life of pi character analysis essay

Characters in

By yann martel.

A young Indian boy and a Bengal Tiger, the main characters, stranded alone in the vast Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat, survive together.

Article written by Mizpah Albert

M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.

Martel’s ‘ Life of Pi ,’   set against the backdrop of the Indian Emergency, explores the time of deep political turmoil and tensions faced in the southern Indian city of Pondicherry. The story focuses on the life events of Pi before and after the eventful shipwreck, and the memories are fondly embraced by the protagonist Pi. As the story chiefly revolves around Pi’s Pacific journey on a lifeboat and with a Bengal Tiger, Richard Parker, it has only two main characters, and others play supporting roles.

Major Characters

Piscine molitor patel (pi).

Piscine Molitor Patel, commonly known as Pi, has resilience, adaptability, and profound wisdom, making him an unforgettable protagonist in ‘ Life of Pi . ‘ From a young age, Pi is deeply curious and open to exploring various religions and philosophies. Though born and raised a Hindu, he embraces Christianity and Islam, leading to a unique amalgamation of faiths. This spiritual and philosophical side of Pi helps him cope with adversity and gives him a sense of purpose and hope during his challenging journey. Growing up in the family zoo in Pondicherry, India, Pi developed a profound love and understanding of animals. Pi’s ability to adapt and inner resilience allows him to persevere through unimaginable circumstances after surviving the shipwreck that leaves him stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean. He displays remarkable courage and remains steadfast in his determination to survive throughout his ordeal. He is an excellent narrator, for he recounts the physical events and reflects upon their deeper philosophical and spiritual implications. His narrative voice is engaging and introspective, drawing readers into his extraordinary tale. Pi’s name allegorically represents the mathematical Pi, an irrational and infinite number, much like the vastness and complexity of life.

Richard Parker

The three-year-old Royal Bengal tiger, weighing 450 pounds and about nine feet long, is the second prominent character of the novel and Pi’s companion in the lifeboat. Richard Parker’s captor named him Thirsty, but a shipping clerk made a mistake and reversed their names, thus making him known as Richard Parker at the Pondicherry Zoo. As a predator, Richard Parker has a keen sense of survival. He kills the hyena and the blind cannibal on the lifeboat. When trained by Pi, he adapts to his new environment on the lifeboat, and his instinctual nature and skills as a hunter serves essential to his survival and Pi.

The fictitious Author plays a notable role besides Pi and Richard Parker. The intriguing Author’s note kindles the readers’ curiosity and provides a realistic appeal to the story. He is the Author of two published books, living in Canada, and stumbles upon the story of Pi during his trip to India. He is a vaguely hidden representation of Yann Martel . In the novel, where the story leaps between the present and the past, he narrates the present while Pi narrates the past. 

Minor Characters

Francis adirubasamy.

Francis Adirubasamy is the family friend of Pi Patel and the elderly man who tells Pi’s story to the Author. He taught Pi to swim as a child and bestowed upon him his unusual name. He arranges for the Author to meet Pi in person to get a first-person account of his strange and compelling tale. Pi addresses him as Mamaji, a respectful Indian term for calling uncle.

Santosh Patel

Santosh Patel is Pi’s supportive and affectionate father. He gives up his hotel business and runs the Pondicherry Zoo because of his deep interest in animals. Being a natural worrier, he considers Animalus anthropomorphic as dangerous while handling wild animals. Thus, he teaches his sons to care for and control wild animals and fear them. Though he was raised a Hindu, he is not religious. He is well-focused on the well-being of his family and thus decides to move his family to Canada during the difficult conditions in India.

Pi’s loving mother, Gita Patel, is a wide reader and encourages Pi to do the same. Though a Hindu with a Baptist education, she does not subscribe to any religion and questions Pi’s multiple religious affinities. As a protective mother, she speaks her mind and openly disagrees with his parenting techniques when required. In the first version of Pi’s story, she dies in a shipwreck. However, in the other version of his story, she takes the place of Orange Juice on the lifeboat.

