This section will be done as a whole, much like the first of part two was.
In this section, two investigators interview Pi in an attempt to determine the cause of the shipwreck. Pi tells them the same story Pi told the reader, but the investigators seem doubtful. He then tells the same story, this time replacing the animals with humans. In this story, he is on the boat with a French Cook, a sailor with a broken leg and Pi’s mother are with him on the lifeboat. The cook cuts off the sailor’s leg and when he dies, eats him, greatly disturbing Pi and his mother. A while later Pi’s mother and the cook argue and the cook kills Pi’s mother, throwing her head to Pi. Afterwards, Pi kills the cook and finally, alone, he turns to God. The investigators remark on the similarities of the two stories. Pi asks them which they like better and they agree the one with the animals. The investigators file their report, stating Pi Patel's story is one of remarkable survival as he survived “in the company of an adult Bengal tiger.” (Martel 354)
The introduction of the second story is extremely intriguing. It is possible this second story is reality, Pi simply created the animal version to deal with the horrific events which occurred. The noble zebra represents the Chinese sailor. The maternal orang-utan represents Pi's own mother. The vicious hyena is the gutless French cook. The tiger is Pi himself, at times ravenous and feral, while at other times contained and passive. It would make sense for Richard Parker to run away at this point because the animal side of Pi no longer exists off that lifeboat.
The idea of the "better story" is a powerful tool. It presents two possible sequences of events for the reader to decide on the validity of each. Pi recognizes that the story with animals is a much better story because it is full of wonder and amazement, whereas the human story is full of heartbreak. It serves as a reminder that humans are not too far from animals.
The two stories also opens up another idea that there is no right account of an event. Everything is open to interpretation. This is where the significance of the quote "Doesn't the telling of something always become a story?" (Martel 335) comes into play. No recounting of an event is free from embellishment, bias, and filling in the blanks. The retelling of the events that occurred on that lifeboat became a story in itself. Pi created a story around the events that took place to shield himself, and the reader, from the horrors that went on on the boat. Pi challenges the reader to suspend their disbelief in order to better enjoy the story, but under the scepticism of the investigators, cracks and reveals the reality of what occurred. This novel is not about the survival of a young boy on a lifeboat, but about how the human mind copes with tragedy and how all stories are subject to interpretation, bias, and simply being skewed by the narrator.
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All in all, I must admit I did not particularly enjoy this novel. It was very dry at many points, and Pi was a difficult character to like for me. This novel did, however, have a very strong ending. The ending was a complete shock to me and increased the quality of the novel tenfold.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Chapters 93 & 94
Chapter 93
Pi reaches his lowest point yet and turns to God.
Chapter 94
This chapter brings an end to Pi's journey. He finally reaches land in Mexico. Richard Parker leaves unceremoniously, running into the forest almost as soon as they hit land. Pi deeply regrets not saying a proper goodbye to Richard Parker.
It is interesting that the story ends so abruptly. There is very little build up to the landing in Mexico, nor is there very much description of the landscape once they get there. This is strange for this novel. I believe it may be because Pi was so weak at the time, he wasn't absorbing as much information, and so couldn't recall as much to recant it to the author.
To the very end, communication has failed Pi. From the journal, to the message in the bottle and the other castaway, communication hasn't been on Pi's side for the journey. It is fitting that even at the end, Pi is unable to communicate in the way he wants. He is unable to say goodbye to Richard Parker, his only companion on the trip.
Pi reaches his lowest point yet and turns to God.
Chapter 94
This chapter brings an end to Pi's journey. He finally reaches land in Mexico. Richard Parker leaves unceremoniously, running into the forest almost as soon as they hit land. Pi deeply regrets not saying a proper goodbye to Richard Parker.
It is interesting that the story ends so abruptly. There is very little build up to the landing in Mexico, nor is there very much description of the landscape once they get there. This is strange for this novel. I believe it may be because Pi was so weak at the time, he wasn't absorbing as much information, and so couldn't recall as much to recant it to the author.
To the very end, communication has failed Pi. From the journal, to the message in the bottle and the other castaway, communication hasn't been on Pi's side for the journey. It is fitting that even at the end, Pi is unable to communicate in the way he wants. He is unable to say goodbye to Richard Parker, his only companion on the trip.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Chapter 92
In this chapter, Pi finds an island that is completely covered in algae. There are hundreds of thousands of meerkats on this island, but very little of anything else. Dead fish turn up, but there are no living fish..
There are two references to Islam in this chapter that stood out. The first being "Green is a lovely colour. It is the colour of Islam." (Martel 285) This is bizarre to me because it was one of Pi's first thoughts upon seeing the island. I would think more important things would come to mind, but nope. The other quote is "To see so many beings bending down at the same time reminded me of prayer time in a mosque." (Martel 294) Once again, the interconnection of zoology and religion is shown. While looking at all of these animals behaving in a bizarre way, Pi compares it to religion. Religion and animals are the two things that help him understand the world around him.
Pi's decision to get off the island is an interesting one. It shows he is optimistic that he will return to civilization. It would've been possible for him to live on the carnivorous island if that was the only option, but obviously Pi feels it is well worth the risk to attempt to make it back to somewhere civilized.
Pi says that the algae turned acidic at night. If this is the case, why did it not burn through the oar that was planted in it and tethering the boat to the island? Did I simply overlook something?
This island reminds me of the island from LOST. It seems to be almost supernatural and be home to many inexplicable things.
There are two references to Islam in this chapter that stood out. The first being "Green is a lovely colour. It is the colour of Islam." (Martel 285) This is bizarre to me because it was one of Pi's first thoughts upon seeing the island. I would think more important things would come to mind, but nope. The other quote is "To see so many beings bending down at the same time reminded me of prayer time in a mosque." (Martel 294) Once again, the interconnection of zoology and religion is shown. While looking at all of these animals behaving in a bizarre way, Pi compares it to religion. Religion and animals are the two things that help him understand the world around him.
Pi's decision to get off the island is an interesting one. It shows he is optimistic that he will return to civilization. It would've been possible for him to live on the carnivorous island if that was the only option, but obviously Pi feels it is well worth the risk to attempt to make it back to somewhere civilized.
Pi says that the algae turned acidic at night. If this is the case, why did it not burn through the oar that was planted in it and tethering the boat to the island? Did I simply overlook something?
This island reminds me of the island from LOST. It seems to be almost supernatural and be home to many inexplicable things.
Chapters 83-91
Chapter 83
In this chapter, Pi faces a storm which tears his tarp, ruins his food, and dismantles his raft.
It's interesting that Pi was so distraught over losing his raft. It seemed as though he didn't really need it anymore and was surviving just fine on the lifeboat. I believe it hit him so hard because it was something he kinda controlled. He created it and could go there as a safe place. It essentially was his home on the water, whereas the lifeboat was more work.
Chapter 84
This chapter is solely focussed on the animals which come by his boat. Pi catches one of the birds and eats almost the entire thing, leaving only bones and feathers for Richard Parker.
When describing the whales that come by, Pi speaks about them as though they're doing everything they can to save him, only to be stopped by humans. It's an interesting commentary because of the positive spin it puts on the animals, while at the same time projecting negative actions onto the humans.
Chapter 85
Another storm comes by, this time a lightning storm. Pi finds this exhilarating and loves it, while Richard Parker is frightened. Pi thanks Allah for the storm.
It's interesting that Pi loves the storm so much even though he was almost killed by a storm not too long before that. I'm surprised he would praise Allah for bringing that storm.
Chapter 86
Pi finally sees a ship, but it does not see him. Instead it almost runs over the lifeboat, and is oblivious to their flares and yelling.
This whole section is much like the ocean: full of ups and downs. Hopes are brought to an all-time low from the storm, then back up to high when the ship passes by, only to be dashed once more as they ship sails right passed. I wonder if this was an intentional effect by Yann Martel.
Chapter 87
Pi used a wet cloth to limit his oxygen intake so he could have vivid dreams to pass the time.
Chapter 88
Pi drifts through a garbage island and sends out a message in a bottle.
This is the first of Pi's desperate attempts to communicate. More on that in an upcoming chapter
Chapter 89
Pi and Richard Parker are beginning to deteriorate. They are both nothing more than skin and bones. Pi's pen runs out of ink, putting an end to his journal entries. He feels he is near death at this point.
Interesting to note that Pi's physical condition seems to be deteriorating at the same pace as his mental condition. I would've expected him to fall apart mentally much sooner.
Chapter 90
Pi imagines a full on conversation with Richard Parker, who apparently has a French accent. They discuss food. It is unclear if he's actually imagining talking to Richard Parker at this point, or if he's talking to the new castaway.
This is indicative of Pi's increasing need to communicate. He has already sent a message in a bottle and now that he's unable to write down his thoughts in his journal, he needs a new outlet to communicate. He imagines himself a conversation partner in Richard Parker. Pi is definitely losing his mind at this point. It's also interesting to note that this conversation combines the two things Pi needs: communication and sustenance.
Pi then hears another a voice, this time of a fellow human. The two share a conversation about food for a good while, then Pi invites him close so they can share each other's company. The new castaway attempts to murder Pi, but is instead killed by Richard Parker.
The savagery of the other castaway is intriguing. After so long alone floating in the ocean, one would think he'd be thrilled to find another person. Instead, he tries to kill him soon after meeting him, This makes very little sense to me, especially since he still had some food left.
