frenchman.
6. A lot of what happens to Pi at sea is difficult to believe. As a matter of fact, he starts this
section by saying, “I know my survival is hard to believe.” By the time they reach chapter 90,
though, many readers find the encounter with the blind French castaway to be much less
believable than what had come previously. Was that your reaction? Why might Martel have
included this incident that is so very unlikely and difficult to believe could happen?
Students may need to be reminded that this is a novel about the concept of belief. Up to this chapter, most of
what Pi has related in his story has been improbable, but plausible. Pi has offered enough reasonable
explanation for the way things have happened and how he has survived that most readers can comfortably go
along for the ride without too much intellectual cynicism. The key word there is “comfortably.” With the
introduction of the blind Frenchman and absence of any explanation of how or why another blind castaway
might be close enough to have a conversation, plausibility more-or-less goes out the window. A few readers
won’t flinch at all, and will continue enjoying the story for the story’s sake. But most readers will pause here
and think, “That’s impossible!” Some readers will decide to reject the entire novel because of the lack of
plausibility. They may finish reading it, but they won’t like it as much because it’s not logical. Others will be

OK, after pausing perhaps, with accepting that it’s “just part of the story” and won’t demand too much
reason of it.
“Willing suspension of disbelief" is a phrase that was coined by the poet and philosopher Samuel Taylor
Coleridge in 1817. It refers to the willingness of a person to accept as true the premises of a work of fiction,
even if the premises are fantastic or impossible. Here, Martel begins really testing his readers’ willingness to
suspend their disbelief; put conversely, he is testing the readers’ willingness to believe.
In a way, Martel is categorizing his readers—forcing them to decide what kind of believer they are (or aren’t).
In an online interview in The Guardian (November 26, 2002), Yann Martel was asked about the fact
that this section of the book (particularly the algae island in the upcoming chapters) is not accompanied by
any plausible explanation, and about whether this was intentional. His response was, “I wanted to push the
reader till he/she was forced to make some leap of faith.” Students may wish to discuss how faith in almost
anything requires a “leap” because, ultimately, there are things we can not know, things we can not ascertain
for ourselves with any degree of assuredness. [This is a central idea in the study of philosophy; students
interested in this idea may wish to read Descartes’ Meditations on First Philosophy (1640)].
Key Quotes
“I know my story is hard to believe. When I think back, I can hardly believe it myself.”
(chapter 81)
Clearly, this quote relates to discussion question # 6, above.
“At moments of wonder, it is easy to avoid small thinking, to entertain the thoughts that
span the universe, that capture both thunder and tinkle, thick and thin, the near and the far.”
(chapter 85)
Students may relate to this. Most of us go about the busy-ness and business of our human lives on a day-to-
day basis without spending too much time pondering the big, essential questions of humanity’s place in the
universe. When we are confronted with a “wonder”—something unusual in our world that reminds us of how
beautiful or miraculous or vast or varied it is—our thoughts naturally move from the mundane, perfunctory
issues of daily living to larger questions of existence and our place in the universe.
Students may note that Martel has again incorporated b inary opposition in this quotation, insinuating
that “moments of wonder” are those that convey the paradoxical nature of the universe and cause us to reflect
upon it.
“I have a story,” I said, after a while.

“A story?”
“Yes.”
“Of what use is a story? I’m hungry.”
“It’s a story about food.”
“Words have no calories.”
“Seek food where food is to be found.” (chapter 90)

This seems like a silly exchange until the last line (spoken by Pi). Here Martel is underscoring the symbolism
of food (nourishment). In what way can a story be nourishing? Students may wish to discuss the fact that, in
Part One, Pi refers to the sacred texts of his three religions as “stories,” particularly Christianity (when he is
confounded that there is only “one story”). How are religious stories nourishing? In what way do human
beings seek nourishment when they seek those stories?
Some students may take offense at religion being equated with mere “stories.” Other students may have heard
the phrase “Religion is the opiate of the masses,” which is an often-quoted excerpt from Karl Marx’s
posthumously published Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right.
The segment from which that phrase is taken goes like this (translated from German):
“Religious distress is at the same time the expression of real distress and the protest against
real distress. Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, just
as it is the spirit of a spiritless situation. It is the opium of the people. The abolition of
religion as the illusory happiness of the people is required for their real happiness. The
demand to give up the illusion about its condition is the demand to give up a condition
which needs illusions.”
Students may enjoy discussing the degree to which they agree or disagree with Karl Marx’s ideas about
religion, as posited in this excerpt. The instructor may want to point out to them that Marx was concerned
with economic issues more than spiritual ones; he felt that religion was a tool to oppress the poor. His view
was that economic realities prevent them from finding true happiness in this life, and religion is used to tell
them that this is OK because they will find happiness in the heaven.
“It’s astonishing what you hear when you’re alone in the blackness of your dying
mind….Misery loves company, and madness calls it forth.” (chapter 90)
This is how Martel lets the reader know that Pi thinks he’s delusional when the conversation in chapter 90
begins. He believes he is talking to himself and that his own mind is answering. It is also a sign that he
believes he is at the end of his ordeal, that he will die soon. Students may wish to discuss the idea that some of
the strangest, least plausible things happen to Pi at this point in the story, when he is nearest to death and
about to give up.
“The very definition of an animal, that’s all you are.” (chapter 90)
Pi makes this statement to (what he believes to be) Richard Parker. He is disgusted by Richard Parker’s
taste for meat. Of course, Richard Parker does symbolize the “very definition of an animal.” Students may
wish to discuss, again, the idea that Richard Parker is not necessarily separate from Pi, but part of him.
“This was the terrible cost of Richard Parker. He gave me a life, my own, but at the expense
of taking one…Something in me died then that has never come back to life.” (chapter 90)
Students can consider this quote two ways (at least, after having finished the novel, they can). If Richard
Parker is an actual tiger and Pi witnessed the tiger killing the other man, that is one level of meaning. Pi
may, indeed, have been so emotionally scarred from witnessing such an event that he feels that a part of him
“died” as a result.

On the other hand, if Richard Parker was never a real tiger in the boat, but was instead the manifestation of
a part of Pi’s own psyche…the end of chapter 90 must be read with very different implications. In that light,
Pi did the killing and eating of the other man, himself. That reading causes the last sentence to make much
more sense. It is a chilling way to read the book.
Students may wish to discuss this phenomenon. The “story with animals” is the “better story” for many
people because they do not wish to confront the idea that Pi could have done this. In Part Three, Pi says “So
it goes with God” when the Japanese officials say they prefer the “story with animals” as the “better story.”
Students may wish to discuss what Pi means by that and what the implications are in light of the
phenomenon just discussed: In what way is believing in God or religion easier and preferable than not
believing? (Students may again begin a discourse on Marx’s ideas about religion being the “opiate of the
masses.”)
In this quote, Pi seems to be saying that our survival is sometimes dependent upon doing things that may
harm others. Students may wish to discuss the extent to which they agree or disagree with this.