Ravi Patel is the older brother of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi). He plays a significant role in Pi’s childhood. Ravi and Pi grow up together in their family’s zoo in Pondicherry, India. Like any other younger brother, Pi idolizes Ravi and follows him around. However, as they grow up, they start to have a typical sibling rivalry and disagreements, especially in Pi’s religious devotions, before he dies in the shipwreck.

Mr Kumar, the biology teacher

Pi’s biology teacher at Petit Séminaire, a secondary school in Pondicherry, is intelligent and thoughtful. Throughout the novel, Pi fondly remembers and credits Mr. Kumar as one of the people who profoundly impacted his life, helping him develop a deep love and understanding for animals and the natural world. His devotion to the power of scientific inquiry and explanation inspired Pi to study zoology later.

Mr Kumar, the Muslim mystic

The Muslim mystic who shared the same name as Pi’s biology teacher was a very plain-featured man, with nothing in his looks or dress that would make him out of the ordinary. He knew the Qur’an by heart, sang it in a slow, simple chant, and sought a personal and loving relationship with God. He often tells Pi, “If you take two steps towards God, God runs to you!” His faith drew Pi towards Islamic ideals and later to religious studies at college.

Father Martin

Father Martin was a kind Catholic priest who introduced Pi to Christianity. Pi wanders into his church during his family’s visit to Munnar. As they meet repeatedly, Father Martin tells him biblical stories about the Love of God and Christian Dogma. 

The Hindu Pandit

The Hindu Pandit is one of three crucial religious figures to meet Pi’s parents on a Sunday walk and apprises how ardently Pi follows their respective religion. Along with Pi’s parents, the Pandit was astounded to hear about the declaration of the Priest and the Imam. However, he condemns and declares, “Piscine was born a Hindu, lives a Hindu, and will die a Hindu!”

Pi’s father tells Pi that Hyenas have the most robust jaws, and this ugly-looking and violent animal could start eating while one is still alive. After the shipwreck, the hyena finds refuge in the lifeboat and kills the zebra and the orangutan. In the end, Richard Parker kills him.

Orange Juice

Orange Juice, a Borneo orangutan, comes floating on an island of bananas the morning following the shipwreck. The rising sun was behind her, and her flaming hair looked stunning. On the lifeboat, she suffers seasickness. Despite her illness, she fights back the hyena valiantly before being killed and decapitated, for she is no match to that predatory animal.

The Blind Frenchman

The Blind Frenchman is a fellow castaway whom Pi meets by chance in the middle of the ocean. Overjoyed to have a human companion, Pi invites the Frenchman onto the lifeboat. Driven by hunger and no food left, they have a lengthy conversation about food. Unfortunately, the man gets killed by Richard Parker when he tries to kill and eat Pi. 

Tomohiro Okamoto

Tomohiro Okamoto is from the Maritime Department in the Japanese Ministry of Transport. He is assigned to meet Pi, the sole survivor of the ship Tsimtsum, and to get any knowledge on the whereabouts of the ship which gone missing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He helps the Author with a copy of the tape, which contains his three-hour conversation with Pi and his final report.

Atsuro Chiba

Mr Chiba is Mr Okamoto’s junior in the Japanese Ministry of Transport’s Maritime Department. He accompanies Mr. Okamoto when he goes to investigate Pi about the sinking of the Tsimtsum. He seems naive and inexperienced at conducting interviews and gets distracted by Pi’s story. Chiba agrees with Pi that the version of his ordeal with animals is better than the one with people.

Other mentioned Characters

Meena patel.

Meena Patel is the wife of Pi with bright dark eyes, lovely white teeth, slightly darker skin, and long black hair woven in a tress, as the Author describes. She is a pharmacist and a second-generation Indian living in Canada. 

Nikhil Patel

Nikhil Patel, who goes by the name Nick, is Pi’s son, and he plays baseball. 

Usha Patel is Pi’s young daughter. The Author describes her to be shy but very close to her father.