Chapter 91
Pi searches the other man's boat and finds some water and food. After two days, Pi's vision returns. He uses bits of the dead man's flesh as bait, and even eats some himself.
The development of Pi up until this point is astounding. At first, he had trouble even killing a fish to eat. Now, he is eating bits of the first human he's seen in about 200 days.
In this chapter, Pi faces a storm which tears his tarp, ruins his food, and dismantles his raft.
It's interesting that Pi was so distraught over losing his raft. It seemed as though he didn't really need it anymore and was surviving just fine on the lifeboat. I believe it hit him so hard because it was something he kinda controlled. He created it and could go there as a safe place. It essentially was his home on the water, whereas the lifeboat was more work.
Chapter 84
This chapter is solely focussed on the animals which come by his boat. Pi catches one of the birds and eats almost the entire thing, leaving only bones and feathers for Richard Parker.
When describing the whales that come by, Pi speaks about them as though they're doing everything they can to save him, only to be stopped by humans. It's an interesting commentary because of the positive spin it puts on the animals, while at the same time projecting negative actions onto the humans.
Chapter 85
Another storm comes by, this time a lightning storm. Pi finds this exhilarating and loves it, while Richard Parker is frightened. Pi thanks Allah for the storm.
It's interesting that Pi loves the storm so much even though he was almost killed by a storm not too long before that. I'm surprised he would praise Allah for bringing that storm.
Chapter 86
Pi finally sees a ship, but it does not see him. Instead it almost runs over the lifeboat, and is oblivious to their flares and yelling.
This whole section is much like the ocean: full of ups and downs. Hopes are brought to an all-time low from the storm, then back up to high when the ship passes by, only to be dashed once more as they ship sails right passed. I wonder if this was an intentional effect by Yann Martel.
Chapter 87
Pi used a wet cloth to limit his oxygen intake so he could have vivid dreams to pass the time.
Chapter 88
Pi drifts through a garbage island and sends out a message in a bottle.
This is the first of Pi's desperate attempts to communicate. More on that in an upcoming chapter
Chapter 89
Pi and Richard Parker are beginning to deteriorate. They are both nothing more than skin and bones. Pi's pen runs out of ink, putting an end to his journal entries. He feels he is near death at this point.
Interesting to note that Pi's physical condition seems to be deteriorating at the same pace as his mental condition. I would've expected him to fall apart mentally much sooner.
Chapter 90
Pi imagines a full on conversation with Richard Parker, who apparently has a French accent. They discuss food. It is unclear if he's actually imagining talking to Richard Parker at this point, or if he's talking to the new castaway.
This is indicative of Pi's increasing need to communicate. He has already sent a message in a bottle and now that he's unable to write down his thoughts in his journal, he needs a new outlet to communicate. He imagines himself a conversation partner in Richard Parker. Pi is definitely losing his mind at this point. It's also interesting to note that this conversation combines the two things Pi needs: communication and sustenance.
Pi then hears another a voice, this time of a fellow human. The two share a conversation about food for a good while, then Pi invites him close so they can share each other's company. The new castaway attempts to murder Pi, but is instead killed by Richard Parker.
The savagery of the other castaway is intriguing. After so long alone floating in the ocean, one would think he'd be thrilled to find another person. Instead, he tries to kill him soon after meeting him, This makes very little sense to me, especially since he still had some food left.
Chapter 91
Pi searches the other man's boat and finds some water and food. After two days, Pi's vision returns. He uses bits of the dead man's flesh as bait, and even eats some himself.
The development of Pi up until this point is astounding. At first, he had trouble even killing a fish to eat. Now, he is eating bits of the first human he's seen in about 200 days.
Chapters 77-82
Chapter 77
Pi begins to struggle with a lack of food. He limits himself to a biscuit every eight hours and eats whatever he can get his hands on, even going so far as to try Richard Parker's feces.
I'm beating this to death, but this also shows Pi's break from humanity. He doesn't hesitate to eat the intestines of a turtle. He even tries tiger feces. Pi is most certainly relying on instinct at this point.
Chapter 78
Everything is constantly changing, but nothing is good nor bad. All types of weather provide a benefit but also a drawback. When it's dark, he wishes it were light and vice versa.
A quote that stood out was "Life on a lifeboat isn't much of a life. It is like an end game in chess, a game with a few pieces. The elements couldn't be more simple, nor the stakes higher." (Martel 241) After the shipwreck, only a few "pieces" are left: Pi, Richard Parker, and the animals. The animals all made mistakes and are now dead. Pi carefully plotted out each of his moves and is thus surviving. Life on a lifeboat is very simple as there are few distractions. This allows Pi to grow closer with his faith. In many religions, stripping down to the necessities is a must to communicate with God. Without any distractions, Pi needs his faith to keep his spirits up.
Chapter 79
Pi takes notice of all the sharks around him and even catches a few. The first one he caught tussled with Richard Parker, resulting in injured paws. From that point on, Pi took care of the killing by stabbing them through the eye.
Again, a sign of drifting away form humanity.
Chapter 80
A dorado jumps on the boat. Richard Parker takes notice and is about to attack Pi over it. Pi maintains eye contact and Richard Parker cowers. Pi now feels comfortable as the alpha on the boat.
"Thanks be to you, Jesus-Matsya" (Martel 246) again shows how Pi thanks the gods for everything good.
Chapter 81
Pi looks back on how remarkable his survival was. He speculates Richard Parker relied on him because he was a zoo animal and knew Pi was the one bringing him food and water.
Again, the theme of the zoo pops up again.
Chapter 82
Pi struggles with the amount of fresh water and food that is available to him. He dilutes Richard Parker's water with salt water to save water. He ends up giving most of the food to Richard Parker, but tries to eat as quickly as he can before the tiger can get to it.
Pi recognizes he has slipped into animal territory by the way he eats.
Chapters 70-76
Chapter 70
Pi slaughters a turtle and drinks its blood. He also decides it's time to stop basing his movements off of Richard Parker and that he must assert his dominance.
This is another sign of Pi losing grip with humanity. Before this trip, he was a strict vegetarian. Now he is drinking the blood out of a turtle. The change is staggering.
Chapter 71
Pi describes the steps he took to tame Richard Parker. Nothing really stands out in this chapter.
Chapter 72
In this chapter, Pi attempts to fully tame Richard Parker. He uses a turtle shell as a shield. On his first four attempts, he is swatted into the water. On the fifth, Richard Parker cowers.
Chapter 73
Pi thinks about how great a book would be. Something to read would really help him. He thinks it's a great idea to spread faith in places of rest (such as hotels).
Chapter 74
Pi uses religion to help calm himself. Even at his worst moments, he looks to God to help him past them. Again, it's interesting that he thanks God for moving him past those moments, but doesn't really blame God for causing those moments.
Chapter 75
Happy birthday Mom.
Chapter 76
Pi uses Richard Parker's feces to assert dominance. Richard Parker tries to hide it, but Pi takes it and fondles it to show him that he'll do what he pleases. Another reason for removing the feces is to prevent Richard Parker from eating it.
This is another example of how Pi's zoo background helps him. He knows he needs to remove the feces from Richard Parker's living quarters or he will likely eat it and get sick.
Pi slaughters a turtle and drinks its blood. He also decides it's time to stop basing his movements off of Richard Parker and that he must assert his dominance.
This is another sign of Pi losing grip with humanity. Before this trip, he was a strict vegetarian. Now he is drinking the blood out of a turtle. The change is staggering.
Chapter 71
Pi describes the steps he took to tame Richard Parker. Nothing really stands out in this chapter.
Chapter 72
In this chapter, Pi attempts to fully tame Richard Parker. He uses a turtle shell as a shield. On his first four attempts, he is swatted into the water. On the fifth, Richard Parker cowers.
Chapter 73
Pi thinks about how great a book would be. Something to read would really help him. He thinks it's a great idea to spread faith in places of rest (such as hotels).
Chapter 74
Pi uses religion to help calm himself. Even at his worst moments, he looks to God to help him past them. Again, it's interesting that he thanks God for moving him past those moments, but doesn't really blame God for causing those moments.
Chapter 75
Happy birthday Mom.
Chapter 76
Pi uses Richard Parker's feces to assert dominance. Richard Parker tries to hide it, but Pi takes it and fondles it to show him that he'll do what he pleases. Another reason for removing the feces is to prevent Richard Parker from eating it.
This is another example of how Pi's zoo background helps him. He knows he needs to remove the feces from Richard Parker's living quarters or he will likely eat it and get sick.
Chapters 62-69
Chapter 62
Pi checks the solar stills and notices they have about 1L of water each. He gives some to Richard Parker and gives him food as well. He makes sure the tiger knows Pi is in charge.
As soon as Pi found the water attached to the solar stills, he immediately compared them to a cow, "'My sweet sea cow!' I exclaimed to the solar still." (Martel 207) Once again, this shows how deeply rooted animals are in Pi's mind.
It's also interesting that Pi notes Richard Parker's area is becoming more and more like a zoo enclosure. This shows how Pi is progressing while taming him. Pi has essentially followed in his father's footsteps and became a zookeeper in his own right. Like his father, he relies on reason and faith in himself.
Chapter 63
Pi steps back and looks at his journey as a whole. He mentions that he survived on the boat for 227 days. He credits his prayers and Richard Parker for keeping him busy.