1. Note that, at the end of chapter 91, Pi says, “I pray for his soul every day.” He does not say
“prayed.” He says “pray,” present tense. This is not the only time Pi has broken from his
past-tense narration of what happened to insert a present-tense comment. What does this
indicate?
When Pi speaks in the present tense, the reader is reminded once again that he is narrating his story to the
“author” after the fact. The statement “I pray for his soul every day” indicates that it’s ongoing—not
something that happened during the ordeal at sea and then ended when it ended.
2. Pi starts this section, like the last section, with a quip that, “there will be many who
disbelieve the following episode.” He seems to be acknowledging that the existence of the
algae island and what he finds out about it are perhaps beyond belief. Martel has said (in an
online interview with fans) that he wanted his readers to have to “take a leap of faith” at this
point in the story. How does that idea relate to what Pi was saying about believers and
atheists in Part One?
The situation with the blind Frenchman was difficult to believe; it was not probable. As a matter of fact, it
was highly improbable. But not impossible. The algae island is an impossibility in the physical world as we
know it. No one has ever discovered a free-floating algae-like organism such as Martel describes in this
section. Our intellect has no basis on which to believe in the algae island, whatsoever. It is not only
improbable, but impossible. Unless you just believe. Here Martel has confronted the reader with a fictional
situation that truly demands a “leap of faith.”
This question provides an opportunity for students to discuss how the idea of faith requires a human being to
trust in something beyond the reach of his sensory perceptions, intellect, or reason.

3. Notice that Richard Parker not only regains his strength while they are on the algae island;
he also begins to kill for the sake of killing—indiscriminately and overzealously. He killed
more than he needed to eat. He killed to kill. Why? Revisit this after finishing the novel.
If Richard Parker is accepted to be an actual tiger, it would appear that the plentiful bounty of meerkats
simply brought out the bloodlust in the huge predator after so much time cooped up in a lifeboat without
hunting. If the reader thinks of Richard Parker as the animalistic, brutish side of Pi’s psyche, the entire
experience on the algae island takes on a more complex, rich meaning (see #4, below).
4. Pi discovers that the tree, in fact the entire island, is carnivorous. He finds proof that a
human body has been consumed by it. What might this be indicating, symbolically?
Possibility 1:
Richard Parker can be taken to symbolize man’s animalistic side. While on the algae island, Richard
Parker goes wild with bloodlust—killing for the sake of killing, killing more than he needed to survive. The
island, then, can be taken to symbolize what would happen if man became content with giving in too much to
his animalistic side. In the end, being on the island (giving in to that side of oneself) consumes a person. By
extension, allowing one’s brutal, animal side too much freedom consumes one’s spirit/soul.
Possibility 2:
Martel goes to great pains to describe the algae island as unvaried. The entire island is made up of the same
stuff and its cycle is predictable, its challenges completely avoidable. Though Richard Parker does go kill-
happy while on the island, Martel makes a point of showing the Pi gains even greater control over him (has
him jumping through hoops even) while on the island. Rather than Pi’s animal side threatening to consume
him, perhaps Martel is indicating that the real threat is living too long an existence in which all of your
physical needs are met and all challenges are predictable and avoidable.
Students may have other possibilities in mind with regard to the algae island, as well.
5. If Pi and Richard Parker know how to survive on the island, why would Pi choose to go
back to the uncertain future he faced on the sea?
Pi explains this himself when he says, “I preferred to set off and perish in search of my own kind than to live
a lonely half-life of physical comfort and spiritual death on this murderous island.” He is acknowledging that
his life would be physically easy if he stayed on the island. Food was plentiful and he was safe—from
everything except slowly being consumed by the very place that was affording him such luxury. It’s interesting
that Martel uses the phrase “spiritual death,” which seems to confirm the suspicion that the island is more
dangerous to his spirit/soul than to his physical self, in the end.
It could be said that Martel is talking about getting away from a place in which his animal side (Richard
Parker) is afforded too much free reign, thereby threatening his spiritual well-being.
It could be said that Martel is talking about the idea of merely existing—having enough food, water, and
necessities to physically survive—as opposed to really living—interacting with other people and rich
experiences. Pi seems to be saying that he prefers the uncertainty of life at sea to the certainty of living in this
safe but monotonous algae island, where everything is made of the same stuff, where there is no variety or
change and all of the challenges can be predicted and avoided.

6. Why did Pi wish Richard Parker had said good-bye somehow? Revisit this question after
During his ordeal at sea, Pi became very close to Richard Parker. He went from being afraid and disgusted
by the huge carnivore to accepted and appreciating what Richard Parker contributed to his survival. It could
be argued that Richard Parker did nothing but provide extra work and more challenge to Pi’s ordeal. On the
other hand, Richard Parker provided something to engage his mind, occupy his time, and justify his continued
endeavors.
On a metaphorical level, if we accept that Richard Parker is a manifestation of the animal side of Pi’s psyche,
the same holds true. Pi came to accept that part of him and feel “whole” as a result. Now that he was back
in civilization, that side of him was no longer necessary and so “went away.” However, Pi continues to feel
less whole without it.
Key Quotes
“I did not ask myself why the algae did this, or how, or where the salt went. My mind
stopped asking such questions.” (chapter 92)
Here is acknowledgement of the “leap of faith.” Like Pi, we get no answers to the questions of “how” or
“why” with regard to the algae island—ever. At no time in the novel is it explained. We must make a “leap
of faith” right along with Pi. It is a test of the reader’s “willing suspension of disbelief.”
“How long does it take for a broken spirit to kill a body that has food, water and shelter?”
(chapter 92)
Martel is acknowledging that being truly “alive” is more than merely physically existing, at least for human
beings. Students may wish to discuss the extent to which a healthy, whole “spirit” (or “soul,” if they prefer) is
essential to a person’s existence. They may, further, wish to discuss the various ways human beings find to
nourish the well-being of their spirits.
“I preferred to set off and perish in search of my own kind than to live a lonely half-life of
physical comfort and spiritual death on this murderous island.” (chapter 92)
This clearly relates to discussion question #4, above.
“The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar.” (chapter 93)
Students may debate the statement Pi makes here. He says, “It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I
was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God.” Some people (Mr. Kumar, the biology
teacher, for example) might do the opposite. In the “throes of unremitting suffering,” some people may
renounce God entirely. The students might again be reminded of Job from the Bible—he suffered greatly but
never lost his faith. Yet, Pi loves and respects Mr. Kumar equally and says that he was one of his greatest
influences—the man who renounced God in the face of suffering. Students may wish to discuss this seeming
disparity. They may come to the conclusion that belief in God is not necessarily what Pi respects; he respects
belief (real belief, the kind that requires a “leap of faith”) in something, even if that something is science.

