1. Life of Pi
Yann Martel
These can be changed to reflect your school’s specific rules.

2. Structure of the text
The story is told from two different points of view
MAIN CHARACTER= Pi (flashback)
AUTHOR INTERJECTS= [italicized text] Yann Martel (he is interviewing Pi many years later)
Weaving descriptions of religion & animals contribute to the overall theme of the book.
Every chapter is placed meticulously to add meaning to something else being described.
EX: When Pi talks about the freedom of animals being taken away at the zoo the same way religion takes away freedom for people.
Contributes to the theme.

3. Part One:
Toronto & Pondicherry

4. Ch. 1-5 CHAPTER 1: “My suffering left me sad and gloomy,” (Martel 3).
Hook
Makes the reader curious about what happened to our narrator
Continued religious and zoological studies
Talks a lot about sloths (they are slow & lazy)
“I love Canada. I miss the heat of India, the food, the house lizards on the walls, the musicals on the silver screen, the cows wandering the streets, the crows cawing, even the talk of cricket matches, but I love Canada.”
Richard Parker
Cultural differences living in Canada---gives us insight into our character
CHAPTER 2:
- the author talking about Pi: “He’s a small, slim man…” “He’s greying at the temples.” The author is showing us more about our character.
CHATPER 3:
Pi was named after a pool
His parents hated the water (cultural thing?)
But Mamji teaches him how to swim
CHAPTER 4:
We learn about the Pondicheery zoo (Pi’s father ran this zoo)
Pi defends zoos (why it’s better for animals to be in a zoo than in the wild)
“I have heard nearly as much nonsense about zoos as I have about God and religion.”
“I know zoos are no longer in people’s good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both.”
Pondicheery Zoo is shut down.
CHAPTER 5:
- Pi talks about his childhood growing up with a name like Piscine

5. Ch. 6-10
CHAPTER 7:
We learn about a teacher from Pi’s childhood- Mr. Satish Kumar (atheist)
“It’s not atheists who get stuck in my craw, but agnostics. Doubt is useful for a while.”
“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”
CHAPTER 8:
The horribly sad goat scene 
Animal the zoo; There is a sign at the zoo, “DO YOU KNOW WHICH IS THE MOST DANGEROUS ANIMAL IN THE ZOO?” (Humans are the most dangerous animal at the zoo.)
CHATPER 9:
Pi talks about how important it is to get animals used to humans.
Pi says that zoo animals that we well taken care of don’t often try to escape from the zoo (unless territory is invaded).
CHATPER 10:
Animals will escape if conditions aren’t suitable
“Escaping animals usually hide in the very first place they find that gives them a sense of security, and they are dangerous only to those who happen to get between them and their reckoned safe spot.”

6. Ch. 11-16 CHAPTER 11: An example of an animal that actually escaped.
CHATPER 14:
Pi says that animals lowest on the totem pole are easier to train [the omega animal].
“Socially inferior animals are the ones that make the most strenuous resourceful efforts to get to know their keepers. They prove to be the ones most faithful to them, most in need of their company, least likely to challenge them or to be difficult.”
CHATPER 15:
Martel interjects
Describes all of the religious statues/pictures that Pi has all over his house.
CHAPTER 16:
Pi switches to talking about religion
Says that he loves religion because of his Auntie Rohini who brought him to a temple when he was a small baby.
Talks about his love for Hinduism
Talks about Brahman, “…atman seeks to realize Braham, to be united with the Absolute…”
Pi doesn’t like fundamentalists or literalists (pg. 49). He tells two stories to illustrate why:
1. Lord Krishna
2. Toronto lady Ch
CHAPTER 11:
An example of an animal that actually escaped.
Says you can find wild animals even in the Mexican tropical jungle.
CHAPTER 12:
Martel interjects
He says that, “At times he [Pi] gets agitated.”
Author told Pi he likes spicy food even though it makes him sick.
CHATPER 13:
Pi talks about how to train a lion (lions only attack if the trainer has “invaded its territory”
Pi discusses the different types of animals [super- alpha male; beta]
Trainers have to show animals who is in control

7. Ch
CHAPTER 20:
We learn the name of the man who makes the bread- Satish Kumar.
They pray together at the bakery
He talks about two religious experiences:
1. one time when he left the baker and he “suddenly felt like [he] was in heaven.”
2. another time in Canada when he sees the Virgin Mary
CHAPTER 21:
Martel interjects
Talking about interview with Pi
Thinks about his religions
CHATPER 22:
Pi imagines an theist’s last words vs the lasts words of the agnostic
Pi again shows his dislike of doubt
CHAPTER 23:
Pi's imam, priest, and pandit notice he's going to mosque, church, and temple.
Pi’s family finds out too.
Pi needs to choose one.
CHAPTER 17:
He learns about Jesus Christ from Father Martin, who he met on a family vacation
Pi struggles with the idea that Christ suffered
Father Martin tells him that he suffered because of “LOVE”
Because of this love, Pi becomes a Christian.
CHAPTER 18:
“Islam followed right behind, hardly a year later.”
A man asks him if he wants to try some bread.
The man shows him how to bake the bread.
Pi watches the man pray.
Pi was impressed, “…the image of this callisthenic communication with God in the middle of bags of flour kept coming to my mind.”
CHAPTER 19:
Pi went to see the man with the bread again.
He asks him about Islam

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10. Part Two:
The Pacific Ocean

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20. Benito Juárez Infirmary, Tomatlàn, Mexico
Part Three:
Benito Juárez Infirmary, Tomatlàn, Mexico
*Change this verbiage to the language your school uses.

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