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Timeline of Events. November 1, 1954. Pondicherry joins the Union of India, and Pi's parents open the Pondicherry Zoo. Part 1, Chapter 4. 1970s. Pi adopts his new name in secondary school. Part 1, Chapter 5. 1970s. Pi is baptized and receives a prayer rug.
- Part 1, Chapter 1
Summary Part 1, Chapter 1 Pi Patel begins Part 1 by writing,...
- Documents
Yann Martel's Life of Pi Notes, Test Prep Materials, and...
- Themes
Learn and understand all of the themes found in Life of Pi,...
- Things You Didn't Know
Canadian author Yann Martel's Life of Pi, published in 2001,...
- Author Biography
Life of Pi followed two books that had lackluster sales: The...
- Suggested Reading
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- Symbols
Pi experiences spiritual death because his faith is no...
- Characters
Complete List of Characters in Yann Martel's Life of Pi....
- Part 1, Chapter 1
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapters 9–11
Summary This chapter shifts around a bit in time as Pi attempts to recover from hisordeal on the ocean, but it primarily focuses on his education after he arrivesin North America. He finished high school, then attended the University ofToronto, where he studied both zoology and religious studies. His zoologythesis focused on the three-toed sloth. A...
Summary Just a few lines long, this chapter introduces Pi as an adult, telling hisstory to the author. Analysis All chapters in italics will be from the author’s point of view. Quotes This line seems to be a minor observation, but it will gain importance asPi’s story is revealed; all trivia has been burned out of him by hissuffering.
Summary Pi tells the story of his relationship with Francis Adirubasamy (Pi callshim Mamaji), a close friend of his father’s who had once been a championshipswimmer and still swam every day. He taught Pi to swim, the only one of Pi’sfamily that Adirubasamy was able to teach. He entertained the family withstories of swimming competitions and swimmin...
Summary Pi discusses the nature of zoos and of his father’s zoo in Pondicherry inparticular, noting that his father ran a hotel in Madras before starting azoo. Analysis Here Pi seems to be talking simply about his past, in a way that foreshadowshis expertise with animals, and to be discussing issues related to zoos that hecares about because he enc...
Summary Pi explains how he was teased for his name, “Piscine,” sounding like“Pissing,” and how he renamed himself “Pi” his first day at Petit Séminaire(his secondary school in Pondicherry). When it was Pi’s turn to state his namein class, he wrote his name (Piscine) on the blackboard, underlining the firsttwo letters (Pi). Then he added π=3.14 and ...
Summary The author notes how full of food Pi’s house is and how good a cook heis. Analysis This brief chapter also seems to be a simple observation: Pi is a good cookwho keeps a full cupboard. However, this, too, is a mark of character createdby his starvation aboard ship.
Summary Pi recalls his relationship with Mr. Satish Kumar, his biology teacher atPetit Séminaire. Kumar was his favorite teacher and the first atheist Pi evermet. Analysis This chapter ties back to chapter 1, in which Pi discusses his respect forreligion and science but his lack of respect for agnostics and living indoubt. Quotes Pi’s thought here ...
Summary After a discussion of how badly humans treat the animals they see in zoos,Pi recounts a story about his father trying to teach his boys caution andresponsibility by taking them to watch one of the zoo’s tigers kill a goat. Analysis Pi’s father intends to teach his boys how dangerous tigers are as a way ofteaching them to be cautious around ...
Summary Each of these brief chapters discuss human-animal relationships in zoos,especially the need to manage the distance between humans and animals, and whatdrives animals to try to escape. Analysis On first reading, these chapters seem to be fascinating in themselves butnot directly connected to any plot-related issue. However, they thematically...
The next day, Pi thinks about his family and notices the orangutan looking for its own in the water. Pi sees the hyena eating the zebra's broken leg and later the whole animal alive. It attacks and devours the orangutan. Pi sees the tiger under a bench and falls into a delirious sleep. Read a full Summary & Analysis of Part Two: Chapters 43–47
A summary of Part One (Toronto and Pondicherry): Chapters 1–6 in Yann Martel's Life of Pi. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of Life of Pi and what it means. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
Analysis. The novel’s main text begins with the adult Pi speaking of his life after the story’s main event. His suffering left him “sad and gloomy,” but he continued his religious practices and zoological studies and slowly became happy again. He attended the University of Toronto and was a very good student.
Motivated by India’s political strife, Pi’s parents decide to move the family to Canada; on June 21, 1977, they set sail in a cargo ship, along with a crew and many cages full of zoo creatures. At the beginning of Part Two, the ship is beginning to sink. Pi clings to a lifeboat and encourages a tiger, Richard Parker, to join him.
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The idea for the book was heavily influenced by Moacyr Scliar’s Max and the Cats, though Martel claims to have only read a review of this novel before writing Life of Pi. He gives credit to Scliar in the acknowledgements, thanking him for “the spark of life.”