In terms of philosophy, this brings up the ages-old impasse about the nature of God: If an all-powerful, all-
knowing, benevolent god exists, how could he allow suffering? Students may wish to engage in a discussion
about the nature of god and how this book challenges the reader’s perceptions of God and religion.

1. Note that Part Three returns to the author/narrator’s voice, but that the narration changes
form. What format does most of Part Three take?
Part Three is presented as the transcript of an audio recording made after Pi’s rescue. It reads, in a way, like
a play. In a lot of places the speaker is denoted by having his name tagged before his words. There are also
parenthetical comments that read similarly to stage directions. The bulk of Part Three, then is dialogue.
2. Other than Pi’s telling of the “story without animals,” what is the tone of most of the
conversation between Pi and the Japanese officials? How does Martel use language to
achieve that tone?
Most of the conversation between Pi and the Japanese officials is humorous. Martel includes the two Japanese
officials talking in their native language (denoted by a different font), exchanging irrelevant and funny
comments about how the interview with Pi is going. In addition, many of Pi’s words and actions are funny.
He hoards cookies from the officials, then offers them cookies when they leave. He gets the officials to try
floating bananas. He makes a lame joke about “putting aside” the trees. He makes little statements and
quips that seem to show that he’s being flippant.
3. Pi reveals his feelings about the sinking of the Tsimtsum, more-or-less directly. How does he
feel about it and how do you know? (provide page references)
On pages 312-314, Pi disparages the ship, the crew, and the officers. He refers to the ship as a “dingy,
third-rate rust-bucket.” He says the crew were a “sullen, unfriendly lot, hard at work when officers were
around but doing nothing when they weren’t.” He said that some of them “stank of alcohol by mid-
afternoon.” He insinuates that the officers were little better, though he says he has no idea if they were
competent.
This is a bit of a departure in Pi’s characterization; up until this point, Pi has not revealed a side of himself
that felt bitterness, anger, or blame.
4. Revisit the conversation between Mr. Chiba and Pi where Mr. Chiba tells Pi that they don’t
believe his animal story because, “these things don’t exist.” What idea is Pi getting at in his
responses to Mr. Chiba?
Pi responds, “Only because you’ve never seen them.”

To this, the official says, “That’s right. We believe what we see.”
“So did Columbus,” says Pi, “What do you do when you’re in the dark?”
Clearly the idea being addressed here is, once again, faith and the necessity of taking a “leap of faith” when
one can not count on his or here senses to provide factual information for the intellect to grasp. Pi says that

when one is lacking sensory-based confirmation that something exists, it does not mean that it does not exist.
It merely means that the person has not yet experienced it. The allusion to Columbus is an apt one, as the
story goes that people believed the earth was flat until Columbus’s journey (at least Irving’s story goes that
way). People then had to re-adjust perceptions based on the new evidence. However, the earth was indeed
round well before that evidence existed. The fact that people didn’t believe it didn’t make it any less true.
5. Do the Japanese officials understand the points Pi is trying to make? How do you know?
Pi makes an excellent point when he twists Mr. Chiba’s bonsai discussion back on him, but neither Mr.
Chiba nor Mr. Okamoto seems to “get” it. Mr. Okamoto chides Mr. Chiba for bringing up the bonsai trees
not because Pi has used the story to prove his own point, but because Mr. Okamoto does not see how
discussing trees will help them sort out how the ship sank. They continue to talk to him about the
impossibility of his story.
6. Pi tells a different version of his story that involves humans rather than animals. Mr.
Okamoto finds correlations between the human beings and their animal counterparts. The
two officials conclude that Pi must be the tiger. Do you agree? Why or why not?
How readers react to this second story is at the heart of the experience of reading Life of Pi. Yann Martel
has said that he wanted the second story to be so gruesome and horrifying that readers would want to choose
the first story as the “better story.” Still, some students may prefer the story without animals as the more
probable, albeit more disturbing, of the two—and therefore, they may accept it as the truth and reject the
“story with animals” as a fabrication that Pi has constructed to help himself deal with the emotional scar of
what really happened. Other students will agree with the Japanese officials that the story with the animals is
the “better story.”
If Pi is the tiger, the entire story gains a depth and complexity not inherent in the animal story. Pi is then a
murderer and a cannibal. He is capable of terrifying brutality. Or, at least part of him is. One way to look at
Pi and Richard Parker in the lifeboat is as a manifestation of the two sides of humanity in one person. Pi
represents the gentle, thoughtful, spiritual side and Richard Parker represents the animalistic, instinctive,
brutal side—both necessary to his survival.
7. The “story without animals” does not explain the carnivorous island or the presence of the
meerkats on it. Why might Martel have left these unexplained in Pi’s revised version of the
story?
This is probably related to Martel’s point about “leaps of faith.” If he offered a tidy, intellectually-acceptable
explanation for these things, the reader would not be required to put his or her faith in ideas that have no
explanation. In short, the “leap of faith” example would be ruined.
8. When Pi asks the officials which story they prefer, they say that the “story with animals is
the better story.” Pi replies, “so it is with God.” What do you think he meant by that? What
does it mean that the men (and possibly the reader of the novel) prefer the story with the
animals?
This question should generate a lot of discussion. The story with animals is less plausible, but also more
comforting than the one without animals. The story without animals is more believable from an intellectual
standpoint, but also more horrifying and disturbing. Is Martel saying that we choose to believe in a story

(have faith in the idea of god and an ordered universe) because it is emotionally easier and more appealing
than the stark, cold, horrifying truth of actual life? Some students may think he is. Certainly, more than one
philosopher has suggested the same about religion.
Perhaps, though, Martel is simply saying that we have the choice. As in existentialist philosophy, Martel
seems to be saying that there is no inherent meaning to the universe at all—except the meaning that we choose
to give it. Or, as Martel put it in an interview for PBS with Ray Suarez (NewsHour, November 11,
2002), “It is all about how we interpret reality, right? Reality isn’t just out there; it’s how we interpret it.
And to me, that’s what religion is about…it’s an interpretation of reality.”
9. In their final report to their government, Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba report that Mr. Patel
had survived at sea “in the company of an adult Bengal tiger,” indicating that they chose the
animal story over the other version, even in their official documentation of the ordeal. Why
might Martel have ended the book that way?
In interviews and essays, Martel has made no attempt to hide the fact that he wants readers to choose the
“story with animals” as the “better story.” He has said that writing the novel helped him understand his own
world better and that researching for it has given him a greater appreciation for people who are devout in their
religion. Ending the story on that note also underscores the idea that it’s preferable to live a flavorful, rich life
of belief than a “dry, yeastless factuality.”
10. Is the end of the book the end of Pi’s story? Where does Pi’s story begin? Where does it
end?
This is a deceptively simple question after so many thought-provoking ones. Pi’s ordeal at sea ends at the end
of Part Three. But, the end of the physical book is not the end of Pi’s story. Pi’s story really begins at the
start of Part Two and ends in Part One, when Pi is a grown man with a family, living in Canada. Students
should be able to discuss the fact that Martel did not tell the story chronologically. Maybe a better question is,
why? What effect does the order of the book have on the reader’s understanding and perceptions?
11. Does the story have a “happy ending” as the author/narrator assured us it would be at the
end of Part one?
Students will probably end up discussing this in terms of what is meant by “ending.” If a reader considers the
end of the ordeal at sea to be the ending, he or she may argue that it’s not really “happy.” Pi has struggled
and lost a lot. It’s good that he didn’t die and so happy that way, but not as happy as it would be if he were
reunited with his family.
Students who consider the ending to be Pi’s grown-up life in Canada may be more apt to call it a happy
ending, and that is what the author/narrator seems to have meant when he makes that statement at the end
of Part One. Although Pi does experience great loss and trial at sea, he is able to maintain his faith. He
lives. He marries. He has a happy, healthy family of his own. In important ways, it does end happily for Pi.
Key Quotes
“Reason is excellent for getting food, clothing and shelter. Reason is the very best tool kit.
Nothing beats reason for keeping tigers away. But be excessively reasonable and you risk
throwing the universe out with the bathwater.” (chapter 99)

