Life of Pi Study Guide
Life of Pi notes
Purpose of Narrative Structure
Martel uses the form of the novel to delineate different parts to different areas of Pi’s developmental process
In this way, the theme is gradually introduced to the reader
The reader can endure the same journey that Pi encountered
Narrative Structure
Frame Story: The fake Author’s Note frames the rest of the story.
After the Author’s Note, Life of Pi is written in three sections
The first is Pi’s childhood
The second is the 227 day journey across the ocean to North America
The third is his experience with the reporters
These formal elements help define the different aspects of Pi’s character development
Point of View
Yann Martel wrote Life of Pi in a first person perspective
Pi Patel tells his own story: life through his childhood, including 227 intriguing days spent on a life raft.
As a traditional first person narrative, the information that the narrator knows– the reader also knows. This is altered a little in life of Pi because the story is recounted after the event so wisdom and hindsight are also part of the novel.
The Nature of Religious Belief
Life of Pi begins with an old man in Pondicherry who tells the narrator, “I have a story that will make you believe in God.”
Storytelling and religious belief are two closely linked ideas in the novel
Each of Pi’s three religions, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, come with its own set of tales and fables, which are used to spread the teachings and illustrate the beliefs of faith.
Stories and religious beliefs are also linked in Life of Pi because Pi asserts that both require faith on the part of the listener or devotee
The Importance of Storytelling
The novel is framed by a (fictional) note from the author who describes how he first came to hear the fantastic tale of Piscine Molitor Patel
Within the framework of Martel’s narration is Pi’s fantastical first-person account of life on the open sea, which forms the bulk of the book.
The Will to Live
Life of Pi is a story about struggling to survive through seemingly insurmountable odds
As Martel makes clear in his novel, living creatures will often do extraordinary, unexpected, and sometimes heroic things to survive
However, people will also do shameful and barbaric acts if pressed
Themes
The Will to Live
The Importance of Storytelling
The Nature of Religious Belief
Francis Adirubasamy
Elderly man who tells the author Pi’s story during a chance meeting at a Pondicherry coffee shop.
Adirubasamy taught Pi, as a child, to swim and gave his unusual name.
He arranges for the author to meet Pi in person, to get a first-hand account of his strange and compelling tale.
Pi calls Adirubasamy Mamaji, an Indian term meaning respected uncle.
The Author of the Story
Narrator of the (fictitious) Author’s Note. He inserts himself into the narrative at several points throughout the text (Watch for italic print).
Though the author who pens the Author’s Note never identifies himself by name, there are many clues that indicate it is Life of Pi author, Yann Martel, himself.
Thinly disguised: Martel lives in Canada, has published two books, and was inspired to write Pi’s life story during a trip to India.
Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi)
The protagonist of the story.
Piscine is the narrator for most of the novel, and his account of his seven months at sea forms the bulk of the story.
He gets his unusual name from the French word for pool, and, more specifically, from a pool in Paris in which a close family friend, Francis Adirubasamy, loved to swim.
A student of zoology and religion, Pi is quite interested and intrigued by the habits and characteristics of animals and people.
Indian Prime Minister-Indira Gandhi
In 1975 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was found guilty of charges related to her 1971 election campaign.
Because of unrest in India, she kept ruling and declared a “state of emergency” – this time period is known as the “Emergency” period. It lasted 18 months and ended in March 1977.
It was controversial time period because she took away people’s rights and jailed her opponents– yet India was economically successful.
In Life of Pi, Pi’s father gets nervous about the possibility of Gandhi taking over his business and so this causes him to make the decision to move to Canada.
Setting- Pondicherry
India was a British colony for nearly 200 years
However, Pondicherry was once the capital of French India and so it retains its French Culture.
Life of Pi notes
Purpose of Narrative Structure
Martel uses the form of the novel to delineate different parts to different areas of Pi’s developmental process
In this way, the theme is gradually introduced to the reader
The reader can endure the same journey that Pi encountered
Narrative Structure
Frame Story: The fake Author’s Note frames the rest of the story.
After the Author’s Note, Life of Pi is written in three sections
The first is Pi’s childhood
The second is the 227 day journey across the ocean to North America
The third is his experience with the reporters
These formal elements help define the different aspects of Pi’s character development
Point of View
Yann Martel wrote Life of Pi in a first person perspective
Pi Patel tells his own story: life through his childhood, including 227 intriguing days spent on a life raft.
As a traditional first person narrative, the information that the narrator knows– the reader also knows. This is altered a little in life of Pi because the story is recounted after the event so wisdom and hindsight are also part of the novel.
The Nature of Religious Belief
Life of Pi begins with an old man in Pondicherry who tells the narrator, “I have a story that will make you believe in God.”
Storytelling and religious belief are two closely linked ideas in the novel
Each of Pi’s three religions, Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, come with its own set of tales and fables, which are used to spread the teachings and illustrate the beliefs of faith.
Stories and religious beliefs are also linked in Life of Pi because Pi asserts that both require faith on the part of the listener or devotee
The Importance of Storytelling
The novel is framed by a (fictional) note from the author who describes how he first came to hear the fantastic tale of Piscine Molitor Patel
Within the framework of Martel’s narration is Pi’s fantastical first-person account of life on the open sea, which forms the bulk of the book.
The Will to Live
Life of Pi is a story about struggling to survive through seemingly insurmountable odds
As Martel makes clear in his novel, living creatures will often do extraordinary, unexpected, and sometimes heroic things to survive
However, people will also do shameful and barbaric acts if pressed
Themes
The Will to Live
The Importance of Storytelling
The Nature of Religious Belief
Francis Adirubasamy
Elderly man who tells the author Pi’s story during a chance meeting at a Pondicherry coffee shop.
Adirubasamy taught Pi, as a child, to swim and gave his unusual name.
He arranges for the author to meet Pi in person, to get a first-hand account of his strange and compelling tale.
Pi calls Adirubasamy Mamaji, an Indian term meaning respected uncle.
The Author of the Story
Narrator of the (fictitious) Author’s Note. He inserts himself into the narrative at several points throughout the text (Watch for italic print).
Though the author who pens the Author’s Note never identifies himself by name, there are many clues that indicate it is Life of Pi author, Yann Martel, himself.
Thinly disguised: Martel lives in Canada, has published two books, and was inspired to write Pi’s life story during a trip to India.
Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi)
The protagonist of the story.
Piscine is the narrator for most of the novel, and his account of his seven months at sea forms the bulk of the story.
He gets his unusual name from the French word for pool, and, more specifically, from a pool in Paris in which a close family friend, Francis Adirubasamy, loved to swim.
A student of zoology and religion, Pi is quite interested and intrigued by the habits and characteristics of animals and people.
Indian Prime Minister-Indira Gandhi
In 1975 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was found guilty of charges related to her 1971 election campaign.
Because of unrest in India, she kept ruling and declared a “state of emergency” – this time period is known as the “Emergency” period. It lasted 18 months and ended in March 1977.
It was controversial time period because she took away people’s rights and jailed her opponents– yet India was economically successful.
In Life of Pi, Pi’s father gets nervous about the possibility of Gandhi taking over his business and so this causes him to make the decision to move to Canada.
Setting- Pondicherry
India was a British colony for nearly 200 years
However, Pondicherry was once the capital of French India and so it retains its French Culture.