The Zebra, a beautiful and full-grown male, is one of the animals who finds refuge in the lifeboat. However, he breaks his leg while jumping onto the lifeboat and is tormented and eaten alive by the hyena.

The Cook is the human counterpart to the hyena in Pi’s second story. He is a brute, ill-tempered, and hypocritical man who kills the sailor and Pi’s mother. Eventually, Pi stabs him in the stomach repeatedly until he dies.

The Sailor is a young, beautiful, exotic boy who speaks only Chinese. Being the human counterpart to the zebra in Pi’s second story, he broke his leg jumping off the ship. The Cook cuts off his infected leg, and he dies a slow, painful death. 

What does the color orange symbolize in the novel Life of Pi ?

In the story of ‘ Life of Pi ,’ the color orange symbolizes hope and survival. Many things that are associated with and help Pi’s survival is the vast ocean in orange. For instance, Orange juice, Tarpaulin in the lifeboat, Life bouy, Life Jackets, and most specifically, Pi’s companion, the Bengal Tiger, are all orange. Also, the narrator describes that when he visits the adult Pi at his home, Pi’s daughter, Usha, carries an orange cat.

How did Richard Parker get his name?

Richard Parker got his name as a result of a clerical error. A panther was terrorizing the Khulna district of Bangladesh, just outside the Sundarbans, killing about seven people, including a little girl. However, when a hunter was assigned to catch the panther, he caught a female Bengal Tiger with a single cub. The hunter, Richard Parker, picked up the cub and baptized it Thirsty, remembering how it had rushed to drink in the river. However, the Howrah train station’s shipping clerk was both befuddled and diligent, for he clearly stated that its name was Richard Parker in all the papers received with the cub.

Why does Pi offer two different versions of his story?

Pi reaches the coast of Mexico at the end of his arduous journey. Two Japanese Ministry officials come to ask him about the cause of the ship sinking. Being the sole survivor of the ship, he narrates how he escaped the shipwreck and survived on the lifeboat all the time with Richard Parker. However, the officials demand that he tell the truth, forcing him to conceive a story with more humans in the lifeboat. He leaves the option of choosing whichever version the reader would prefer.

How does the Author in the novel relate to Yann Martel?

Yann Martel and the Fictitious Author of the novel share many things in common. They both are from Canada and published two books when they come to India to write their third book. Like Yann Martel, the Author also gets the inspiration for the novel ‘ Life of Pi ‘ in India.

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About Mizpah Albert

Mizpah Albert is an experienced educator and literature analyst. Building on years of teaching experience in India, she has contributed to the literary world with published analysis articles and evocative poems.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Life of Pi — Life of Pi: Theme Analysis

Life of Pi: Theme Analysis

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Published: Mar 16, 2024

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Storytelling.

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“Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” Novel Analysis” Essay

Introduction, theme explored, works cited.

The literature of any country has its distinctive features, and animals are one of them for Canada. Authors from this state like depicting various living creatures to convey some messages. Being a representative of such writers, Yann Martel also draws specific attention to animals in his works. One of them, Life of Pi, is a suitable example of how the author can incorporate both animals and people in the same setting and show a complicated relationship between them. Even though the literary work under analysis has a simple plot, it manages to cover an essential topic. Thus, the theme of Life of Pi is to show the difference between a human being and an animal and to indicate that no conditions can make it disappear.

As has been mentioned, the plot of this novel is not complicated. The literary work tells a story of a young Indian man, Pi, who finds himself in an unusual setting. Pi’s childhood was closely connected with animals because his father owned a zoo. As a result, the hero knows how to behave and cooperate with these creatures. Since it is not calm in India, and the Prime Minister declares martial law, Pi’s family decides to leave the country and head for Canada. Thus, they sell most of their animals and board a cargo ship. However, it is wrecked, and Pi finds himself on a lifeboat with a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a tiger. Soon, the hyena kills the orangutan and the zebra, while the tiger, named Richard Parker, kills the hyena. Also known as RP, the tiger is the only companion of Pi, and the latter has to train the animal to allow the two to survive.