When the Japanese officials say they “just don’t believe” him, Pi says, “If you stumble at mere believability,
what are you living for?...Love is hard to believe, as 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?” The Japanese officials
respond by saying, “We’re just being reasonable,” to which Pi responds with the quote above.
Students may want to spend some time discussing the idiomatic expression “don’t throw the baby out with the
bathwater” and what it means/implies. It simply means, “When you are getting rid of something or rejecting
something, be careful not to reject everything or you might lose some things you wanted to keep, after all.”
[Student might want to picture a parent getting rid of a basin of used bath water and accidentally tossing the
newly-clean baby out with it]. Here, Pi is using the same idea, but somewhat humorously twisting the old
idiom. He is saying, “Be careful that you don’t cling so tightly to reason, rejecting all things you deem
unreasonable, because you might miss out on some of the really good stuff that way.”
“Tigers exist, lifeboats exist, oceans exist. Because the three have never come together in
your narrow, limited experience, you refuse to believe that they might.” (chapter 99)
Students may wish to discuss this quote in light of its relevance to human beings’ capacity to believe in things
they have not experienced. It relates to the reference to Columbus that Pi makes in this section. Is something
less true merely because no one has experienced it? [This quote also relates to the logical problem of God:
“Because you can not prove that God doesn’t exist, he does/Because you can not prove that God does exist,
he doesn’t.”]
“Doesn’t the telling of something always become a story?...Isn’t telling something—using

words, English, Japanese—already something of an invention? Isn’t just looking upon this
world already something of an invention?” (chapter 99)
There are two interesting ideas in this quote. One is the reference to language. This is not the first time Martel
has referenced human being’s use of language. Earlier in the novel he says that the only way to tame fear is to
put words to it. He dedicates another short chapter to the idea of reading and writing. All through the novel is
the idea of stories and story-telling.
The other idea here is the more philosophical idea that we are constantly creating our own reality; by merely
interacting with the world (‘looking upon this world’), we add to its story. We are constantly “inventing.”
“The world isn’t just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? And in understanding
something, we bring something to it, no? Doesn’t that make life a story?” (chapter 99)
This quote echoes Martel’s ideas about reality being what you make of it. It also echoes the existentialist idea
that the universe has no inherent meaning other than that which we give it.

Writing Prompts/Essay Questions

Any one (or more) of these prompts could be used on an end-of-novel essay test or as a take-home writing assignment
after students have read the entire novel. Some of the prompts may require either explanation from the teacher or
research on the part of the student. For example, the instructor may define bildungsroman for the students before
assigning the fourth prompt featured here; or, the instructor may ask students to research the bildungsroman genre
as an intellectual extension of the essay prompt. A suggested scoring rubric follows the questions.
1. While all novels put some degree of focus on plot, characterization, and theme, most novels
do not emphasize each of these aspects equally. Some novels are mostly plot-driven—the
main source of pleasure and intellectual stimulation is derived from figuring out how the
story unfolds. Other novels are theme-driven—the central focus appears to be on conveying
certain ideas, ideals, or lessons. Yet other novels seem to be primarily character-driven—the
main appeal of the work is seeing what these fascinating people do or say when dropped into
a certain situation. Is Life of Pi primarily theme-driven, plot-driven, or character-driven?
Defend your response with specific evidence from the novel.
2. Is the overall tone of this novel hopeful or tragic? Explain your reasoning using specific ideas
from the text.
3. In many novels, the author’s own viewpoint becomes clear through the words and actions
of one or more characters. To what extent does it appear that Yann Martel’s ideas and views
are expressed through Life of Pi? Support your answer with specific details from the text.
4. To what extent is Life of Pi an example of a bildungsroman? Use specific details from the
text to support your response.
5. To what extent is Life of Pi an example of magical realism? Use specific details from the
text to support your response.
6. Consider the way in which Yann Martel has framed the novel in terms of chronology. He
starts with a fictitious Author’s Note explaining how the novel came about, followed by Part
One–in which the author/narrator relates Pi’s life before the shipwreck as told to him by the
adult Pi after-the-fact, followed by Part Two—in which Pi narrates his experiences at sea,
followed by Part Three—in which Pi relates the immediate aftermath of his ordeal. What
does Martel achieve by framing the story this way rather than framing it in a strictly
chronological order? What are the effects of his choice of narrative structure?

7. Consider Martel’s varied use of narrative voice. The Author’s Note is told in the voice of a
fictitious author/narrator. Part One vacillates between Pi’s adult voice and the
author/narrator’s voice. Part Two is told in Pi’s voice, recalling his story—yet, the character
of Pi’s voice changes in Part Two from chapter-to-chapter. Part Three changes again into a
transcription of dialogue (giving it a dramatic quality). Why might Martel have employed
these various techniques? What effect does Martel’s use of narrative voice have on the
reading experience?
8. This novel includes some gruesome imagery and horrific experiences. At the same time,
Martel incorporates a good deal of humor in his writing. Explain how he accomplishes this,
using specific text support.
9. At the beginning of the novel, in the Author’s Note, Francis Adirubasamy tells the
author/narrator, “I have a story that will make you believe in God.” Life of Pi proceeds to
relate that story. Now that you have finished the novel, what do you make of Adirubasamy’s
claim? Why might he have said that? To what extent is the claim true? Use specific text to
support your response.
10. The Los Angeles Times Book Review called Life of Pi “a story to make you believe in the soul-
sustaining power of fiction.” Compare and contrast that assertion with Francis
Adirubasamy’s claim (in the Author’s Note) that Pi’s story will “make you believe in God.”
How are the two claims similar? Which is the more accurate claim? Explain your response
using specific support from the text.
11. In chapter 78, Pi says that, “to be a castaway is to be caught up in grim and exhausting
opposites,” and that, “the opposites seem to take place at the same moment.” Indeed,
opposites appear to be a motif throughout the novel. Life of Pi presents many seemingly
dichotomous ideas co-existing at once, beginning with Pi’s “double-major” of zoology and
theology. Trace Martel’s use of binary opposition in the novel. How has he incorporated
“opposites” throughout the story-telling, and to what effect?
12. To what extent is this novel about creating fiction and the importance of story-telling?
Explain your response using specific text support.

