This study guide for Life of Pi by Yann Martel provides a thorough analysis of the novel, including its background, plot summary, and major themes. It explores Pi's survival journey, his faith in multiple religions, and his relationship with the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. The guide delves into t...
Life of Pi Grade 12 Study Notes: Ace Your Literature Exam
Life of Pi - Part One - Summary - English Home Language
Summary Life of Pi - (gr. 12)
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Study Guide: Life of Pi
1. Background Information
● Author: Yann Martel
● Published: 2001
● Genre: Adventure, Philosophical Fiction, Survival Story
● Setting: India, the Pacific Ocean, and Canada
● Themes: Survival, religion and faith, the power of storytelling, and human-animal
relationships.
2. Plot Summary
Life of Pi is the story of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi), a young Indian boy stranded on a lifeboat in
the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker after a shipwreck. It combines a
survival narrative with philosophical reflections on religion and the nature of truth.
Key Events:
1. Introduction in Pondicherry:
○ Pi grows up in Pondicherry, India, exploring spirituality through Hinduism,
Christianity, and Islam.
○ His family owns a zoo, teaching Pi about animal behavior.
2. The Voyage and Shipwreck:
○ Pi’s family decides to move to Canada, bringing zoo animals on a Japanese
cargo ship.
○ The ship sinks due to an unknown cause, leaving Pi as the sole human survivor
on a lifeboat.
3. Life on the Lifeboat:
○ Pi finds himself sharing the lifeboat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan, and
Richard Parker (the tiger).
○ The hyena kills the zebra and the orangutan, and Richard Parker kills the hyena,
leaving only Pi and the tiger.
○ Pi uses his knowledge of animal behavior to establish dominance and survive.
4. Survival Journey:
○ Pi survives for 227 days by rationing food and water, fishing, and relying on his
faith.
○ Encounters include a carnivorous algae island and another blind castaway.
5. Rescue and Ambiguity:
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