Life of Pi by Yann Martel
God, survival, and tiger behavior. It's hard to imagine a more invigorating combination of discussion topics. We hope that the following questions will enrich your reading of Pi's fantastic journey. After all, Pi didn't have to make his voyage alone; neither should you. May this guide serve as a pleasant companion..
1. In his introductory note Yann Martel says, "This book was born as I was hungry." What sort of emotional nourishment might Life of Pi have fed to its author?
I think it gave him a better understanding of what he does have. Gave him perspective on how horrible life could be with out a firm imagination as well as an understanding of the suffering the human spirit is capable of enduring. 2. Pondicherry is described as an anomaly, the former capital of what was once French India. In terms of storytelling, what makes this town a appropriate choice for Pi's upbringing?
It's culturally diverse enough to believe that there are Christians, Muslims, and Hindus that are devout there, as well as giving a place that would have a zoo of that size, but not being big enough to harden him, as a large city would. 3. Yann Martel recalls that many Pondicherry residents provided him with stories, but he was most intrigued by this tale because Mr. Adirubasamy said it would make him believe in God. Did Pi's tale alter your beliefs about God?
Not really alter. I take a mix of religions, and have always been interested in them. This story is interesting because he doesn't just have one religion, but he also doesn't just take pieces from each, he is faithful to all of them equally. He justifies this because he argues that they are all the same god, just different names and manifestations of that god. 4. Early in the novel, we discover that the narrator majored in religious studies and zoology, with particular interests in a sixteenth-century Kabbalist and the admirable three-toed sloth. In subsequent chapters, he explains the ways in which religions and zoos are both steeped in illusion. Discuss some of the other ways in which these two fields find unlikely compatibility.
They both take the circumstances of things, and study how insitutions (religion and zoos) impact them and change them, and in what ways they effect this change. 5. Yann Martel sprinkles the novel with italicized memories of the "real" Pi Patel and wonders in his author's note whether fiction is "the selective transforming of reality, the twisting of it to bring out its essence." If this is so, what is the essence of Pi?
This question sucks. What is the essence of Pi? (my sarcastic brain says 3.14....) That he is just a relgious/spiritual man who is intelligent and curious and is looking for something in the world. He finds meaning and understanding in every detail of life. 6. In chapter 23, Pi sparks a lively debate when all three of his spiritual advisors try to claim him. At the heart of this confrontation is Pi's insistence that he cannot accept an exclusively Hindu, Christian, or Muslim faith; he can only be content with all three. What is Pi seeking that can solely be attained by this apparent contradiction?
The most full understanding of G-d available. 7. Among Yann Martel's gifts is a rich descriptive palette. Regarding religion, he observes the green elements that represent Islam and the orange tones of Hinduism. What color would Christianity be, according to Pi's perspective?
Blue. Green is the island of algae, Orange is the fur of Richard Parker, Blue is the water that surrounds them.
The book was a good read. Nothing much was gained that I didn't already have, except enjoying a new descriptive novel, and reaffirming some opinions and beliefs I already had. No paradigm shift, no revelations, but an excellent read none-the-less.