Suggested Essay Scoring Rubric
excellent/exceptional
adequate/competent
somewhat lacking
poor/weak
very good
essay reveals thorough knowledge and understanding of the text, including
subtleties
essay responds fully, specifically, accurately, and insightfully

to the prompt given
essay persuasively incorporates relevant, specific text support

(avoiding over-reliance on summary or restatement of text)
essay is organized in a way that is logical and easy-to-follow
use of language is sophisticated and precise

(vocabulary, sentence variety, sentence structure, tone)

Close-Reading Passage Analysis

Instructors may wish to type out or photocopy these chapters and add line numbers for students to
use when referencing text support. It is important not to violate copyright laws if doing so. To see
guidelines for “Fair Use” in a classroom setting, see http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ21.pdf
(page 7-8 specifically). Alternately, teachers will want to allow students to use their books to read
these passages closely while constructing an analytical commentary. These prompts should not be
“closed book.”
Instructors may wish to use these analysis passages as an in-class activity, at-home assignment, or
essay test. Instructor notes and a suggested scoring rubric follow the prompts.
Passage 1:
Read CHAPTER 16 closely. Write an analytical commentary that explores the writing techniques
employed in this chapter, and their effects. What is the main point or idea of the chapter? What tone
does the chapter have? How does the writer achieve this? You may wish to consider such things as
narrative voice, point-of-view, imagery, figurative language, sound devices, sentence structure,
characterization, theme and tone. Use specific text to support your ideas. Do not rely heavily on
summary or re-statement of text.
Passage 2:
Passage 3:

Close-Reading Passage Analysis Instructo r Notes
Passage 1: CHAPTER 16
After reading this chapter, students should be able to point out that its main point is to explain the protagonist’s
fundamental views about religion and how he acquired them. Astute students may be able to point out that the
author’s own underlying ideas/values/beliefs may be manifested through Pi’s voice in this chapter.
In terms of tone, Pi is both passionate and ardent in his descriptions and explanations. This can be seen in his use of
exclamation points, the vivid sensory imagery he provides, and the simple direct sentence structure evident in most of the
paragraphs. He is also being a bit didactic, teaching the reader about Hinduism as well as about his take on religions
in general. The sensory imagery and description of Hindu accoutrements give the chapter something of a wistful,
nostalgic undertone, as well. Students should be able to point out specific text examples that support these tone
descriptors.
The use of voice is interesting. Pi begins the chapter by speaking in an inclusive first-person plural (“we”) so that the
reader understands he is talking about human beings in general. He then lapses into a personal story about his
introduction to religion, causing him to adopt first-person singular voice. Half-way through his explanation of
Hinduism, however, he reverts to the inclusive plural (“we”), indicating that he believes these truths and values to
apply not only to himself, but to humanity at large. Pi continues to switch between first-person singular voice and first-
person plural voice throughout the chapter.
Students should also be able to point out and discuss he following:

• subtle use of humor (EX: “I was the fresh veteran of a seven-hour train journey. No matter. Off we
went…”)
• use of colloquialisms (EX: “This, in a holy nutshell, is Hinduism…”)
• variation in sentence length and complexity
After reading this chapter, students should be able to point out the fact that the two Mr. Kumars and the encounter at
the zoo with the zebra are being used symbolically by Martel. Notably:
Mr. Kumar (“the baker”) represents belief in spirituality and god. The other Mr. Kumar (“the teacher”) represents
belief in reason and science. Martel has put both Mr. Kumars into an encounter with the natural world (using the
zebra symbolically) in order to show us that the two philosophies react differently to life; yet, both appreciate it (“Mr.
and Mr. Kumar looked delighted.”)
In expressing their appreciation, each man speaks in a manner befitting his world view. Mr. Kumar (“the teacher”)
calls it the “Rolls-Royce of equids.” This demonstrates his natural proclivity to categorize, rank, and label the natural
world – a habit we associate with science. Mr. Kumar (“the baker”) simply says, “What a wondrous creature.” This
expresses a more mystical viewpoint on life. Later, Mr. Kumar (“the teacher”) recites the animal’s full scientific name:
“Equus burchelli boehmi,” while Mr. Kumar (“the baker”) simply says, “Allahu akbar” (“God is great.”)

One of the most interesting things about this chapter is its purposeful ambiguity. The reader must determine which Mr.
Kumar is acting or speaking based on the action or words, rather than the writer’s use of speaker attribution tags. The
chapter requires the reader to grasp the subtleties of Martel’s language use in order to follow the conversation. Students
should recognize that this is purposeful, rather than accidental. Martel did not “forget” to include speaker tags, he is
trying to make a point by omitting them.
The narrator’s tone is fairly matter-of-fact. Pi does not impose his own ideas about the Mr. Kumars on the reader, but
rather provides a sensory description of the encounter and allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. Martel
may be suggesting that both world views are equally valid.
Students should be able to point out and discuss the effects of the following important literary aspects of this chapter:
• the terse, laconic sentence structure used in Pi’s dialogue when he is trying to see Mr. Kumar; this helps
convey a sense of urgency
• use of dialogue to indirectly characterize the speakers’ personalities
• the irony of Mr. Kumar (“the baker”) quoting a passage from the Qur’an that calls for people to “use
their reason,” since “reason” is usually associated with science rather than spirituality
• ambiguity within dialogue (caused by purposeful lack of speaker attribution tags)
• ambiguity caused by two characters sharing the same name & the fact that the narrator only refers to
them by last name (Mr. Kumar and Mr. Kumar)
• use of specific images and phrases to differentiate between the two Mr. Kumars’ personalities
• difference between the two Mr. Kumars’ physical presences as related to personality and world view
Students should be able to point out that this chapter’s main idea is that Pi is—for the first time—contemplating and
acknowledging his place in the universe. Necessarily, the chapter carries a mystical, supernatural, and contemplative
tone. In addition, this chapter conveys the idea that Pi accepts his place/role in the infinite universe, so the students
may also discuss the tone of complacency, resignation, or acceptance.
Probably the most interesting and intriguing aspect of this chapter is the parenthetical commentary near the end. While
most of the brief chapter is concerned with Pi’s acceptance of his place as a small, insignificant, immaterial part of a
vast universe, the parenthetical commentary belies another deep belief—that he does in fact matter very much. This
juxtaposition underscores the human condition—simultaneously insignificant in relation to the universe at large and
supremely significant in relation to his own immediate life and surroundings.
Astute students should be able to see that Pi’s inclination to give in to his ultimate insignificance is associated with
darkness and night. In the parentheses, he states that hope and renewed will to live accompanied day and the return of
light. In this way, light/day and dark/night have been used symbolically to represent hope and the absence of it.
Students should be able to point out and discuss the effects of the following:
• incorporation of a parable from Pi’s Hindu religion
• use of sensory imagery to convey beauty and vastness as well as Pi’s awe at it
• symbolic juxtaposition of dark and light/night and day
• metaphor (EX: “Life is a peephole…”)