It has already been stated that the novel addresses the difference between human and animal nature and how the environment can affect a relationship between them. The following paragraphs will present some information that will support the claim above. Thus, the discrepancy under consideration becomes evident for the first time when Pi talks with his father. The older man explains that it is a mistake to believe that people and animals are equal. While he does not insist on the superiority of human beings, the man tries to convey the thought that animals should face a specific behavior. When in a zoo, some of them can have human-like traits, but people still should not forget about their true nature.

The previous idea is further elaborated when Pi’s father states that “every animal is ferocious and dangerous” (Martel 50). This belief is essential for the zookeeper and his son because it can help them save their lives. To demonstrate it, Pi’s father makes his son watch a tiger kill a goat. Pi mentions that the sound of the killing “was enough to scare the living vegetarian daylights out” of the hero (Martel 47). Even though one can say that such an experience is harmful to a young boy, Pi manages to benefit from it. Thus, the main character learns how violent and dangerous animals can be. This lesson is of significance for the hero, who then understands that it is necessary to be careful when dealing with wild living creatures.

At the same time, the author does not attempt to state that people are harmless. Father demonstrates it with the help of a particular trick. In the zoo, there is a question on the wall concerning the most dangerous beast in the zoo; the inscription has an arrow that points at a mirror (Martel 40-41). The idea behind this trick is that a human being can be even more dangerous than all animals. However, the question and the mirror do not mean that the discrepancy between animals and people disappear. They are still different because the former ones act according to their instincts, and the latter behave to obtain some advantages. Thus, the second variant is more harmful to the environment because it is challenging to predict individuals’ behavior.

As has been stated, animals can get some human qualities, and the zoo helps them succeed here. However, this humanization is of limited scope, and the case with the tiger and the goat has proved it. Even the fact that the predator has a human name, Richard Parker, does not mean that it is equal to people or can act like a human being. At the same time, people can lose their human nature when they are outside a civilization. Thus, the difference between Pi and RP becomes less evident when the two are entrapped on the boat, but it does not disappear at all. Even though the goal of the two is to eat and survive, which is a characteristic trait of animals, Pi uses his previous experience to domesticate the tiger and cope with the task. While on the boat, the man feels connectedness to the tiger, which allows Pi to believe that appropriate conditions can make the animal obtain a portion of human nature.

However, Pi’s beliefs entirely vanish when the two are saved. On the Mexican coast, RP “moved forward and disappeared forever from life” of Pi (Martel 285). The hero expected that his companion would demonstrate its human nature, but the tiger failed to say goodbye as it is usual for people. That is why, Aslani argues that anthropomorphism, “attribution of human characteristics to non-human beings,” is a leading theme of the novel (93). In addition to that, Martel is said to convey a message that animals can get human qualities under some conditions. However, it does not mean that these traits will outweigh their instincts. Furthermore, Aslani states that the theme of the novel is that “there are two natures which can never be unified – human and animal nature” (95). Thus, no conditions can result in the fact that an animal becomes equal to people.

Life of Pi is an unusual piece of literature, and it is possible to summarize its plot in a single sentence. However, it does not mean that the simplistic plot does not address essential issues. Thus, the principal theme of the novel is the relationship between people and animals. Martel demonstrates that animals can have some human features, just as people can sometimes act like animals. This idea is supported by the claim that a man is the most dangerous creature in a zoo. At the same time, it does not denote, for example, that a tiger can eliminate its wild nature under appropriate conditions. In conclusion, animals and people are significantly different creatures, and no external circumstances can make this discrepancy disappear.

Aslani, Stella. “Yann Martel’s Life of Pi as a Reflection of the True Self.” Central European Journal of Canadian Studies, vol. 10/11, 2016, pp. 91-106.

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Canongate Books, 2012.