This shows how closely related zoology and religion are for Pi. The two things that managed to keep him occupied were religions and animals (Richard Parker and fish).
Chapter 64
Pi talks about how his clothes disintegrated and he got boils from the salt water.
Chapter 65
Pi tries to decipher the survival handbook to no avail. He has no knowledge of stuff like latitude and longitude. He realized he can't control where he goes, that's up to the wind and currents.
It surprised me that he didn't credit where he goes to God, but I suppose maybe God controls nature.
Chapter 66
Pi wasn't having much success with traditional methods of fishing, so he began impaling them. He also began catching and killing turtles.
This shows Pi is slipping further and further from humanity. Like the orang-utan, Pi is no longer the Pi he once was. His personality is fading, being replaced by instinct.
Chapter 67
Pi is getting extremely bored of the monotony that is his life. He became attached to the sea critters that lived on the bottom of the boat as they gave him something to watch. He also enjoyed eating the crabs on the life boat.
It's interesting that the first time something happens, Pi becomes enthralled by it. As this is the first mention of the new found sea life, the reader is given a great description of it because Pi is so interested in it. As it becomes just the same old, I doubt it'll even be mentioned again.
Chapter 68
Pi's favourite distraction is Richard Parker. For the most part, he just watches him.
Chapter 69
Pi saw lights in the distance and, thinking they were ships, he set off his flares. The smell of the used hand flares reminded him of cumin, which reminded him of back home.
This helped Pi stay sane as he could essentially imagine himself back at home as soon as he smelled one. This helps him put his dire situation out of his mind and relax for a few minutes.
Pi checks the solar stills and notices they have about 1L of water each. He gives some to Richard Parker and gives him food as well. He makes sure the tiger knows Pi is in charge.
As soon as Pi found the water attached to the solar stills, he immediately compared them to a cow, "'My sweet sea cow!' I exclaimed to the solar still." (Martel 207) Once again, this shows how deeply rooted animals are in Pi's mind.
It's also interesting that Pi notes Richard Parker's area is becoming more and more like a zoo enclosure. This shows how Pi is progressing while taming him. Pi has essentially followed in his father's footsteps and became a zookeeper in his own right. Like his father, he relies on reason and faith in himself.
Chapter 63
Pi steps back and looks at his journey as a whole. He mentions that he survived on the boat for 227 days. He credits his prayers and Richard Parker for keeping him busy.
This shows how closely related zoology and religion are for Pi. The two things that managed to keep him occupied were religions and animals (Richard Parker and fish).
Chapter 64
Pi talks about how his clothes disintegrated and he got boils from the salt water.
Chapter 65
Pi tries to decipher the survival handbook to no avail. He has no knowledge of stuff like latitude and longitude. He realized he can't control where he goes, that's up to the wind and currents.
It surprised me that he didn't credit where he goes to God, but I suppose maybe God controls nature.
Chapter 66
Pi wasn't having much success with traditional methods of fishing, so he began impaling them. He also began catching and killing turtles.
This shows Pi is slipping further and further from humanity. Like the orang-utan, Pi is no longer the Pi he once was. His personality is fading, being replaced by instinct.
Chapter 67
Pi is getting extremely bored of the monotony that is his life. He became attached to the sea critters that lived on the bottom of the boat as they gave him something to watch. He also enjoyed eating the crabs on the life boat.
It's interesting that the first time something happens, Pi becomes enthralled by it. As this is the first mention of the new found sea life, the reader is given a great description of it because Pi is so interested in it. As it becomes just the same old, I doubt it'll even be mentioned again.
Chapter 68
Pi's favourite distraction is Richard Parker. For the most part, he just watches him.
Chapter 69
Pi saw lights in the distance and, thinking they were ships, he set off his flares. The smell of the used hand flares reminded him of cumin, which reminded him of back home.
This helped Pi stay sane as he could essentially imagine himself back at home as soon as he smelled one. This helps him put his dire situation out of his mind and relax for a few minutes.
Chapters 58-61
Chapter 58
This chapter involves Pi going over the survival handbook and forming a plan for his own survival. He has now lost hope of a ship rescuing him.
When Pi said "No one called 'Pissing' in his childhood would be caught dead with a cup of pee at his lips, even alone in a life boat in the middle of the Pacific." (Martel 185) it spoke to how his name has affected him throughout his life. In fact, it may have led him to an important lesson. Before reading the handbook and finding the water, it's possible Pi would've felt it necessary to drink his own urine.
Chapter 59
In this chapter, Pi marks his territory and improves his raft. He also installs solar stills to convert salt water into fresh water.
Pi has taken a step closer to an animal existence. He mimics Richard Parker and marks his territory with his urine, not something civilized humans usually take part in. His humanity does shine through however, when he opts not to drink his urine, no matter how tempting.
When discussing his revelation that the raft could be used as a sea anchor, Pi foreshadows a little bit, "What may seem like a detail to you was something that would save my life and which Richard Parker would come to regret." (Martel 188) This makes me curious as to how the orientation of the boat could end up saving Pi's life.
Chapter 60
This chapter focuses on Pi's religions. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he recalls a Hindu story which makes him feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things. He utters the words of a Muslim prayer and heads back to sleep.
The fact that Pi can go from thinking about Hindu stories to Muslim prayers shows his faithfulness in all of his religions. He takes solace in the story and gains hope from his prayers. It's fascinating that he can pull aspects from multiple religions to help keep him sane.
Chapter 61
Pi attempts to fish using his shoe and fails. He begins to feel hopeless as he no longer has any bait when a flying fish smacks him right in the face, followed by a whole school of flying fish. This shows Pi is still reliant on nature. Although the man-made tools in the locker proved useful, a fluke of nature is his saving grace when it comes to fishing.
When he catches the dorado, Pi thanks Lord Vishnu. This is interesting because Pi seems to attribute his successes to the gods, but never seems to blame them for his misfortunes. This shows just how faithful Pi is.
This chapter involves Pi going over the survival handbook and forming a plan for his own survival. He has now lost hope of a ship rescuing him.
When Pi said "No one called 'Pissing' in his childhood would be caught dead with a cup of pee at his lips, even alone in a life boat in the middle of the Pacific." (Martel 185) it spoke to how his name has affected him throughout his life. In fact, it may have led him to an important lesson. Before reading the handbook and finding the water, it's possible Pi would've felt it necessary to drink his own urine.
Chapter 59
In this chapter, Pi marks his territory and improves his raft. He also installs solar stills to convert salt water into fresh water.
Pi has taken a step closer to an animal existence. He mimics Richard Parker and marks his territory with his urine, not something civilized humans usually take part in. His humanity does shine through however, when he opts not to drink his urine, no matter how tempting.
When discussing his revelation that the raft could be used as a sea anchor, Pi foreshadows a little bit, "What may seem like a detail to you was something that would save my life and which Richard Parker would come to regret." (Martel 188) This makes me curious as to how the orientation of the boat could end up saving Pi's life.
Chapter 60
This chapter focuses on Pi's religions. When he wakes up in the middle of the night, he recalls a Hindu story which makes him feel insignificant in the grand scheme of things. He utters the words of a Muslim prayer and heads back to sleep.
The fact that Pi can go from thinking about Hindu stories to Muslim prayers shows his faithfulness in all of his religions. He takes solace in the story and gains hope from his prayers. It's fascinating that he can pull aspects from multiple religions to help keep him sane.
Chapter 61
Pi attempts to fish using his shoe and fails. He begins to feel hopeless as he no longer has any bait when a flying fish smacks him right in the face, followed by a whole school of flying fish. This shows Pi is still reliant on nature. Although the man-made tools in the locker proved useful, a fluke of nature is his saving grace when it comes to fishing.
When he catches the dorado, Pi thanks Lord Vishnu. This is interesting because Pi seems to attribute his successes to the gods, but never seems to blame them for his misfortunes. This shows just how faithful Pi is.
Chapters 53-57
Chapter 53
Pi realizes he faces certain death on the boat and certain death if he jumps overboard. He gains optimism through his religions, trusting he'll be fine as long as he has God on his side. He decides he needs to create a raft is he wants to survive. While the tiger is eating the hyena, Pi manages to complete the raft and tether it to the lifeboat. He jumps aboard. Later, when it starts raining he returns to the lifeboat to get a rain catcher, attracting the attention of Richard Parker in the process.
When Richard Parker accepts the rat from Pi, he shows an almost human characteristic in negotiation. This is interesting because it almost shows the Richard Parker can be somewhat tamed.
Chapter 54
In this chapter, Pi goes over his options with regard to Richard Parker. He comes up with six plans, but feels only one of them is realistic. Given enough time, Richard Parker will die of thirst as he has no water available to him. This gives Pi a sense of optimism, a flickering ray of hope that he must hold onto if he wants to stay sane.
Chapter 55
Pi is hit with the sudden realization that tigers can drink salt water just fine. All of his hopes are dashed. He realizes if he continues with plan 6, he will die before Richard Parker is even uncomfortable.
Chapter 56
Pi thinks about the nature of fear and how fear can destroy someone, regardless of how smart they are. He acknowledges that fear is his true opponent.
The passage "Already your lungs have flown away like a bird...jaw begins to gallop on the spot" (Martel 178-179) stood out to me because once again, Pi uses animals to describe human feelings. It seems Pi resorts to animals when he doesn't know how else to describe something.
