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Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Life of Pi--due February 25
Using the creative parts of your mind, write / ask / wonder 300+ genuinely amusing, interesting words about Life of Pi. (Doesn't Pi dangle from an oar wedged in the lifeboat's edge just like this?)
97 comments:
2 Brown
said...
I am intrigued by the way Yann Martel blurs the border between fiction and reality. As I read along, I must occasionally remind myself Life of Pi is a novel. Various elements of the story--most notably Pi Patel’s ocean voyage on the lifeboat--remind me of other sea-survival tales I have read, such as Endurance (which documents Ernest Shackleton’s failed transantarctic expedition and subsequent trek to rescue) and In the Heart of the Sea (which recounts the attack of the whaleship Essex by a sperm whale and the crew’s subsequent drift to safety). Unlike Life of Pi, these other books are nonfiction; but to be quite honest, my mind is subconsciously reading Life of Pi like it is nonfiction too. It makes for a curious read indeed! Of course the majority of the book is presented as if it really were nonfiction, but all the same, there are parts of the story that seem surreal (because they are, in fact, surreal)--including the presence of zoo animals, etc. I wonder why Martel decided to write the book this way.
I am also enchanted by Martel’s prologue, or Author’s Note. I had already read it before we discussed it in class--and I had accepted it as reality! Only when we reread it in class did I realize it was not necessarily from Yann Martel; but of course, it is necessarily directed to the reader nonetheless. While certain elements of the Author’s Note are probably reality--it is difficult to distinguish which ones (not all of them are, that much is certain--Pi Patel is referred to as if he were a real, interviewed man brimming with life experiences). I suppose Pi Patel is brimming with life experiences, otherwise Martel would never have been able to bring the character to life. Martel is layering fiction on fiction: the novel itself is overlayed by an invented storyline about the drafting/inspiration process. This does not mean the narrator is unreliable; well, I am not sure what it means. I think it best if each reader decides for himself.
6 Bose said… Life of Pi is an extraordinary read. I feel as if I am in the setting and there with Pi as I am reading. He describes everything so vividly and I also love all of the metaphors and symbols. As far as I have gotten, there have been numerous symbols in the readings. Such as religious symbols, symbols for nature, and symbols for just the human race in general. He talks on a level where I believe the audience can relate to. He goes from childhood bullies which talks to the younger audience, to moving houses and jobs and how hard work can be, which attracts the adult audience. I do have some questions though. I understand that it is Pi speaking in the italicized parts, but those parts to me are random. They don’t make sense. They described someone cooking and another one was some man, just what his caricature looked like. This confuses me. Also why have those random spots in the reading? I am sure that they relate somehow but I am not quite sure how they do yet. Also, if Pi is the italicized, then who is narrating the rest of the reading? I find it quite interesting all of the religions he uses throughout the novel. It appears to one that he may be confused on what religion he likes best, but I see it as a window of opportunity to study and become familiar with other religions. Pi must be careful of this though, due to the fact that some of the religions he is worshiping contradict praising another God other than the one from that religion. For instance, in the bible, which is the symbol for Christianity, it says that you can only praise one God, meaning Jesus, and that money isn’t God and you should always put God first then earthly things because God lasts forever and earthly things don’t. If Pi worships different religions, he is not following certain ones correctly, due to the fact that he is worshiping more than one God. This is just an observation I have made throughout reading this novel. As far as I am in the novel, I really enjoy reading it and the diversity it brings to fiction novels.
Life of Pi is an easy novel for me to jump into and comprehend. As the reader, I am able to clearly picture and visualize what Pi is going through and experiencing. There are many symbols and themes within that novel that I can decipher, such as symbols for human race, religion, and nature. For as far as I am in the novel, those were some symbols I had taken into account and looked more into. Two themes that have stuck out to me are religion and science. I enjoy how Yann Martel started the novel off from childhood and how he is gradually growing with it. It is enjoyable to read how Piscine Molitor Patel actually got his nickname Pi because in many short stories you read, the author does not explain and go into depth to events like that. Things like childhood memories, which Yann Martel explained to us in the novel, make the novel that much more interesting and intriguing for the reader. I find it interesting how Pi’s nickname has stuck with him since he was at the English-medium secondary school in Pondicherry. Personally, having flashbacks to childhood or important memories is eye catching for me to read about, because it makes me interested in the novel and makes me want to continue to read. I am a little curious about what the importance of Pi’s cupboards filled with food represents. Is it foreshadowing to when Pi gets stranded in a lifeboat for 227 days and does not have the variety of food he has now? Does it symbolize something? I also find it interesting how Pi follows other religions, but yet does not fully commit to a certain religion. According the the Bible, you shall have to other Gods. You are to worship one God. Does Pi know what he is doing is against certain religions? These were just a few questions and things I had observed while reading Life of Pi.
6 Mullet For me, Life of Pi is an eye opener. Chapters 1 through 58 talk widely of religion and the feeling of each God personally reaching Pi Patel. I love how vivid the feelings are and how you can personally feel things along with Pi. I know how Pi feels when he connects with God, so I can understand the other religions reaching him. The book has the ability to question what is so different between religions if they are all trying to get to one place. On page 74 Pi says, “If there’s only one nation in the sky, shouldn’t all passports be valid for it?” The question he imposes can make you think deeply about personal religion and your own life. It can make you think about where you are going and what your aim in the grand scheme of life is. The animal parts of the book are very interesting, but also hard to follow. I think the book was written with the intent that you would not pay too much attention to the animal actions and behaviors, because when the animals are mentioned they are mentioned in huge lists that take up 3 or more lines. When Pi talks about the animal behaviors, he also lists them in a way that takes up more than 3 lines. If I was a professional writer and wanted my work to be easily interpreted and soaked in, then I would not put all of the animals in a list like that. It takes away their importance. I think Yann Martel just meant for most animals in the zoo to be tertiary characters, where they do not have to even exist other than the purpose of having a decent sized zoo. Life of Pi pulls you in quickly and captures your attention easily. The descriptors are solid and Martel does a wonderful job of allowing you inside the mind of Pi Patel, letting you feel Pi’s feelings, and showing you the story instead of telling it.