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Life of Pi Themes

Themes are overarching ideas and beliefs that the writers express in their texts, including poetry, fiction , and plays.  Themes make the story appealing and persuasive and help readers to understand the hidden messages in a story or poem . The themes in Life of Pi by Yann Martel are both controversial and mystical. Some of the major themes of Life of Pi have been discussed below.

Themes in Life of Pi

Religious Harmony

Religion or religious harmony is one of the major themes of the Life of Pi. Pi talks about multiple religions and disproves the idea of one religion’s superiority over the other. For example, while discussing religion with his parents he asks them for a prayer rug and wishes to be baptized at the same time. He doesn’t want to choose one religion to connect with God and looking down upon the followers of other religions. When he gets to know that his teacher, Mr. Kumar, is an atheist he listens to his point of view and considers it’s just another branch of faith. He views God as an epitome of love, having love and respect for all of his creatures.

Importance of Journey

Pi narrates his life-changing journey and all the experiences with the readers. During his journey, he learns many lessons such as the importance of companionship, faith in God and power of nature. He views the ups and downs of tidal waves, horrifying thunderstorms, hunger pangs, familial losses and attacks of the predators. Besides learning how to recover from grief and sorrow, he also puts unshakable faith in God’s plan for a man. He goes through a near-death experience and even drinks salty water for his survival. During these trials and tribulations, he learns the art of storytelling through this journey and defies the old logic about science and atheism.

Faith in God

Faith in God runs parallel to other themes. Throughout the novel , Pi talks about God as his sole savior and someone Who grants him salvation from worldly problems and miseries. When he loses his family amidst the sea storm, he keeps his faith alive. He thinks that “At moments of wonder, it is easy to avoid small thoughts, to entertain thoughts that span the universe, that capture both thunder and tinkle, thick and thin, the near and the far.” In his view, faith is the key to everything that occurs in the world. Therefore, a person should trust in God in every situation.

Wildlife and Nature

The novel shows the wildlife’s best and worst sides. There are various animals as ferocious lions and hyenas, including meek guinea pigs. The characters also experience natural calamity when the sea at its worst. Pi learns that life matters for both humans and animals. The writer tries to convey those wild beasts are not always ferocious. Richard Parker is as much afraid of Pi as Pi is afraid of Richard Parker. The animals add peace and beauty to this world and demand the same level of love and understanding from humans. That is why Richard Parker becomes calm when he sees no harm coming to him from Pi.

Survival Instinct

Pi’s father teaches the value of survival instinct for a man as well as for animals. When Richard Parker, the tiger, becomes a predator, he has to kill other animals as his prey for the sole purpose of survival. Pi has to share the journey with Richard Parker for survival and not for dying without a companion. It is also the survival instinct of Pi that forces him to drink salty water. He has to catch sharks to break his habit of being a vegetarian in order to satisfy his and Parker’s hunger. During his near-death experience, he comes to know how survival is instinctual and competes with other animals.

Diverse Culture

The diversity of culture is another significant theme of the story. The reader gets to know the Indian as well as Canadian cultural values. Pi’s full name, Piscine Molitor Patel, inspired by two different cultures. However, his last name comes from his Indian family name Patel. The mention of vast and spacious zoos in India and then the portrayal of the first world in Canada both draws upon the theme of cultural diversity present in the novel.

Storytelling

Storytelling is another significant theme occurring in the novel because it is through this art that Pi narrates the account of his life. He recollects his life he spent on land as well as in the ocean. He also explains the different cultural experiences he has had in India as well as in Canada. He draws attention toward the sentiments of religion, faith and regard for all species through this art of storytelling.

Subjective Experiences against Logic

Subjective experience without logic runs parallel to the major themes. When Mr. Kumar, Pi’s teacher, expresses his atheist beliefs, he bases them on scientific and logical reasoning. He says that there is no evidence of God and that everything that happens in the world is due to scientific principles. He also views religion as superstition because when he suffers from polio, he argues, he cried for help to God, but his ailment is still the same. Similarly, when Pi is rescued on the Mexican shores, the officials fail to believe his survival story because they believe only in logic.