Chapter 57
In this chapter, Richard Parker makes a sound that is indicative of harmless intentions (prusten). Pi decides to attempt to tame the tiger by using the whistle as a makeshift whip. It seems to work and Richard Parker cowers in the lifeboat.
A quote to keep in mind is "Knowledge? Was I not a zookeeper's son?" (Martel 182) This quote shows the importance of growing up with a zoo for Pi. The knowledge gained there could be the difference between life and death for him.
Pi realizes he faces certain death on the boat and certain death if he jumps overboard. He gains optimism through his religions, trusting he'll be fine as long as he has God on his side. He decides he needs to create a raft is he wants to survive. While the tiger is eating the hyena, Pi manages to complete the raft and tether it to the lifeboat. He jumps aboard. Later, when it starts raining he returns to the lifeboat to get a rain catcher, attracting the attention of Richard Parker in the process.
When Richard Parker accepts the rat from Pi, he shows an almost human characteristic in negotiation. This is interesting because it almost shows the Richard Parker can be somewhat tamed.
Chapter 54
In this chapter, Pi goes over his options with regard to Richard Parker. He comes up with six plans, but feels only one of them is realistic. Given enough time, Richard Parker will die of thirst as he has no water available to him. This gives Pi a sense of optimism, a flickering ray of hope that he must hold onto if he wants to stay sane.
Chapter 55
Pi is hit with the sudden realization that tigers can drink salt water just fine. All of his hopes are dashed. He realizes if he continues with plan 6, he will die before Richard Parker is even uncomfortable.
Chapter 56
Pi thinks about the nature of fear and how fear can destroy someone, regardless of how smart they are. He acknowledges that fear is his true opponent.
The passage "Already your lungs have flown away like a bird...jaw begins to gallop on the spot" (Martel 178-179) stood out to me because once again, Pi uses animals to describe human feelings. It seems Pi resorts to animals when he doesn't know how else to describe something.
Chapter 57
In this chapter, Richard Parker makes a sound that is indicative of harmless intentions (prusten). Pi decides to attempt to tame the tiger by using the whistle as a makeshift whip. It seems to work and Richard Parker cowers in the lifeboat.
A quote to keep in mind is "Knowledge? Was I not a zookeeper's son?" (Martel 182) This quote shows the importance of growing up with a zoo for Pi. The knowledge gained there could be the difference between life and death for him.
Chapters 48-52
Chapter 48
This chapter describes how Richard Parker got his name. While seemingly insignificant, it is noteworthy that there is much controversy over both Pi's and Richard Parker's names. I suspect this will be the first of many similarities between the two, given how closely Pi relates to animals.
Chapter 49
In this chapter, Pi realizes he's going to need to drink some water very soon. A theme that is very prevalent is fear. Prior to this it showed up with the shark fin piercing the water after Pi jumped in, the fear he felt when faced with a hyena in front of him, and even the grief of losing his entire family. In this chapter, it shows up with Richard Parker. However, the fear doesn't cause the reaction you would expect. Instead, it seems to almost calm Pi as he realizes there is nothing he can do against such a large tiger. This is empowering for Pi because it allows him to focus on what will happen rather than what might happen. Accepting his death makes Pi's fear less paralysing and allows him to take action.
Chapter 50
In this chapter, Pi takes notice of the details of the lifeboat. Now that he is faced with the reality of his situation, he begins looking for solutions by taking everything in. Pi realized a tiny, minute detail could be the very thing that saves his life. From this chapter, a quote that stood out is "How true it is that necessity is the mother of invention, how very true." (Martel 154) Pi didn't take in any of the details of his surroundings until he realized that it could be the difference between life and death for him.
Chapter 51
In this chapter, Pi finds the locker full of supplies. When he opened the lid, Pi noticed one of the details that could save his life. The lid blocked off a passageway for Richard Parker, meaning Pi would have more time to react if Richard Parker chose to attack. Pi takes note of how long he can last if he rations a certain amount of water and food for each day. This shows that Pi has almost lost hope of being rescued any time soon and is in it for the long run.
Chapter 52
Chapter 52 is simply an inventory of all the things on the boat. The only noteworthy thing being Pi's inclusion of "1 God" (Martel 162) on the list. Despite all the bad things that happened to him, Pi's faith does not waver. Instead of being angry at God for placing him in the predicament, he trusts God will help him get out of it.
This chapter describes how Richard Parker got his name. While seemingly insignificant, it is noteworthy that there is much controversy over both Pi's and Richard Parker's names. I suspect this will be the first of many similarities between the two, given how closely Pi relates to animals.
Chapter 49
In this chapter, Pi realizes he's going to need to drink some water very soon. A theme that is very prevalent is fear. Prior to this it showed up with the shark fin piercing the water after Pi jumped in, the fear he felt when faced with a hyena in front of him, and even the grief of losing his entire family. In this chapter, it shows up with Richard Parker. However, the fear doesn't cause the reaction you would expect. Instead, it seems to almost calm Pi as he realizes there is nothing he can do against such a large tiger. This is empowering for Pi because it allows him to focus on what will happen rather than what might happen. Accepting his death makes Pi's fear less paralysing and allows him to take action.
Chapter 50
In this chapter, Pi takes notice of the details of the lifeboat. Now that he is faced with the reality of his situation, he begins looking for solutions by taking everything in. Pi realized a tiny, minute detail could be the very thing that saves his life. From this chapter, a quote that stood out is "How true it is that necessity is the mother of invention, how very true." (Martel 154) Pi didn't take in any of the details of his surroundings until he realized that it could be the difference between life and death for him.
Chapter 51
In this chapter, Pi finds the locker full of supplies. When he opened the lid, Pi noticed one of the details that could save his life. The lid blocked off a passageway for Richard Parker, meaning Pi would have more time to react if Richard Parker chose to attack. Pi takes note of how long he can last if he rations a certain amount of water and food for each day. This shows that Pi has almost lost hope of being rescued any time soon and is in it for the long run.
Chapter 52
Chapter 52 is simply an inventory of all the things on the boat. The only noteworthy thing being Pi's inclusion of "1 God" (Martel 162) on the list. Despite all the bad things that happened to him, Pi's faith does not waver. Instead of being angry at God for placing him in the predicament, he trusts God will help him get out of it.
Chapters 40-47
Part two is noticeably different from part one. It reads as one continuous story rather than jumping around as it did in part one. It is for this reason I'm going to attempt to write this journal as one large entry, rather than splitting it up chapter by chapter as I did before.
This section of the novel covers the time period where Pi is on the boat, but has not yet noticed Richard Parker. In this time, the hyena has essentially taken over the boat. Pi is relegated to one end of the boat to live in fear, while the hyena kills the other two animals aboard, the orang-utan, Orange Juice, and the unnamed zebra. Pi becomes very attached to Orange Juice. She is the most human-like thing he has available to him. He takes solace in that aspect, but is also saddened by it. When he sees her searching for her children over the Pacific, he realizes they're not too much different. They're both grieving the loss of family. This once again shows how Pi relates well to animals.
The focus of Orange Juice's role as a mother is particularly striking. It is mentioned that she had two sons at the zoo. This is not unlike Mrs. Patel, who had two sons as well. It's also interesting to note that Pi almost saw Orange Juice as an animal mother to him. When he was a child, she would hold him. It is for this reason that Orange Juice's arrival is particularly striking. She is the closest thing to family (other than his actual family) that could show up for Pi right now.
Immediately, the fact that Pi doesn't notice Richard Parker is very interesting. How can a tiger coexist on a boat with Pi without being noticed for days? It seems implausible to say the least. But I guess that's the whole point of the novel...
Pi does a lot of learning in this section. Although Mr. Kumar and his father taught him about all the animals and how dangerous they are, he never really understood that until now. Pi is shocked by what he sees. The viciousness of the hyena attacking the zebra and the gentle orang-utan's actions when defending herself both seem to surprise him a great deal.
Orange Juice's actions help teach Pi about how animals react much differently when their life is in danger. When an animal's life is in danger, personality no longer matters. It is all instinct from that point on. Pi learns this when gentle Orange Juice strikes the hyena to protect herself. He even comments on it when he says Orange Juice doesn't have the instincts the hyena does and thus will be unable to protect herself.
In this section, Pi compares animals to religion a great deal. When he saw Orange Juice floating in the ocean, he compared her to Virgin Mary, "She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary." (Martel 123) Later in this section, he compares her to Christ, "She looked like a simian Christ on the Cross." (Martel 145) These comparisons show how closely religion and zoology are in Pi's mind. The two are almost woven together to him. He is constantly making connections between the two.
Pi is now left to fend for himself. Before the shipwreck, it seemed as though Pi was still heavily dependent on his parents, much like any other child. Pi was in the transition period to becoming independent, but is now thrust into the open sea without anyone there to help him.
This section of the novel covers the time period where Pi is on the boat, but has not yet noticed Richard Parker. In this time, the hyena has essentially taken over the boat. Pi is relegated to one end of the boat to live in fear, while the hyena kills the other two animals aboard, the orang-utan, Orange Juice, and the unnamed zebra. Pi becomes very attached to Orange Juice. She is the most human-like thing he has available to him. He takes solace in that aspect, but is also saddened by it. When he sees her searching for her children over the Pacific, he realizes they're not too much different. They're both grieving the loss of family. This once again shows how Pi relates well to animals.
