The Life of Pi- analysis of repeated phrases
There are four different questions to develop. These questions are related to the book name ” The life of Pi”
1- Pi is a young man who ends up successfully crossing the Pacific Ocean in a lifeboat with only a 450 pound Bengal tiger for a companion–what a companion!!
Discuss the development of Pi’s character through Chapter 28. The first twenty-eight chapters of Life of Pi allow us to get to know our protagonist. Sometimes students become frustrated because they claim that “nothing happens for such a long time in this book.” True, we are getting to know Pi. But think of it; we have to believe that it is possible for this young man to survive this amazing trip, so we had better be able to understand who he is. We had better know him pretty well, or we will never be able to make ourselves believe that his story is true.
Prepare a discussion of Pi’s character. What about this young man uniquely equips him to survive such an adventure? This should be a well-developed discussion including details from Pi’s spiritual, family, home, and academic life. This needs to be at least two well-developed paragraphs to earn full credit.
2- you need to focus on the second piece of Pi. You second section of the book is Chapters 29-57. Read this. Then, prepare a discussion on your thoughts about the book.
As a minimum, discuss the following:
• What surprises confronted you within these Chapters?
• Discuss Pi’s use of characterization of the animals–what would his father say about this?
• Pay particular attention to the many references to being alone and to losing family, particularly to being motherless.
• What else do you find noteworthy in this section?
• In my copy of the book, my notes at the end of Chapter 57 say: “And NOW, the adventure begins!” How have the first 57 chapters of the book served as an introduction? What in the world do I mean?
Develop 2-3 paragraphs discussing these points and any others that seem important to you.
3- Reflect on CH 58-90 in Life of Pi to prepare a discussion board post in which you discuss some aspect of Pi’s personality which you didn’t think about until he began the process of taming Richard Parker.
• What have you seen about Pi that you hadn’t realized before?
• Was it there all along but you had missed it? Or is it a new characteristic that he has developed since he found himself on the lifeboat?
4- Discussion Board posting on Pi, CH 91-the book’s end.
• How do you feel about Part 3 of the novel?
• What is your gut reaction to reading Pi’s second story, the one he relays to the Japanese insurance investigators?
• Discuss the idea of “the better story” and “the dry yeastless factuality” that Pi refers to so often in his story. How might this come into play when considering Pi’s two versions of his story?
