1. Author’s Note 1.What is the significance of the first sentence? 2.Why does Martel choose to open the novel in this way? 3.What is suggested by the author’s comment about fiction being “the selective transforming of reality? How might this be important in the telling of this story? 4.Who first tells the author about Mr. Patel’s (Pi’s) story? How many storytellers does this make in the book so far? Comment on the significance of having multiple storytellers. Life of Pi Chapters 1-4

2. WHEN I heard the learn’d astronomer; When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me; When I was shown the charts and the diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them; When I, sitting, heard the astronomer, where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room, How soon, unaccountable, I became tired and sick; Till rising and gliding out, I wander’d off by myself, In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time, Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars. “ When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman

3. Part One: Toronto and Pondicherry Chapter 1 1.Why is Pi so intrigued by the sloth? 2.What are some of the insights we get into Pi’s character? 3.What is significant about the cities Pi says he would like to visit? Chapter 2 1.Why does Martel insert the short, italicized chapters? Do they have anything in common? What purpose might they serve? How does the style (and the resulting voice) differ from the other chapters? Life of Pi Chapters 1-4

4. Chapter 3 1.Who is the man Pi calls Mamaji, who teaches Pi how to swim? How have we already met him? 2.Describe the various influences that Mamaji has on Pi. 3.What distinction does Pi make between the ocean and the swimming pool? What is the significance of this distinction. Chapter 4 1.According to Pi, what is freedom, and does he value it? 2.Do you agree with Pi’s view on zoos? 3.Analyze the quote on page 19: “I know that zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.” 4.How and why does Pi’s description of the zoo evoke Eden? What might this signify? Life of Pi Chapters 1-4

5. Chapter 5 1.What is the significance of Piscine deciding to go by “Pi”? What might his name signify? 2.What does Pi mean at the end of this chapter when he says, “in that elusive, irrational number with which scientists try to understand the universe, I found refuge.” 3.What personal characteristics does Pi exhibit in choosing to change his own name? Chapter 7 4.How does Pi respond to Mr. Kumar’s beliefs? How might this affect Pi’s current and/or future beliefs? 5.What does the zoo represent to Mr. Kumar? Life of Pi Chapters 5-11

6. Chapter 8 1.Are there any parallels between chapter 7 & 8? 2.Why does Pi’s father do such a thing? Is it necessary? Can you relate to Pi’s “lesson” in any way? Chapter 11 3.What do chapters 9, 10, and 11 have in common? 4.Why do you think Pi spends so much time describing animal behavior? 5.What role do animals seem to fulfill n Pi’s life? Life of Pi Chapters 5-11

7. 1.Evaluate Pi’s “religiosity”—can his three religions co-exist? Why or why not? 2.Discuss the sometimes unbelievable nature of Martel’s story. How does this affect your reading of the novel? 3.Analyze the different facets of Pi’s changing relationship with Richard Parker. 4.In what ways is Pi’s experience fundamentally changing him as a person? 5.Pi’s attempts to use logic and rational thought to survive are punctuated by several “philosophical moments.” Find and describe one or two of these moments and explain their affect on Pi’s physical and emotional survival. Life of Pi Chapters 54-65

8. PART TWO Chapter 37 How does Martel immediately create tension at the beginning of this chapter? Chapter 38 How many days was the ship out at sea before it sank? Describe the events leading up to the ship’s “death.” Chapter 39 What animal was next to join Pi on his lifeboat? Chapter 40 After Richard Parker’s arrival and Pi’s quick departure from the lifeboat, what made Pi return to the lifeboat? Chapter 41 What surprises does Pi discover on the lifeboat? In Pi’s opinion, why did the sailors throw him into the lifeboat? Chapter 42 What “stupid” mistake did Pi make? Chapter 43 List the key points that Pi offers about the Hyena’s appearance and habits. Chapter 44 Why did the sounds that Pi heard affect him so much? Do you believe sounds are sometimes as scary as seeing something frightening? Explain. Life of Pi Chapters 37-44

9. Chapter 45 How can we tell that Pi is becoming more desperate? Chapter 46 What difference is seen between Pi and the animals at the end of this chapter? Chapter 47 Who did Pi suddenly realize was also on the lifeboat? How did he feel? Chapter 48 Explain how Richard Parker got his name. Chapter 49 What did Pi finally become concerned with? Why did it take him this long to worry about it? Chapter 50 In point form, provide an accurate description of the lifeboat. Life of Pi Chapters 45-50

10. Chapter 51 How many days of food and water rations did Pi have? Why was this important to him to know? Chapter 52 Pi made a complete list of the items on the lifeboat. If you could have only five of these items, what five items would you choose? Please rank them in order of importance to you. Chapter 53 How did Pi prevent his death? Chapter 54 How many plans did Pi make to rid himself of Richard Parker? Which plan did Pi choose to use? Life of Pi Chapters 51-54