The importance of the virtue of tolerance can be seen in various places. Firstly, when Pi’s biology teacher Mr. Kumar, supports atheist beliefs Pi accepts it as another faith. Secondly, he patiently suffers the hardships of the voyage, thinks about his family and spends time in hope of reunion with his family. During this time, he stays with the animals, trains Richard Parker, the tiger, with a whistle and politely tells his story to the officials. Lastly, throughout his religious training, he remains steadfast and trusts the process of living, staying tolerant.

Philosophy of Life

The novel also revolves around the theme of the philosophy of life since Pi experiences life through faith, miseries, and happiness. He learns that to live a life a person should be patient and faithful. He gets to know about life and its meaning through an adventurous voyage, keeping the curiosity alive and trusting in God.

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Life of pi essay questions.

Pi argues that Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba should take the “better story” as the true story. Argue that either the first or second story is the “true story.”

Suggested Answer: Either side can be argued. To argue that the first story is the true story: all characters in the text, even those originally skeptical, and including the author, eventually choose to believe the first story. Pi was greatly experienced with zoo animals, and manages to plausibly explain how he survived with Richard Parker for so long. Similarly, he seems truly depressed about Richard Parker’s desertion, such that it is clear that he, at least, believes his second story. To argue that the second story is the true story: Pi’s main argument to convince the skeptical Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba that the first is true is that it is better, which is irrelevant in an argument about absolute truth.

Yann Martel has said that the hyena is meant to represent cowardice. Explain how this is true.

Suggested Answer: The hyena displays many negative qualities, such as greed, stupidity and viciousness, but these qualities can be seen to come from its cowardice. At the beginning of their time in the boat, the hyena whines almost constantly, and is so afraid that it runs in circles until it makes itself sick. Unlike Pi, who even in his desperate fear finds ways to survive, the hyena just kills and eats as much as it can in a panicked state until Richard Parker kills it.

In what ways does Pi parallel religious belief in God to the zoo?

Suggested Answer: The main parallel that Pi draws between these two things is the true freedom that both provide, even in seeming to restrict it. He says that detractors argue that zoos restrict animals’ freedom and so make them unhappy, and the rituals and rules of religion can similarly be said to restrict human freedom. Pi argues, however, that zoos, by providing an animal with its survival needs, in fact give that animal as much freedom, for it is content, safe, and wouldn’t want to leave. Similarly, the rules and ritual of religion in fact give people what Pi sees as their spiritual essentials, and thus a more significant kind of freedom.

Yann Martel has called chapters 21 and 22 essential to the book. Why would this be so?

Suggested Anwer: These chapters deal explicitly with the promise of Pi’s story’s power given by Mr. Adirubasamy—that it will make the author, and by extension, the reader, believe in God. In chapter 21, that the author has begun to believe is very clear, and chapter 22 underscores Pi’s belief in every atheist’s potential to become a believer. The chapters together also underscore the act of storytelling, which Pi himself relates to a belief in God, by showing the author writing down the words which he then presents to us as Pi’s own—and which are echoed at the end of the story, when Pi convinces Mr. Okamoto to believe in his story, and thus God.

Both worship of God and survival are hugely important to Pi—which does he give primacy to?

Suggested Answer: Although Pi claims to have never lost faith in God, this faith clearly becomes less important to him while he is in his desperate fight to survive. Most obviously, he talks about God and his belief much less than in the chapters that deal with his life before and after his ordeal. He becomes to weak to perform his religious rituals with any regularity, but even more, he allows his need to survive to overpower his moral system. That is, he eats meat, kills living animals, and even goes so far as to eat human flesh.

What are the significance of the stories behind how Pi and Richard Parker got their names?