Suggested Analytical Commentary Scoring Rubric
excellent/exceptional
adequate/competent
somewhat lacking
poor/weak
very good
commentary reveals thorough knowledge and understanding of the text,
including subtleties
commentary reveals accurate and insightful understanding of literary techniques

employed in the passage as well as their effects
essay persuasively incorporates relevant, specific text support

(avoiding over-reliance on summary or restatement of text)
essay is organized in a way that is logical and easy-to-follow
use of language is sophisticated and precise

(vocabulary, sentence variety, sentence structure, tone)

Vocabulary Words By Sections & Chapter

in order as they appear in the novel
Author’s Note Part One: pandit (n) malevolent (adj)

gangly (adj) Chapters 8-14 Qur’an (n) tentative (adj)
fiasco (n) obituary (n) karma (n) cataleptic (adj)
bamboozle (v) venerable (adj) incongruous (adj) maniacal (adj)
stint (n) inflict (v) callisthenic (adj) ostentation (n)
crux (n) deranged (adj) pious (adj) virulent (adj)
evangelist (n) sadist (n) hovel (n) catholicity (n)
lilt (n) ply (v) ineluctably(adv) formidable (adj)
purveyor (n) placid (adj) bemused (adj) remonstration (n)
spry (adj) vigilance (n) devout (adj) callous (adj)
obscurely (adv) redoubtable (adj) askance (adv) simian (n)
exemplary (adj) anthropomorphize (v) intone (v) frugivorous (adj)
daub (v) apoplectic (adj) albeit (conj)
Part One: incensed (adj) lampoonery (n) durian (n)
Chapters 1-7 tremulous (adj) unmolested (adj)
cosmogony (n) contrite (adj) Part One: haughty (adj)
thesis (n) carrion (n) Chapters 29-36 chromatic (adj)
in situ (adv) domesticated (adj) precarious (adj) amok (adv)
indolence (n) disrepute (n) nemesis (n) viscera (n)
elicit (v) constitutional (adj) zoomorphism (n) pungent (adj)
agnostic (n) ascendancy (n) amorous (adj) coagulating (v)
atheistic (adj) immigration (n) fistula (n)
oblivion (n) Part One: cataract (n) dilated (adj)
anemic (adj) Chapters 15-28 deputation (n) menace (n)
obstetric (adj) sultriness (adj) profusely (adv) kinetic (adj)
epic (adj) exaltation (n) appareled (v) empirical (adj)
Gallic (adj) lethargy (n) incredulous (adj) exult (v)
Brittanic (adj) unremittingly (adv) unperturbed (adj) sublimity (n)
conspiratorial (adj) rectory (n)
profusion (n) vestibule (n)
lasciviousness (adj) cassock (n) Part Two: Part Two:
depraved (adj) intuitive (adj) Chapters 37-47 Chapters 48-55
menagerie (n) defiler (n) bullishly (adv) sustenance (n)
discordant (adj) usurper (n) dyspeptic (adj) insouciant (adj)
lecherous (adj) blight (v) landlubber (n) conundrum (n)
founder (v) reverently (adv) tarpaulin (n) chandler (n)
raiment (n) avatar (n) ensconce (v) rudder (n)
imperative (n) spindly (adj) davit (n) prow (n)
guffaw (v) minaret (n) list (v) keel (n)
modulation (n) asana (n) grommet (n) hull (n)
crescendo (n) muezzin (n) marauding (adj) propulsion (n)
apothecary (n) mosque (n) flotsam (n) cache (n)
Bedouins (n) geotectonics (n) tautly (adv)
imam (n) dissembling (v) unambiguous (adj)

supplication (n) phosphorescent (adj) curmudgeonly (adv) Part Two:

vintner (n) luminescence (n) epic (adj) Chapters 92-94
prise (v) putrefied (adj) honed (adj) botanical (adj)
suppleness (n) stalactite (n) tubercle (n) chimera (n)
savory (adj) stalagmite (n) gregarious (adj) porosity (n)
palate (n) martyrdom (n) precipitously (adv)
lucidity (n) onslaught (n) Part Two: chlorophyll (n)
poignancy (n) deliberation (n) Chapters 81-91 olfactory (adj)
bated (adj) sentient (adj) forestall (v) commensal (n)
implore (v) bludgeon (v) torrential (adj) vertigo (n)
affected (adj) elusive (adj) hillocks (n) girth (n)
lithesome (adj) sanguinary (adj) pummel (v) plateau (n)
ponderous (adj) consecrated (adj) consolation (n) diurnal (adj)
voraciously (adv) lethargic (adj) archipelago (n) vagary (n)
furtively (adv) calibration (n) behemoth (n) vie (v)
erratic (adj) dastardly (adv) euphoria (n)
mantra (n) Part Two: heinous (adj) bedlam (n)
attrition (n) Chapters 63-80 albatross (n) chaos (n)
appease (v) leprosy (n) regurgitate (v) symbiotic (adj)
decipher (v) bulbous (adj) conjecture (n)
Part Two: sextant (n) juggernaut (n) leviathan (adj)
Chapters 56-62 ambit (n) languish (v) copiously (adv)
oestrous (adj) carapace (n) bulwark (n) rote (n)
detonation (n) jubilant (adj) ricochet (v) arboreal (adj)
resonant (adj) barnacle (n) asphyxiation (n) rambutan (n)
inflection (n) cumin (n) putrefaction (n) treachery (n)
edification (n) opaquely (adv) subjugation (n) bereft (adj)
arid (adj) goad (v) emaciated (adj) vital (adj)
brackish (adj) forbearance (n) primeval (adj)
exertion (n) afflict (v) disconsolately (adv) Part Three:
morale (n) pique (v) infernal (adj) Chapters 95-100
daunted (adj) affronted (adj) glutinous (adj) surreptitiously (adv)
cryptic (adj) construe (v) timbre (n) verbatim (adj)
injunction (n) incapacitating (adj) sacrilegious (adj) pliable (adj)
gastronomic (adj) ordnance (n) amoral (adj) metropolis (n)
tantamount (adj) covert (adj) niggling (v) scimitar (n)
disconsolate (adj) excrete (v) perplexing (adj) rapt (adj)
patriarch (n) ominous (adj) eviscerated (adj) abject (adj)
still (n) fastidiously (adv) unremitting (adj) reprieve (n)
distillation (n) respite (n) interrogation (n)
requisite (adj) coagulated (adj) impressionistic (adj)
flotilla (n) vestige (n) licit (adj)
mien (n) acrid (adj)
evanescent (adj) post-haste (adv)