The focus of Orange Juice's role as a mother is particularly striking. It is mentioned that she had two sons at the zoo. This is not unlike Mrs. Patel, who had two sons as well. It's also interesting to note that Pi almost saw Orange Juice as an animal mother to him. When he was a child, she would hold him. It is for this reason that Orange Juice's arrival is particularly striking. She is the closest thing to family (other than his actual family) that could show up for Pi right now.
Immediately, the fact that Pi doesn't notice Richard Parker is very interesting. How can a tiger coexist on a boat with Pi without being noticed for days? It seems implausible to say the least. But I guess that's the whole point of the novel...
Pi does a lot of learning in this section. Although Mr. Kumar and his father taught him about all the animals and how dangerous they are, he never really understood that until now. Pi is shocked by what he sees. The viciousness of the hyena attacking the zebra and the gentle orang-utan's actions when defending herself both seem to surprise him a great deal.
Orange Juice's actions help teach Pi about how animals react much differently when their life is in danger. When an animal's life is in danger, personality no longer matters. It is all instinct from that point on. Pi learns this when gentle Orange Juice strikes the hyena to protect herself. He even comments on it when he says Orange Juice doesn't have the instincts the hyena does and thus will be unable to protect herself.
In this section, Pi compares animals to religion a great deal. When he saw Orange Juice floating in the ocean, he compared her to Virgin Mary, "She came floating on an island of bananas in a halo of light, as lovely as the Virgin Mary." (Martel 123) Later in this section, he compares her to Christ, "She looked like a simian Christ on the Cross." (Martel 145) These comparisons show how closely religion and zoology are in Pi's mind. The two are almost woven together to him. He is constantly making connections between the two.
Pi is now left to fend for himself. Before the shipwreck, it seemed as though Pi was still heavily dependent on his parents, much like any other child. Pi was in the transition period to becoming independent, but is now thrust into the open sea without anyone there to help him.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Part 2: Chapters 37-39
Chapter 37
This chapter reveals that the ship Pi and his family were travelling on sank. Pi is floating in the water and sees Richard Parker, one of his tigers, floating as well. A quote that stood out to me is "'Jesus, Mary, Muhammmed, and Vishnu, how good to see you, Richard Parker!'" (Martel 107) Even in this time of crisis, Pi stays faithful to all religions, and doesn't even exclude one when expressing his surprise.
I'm already wondering if Richard Parker is just a figment of Pi's imagination. I find it hard to believe that this huge tiger managed to get out of his cage during the storm, then fell off the boat around the same area as Pi, and knew to swim to the lifeboat and get on. It screams of Pi imagining a companion for himself.
Chapter 38
Chapter 38 delves into the events leading up to the shipwreck. Pi woke up in the middle of the night and heads up to the deck. This action saved his life as when he turned back, he saw the living quarters were filled with water. It's important to note that Pi claims he saw other animals loose on the deck. This sets the precedent for animals being out of their cages and may add some legitimacy to the idea of Richard Parker being loose.
Chapter 39
Chapter 39 is a very short chapter that simply describes the immediate aftermath when Pi was thrown overboard. He landed on the lifeboat and saw a zebra freaking out above him.
This chapter reveals that the ship Pi and his family were travelling on sank. Pi is floating in the water and sees Richard Parker, one of his tigers, floating as well. A quote that stood out to me is "'Jesus, Mary, Muhammmed, and Vishnu, how good to see you, Richard Parker!'" (Martel 107) Even in this time of crisis, Pi stays faithful to all religions, and doesn't even exclude one when expressing his surprise.
I'm already wondering if Richard Parker is just a figment of Pi's imagination. I find it hard to believe that this huge tiger managed to get out of his cage during the storm, then fell off the boat around the same area as Pi, and knew to swim to the lifeboat and get on. It screams of Pi imagining a companion for himself.
Chapter 38
Chapter 38 delves into the events leading up to the shipwreck. Pi woke up in the middle of the night and heads up to the deck. This action saved his life as when he turned back, he saw the living quarters were filled with water. It's important to note that Pi claims he saw other animals loose on the deck. This sets the precedent for animals being out of their cages and may add some legitimacy to the idea of Richard Parker being loose.
Chapter 39
Chapter 39 is a very short chapter that simply describes the immediate aftermath when Pi was thrown overboard. He landed on the lifeboat and saw a zebra freaking out above him.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Chapters 34-36 END OF PART 1
Chapter 34
In chapter 34, Pi describes the process of arranging the sale of all the animals. Pi makes a few references to feeling like one of the animals, "And two animals were being shipped to Canada. That's how Ravi and I felt." (Martel 98) He also makes another brief reference to this later in the chapter, "They were future Yankees, and we, future Canucks." (Martel 100) This shows that Pi does use animals to describe how he's feeling at the time, though in this case it was much more obvious than it was previously.
Chapter 35
This chapter covers the last moments in India before boarding the ship to Canada. A line that stood out to me is "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 most of it." (Martel 101) This is obvious foreshadowing. This line comes just as the family is setting sail to Canada. Combining that knowledge with the knowledge of the cover, it can be assumed the Patel family is not going to make it safely to Canada on that boat.
Chapter 36
Another chapter from the perspective of Yann Martel. This time he meets Pi's two children, Nikhil and Usha. He comments that Pi's story does have a happy ending.
In chapter 34, Pi describes the process of arranging the sale of all the animals. Pi makes a few references to feeling like one of the animals, "And two animals were being shipped to Canada. That's how Ravi and I felt." (Martel 98) He also makes another brief reference to this later in the chapter, "They were future Yankees, and we, future Canucks." (Martel 100) This shows that Pi does use animals to describe how he's feeling at the time, though in this case it was much more obvious than it was previously.
Chapter 35
This chapter covers the last moments in India before boarding the ship to Canada. A line that stood out to me is "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 most of it." (Martel 101) This is obvious foreshadowing. This line comes just as the family is setting sail to Canada. Combining that knowledge with the knowledge of the cover, it can be assumed the Patel family is not going to make it safely to Canada on that boat.
Chapter 36
Another chapter from the perspective of Yann Martel. This time he meets Pi's two children, Nikhil and Usha. He comments that Pi's story does have a happy ending.
Chapters 24-33
Chapter 24
This chapter solely covers the mockery Pi received from his brother for his multiple religions. It seems like typical brotherly mocking. There's no indication Pi reacted poorly to the mocking.
Chapter 25
In this chapter, Pi discusses the shunning he received at all of his religious events. To me, this is surprising because religion is supposed to be about acceptance of one another. It seems odd that people would shun each other because they belong to their religion and another one. Pi didn't let this deter him though. He simply attended a different church, left Friday prayer quickly after it finished, and went to the temple when it was crowded. This speaks to how faithful Pi was. Even when he was being shunned for his beliefs, he continued following all three religions.
Chapter 26
In this chapter, Pi discusses his multiple religions with each of his parents. Neither of them seems to approve.
Chapter 27
In this chapter, Pi overhears his parents talking about him and his religions. It is interesting to note that his parents seem to take comfort in thinking that this is just a phase, but the reader knows from an earlier chapter that it will continue well into adulthood. Pi's father seems especially concerned with Pi become a Muslim because it's not a traditional Indian religion.
Chapter 28
This chapter discusses both Pi's prayer rug and his baptism. It is interesting that Pi seemed to deflect blame for losing it by saying it must've just liked it the patch of ground beneath it. It's interesting that he quickly glosses over that part, instead spending more time talking about the persecution he faced as a member of multiple religions. Even though his brother wasn't present at the baptism, he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity for more mockery. It seems Pi has almost grown used to it at this point.
Chapter 29
Chapter 29 covers the Patels' move to Canada. As Pi talks about how he was uninterested in the news, he likens it to how the animals were also uninterested, "It's not that I didn't understand the drift of what they said - it's that I wasn't interested. The orang-utans were as eager for chapattis as ever; the monkeys never asked for news from Dehli..." (Martel 86) This adds another piece of evidence to my theory that Pi uses the animals to relay his feelings to the reader.
Chapter 30
This chapter is from Yann Martel's narrative. He describes meeting Pi's wife, Meema. He assumes she's a second-generation Indian-Canadian.
Chapter 31
In this chapter, Mr. Kumar (the baker) visits the zoo for the first time. He also meets Mr. Kumar (the teacher) for the first time. The following quote does a great job of highlighting the differences between the two Mr. Kumars and Pi:
"Mr. Kumar said,'Equus burchelli boehmi.'
Mr. Kumar said, 'Allahu akbar'
I said, 'It's very pretty'" (Martel 93)
Teacher Kumar says the scientific name for the zebra, baker Kumar praises Allah, and Pi falls somewhere in the middle, commenting on its appearance rather than anything else. This section almost shows how Pi, while very religious, almost falls in the middle of science and religion.
Chapter 32
This chapter comments on zoomorphism,when one animal takes one from another species as its own kind. A passage of note is "The golden agouti, like the rhinoceros, was in need of companionship." (Martel 95) This is interesting when it's considered with the context that Pi uses animals to reveal his own feelings. Could this possibly be an explanation for his many religions? Pi wants companionship so he accepts these different religions. Interesting theory to keep in mind as I read through the novel.
