LIFE OF PI

Reporters:
Fenis, Daisy Ann A.
Tolentino, Robelyn Joy A.
Martecio, Sophia A.

Submitted to:
Ma’am Princess Shane Abatayo, LPT
 Introduction
Life of Pi is an adventure story about a young man, Piscine Patel, who survives 227
days in a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, after a
harrowing shipwreck. The author takes the readers through Pi’s life story from when he
is born in Pondicherry, India, right up to when he is 42-yearsold, living in Canada with
his family. The novel focuses on the 227 days Pi survives at sea, starting on 2 July 1977
up to 14 February 1978, when he is rescued in Mexico.

The Author

Yann Martel CC Canadian author Novelist and a short story writer Born June 25, 1963
at Salamanca Spain 61 years old He completed his secondary education in Canada at
Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ontario (1979–81), and continued his studies at
Trent University (1981–84; 1986–87) and Concordia University (1984–85), earning a
B.A. in philosophy. Notable works Life of Pi, Beatrice and Virgil, The High Mountains of
Portugal Yann Martel is best known for the international bestseller Life of Pi (2001). It
won the prestigious Man Booker Prize and was adapted into an Academy Award-
winning film of the same name. Martel has also won the Hugh MacLennan Prize for
Fiction, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and a Coventry Inspiration Book
Award. He was made a Companion of the Order of Canada in 2021.
 Summary
"Life of Pi" by Yann Martel tells the story of Pi Patel, a boy from India who survives a
shipwreck. After the ship carrying his family and their zoo animals sinks, Pi is left
stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
They drift together for 227 days, facing extreme challenges. Pi survives by using his
wits to coexist with the tiger.

When they finally reach Mexico, Richard Parker disappears into the jungle. Pi tells his
story to officials, who doubt his tale with the tiger, so he offers a version where the
animals are replaced by humans.
Plot Structure

Exposition
The story starts with Pi as he explains parts of his life before and after his journey
across the Pacific Ocean. He discusses subjects such as academics, the zoo, and his
life in India and Canada. He also shares his thoughts on the behavior and
characteristics of animals, and he discusses the many religions he follows. The setting
is set in Pondicherry, Toronto, and Munnar. Also, a few characters are introduced such
as Pi, Ravi, Mother, Father, Mr. Kumar, the priest, the imam, the pandit, and the
mysterious Richard Parker.
Rising Action
After selling their zoo, Pi and his family set sail on the Tsimtsum to live in Canada.
However, the ship sinks, and Pi is stuck in a lifeboat with a zebra, hyena, orangutan,
and tiger. Each animal fights to survive, but the last animal left standing besides Pi was
the Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Pi then tries to avoid Richard parker until he
finds a solution. He also makes improvements to the lifeboat while finding a way to
survive.
Climax
At last, Pi has figured out an effective and efficient way to survive. Also, he no longer
has to fear Richard Parker. Pi has asserted his authority over Richard Parker by
continuous training. Pi associates seasickness with the sound of his whistle. Richard
Parker now respects Pi.
Falling Action
Pi continues to fight for survival. He also continues to cease any threats posed by
Richard Parker. Pi eventually comes across a blind frenchman, but Pi himself was also
blind. Both were suffering from blindness caused by the body's reaction to dehydration
and a lack of nutrition. The blind frenchman climbs aboard, possibly to attack Pi or
befriend Pi, but he is immediately eaten by Richard Parker. Pi also comes across a
carnivorous island of algae inhabited by meerkats. After collecting supplies, he leaves
the island with Richard Parker.
Resolution
Finally, Pi reaches land in Mexico, and Richard Parker leaves without a ceremonial
goodbye. People find Pi, and he is taken into an infirmary. He is interviewed by people
from the Japanese Ministry of Transport, Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba. However, they
don't believe Pi's story. Pi tells another story without animals, but the people represent
the animals. It can also be viewed that the animals represent the people or the animals
represent emotions of Pi and the others.

Characters

Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi) - is the protagonist and, for most of the novel, the narrator of
the story. Pi is born in Pondicherry, India and raised among wild animals, as his father is
a zookeeper. Pi gets his unusual name from a famous swimming pool in Paris. Until the
shipwreck, he was a careless child, whose main tasks were to feed the animals and to
take care about them. We can clearly see the change in his personality right after the
shipwreck, were he lost his family and found himself trapped on a boat with a predator,
the Bengal tiger. He acts reasonably and, even though he lost his family, he still takes a
good care about his tiger. He provides food and water for both of them. It is his kindness
and both human and animal instinct that kept him alive.

