Life of Pi

by Yann Martel
Reviewed by Claire Chen

REVIEW: Life of Pi by Yann Martel

THE STORY:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a story about a boy from Pondicherry that is stranded in the ocean of 227 days with a Bengal Tiger. Piscine has one brother, and a mother and father. Piscine was named after a magnificent pool in Paris that his godfather swam frequently at. He hated his name since the name Piscine sounded like piss, which is what everyone called him. When he attends a new school, he decides to go by the nickname Pi, because he likes the concept of Pi being infinite. He decides to study a lot of different religions since he is
interested in Hinduism, Christianity, and Muslim. When his mother and father find out about his interesting choice, his father objects but his mother is indifferent and allow him to do whatever he pleases to. His father and mother do not like the politics and decides that Canada will be a better choice for them. His father and mother arrange for the zoo animals to live in other countries and in the process wastes several letters and envelopes. They finally manage to settle all of the problems regarding the animals and  Pi and his family boarded an oil tanker bound for Canada. Pi and brother are excited for the trip while their mother is anxious to leave India. On their ninth day out, something happens to the ship and it sinks, with Pi being thrown on a lifeboat because he was on the deck exploring. There is a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, an orangutan named Orange, a hyena and also a zebra. All of the other zoo animals except for the tiger dies. Pi wants to survive but will need to find a way to train the tiger and to find food.(287)

MY OPINION:

When I first viewed the cover, I inferred that it would be a survival story because the cover had a boy on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Yann Martel tells the story using great imagery and finte details. The author describes the book so it seems that you are right there with Pi going through his hardships and experiencing what he is experiencing. I found the book highly interesting as the the author developed Pi’s character with different incidents that showed his personality. I would recommend this book to kids aged 11+ because it has some disturbing visuals, and complicated vocabulary, but it is a great book. I would rate this book 10 stars out of 10 stars for its excellent plot and development of its characters.(130)

STUDY QUESTIONS AND VOCABULARY:

FIRST SECTION

1. What is the main character, Piscine, nickname?

1a. It is Pi. (22)

2. What three religions do Pi practice?

2a. Hinduism, Christianity, and Muslim.(66)

3. Where is Pi’s family moving to?

3a. They are moving to Canada(79)

4. Why are they moving?

4a. They feel that India’s government is corrupt due to Mrs.Gandhi’s rule.(80)

5. What did they do for the zoo animals?

5a. They sold as many as they could and brought the rest with them on the ship.(89)

purveyors (IX)

introspective (3)

modulations (21)

entailed (59)

incongruous (60)

MIDDLE SECTION

6. Why does PI end up as an orphan?

6a.When the TsimTsum sank, killing his brother, dad, and mother. (97)

7. What animals are with Pi on the lifeboat?

7a. There is a zebra, hyena, orangutan, and a tiger named Richard Parker. (109)

8. Why is Pi scared of going on the lifeboat and has to build a raft?

8a. The Bengal tiger Richard Parker is hungry and want food.(159)

9. Why is Pi hesitant to kill fish?

9a. He is vegetarian.(185)

10. What was the most versatile or valuable species that Pi caught?

10a. It was his first turtle since it provided a drink and something to eat.(197)

remonstrations (120)

pungent (127)

rufous (151)

inescapably (164)

martyrdom (181)

                               

LAST SECTION

11. Why does Pi have to “train the tiger?”

11a. So when the tiger regains strength it will not kill him and it will act subservient.(203)

12. Why does Richard Parker not immediately retaliate and kill Pi?

12a. An animal knows that a fight has consequences and will back down when possible.

13. What incident happened when Pi met another castaway in the middle of the Pacific Ocean?

13a. Richard Parker kills the Frenchman when the Frenchman tries to eat Pi because the Frenchman approached Richard’s territory.(242)

14. What did Pi find in the Pacific Ocean that seemed impossible?

14a. He found a free-floating island with meerkats and fresh-water lakes.(270)

15. What happens to Richard Parker in the end?

15a. He runs away to the jungles of Mexico when the ship landed.(296)

brute (222)

tarpaulin (232)

congealed (245)

mayhem (269)

scimitars (298)