Chapter 33
Chapter 33 is a return to the narrative of Yann Martel. This time he is looking through Pi's photo album with him. There are many photos beginning at university, but very few before that. Pi says that there were many, but they were all lost. This immediately puts the question in the reader's mind, "How were they lost?" I can only assume it's connected to the events that led up to Pi being stranded on a boat with a tiger.
This chapter solely covers the mockery Pi received from his brother for his multiple religions. It seems like typical brotherly mocking. There's no indication Pi reacted poorly to the mocking.
Chapter 25
In this chapter, Pi discusses the shunning he received at all of his religious events. To me, this is surprising because religion is supposed to be about acceptance of one another. It seems odd that people would shun each other because they belong to their religion and another one. Pi didn't let this deter him though. He simply attended a different church, left Friday prayer quickly after it finished, and went to the temple when it was crowded. This speaks to how faithful Pi was. Even when he was being shunned for his beliefs, he continued following all three religions.
Chapter 26
In this chapter, Pi discusses his multiple religions with each of his parents. Neither of them seems to approve.
Chapter 27
In this chapter, Pi overhears his parents talking about him and his religions. It is interesting to note that his parents seem to take comfort in thinking that this is just a phase, but the reader knows from an earlier chapter that it will continue well into adulthood. Pi's father seems especially concerned with Pi become a Muslim because it's not a traditional Indian religion.
Chapter 28
This chapter discusses both Pi's prayer rug and his baptism. It is interesting that Pi seemed to deflect blame for losing it by saying it must've just liked it the patch of ground beneath it. It's interesting that he quickly glosses over that part, instead spending more time talking about the persecution he faced as a member of multiple religions. Even though his brother wasn't present at the baptism, he wasn't about to pass up an opportunity for more mockery. It seems Pi has almost grown used to it at this point.
Chapter 29
Chapter 29 covers the Patels' move to Canada. As Pi talks about how he was uninterested in the news, he likens it to how the animals were also uninterested, "It's not that I didn't understand the drift of what they said - it's that I wasn't interested. The orang-utans were as eager for chapattis as ever; the monkeys never asked for news from Dehli..." (Martel 86) This adds another piece of evidence to my theory that Pi uses the animals to relay his feelings to the reader.
Chapter 30
This chapter is from Yann Martel's narrative. He describes meeting Pi's wife, Meema. He assumes she's a second-generation Indian-Canadian.
Chapter 31
In this chapter, Mr. Kumar (the baker) visits the zoo for the first time. He also meets Mr. Kumar (the teacher) for the first time. The following quote does a great job of highlighting the differences between the two Mr. Kumars and Pi:
"Mr. Kumar said,'Equus burchelli boehmi.'
Mr. Kumar said, 'Allahu akbar'
I said, 'It's very pretty'" (Martel 93)
Teacher Kumar says the scientific name for the zebra, baker Kumar praises Allah, and Pi falls somewhere in the middle, commenting on its appearance rather than anything else. This section almost shows how Pi, while very religious, almost falls in the middle of science and religion.
Chapter 32
This chapter comments on zoomorphism,when one animal takes one from another species as its own kind. A passage of note is "The golden agouti, like the rhinoceros, was in need of companionship." (Martel 95) This is interesting when it's considered with the context that Pi uses animals to reveal his own feelings. Could this possibly be an explanation for his many religions? Pi wants companionship so he accepts these different religions. Interesting theory to keep in mind as I read through the novel.
Chapter 33
Chapter 33 is a return to the narrative of Yann Martel. This time he is looking through Pi's photo album with him. There are many photos beginning at university, but very few before that. Pi says that there were many, but they were all lost. This immediately puts the question in the reader's mind, "How were they lost?" I can only assume it's connected to the events that led up to Pi being stranded on a boat with a tiger.
Chapters 15-23
Chapter 15
This chapter returns to the narrative voice of Yann Martel. He describes Pi Patel's house, focusing on the many religious symbols present. This is interesting because it is very uncommon for a person to identify as more than one religion, but that's what the wide variance of religious symbols in Pi's house would suggest he does. I also found it interesting that the one religious text Yann saw was the Bible. It makes me wonder if Pi potentially primarily connects with Christianity, or maybe just finds the Bible to contain interesting stories.
Chapter 16
This chapter focuses on Pi's religion. He talks about how he came to identify as a Hindu and why he identifies as such. This chapter really contrasts the previous one. In this chapter he seems to identify very strongly as a Hindu, whereas in the previous one he seemed to be a mix of many religions. However, the final sentence of the chapter focuses on how closely related Hindus, Muslims, and Christians really are. This shows Pi doesn't see these religions too differently, especially not as much as most people do.
Chapter 17
This chapter focuses on Pi's journey to Christianity. Pi finds the idea of Christ baffling. How could a god be so human-like? How could a god die? I think that's what drew Pi to Christianity. He liked the idea of a god who is not unlike him. A god based on love, rather than being perfect. It is important to note that Pi doesn't denounce Hinduism when he becomes a Christian, but opts instead to embrace both, "Then I raced down the hill on the left and raced up the hill on the right - to offer thanks to Lord Krishna for having put Jesus of Nazareth, whose humanity I found so compelling, in my way." (Martel 64)
Chapter 18
This is how Pi found his third religion: Islam. This chapter shows how Pi seems to find himself attracted to religion. He felt drawn to the mosque and Muslim community, despite the poor reputation of the neighbourhood and religion. When he saw his first Muslim prayer, it seemed to have a great impact on him. It seemed like he was entranced by how quick and dynamic it was compared to a Christian prayer.
Chapter 19
This chapter simply describes Pi's next few visits to the mosque. He attended with Satish and loved the religious contact of the prayer.
Chapter 20
This chapter elaborates on Pi's relationship with God. His Muslim mentor was named Satish Kumar, another Mr. Kumar. The first Mr. Kumar taught Pi biology, the second taught him religion. This is another indicator of how closely related zoology and religion are to Pi. It is an intriguing coincidence that he was led to his two majors to two different men sharing the same last name.
Chapter 21
This chapter returns to the narrative of Yann Martel. This time he's sitting in a cafe reflecting on his meeting with Pi Patel.
Chapter 22
This chapter is just a short comparison of atheists and agnostics in Pi's mind. Once again, he talks about agnostics lacking imagination and failing to make any leaps of faith. It is obvious Pi attaches a great deal of importance to having a grand imagination.
Chapter 23
This chapter covers the controversy over Pi belonging to three religions. It is interesting that Pi opted to not choose one of the three religions, but rather claimed he was just trying to love God. I believe Pi is simply fearful of God and that's why he identifies as multiple religions. In many religions it is stated non-believers will burn in Hell, so to Pi, the only solution is to be a believer of many religions.
This chapter returns to the narrative voice of Yann Martel. He describes Pi Patel's house, focusing on the many religious symbols present. This is interesting because it is very uncommon for a person to identify as more than one religion, but that's what the wide variance of religious symbols in Pi's house would suggest he does. I also found it interesting that the one religious text Yann saw was the Bible. It makes me wonder if Pi potentially primarily connects with Christianity, or maybe just finds the Bible to contain interesting stories.
Chapter 16
This chapter focuses on Pi's religion. He talks about how he came to identify as a Hindu and why he identifies as such. This chapter really contrasts the previous one. In this chapter he seems to identify very strongly as a Hindu, whereas in the previous one he seemed to be a mix of many religions. However, the final sentence of the chapter focuses on how closely related Hindus, Muslims, and Christians really are. This shows Pi doesn't see these religions too differently, especially not as much as most people do.
Chapter 17
This chapter focuses on Pi's journey to Christianity. Pi finds the idea of Christ baffling. How could a god be so human-like? How could a god die? I think that's what drew Pi to Christianity. He liked the idea of a god who is not unlike him. A god based on love, rather than being perfect. It is important to note that Pi doesn't denounce Hinduism when he becomes a Christian, but opts instead to embrace both, "Then I raced down the hill on the left and raced up the hill on the right - to offer thanks to Lord Krishna for having put Jesus of Nazareth, whose humanity I found so compelling, in my way." (Martel 64)
Chapter 18
This is how Pi found his third religion: Islam. This chapter shows how Pi seems to find himself attracted to religion. He felt drawn to the mosque and Muslim community, despite the poor reputation of the neighbourhood and religion. When he saw his first Muslim prayer, it seemed to have a great impact on him. It seemed like he was entranced by how quick and dynamic it was compared to a Christian prayer.
Chapter 19
This chapter simply describes Pi's next few visits to the mosque. He attended with Satish and loved the religious contact of the prayer.
Chapter 20
This chapter elaborates on Pi's relationship with God. His Muslim mentor was named Satish Kumar, another Mr. Kumar. The first Mr. Kumar taught Pi biology, the second taught him religion. This is another indicator of how closely related zoology and religion are to Pi. It is an intriguing coincidence that he was led to his two majors to two different men sharing the same last name.
Chapter 21
This chapter returns to the narrative of Yann Martel. This time he's sitting in a cafe reflecting on his meeting with Pi Patel.
Chapter 22
This chapter is just a short comparison of atheists and agnostics in Pi's mind. Once again, he talks about agnostics lacking imagination and failing to make any leaps of faith. It is obvious Pi attaches a great deal of importance to having a grand imagination.