Richard Parker - A three-year-old male royal Bengal tiger, whose name is an irony
because he got that name by mistake. He was described as a mighty, 450-pound, and
extremely dangerous. But still he did not hurt his owner, a sixteen-year-old boy. Richard
Parker grew up in the zoo and is accustomed to a life in captivity. His role in the story is
very important, because he helped and kept Pi alive. He was his only companion and
he gave him the strength to continue to believe and to fight. Because of the Richard
Parker, Pi had to find a way to provide food and drinkable water. He was addressing to
Richard Parker as to any other human being.Richard Parker was the only companion
that Pi had, and he was his best friend and his worst enemy. But, he also gave him the
reason to fight.

Settings

The story is initially set in India in the late 1990’s. In the first part of the book, Pi
Patel presents himself as a grown man in Toronto. Pi, the main character grew up in
Pondicherry in the mid-1970’s. The story starts in India, in Pondicherry, where Pi was
surrounded with familiar people, things and places. Pondicherry was presented as a
multi-religious and multicultural place. A place where God has its temples.

But the greatest part of the story is set in the Pacific Ocean, in the middle of
nowhere. We used the phrase ‘in the middle of nowhere” because he was trapped on a
lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger for 227 days. Whenever and wherever he raised his head,
he could only see a wide horizon, and the line connecting the sky and the sea.
The last pages are set in Mexico where Pi recovers from his 227-day ordeal at sea.

Style and Techniques

The use of the first-person narrator - Pi, recounting his journey at sea, for example,
makes the story authentic and therefore believable. This conversational style is also
accessible to the reader as it allows the reader to experience the story as well.

The use of varied imagery enhances the reading experience. The imagery is used to
stretch the reader’s imagination and create a sensory experience. For example, he
captures both beauty and danger in his description of the algae island.

Analysis

The true meaning of "Life of Pi" is about finding oneself and understanding one's
purpose in life. Pi's morality and spirituality are continuously tested, much like people
experience in the real world. The story shows how maintaining strong convictions even
in life's most challenging moments can help one survive.

Conclusion

Life of Pi deals with religion and human faith in God. Pi, as the main protagonist of the
story, gave us a lesson on religion and humanity. Even though, he was trapped on a
lifeboat with the wild animal, he did not lose his faith. With all the dangers around him,
he still kept on with his religious rituals and prayers. He decided to save the tiger, even
though he knew that Richard Parker could eat him. Putting someone else’s life before
his own is the most noble thing that a person can do.

Takeaways/ Insight

From the story Life of Pi it taught us the perseverance and not giving up, even in the
hardest condition. Having Faith and believe in oneself, can one pass through any
difficulty. Life of Pi is a story about struggling to survive through seemingly
insurmountable odds. The shipwrecked inhabitants of the little lifeboat don’t simply
accept to their fate: they actively fight against it. Pi abandons his lifelong vegetarianism
and eats fish to sustain himself. He is a perfect example of not giving up even when
conditions are harsh. No matter what storm he went through, or the fact that he was
next to a predator, Pi still believed there was hope and that he would survive, so he did
survive. Pi's relationship with Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger, symbolizes the complex
bond between humans and nature. It also explores themes of dominance, fear, and
mutual dependence.Pi’s survival on the lifeboat for 227 days, against incredible odds, is
a testament to the resilience and resourcefulness of the human spirit. His ability to
adapt, find hope, and maintain his will to live is inspiring.

References
file:///C:/Users/hi/Downloads/MTG-EnglishHL-Novel-the-life-of-pi.pdf
https://www.litcharts.com/lit/life-of-pi/summary
https://study.com/academy/lesson/life-of-pi-book-summary-plot.html#:~:text=The
%20ending%20in%20Life%20of,tells%20them%20a%20different%20one.
https://literature.britishcouncil.org/writer/yann-martel?
fbclid=IwY2xjawFBEqRleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQ1bD_4l9RhgaQol9ynR491EcMqxI
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