Suggested Answer: Both Pi and Richard Parker’s naming stories are related to water—Pi is named for a swimming pool, and Richard Parker’s name was supposed to be Thirsty, because he drank so emphatically. Pi’s water-related name is significant because he is the only member of his family who Mr. Adirubasamy can teach to swim, and although it does not explicitly save him, this ability gives Pi options while he is at sea. That Richard Parker ends up named after a man, rather than Thirsty as he is meant to be, is also significant because although Pi knows the danger of it, he eventually anthropomorphizes Richard Parker and so feels betrayed by him.

Belief is a major theme in this novel. How are belief in God and belief in a story paralleled in Life of Pi ?

Suggested Answer: Pi parallels the belief in God with the belief in a story by saying that everything in life is a story, because it is seen through a certain perspective, and thus altered by that perspective. If this is the case, he claims that something that doesn’t change factual existence and cannot be determined finally either way can be chosen. Given this, one can, and should, choose the better story, which Pi believes is the story—the life—that includes a belief in God.

Why is it significant that Pi is blind when he meets the Frenchman?

Suggested Answer: Pi’s blindness is symbolic in many ways in the episode with the Frenchman. At the end of Life of Pi , Pi tells the Japanese officials that they would believe in the man-eating island if they had seen it, and thus ties belief to sight. Without sight, belief is much more difficult—so much so that Pi assumes he is hallucinating for much of his conversation with the Frenchman. But in the end he is able to believe without sight, an imperative for belief in God. His blindness is also significant because it parallels the literal darkness to the figurative darkness of the scene, which is perhaps the most disturbing of all of Pi’s ordeal.

Why does Pi give Richard Parker credit for his survival?

Suggested Answer: Richard Parker provides Pi with two things that are essential to his survival—companionship, and a surmountable obstacle. Although Richard Parker’s presence at first seems like a death sentence, the challenges presented by it are in fact surmountable, as opposed to the loss of his family and the despair that it causes, which Pi can do nothing to alleviate. And although Richard Parker is dangerous, once Pi has tamed him, he does, in the wide open sea, provide a certain kind of companionship, which is deeply important to the utterly alone Pi.

If each character in Pi’s two stories are paralleled, Orange Juice to Pi’s mother, the hyena to the cook, the sailor to the zebra, and Pi to Richard Parker, what does the Pi in the first story represent?

Suggested Answer: While Richard Parker in the first story is paralleled to Pi, it can be said that he is paralleled to Pi’s survival instinct, while the Pi in the first story represents Pi’s spirituality and morality. In this way, Pi’s spirituality is able, with much hard work, to exert some control over his survival instinct—at least enough to remain in existence, even when not in control—while the survival instinct remains powerful and dangerous. Pi says that he would not have survived without Richard Parker, and this too is true in the parallel, for Pi’s spirituality and morality needed Pi’s survival instinct to keep his body alive, so that his spirituality could exist as well.

Life of Pi Questions and Answers

The Question and Answer section for Life of Pi is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

What is flight distance? Why is this important for zookeepers to know?

Flight distance is the amount of space that one animal will allow another animal before fleeing. Zookeepers need to be aware of this distance in order to keep from frightening the animals.

how pi describe the hyena

"I am not one to hold a prejudice against any animal, but it is a plain fact that the spotted hyena is not well served by its appearance. It is ugly beyond redemption. Its thick neck and high shoulders that slope to the hindquarters look as...

Please state your question.

Study Guide for Life of Pi

Life of Pi is a novel by Yann Martel. Life of Pi study guide contains a biography of author Yann Martel, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis.

• About Life of Pi
• Life of Pi Summary
• Life of Pi Video
• Character List

Essays for Life of Pi

Life of Pi essays are academic essays for citation. These papers were written primarily by students and provide critical analysis of Life of Pi written by Yann Martel.