Chapter 23
This chapter covers the controversy over Pi belonging to three religions. It is interesting that Pi opted to not choose one of the three religions, but rather claimed he was just trying to love God. I believe Pi is simply fearful of God and that's why he identifies as multiple religions. In many religions it is stated non-believers will burn in Hell, so to Pi, the only solution is to be a believer of many religions.
Chapters 8-14
These chapters all share a common theme: zoology.
Chapter 8
This chapter covers how Pi's father taught him how dangerous the animals in the zoo are. From Pi's descriptions of the evils man can do to animals, it seems as though he prefers animals to other humans. Whenever he's talking about animals, he always speaks about all the positive aspects of them. Comparatively, he usually mentions the negative aspects of humans. For instance, the torment he received in school from his peers or the negative comments from the waiter at the Indian restaurant.
The negative aspects of humans are even covered in this chapter. Even though his father is teaching him an important lesson, Pi focuses on how cruel the way he teaches him is. Pi also mentions the torment from his brother at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 9
This chapter focuses on human-animal interaction. Pi discusses how important to know an animal's flight distance and how to handle that specific animal. This immediately made me think back to the cover of the novel. Pi is on a boat, no more than a couple metres away from a tiger. This is interesting because in the previous chapter, Pi's father teaches him to essentially stay away from the tigers, and in this chapter, Pi discusses how animals like to keep people a certain distance away. The cover essentially contradicts both of these lessons.
Chapter 10
Chapter 10 covers why animals desire to escape from zoos. I think this chapter is more about Pi wanting to escape everything rather than the animals. I'm starting to think Pi uses animals as a front to explain his own emotions, which kind of ties in with my previous thought that he connects better with animals rather than humans. A line that stood out to me was "Animals that escape go from the known to the unknown - and if there is one thing animals hate above all else, it's the unknown." (Martel 45) I feel this line was used intentionally to put the thought in the reader's mind that humans aren't too different from animals. If I had to guess, I would assume the unknown is the most common fear across all humans. This is in line with my hypothesis that Pi is actually talking about his own feelings while talking about the animals.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11 is about escaped zoo animals surviving peacefully in the wild.
Chapter 12
This chapter breaks from Pi Patel's narrative and switches to Yann Martel's. Yann describes present-day Pi as a sweet man (Pi prepares a meal for him every time he visits).
Chapter 13
This chapter is about how circus trainers train their animals. This chapter also supports my hypothesis. Pi's trainers are almost certainly his parents. He is almost forced to do what they ask for him, much like a lion is forced to do what their trainer asks of them. This chapter may just be introducing the groundwork for later, possibly helping explain how Pi is able to spend time on a boat with a tiger with no negative consequences. It could also just be introducing the concept of alpha vs. beta
Chapter 14
This chapter only added credibility to my hypothesis. I immediately thought back to Pi being a social outcast in school when I read "It is interesting to not that the lion that is the most amenable to the circus trainer's tricks is the one with the lowest social standing in the pride, the omega animal." (Martel 49) Could Pi be referring to himself as an omega? Or am I completely off base and looking for meaning that just isn't there?
Chapter 8
This chapter covers how Pi's father taught him how dangerous the animals in the zoo are. From Pi's descriptions of the evils man can do to animals, it seems as though he prefers animals to other humans. Whenever he's talking about animals, he always speaks about all the positive aspects of them. Comparatively, he usually mentions the negative aspects of humans. For instance, the torment he received in school from his peers or the negative comments from the waiter at the Indian restaurant.
The negative aspects of humans are even covered in this chapter. Even though his father is teaching him an important lesson, Pi focuses on how cruel the way he teaches him is. Pi also mentions the torment from his brother at the end of the chapter.
Chapter 9
This chapter focuses on human-animal interaction. Pi discusses how important to know an animal's flight distance and how to handle that specific animal. This immediately made me think back to the cover of the novel. Pi is on a boat, no more than a couple metres away from a tiger. This is interesting because in the previous chapter, Pi's father teaches him to essentially stay away from the tigers, and in this chapter, Pi discusses how animals like to keep people a certain distance away. The cover essentially contradicts both of these lessons.
Chapter 10
Chapter 10 covers why animals desire to escape from zoos. I think this chapter is more about Pi wanting to escape everything rather than the animals. I'm starting to think Pi uses animals as a front to explain his own emotions, which kind of ties in with my previous thought that he connects better with animals rather than humans. A line that stood out to me was "Animals that escape go from the known to the unknown - and if there is one thing animals hate above all else, it's the unknown." (Martel 45) I feel this line was used intentionally to put the thought in the reader's mind that humans aren't too different from animals. If I had to guess, I would assume the unknown is the most common fear across all humans. This is in line with my hypothesis that Pi is actually talking about his own feelings while talking about the animals.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11 is about escaped zoo animals surviving peacefully in the wild.
Chapter 12
This chapter breaks from Pi Patel's narrative and switches to Yann Martel's. Yann describes present-day Pi as a sweet man (Pi prepares a meal for him every time he visits).
Chapter 13
This chapter is about how circus trainers train their animals. This chapter also supports my hypothesis. Pi's trainers are almost certainly his parents. He is almost forced to do what they ask for him, much like a lion is forced to do what their trainer asks of them. This chapter may just be introducing the groundwork for later, possibly helping explain how Pi is able to spend time on a boat with a tiger with no negative consequences. It could also just be introducing the concept of alpha vs. beta
Chapter 14
This chapter only added credibility to my hypothesis. I immediately thought back to Pi being a social outcast in school when I read "It is interesting to not that the lion that is the most amenable to the circus trainer's tricks is the one with the lowest social standing in the pride, the omega animal." (Martel 49) Could Pi be referring to himself as an omega? Or am I completely off base and looking for meaning that just isn't there?
Friday, July 5, 2013
Chapters 2-7
Chapter 2
This chapter is a very short description of the man supposedly telling Yann Martel the story which we're reading. This section was likely added in an attempt to add credibility to the story. Yann Martel wants the reader to be unsure if it is fiction or non-fiction.
Chapter 3
This chapter describes how Pi came to love swimming and how he got his name, Piscine Molitor Patel. While this chapter may seem insignificant and pointless at first, one look at the cover may suggest it is actually very significant. On the cover, Pi is standing on a boat with a tiger. This chapter describes his loves for swimming, and thus it can be assumed his love for water. It can be assumed this chapter is laying the groundwork for something bigger later, especially considering the topic of the next chapter.
Chapter 4
This chapter describes Pi's love for animals and zoos. While this chapter may also seem insignificant, its significance can also be gathered from the cover.Pi's love of animals likely contributes to getting him in a situation where he is on a boat with a tiger.
We know from chapter one that Pi's majors in university were religious studies and zoology, but this chapter demonstrates just how closely Pi relates the two. Pi acknowledges that zoos have a bad reputation and compares it to that of religion. He says "I know zoos are no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both." (Martel 21) This shows how closely connected zoos and religion are in his mind.
Chapter 5
This chapter describes Pi's struggles with his name. This chapter contrasts greatly to the previous two chapters, in which Pi describes all the positive aspects of his childhood. In this chapter, Pi discusses the negative aspects. The ridicule he faced for his name affected him greatly, "the sound would disappear, but the hurt would linger" (Martel 22) When he mentions teachers calling him "Pissing" it makes the reader sympathize with him. Ridicule from other students is almost expected in school, ridicule from teachers, however, is not.
We gain more insight into Patel's family and childhood when he mentions his brother. He describes his brother as "the captain of the cricket team, that local god" (Martel 26). By using that wording, Pi comes off as almost envious of his older brother. Even though he said nothing about himself, the reader assumes Pi is not the captain of any cricket team, nor very athletic for that matter. Pi comes off as a timid person just from the way he describes his older brother. This timid persona is essentially confirmed once Pi begins speaking with his brother, "I kept silent. Because whatever mocking was to come, it was to come. There was no avoiding it." (Martel 27) This quote supports the idea of Pi as a timid boy. He is afraid to stand up to his older brother, instead choosing to just accept the mocking. It is not only his brother whose judgement he worried about, "I looked around. No one must hear what he has to say, especially not one of his lackeys." (Martel 27)
This chapter introduces Pi almost as a trope often found in children's books, movies, and television shows: the quiet, younger brother of the local star athlete, who is often picked on by his brother and his friends (see TV Tropes: Aloof Big Brother).
Chapter 6
This chapter continues the description of present-day Pi from chapter 2. It focuses on Pi's cooking ability and the fact that he has a very large reserve of food. This makes me connect it to my prior knowledge of the book, which is essentially that it revolves around a ship wreck and lifeboat. It would make sense for someone who had to go a long time with little food to have a large supply in case disaster strikes again.
Chapter 7
This chapter focuses on Pi's biology teacher challenging his religion. What I found interesting was Pi's unwavering beliefs. Even when someone he respects a great deal challenges that belief system, he doesn't really question it, "Darkness is the last thing religion is. Religion is light." (Martel 29-30)
The connection between zoology and religion is further developed in this chapter. Mr. Kumar, Pi's biology teacher, sees the zoo as his temple.
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A lot of foreshadowing happened in this section. The reader still does not know who Richard Parker is or what the story to come is really all about, but from Pi's focus on freedom in chapter 4, it is inferred freedom is a main theme of the story. It can also be assumed religion will play a major role in the novel and will likely being interconnected with the zoology theme of the novel.