Vocabulary Words By Sections & Chapter

arranged alphabetically
Author’s Note Part One: lethargy (n) dyspeptic (adj)

bamboozle (v) Chapters 8-14 minaret (n) empirical (adj)
crux (n) anthropomorphize (v) muezzin (n) ensconce (v)
evangelist (n) ascendancy (n) mosque (n) exult (v)
exemplary (adj) carrion (n) pandit (n) fistula (n)
fiasco (n) constitutional (adj) pious (adj) flotsam (n)
gangly (adj) contrite (adj) Qur’an (n) formidable (adj)
lilt (n) daub (v) reverently (adv) frugivorous (adj)
obscurely (adv) deranged (adj) sultriness (adj) geotectonics (n)
purveyor (n) disrepute (n) unremittingly (adv) grommet (n)
spry (adj) domesticated (adj) rectory (n) haughty (adj)
stint (n) incensed (adj) usurper (n) kinetic (adj)
inflict (v) blight (v) landlubber (n)
Part One: obituary (n) vestibule (n) list (v)
Chapters 1-7 placid (adj) malevolent (adj)
agnostic (n) ply (v) Part One: maniacal (adj)
anemic (adj) redoubtable (adj) Chapters 29-36 marauding (adj)
apothecary (n) sadist (n) amorous (adj) menace (n)
atheistic (adj) tremulous (adj) appareled (v) ostentation (n)
Brittanic (adj) venerable (adj) cataract (n) pungent (adj)
conspiratorial (adj) vigilance (n) deputation (n) remonstration (n)
cosmogony (n) immigration (n) simian (n)
crescendo (n) Part One: incredulous (adj) sublimity (n)
depraved (adj) Chapters 15-28 nemesis (n) tarpaulin (n)
discordant (adj) apoplectic (adj) precarious (adj) tentative (adj)
elicit (v) asana (n) profusely (adv) unmolested (adj)
epic (adj) askance (adv) unperturbed (adj) virulent (adj)
founder (v) avatar (n) zoomorphism (n) viscera (n)
Gallic (adj) spindly (adj)
guffaw (v) Bedouins (n)
imperative (n) bemused (adj) Part Two: Part Two:
in situ (adv) callisthenic (adj) Chapters 37-47 Chapters 48-55
indolence (n) cassock (n) albeit (conj) affected (adj)
lasciviousness (adj) defiler (n) amok (adv) appease (v)
lecherous (adj) devout (adj) bullishly (adv) attrition (n)
menagerie (n) exaltation (n) callous (adj) bated (adj)
modulation (n) hovel (n) cataleptic (adj) cache (n)
oblivion (n) imam (n) catholicity (n) chandler (n)
obstetric (adj) incongruous (adj) chromatic (adj) conundrum (n)
profusion (n) ineluctably(adv) coagulating (v) erratic (adj)
raiment (n) intone (v) davit (n) furtively (adv)
thesis (n) intuitive (adj) dilated (adj) hull (n)
karma (n) dissembling (v) implore (v)
lampoonery (n) durian (n) insouciant (adj)

keel (n) oestrous (adj) Part Two: leviathan (adj)

lithesome (adj) onslaught (n) Chapters 81-91 plateau (n)
lucidity (n) patriarch (n) albatross (n) diurnal (adj)
mantra (n) phosphorescent (adj) amoral (adj) porosity (n)
palate (n) putrefied (adj) niggling (v) precipitously (adv)
poignancy (n) requisite (adj) archipelago (n) chlorophyll (n)
ponderous (adj) resonant (adj) behemoth (n) olfactory (adj)
prise (v) sanguinary (adj) consolation (n) commensal (n)
propulsion (n) sentient (adj) dastardly (adv) vertigo (n)
prow (n) stalactite (n) eviscerated (adj) rote (n)
rudder (n) stalagmite (n) unremitting (adj) arboreal (adj)
savory (adj) still (n) forestall (v) rambutan (n)
suppleness (n) glutinous (adj) symbiotic (adj)
supplication (n) Part Two: heinous (adj) treachery (n)
sustenance (n) Chapters 63-80 hillocks (n) vagary (n)
tautly (adv) afflict (v) juggernaut (n) vie (v)
unambiguous (adj) pique (v) languish (v) euphoria (n)
vintner (n) affronted (adj) bulwark (n) vital (adj)
voraciously (adv) ambit (n) ricochet (v)
barnacle (n) asphyxiation (n) Part Three:
Part Two: carapace (n) putrefaction (n) Chapters 95-100
Chapters 56-62 coagulated (adj) perplexing (adj) interrogation (n)
arid (adj) construe (v) primeval (adj) impressionistic (adj)
bludgeon (v) cumin (n) disconsolately (adv) licit (adj)
brackish (adj) curmudgeonly (adv) infernal (adj) metropolis (n)
calibration (n) epic (adj) pummel (v) pliable (adj)
consecrated (adj) honed (adj) regurgitate (v) rapt (adj)
cryptic (adj) decipher (v) bulbous (adj) abject (adj)
daunted (adj) excrete (v) subjugation (n) reprieve (n)
deliberation (n) forbearance (n) emaciated (adj) scimitar (n)
detonation (n) goad (v) timbre (n) surreptitiously (adv)
disconsolate (adj) gregarious (adj) sacrilegious (adj) verbatim (adj)
distillation (n) incapacitating (adj) torrential (adj)
edification (n) jubilant (adj)
elusive (adj) leprosy (n)
evanescent (adj) ominous (adj)
exertion (n) fastidiously (adv)
flotilla (n) opaquely (adv) Part Two:
gastronomic (adj) ordnance (n) Chapters 92-94
tantamount (adj) covert (adj) bedlam (n)
inflection (n) respite (n) bereft (adj)
injunction (n) sextant (n) botanical (adj)
lethargic (adj) tubercle (n) chaos (n)
luminescence (n) vestige (n) chimera (n)
martyrdom (n) acrid (adj) conjecture (n)
mien (n) post-haste (adv) copiously (adv)
morale (n) girth (n)

