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.