11. Chapter 55 What did Pi realize was wrong with his plan? Chapter 56 In Pi’s opinion, what is life’s only true opponent? Why? Chapter 57 What was the name of the sound Richard Parker made? What does it mean? What did Pi then decide to do, and how was he going to do it? Chapter 58 From his readings, what did Pi realize he must build? Why was this necessary? Chapter 59 What addition did Pi add to his raft? Life of Pi Chapters 55-59

12. 1.Faith 2.Man and the Natural World 3.Survival 4.Fear 5.Suffering 6.Mortality and Death 7.Rebirth Life of Pi Thematic Ideas

13. Questions About Fear 1.Would Pi have survived without fear? Could fear be seen as a good thing? Should you invite it over for a tea party? 2.Think long and hard about Richard Parker's fear. How would you characterize it? Can you even imagine it? Is Pi able to imagine it? 3.How does Part 1 of the novel prepare Pi to deal with the fear he will experience in Part 2? Or does it prepare him? Could anyone adequately prepare for Pi's ordeal? Life of Pi Theme of Fear as Impetus

14. Chapter 60 How did Pi demonstrate his faith in this chapter? Chapter 61 What did Pi mean when he stated, “But in point of fact the explanation lies elsewhere. It is simple and brutal: A person can get used to anything, even killing”? Chapter 62 What was Pi able to do for Richard Parker? Chapter 64 How has Mother Nature made things difficult for Pi? Explain. Chapter 65 What route did Pi travel while he was at sea? Life of Pi Chapters 60-65

15. Questions About Death and Mortality 1.Think about Pi's relationship with death at different points in the novel. How does he view death at the end of his ordeal? During it? What about when lives in Pondicherry? 2.Agree with us, just for a second, that there are three orders of being in Life of Pi: divine, human, and animal. How does each type experience death? Do these orders of being overlap? 3.Pi fears despair more than death. Why is this? How can an emotion scare him more than the end of his life? 4.Upon leaving the carnivorous man-eating island, Pi says, "I preferred to set off and perish in search of my own kind than to live a lonely half-life of physical comfort and spiritual death on this murderous island." What does Pi mean by "spiritual death"? How could that type of death be seen as worse than physical death? Life of Pi Theme of Death and Mortality’s Presence

16. Pi Piscine Molitor Patel’s preferred moniker is more than just a shortened version of his given name. Indeed, the word Pi carries a host of relevant associations. It is a letter in the Greek alphabet that also contains alpha and omega, terms used in the book to denote dominant and submissive creatures. Pi is also an irrational mathematical number, used to calculate distance in a circle. Often shortened to 3.14, pi has so many decimal places that the human mind can’t accurately comprehend it, just as, the book argues, some realities are too difficult or troubling to face. These associations establish the character Pi as more than just a realistic protagonist; he also is an allegorical figure with multiple layers of meaning. Life of Pi Symbolism

17. The Color Orange In Life of Pi, the color orange symbolizes hope and survival. Just before the scene in which the Tsimtsum sinks, the narrator describes visiting the adult Pi at his home in Canada and meeting his family. Pi’s daughter, Usha, carries an orange cat. This moment assures the reader that the end of the story, if not happy, will not be a complete tragedy, since Pi is guaranteed to survive the catastrophe and father children of his own. The little orange cat recalls the big orange cat, Richard Parker, who helps Pi survive during his 227 days at sea. As the Tsimtsum sinks, Chinese crewmen give Pi a lifejacket with an orange whistle; on the boat, he finds an orange lifebuoy. The whistle, buoy, and tiger all help Pi survive, just as Orange Juice the orangutan provides a measure of emotional support that helps the boy maintain hope in the face of horrific tragedy. Life of Pi Symbolism

18. The Island This symbol needs more room than we have here. Let’s discuss! Life of Pi Symbolism

19. "Influence," "Inspiration," and "Hard Work" Groups Each group writes down: 1. the key points of the corresponding section in Martel's essay 2.stylistic elements of Martel's rhetoric 3.overall impressions of the section. “How I Wrote Life of Pi” by Yann Martel

20. 4. Why might the essay be ordered with "Influence" first, then "Inspiration," and then "Hard Work"? 5. How does Martel's writing style in the essay differ from the writing style in his novel? 6. What are some possible explanations for why Martel wrote the essay? “How I Wrote Life of Pi” by Yann Martel

21. An effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In a well-organized essay, discuss the ending of Life of Pi, explaining how the ending of the novel relates to the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid mere plot summary. Three pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font, minimum of three quotes Life of Pi Core Assessment Essay Prompt

22. An effective literary work does not merely stop or cease; it concludes. In the view of some critics, a work that does not provide the pleasure of significant closure has terminated with an artistic fault. A satisfactory ending is not, however, always conclusive in every sense; significant closure may require the reader to abide with or adjust to ambiguity and uncertainty. In a short analysis, discuss the ending of Life of Pi, explaining how the ending of the novel relates to the meaning of the work as a whole. Avoid plot summary. ONE PAGE, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font 25 Summative Points Due Tuesday, June 4 Life of Pi Honors Short Essay Prompt