Literary Terms
The following glossary is not intended to be a comprehensive list of literary terms. It serves as only a
brief explanation of some of the terms students will see appear in the Study Guide questions within
this guide.
allusion indirect reference to a work, person, or event (could be literature, art, history,
music, film, etc.)
ambiguity the property of having more than one possible meaning or implication;
something is “ambiguous” if it is open to varied interpretation
anecdote a brief story meant to make a point or illustrate an idea
bildungsroman a “coming-of-age” novel, or a novel of self-discovery
binary opposition two seemingly opposite or contrasting ideas used in juxtaposition to one
another (examples: day/night, light/dark, hungry/full)
diction choice of words and phrases
figurative language language that is not meant literally; may include metaphor, simile,
personification, etc.
foreshadow to hint of something that will occur or matter later in a literary work
imagery sensory-based description; includes sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell
juxtaposition ideas placed near one another in order to make a point or underscore an irony
magical realism a genre of writing in which something supernatural or fantastical is placed
within an otherwise natural and realistic setting
metaphor a comparison of unlike things that does not employ comparison words such as
“like” or “as”
narrative structure term used to discuss the organization an author has used to tell a story; it may
be chronological or otherwise
narrative voice term used to discuss an author’s choice of who narrates a story and in what
manner; narrative voice may change within a literary work
narrator the voice “telling” a story; could be a third-person narrator who is not in the
story itself, or could be a character within the story
novel a prose fiction work of about 20,000 words or more
novella a prose fiction work of between 10,000-20,000 words; in other words, longer
than a “short story” but shorter than a novel
paradox paradox is present, or something is “paradoxical,” when statements or ideas
that would usually seem contradictory are juxtaposed in a way that brings
insight or achieves a rhetorical effect
plot the series of events that make up a story
poetic prose a style of prose writing (sentences and paragraphs) that incorporates many of
the technique usually associated with poetry
simile a comparison of unlike things that does employ comparison terms such as
“like” or “as”
sound device poetic techniques that rely upon the sound a word makes when spoken aloud;
examples include alliteration, onomatopoeia, and assonance
symbol something is “symbolic” if it exists as itself but also serves to represent a larger,
usually more abstract, idea; an example would be the bedraggled flower in
Hansberry’s play A Raisin in the Sun existing as an actual stage prop but also
figuratively representing Mama’s dreams
theme term used to discuss an author’s underlying point or main idea
tone the implied or inferred attitude of the author towards or about the subject
matter or character of which he or she is writing
Bibliography & Suggestions for Further Reading
Blackstock, Colin (November 8, 2002). “Booker Winner in Plagiarism Row.” The Guardian.
Accessed online on December 22, 2008 at
< http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2002/nov/08/bookerprize2002.awardsandprizes>.
Hansen, Neil (2000). The Custom of the Sea. NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Holcombe, Graham (2004). “Critical Perspective.” Yann Martel. British Council: Contemporary
Writers. Accessed online on December 22, 2008 at <http://www.contemporarywriters.com>.
Martel, Yann. “How I Wrote Life of Pi.” Original Essays. Powell’s Books. Accessed online on
December 28, 2008 at <http://www.powells.com/fromtheauthor/martel.html>.
Martel, Yann. “Yann Martel on Tigers, Cannibals, and Edgar Allan Poe.” Meet at the Gate. Canongate.
Accessed online on May 14, 2002 at <http://www.canongate.net/News/BehindLifeOfPi>.
“May Richard Parker Be Always at Your Side” (November 26, 2002).The Guardian. Accessed online
on December 22, 2008 at < http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2002/nov/26/fiction>.
Poe, Edgar Allen (1838). The Narrative of Gordon Arthur Pym of Nantucket. NY: Harper & Brothers.
Rohter, Larry (November 6, 2002). “Tiger in a Lifeboat, Panther in a Lifeboat: A Furor Over a
Novel.” The New York Times. Accessed online on December 28, 2008 at
<http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/06/books/06NOVE.html>.
Simpson, Brian Alfred William (1994). Cannibalism and the Common Law: A Victorian Yachting Tragedy.
London: Hambledon Press.
Warburton, Nigel (2004). “Chapter 1: God.” Philosophy: The Basics. London: Routledge, pp. 11-38.
About the Author
Lisa Renard-Spicer teaches English and creative writing at Mountain
View High School in Stafford, Virginia. She earned her B.A. in
English from California State University (San Marcos) and her M.Ed.
in “Diverse Student Populations” from University of Mary
Washington (Fredericksburg, VA). She has further endorsement in
Gifted and Talented education and has been trained and certified by
both the College Board (AP) and International Baccalaureate
Organization (IBO). She lives in Virginia with her husband, two
teenage children, and two dogs.
You may contact the author at renardspicer@gmail.com with
feedback or questions.
Acknowledgements
It’s important to acknowledge those who inspire & support us when we’re taking on a project like
this. I’d first like to thank Yann Martel for writing Life of Pi and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publishing Company for granting me permission to use excerpts from the text in this guide. Then I
must gratefully acknowledge the following supportive & brilliant people: Aaron Spicer, Taylor &
Hunter Renard, Mark Penxa. In addition, I must thank my colleagues for all of their support, ideas,
and encouragement: the MVHS English department, Sue Watts, James Stemple & Tammy Houk.
Probably the most important people to thank are my students – past, present & future.
“May Richard Parker always be with you.” ~ Yann Martel
author photograph by Aaron Spicer (www.aaronspicer.com)

cover design by Mark Penxa (www.markpenxa.com)
Excerpts from Life of Pi, copyright © 2001 by Yann Martel, reprinted by permission of Houghton Mifflin
Harcourt Publishing Company. This material may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Lifeof Pi Study Guideand Teacher Resource

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Lifeof Pi Study Guideand Teacher Resource

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Life of Pi by Yann Martel Literary Analysis Study Guide

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 1

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2009 1

Reading & Discussing the Novel

Why Life of Pi?

How to Use This Unit

Limited Permission to Reproduce

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2009 2

Reading Assignment Suggestions

Author’s Note concerns the author’s motivation & story inspiration

Format of the Study Guide

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 3

Discussion Questions—Questions have been devised to place an emphasis on students’

About the Instructor Notes

Using Discussion Questions & Key Quotes

Exciting Student Readers

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 4

Conventional Reading Check Ideas:

Some Creative Reading Check Ideas:

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 5

Beyond Book Reports

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 6

Hinduism, Islam and/or Catholicism – any number of topics

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 7

On Yann Martel (1963 — )

The Name Richard Parker

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 8

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 9

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 10

Some Symbols and Motifs to Look For

Some Themes to Look For

Some “BIG” Ideas & Questions Explored in the Novel

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 11

Suggested Readings to Complement the Novel

• The Book of Job (Bible)

The Lamb The Tiger

Little Lamb, who made thee? Tyger! Tyger! burning bright

[1794] from Songs of Experience

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 12

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 13

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 14

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 15

An answer key follows the quizzes.

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 16

Author’s Note Quick Quiz

1. Which of these is the first sentence of the book?

6. How does the author’s note end?

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 17

Part One Quick Quiz (chapters 1-7)

1. Who narrates chapter one (about the sloths, etc.)?

4. Who gave Pi his first name?

6. What was Pi’s brother’s name?

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 18

8. What does Pi compare his name to?

10. What ailment did Mr.Kumar suffer from as a child?

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 19

Part One Quick Quiz (chapters 8-14)

1. What animal does Pi call the “most dangerous animal in a zoo”?

6. In Chapter 11 Pi provides an example of an animal escaping from a zoo in Zurich. What

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 20

8. According to Pi, social rank among animals is…

© Lisa Renard-Spicer 2008 21