• Living a Lie: Yann Martel’s Pi and his Dissociation from Reality
• A Matter of Perspective: The Invention of a Story in Martel’s Life of Pi
• Religion as a Coping Mechanism in Life of Pi
• Hope and Understanding: Comparing Life of Pi and Bless Me, Ultima
• Religious Allegories in Life of Pi

Lesson Plan for Life of Pi

• About the Author
• Study Objectives
• Common Core Standards
• Introduction to Life of Pi
• Relationship to Other Books
• Bringing in Technology
• Notes to the Teacher
• Related Links
• Life of Pi Bibliography

Wikipedia Entries for Life of Pi

• Introduction
• Inspiration

Yann Martel

Ask litcharts ai: the answer to your questions.

A fictional author travels to India, and there he hears an extraordinary story from a man named Francis Adirubasamy . The author tracks down and interviews the story’s subject, Piscine Molitor Patel , usually called Pi, in Canada. The author writes the rest of the narrative from Pi’s point of view, occasionally interrupting to describe his interviews with the adult Pi.

Pi grows up in Pondicherry, India in the 1970s. He is named after a famous swimming pool in Paris. Pi’s father is a zookeeper, and Pi and his brother Ravi are raised among exotic wild animals. Pi’s tale frequently digresses to explain about zookeeping, animal territories, and boundaries. His father warns him of the danger of wild animals by making Pi watch a tiger eat a goat, but Pi also learns that “the most dangerous animal at a zoo is Man.”

Pi is raised culturally Hindu, but his family is generally unreligious. As a youth Pi becomes devoutly Hindu and then converts to Christianity and Islam. He practices all three religions at once, despite the protests of his parents and the religious leaders. The “Emergency” brings political turmoil to India and Pi’s parents decide to sell the zoo and move the family to Canada. They board a Japanese cargo ship called the Tsimtsum , traveling with many of the zoo animals.

There is an explosion one night and the Tsimtsum starts sinking. Pi is awake at the time, and some sailors throw him into a lifeboat. The ship sinks, leaving no human survivors except for Pi. Pi sees a tiger, Richard Parker , and encourages him to climb aboard. Pi eventually finds himself on the lifeboat with a zebra , a hyena , and Orange Juice the orangutan. The hyena kills the zebra and eats it. The hyena then fights and kills Orange Juice. Pi notices that Richard Parker is still in the boat, hiding under a tarpaulin. Richard Parker kills the hyena, leaving Pi alone with the tiger.

Pi makes a raft for himself and finds supplies in the lifeboat, and he sets about marking his territory and “taming” Richard Parker using a whistle. Pi kills and eats fish and turtles, filters seawater, and collects rainwater. Pi and Richard Parker each occupy their own territory in the lifeboat and live peacefully, though they are constantly starving.

Pi loses track of time as months pass. He remembers episodes like seeing a whale, experiencing a lightning storm, and watching a ship pass by. Pi goes temporarily blind and hears a voice talking to him. At first he thinks it is Richard Parker, but then he realizes it is another castaway who is also blind. The two discuss food and then bring their boats together. The castaway attacks Pi, intending to kill and eat him. Richard Parker kills the castaway.

Later the boat comes to a mysterious island made entirely of algae and inhabited by thousands of meerkats. Pi and Richard Parker stay there for a while and recover their health. One day Pi finds a tree with human teeth as its fruit, and he realizes that the island is carnivorous. Pi decides to leave with Richard Parker. Finally the lifeboat washes up on a beach in Mexico. Richard Parker disappears into the jungle without looking back, and Pi is rescued by some villagers.

The last section is a transcript of an interview between Pi and two Japanese officials who are trying to figure out why the Tsimtsum sank. Pi tells them his story, but they don’t believe him. He then tells them a second story, replacing the animals with humans – in this version Pi is on the lifeboat with a French cook , a Chinese sailor , and his own mother . The sailor dies and the cook eats his flesh. The cook later kills Pi’s mother, and then Pi kills the cook. The officials are horrified, but they believe this story. They note that the hyena is the cook, the zebra is the sailor, Orange Juice is Pi’s mother, and Richard Parker is Pi himself. Pi asks the officials which story they prefer, and they say the one with animals. In their final report they commend Pi for surviving at sea with a tiger.