This chapter is a very short description of the man supposedly telling Yann Martel the story which we're reading. This section was likely added in an attempt to add credibility to the story. Yann Martel wants the reader to be unsure if it is fiction or non-fiction.
Chapter 3
This chapter describes how Pi came to love swimming and how he got his name, Piscine Molitor Patel. While this chapter may seem insignificant and pointless at first, one look at the cover may suggest it is actually very significant. On the cover, Pi is standing on a boat with a tiger. This chapter describes his loves for swimming, and thus it can be assumed his love for water. It can be assumed this chapter is laying the groundwork for something bigger later, especially considering the topic of the next chapter.
Chapter 4
This chapter describes Pi's love for animals and zoos. While this chapter may also seem insignificant, its significance can also be gathered from the cover.Pi's love of animals likely contributes to getting him in a situation where he is on a boat with a tiger.
We know from chapter one that Pi's majors in university were religious studies and zoology, but this chapter demonstrates just how closely Pi relates the two. Pi acknowledges that zoos have a bad reputation and compares it to that of religion. He says "I know zoos are no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both." (Martel 21) This shows how closely connected zoos and religion are in his mind.
Chapter 5
This chapter describes Pi's struggles with his name. This chapter contrasts greatly to the previous two chapters, in which Pi describes all the positive aspects of his childhood. In this chapter, Pi discusses the negative aspects. The ridicule he faced for his name affected him greatly, "the sound would disappear, but the hurt would linger" (Martel 22) When he mentions teachers calling him "Pissing" it makes the reader sympathize with him. Ridicule from other students is almost expected in school, ridicule from teachers, however, is not.
We gain more insight into Patel's family and childhood when he mentions his brother. He describes his brother as "the captain of the cricket team, that local god" (Martel 26). By using that wording, Pi comes off as almost envious of his older brother. Even though he said nothing about himself, the reader assumes Pi is not the captain of any cricket team, nor very athletic for that matter. Pi comes off as a timid person just from the way he describes his older brother. This timid persona is essentially confirmed once Pi begins speaking with his brother, "I kept silent. Because whatever mocking was to come, it was to come. There was no avoiding it." (Martel 27) This quote supports the idea of Pi as a timid boy. He is afraid to stand up to his older brother, instead choosing to just accept the mocking. It is not only his brother whose judgement he worried about, "I looked around. No one must hear what he has to say, especially not one of his lackeys." (Martel 27)
This chapter introduces Pi almost as a trope often found in children's books, movies, and television shows: the quiet, younger brother of the local star athlete, who is often picked on by his brother and his friends (see TV Tropes: Aloof Big Brother).
Chapter 6
This chapter continues the description of present-day Pi from chapter 2. It focuses on Pi's cooking ability and the fact that he has a very large reserve of food. This makes me connect it to my prior knowledge of the book, which is essentially that it revolves around a ship wreck and lifeboat. It would make sense for someone who had to go a long time with little food to have a large supply in case disaster strikes again.
Chapter 7
This chapter focuses on Pi's biology teacher challenging his religion. What I found interesting was Pi's unwavering beliefs. Even when someone he respects a great deal challenges that belief system, he doesn't really question it, "Darkness is the last thing religion is. Religion is light." (Martel 29-30)
The connection between zoology and religion is further developed in this chapter. Mr. Kumar, Pi's biology teacher, sees the zoo as his temple.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A lot of foreshadowing happened in this section. The reader still does not know who Richard Parker is or what the story to come is really all about, but from Pi's focus on freedom in chapter 4, it is inferred freedom is a main theme of the story. It can also be assumed religion will play a major role in the novel and will likely being interconnected with the zoology theme of the novel.
Author's Note & Chapter 1
The author's note of the novel creates ambiguity as to how much of the novel is fiction. An author's note is typically non-fiction, so one would expect that to be the case for Life of Pi. It most certainly holds true for the first part of the note. Martel's description of the release of his second piece of writing certainly depicts reality. This creates trust in the reader's mind. However, the author's note also claims this story was narrated to him by the main character. A claim which is suspect at best.
The mood of the chapter is set very quickly. It is clear it has a dark, gloomy mood in the very first line, "My suffering left me sad and gloomy." (Martel 3) Because this sentence is so short, its seriousness is amplified. There is no "fluffy" language, it's very straight-forward. For me, this immediately made me see the main character as a very depressed and dark individual. It also makes me wonder what event(s) caused him to be suffering. Even when talking about things which should be positive, the narrator still makes the mood negative. For example, when talking about how much he loves Canada, he mostly focuses on all of the things he misses about India. The mood is supported by the last anecdote in the chapter. Rather than describing his first visit to an Indian restaurant as a positive thing, the narrator focuses on the negatives of the visit. This kept me in a negative mindset. The first-person point of view contributes to the mood as well, through the narrator's negative comments about himself.
The character of Mr. Patel is developed throughout the first chapter as a very broken man. For instance, he explains he chose to study the sloth because it "did something to soothe [his] shattered self." (Martel 3) By referencing himself as shattered, Mr. Patel essentially straight up tells the reader he is broken. The language in this sentence essentially creates juxtaposition between himself and the sloth. He describes the sloth's demeanour as "calm, quiet, and introspective" (Martel 3) which is almost opposite of how he describes himself. The author invites the reader to infer that the main character has experienced some trauma in the past that left him so broken.
The character is further developed with the passage regarding Richard Parker. When Mr. Patels discusses the pain caused by Richard's abandonment of him as "like an axe that chops at my heart" (Martel 7) the reader gains some insight as to what might have contributed to Patel being so broken. The language in this passage is very important. It is important to note that he doesn't say "...an axe that chopped at my heart" but rather "an axe that chops at my heart" (emphasis mine). This implies that the pain is ongoing, rather than just a one-time thing.
The author introduces the conflict in the novel without actually letting the reader know what the conflict is. The narrator describes all of the aftermath of the conflict without actually letting the reader know what caused that aftermath. The author does this to create a suspenseful build up to when he finally does reveal the conflict. The narrator hints at conflicting involving Richard Parker, "I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once," (Martel 7) but does not even expand on who Richard Parker is. That passage suggests Patel is harbouring some ill-feelings toward Richard, but also describes dreams involving him as "nightmares tinged with love." (Martel 7) From this I infer that Patel and Richard once had a strong relationship that ended poorly. This causes Patel to have mixed feelings towards him; on one hand, he remembers all of the great times they had, but also the pain he caused him.
The first chapter of Life of Pi raises more questions than it answers. Who is Richard Parker? What made Patel so broken? Why is he in a hospital in Mexico? The first chapter essentially serves as an introduction to the narrator and entices the reader into continuing the novel.
The mood of the chapter is set very quickly. It is clear it has a dark, gloomy mood in the very first line, "My suffering left me sad and gloomy." (Martel 3) Because this sentence is so short, its seriousness is amplified. There is no "fluffy" language, it's very straight-forward. For me, this immediately made me see the main character as a very depressed and dark individual. It also makes me wonder what event(s) caused him to be suffering. Even when talking about things which should be positive, the narrator still makes the mood negative. For example, when talking about how much he loves Canada, he mostly focuses on all of the things he misses about India. The mood is supported by the last anecdote in the chapter. Rather than describing his first visit to an Indian restaurant as a positive thing, the narrator focuses on the negatives of the visit. This kept me in a negative mindset. The first-person point of view contributes to the mood as well, through the narrator's negative comments about himself.
The character of Mr. Patel is developed throughout the first chapter as a very broken man. For instance, he explains he chose to study the sloth because it "did something to soothe [his] shattered self." (Martel 3) By referencing himself as shattered, Mr. Patel essentially straight up tells the reader he is broken. The language in this sentence essentially creates juxtaposition between himself and the sloth. He describes the sloth's demeanour as "calm, quiet, and introspective" (Martel 3) which is almost opposite of how he describes himself. The author invites the reader to infer that the main character has experienced some trauma in the past that left him so broken.
The character is further developed with the passage regarding Richard Parker. When Mr. Patels discusses the pain caused by Richard's abandonment of him as "like an axe that chops at my heart" (Martel 7) the reader gains some insight as to what might have contributed to Patel being so broken. The language in this passage is very important. It is important to note that he doesn't say "...an axe that chopped at my heart" but rather "an axe that chops at my heart" (emphasis mine). This implies that the pain is ongoing, rather than just a one-time thing.
The author introduces the conflict in the novel without actually letting the reader know what the conflict is. The narrator describes all of the aftermath of the conflict without actually letting the reader know what caused that aftermath. The author does this to create a suspenseful build up to when he finally does reveal the conflict. The narrator hints at conflicting involving Richard Parker, "I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of goodbye, without looking back even once," (Martel 7) but does not even expand on who Richard Parker is. That passage suggests Patel is harbouring some ill-feelings toward Richard, but also describes dreams involving him as "nightmares tinged with love." (Martel 7) From this I infer that Patel and Richard once had a strong relationship that ended poorly. This causes Patel to have mixed feelings towards him; on one hand, he remembers all of the great times they had, but also the pain he caused him.
The first chapter of Life of Pi raises more questions than it answers. Who is Richard Parker? What made Patel so broken? Why is he in a hospital in Mexico? The first chapter essentially serves as an introduction to the narrator and entices the reader into continuing the novel.
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