7 Nelson I first read Life of Pi as a freshman in high school. From what I remember, the beginning dragged on and boring. As I read it again three years later, it is still slow. However, I know realize the great significance of such an introduction. Also, when I first read this novel, I did not give a second about this book only being a tale because I was busy being entirely intrigued in the fake world of Pi Patel. My mind is baffled as to how Yann Martel made a fictional character so real by blurring the lines of fiction and reality. I wonder how he was so inspired to do something that, I imagine, was entirely impossible. Maybe impossible to my mind, but not to Martel’s. The Author’s Note at the beginning of the novel is what made me accept what I was about to read as reality. More often than not, I do not read the author’s note. It is always the thanking of people who I do not know nor have any interest in. The note Martel wrote is a part of the story. Why is he thanking fictional character for inspiration. Are they based on real people? This is my book now, and I can make up my own opinion or story that is just as believable as Pi. Piscine Patel follows many different religions which is and was an extreme taboo in any generation. This makes me wonder about what Yann Martel thinks about religion and society and if this is his subconscious speaking his opinion. When Pi explains why he is so intrigued by each religion, I fully understand and see why he chose to study each one. How is it that Pi chooses multiple religions and his father chooses none. Could it be a way to rebel? While reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel, many questions arise that I choose to answer myself. While continuing to read this novel I find it difficult to analyze as I did with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. As stated before, this book blurs the lines of fiction and reality and in real life, one does not realize foreshadow and symbols until after a life lesson is learned the hard way.
Before the novel is even started, the author’s note, a work of reality and fiction intertwine with the author’s life and the fictional life of Pi, draws readers in with vivid imagery and verbosity in the best way possible. A unique start to an award-winning (and certainly deserving) novel, I have never encountered anything like this, anything this enthralling, this thought-provoking, and this well-written. Yann Martel writes with passion, which is clearly visible throughout this novel, filled with enviable sentences and the provocative topics and ideas that are presented within. Inspiration blurs fact and fiction. Disbelief sets in as you read of Martel meeting Pi --much older now--in his home in Canada. Out of Pi’s adroit mouth flows stories of lifeboats, zoos, zebras, religion, and, of course, Richard Parker. The idiosyncrasy of this instantly sets readers up for an experience that they will never forget as they ride along in the massive lifeboat with Pi and Richard Parker; they will question things they never thought to before. As with the actual novel, I was neither underwhelmed nor was it what I had expected. The writing swims into your mind with the ease of a shark slicing through the salty ocean waters and sparks interest into your brain like a bolt of literary lightning. Readers will sympathize with Pi as he watches the zebra struggle to live and see that translated into his will to live as he resides on that lifeboat in the middle of ocean. I find this novel to be one of extreme heroism; however, Pi is not the only hero. Life of Pi will make you want to both believe in God and question your religion. I am beyond thrilled to continue devouring this novel and I hope to find more meaningful symbolism throughout this incredibly captivating and charming novel.
The Life of Pi is an intriguing book. I began reading and was immediately confused, wondering what was happening and who was talking. Because of that, it made me want to continue reading to ease my mind and answer my questions. As I continued reading, the puzzle pieces started to come together. To my understanding as of now, the main character, Pi Patel, is recounting his life to the author of the book. Up to where I’m at, I’ve learned that Pi Patel was a young boy, often made fun of in school. He turned to religion and found he was extremely passionate about not only one, but three different types of religions: Christian, Hindu, and Muslim. Pi’s parents don’t seem to be understanding of his beliefs, as well as the leaders of each of the religions. Regardless, Pi sticks to what Bapu Ghandi said, “All religions are true.” A couple things in this book so far have left me confused. I can not help but wonder why...why is Pi so passionate about three different religions? At that young age, most are playing games and hanging out with friends, but not Pi. His love for all the three religions makes me confused and just questioning his reasoning for it. Another thing that I wonder about is some of the last names. Two important people in Pi’s life both have the same last name of Kumar, but have no apparent relationship to each other: Mr. Kumar the baker and Mr. Kumar the biology teacher. Could this be a symbol for something...or what is the author’s point to choosing the same last names? At one point, the three of them, Mr. Kumar, Mr. Kumar, and Pi, are all at the zoo together. This is confusing to understand who is talking. I wonder if this will have a larger effect later on in the novel.
I recall reading this novel when I was a sophomore. I considered it hard to comprehend and I had stopped as Pi began to start his journey into learning new religions. I found it absurd that one could believe in so many religions as Pi did. Most of the ideas in each religion are vastly different from each other, so why would Pi believe in them? Pi does not realize that some of the religions contradict each other. Christians believe in God, whereas Hindus believe in multiple. I wonder if Pi will ever realize this? I have also wondered what religion his children believe in. Another thing that I also am wondering is if Pi somewhat a reflection of Martel as in someone who has had trouble with religion or finding something to believe in. However, as I reread the parts that I read in sophomore year and also read those parts I did not get to, I realized that I have missed a lot of important aspects of this famous novel. As I am older, I feel as if I appreciate this novel more than I did in the past. Yann Martel did a fantastic job writing this novel. I have seen the movie but I am easily able to picture many of the events in the book because Martel did such an amazing job. One question I wondered as I read the author’s note was what changed in Martel? He explained that his second book did not do well and that it did not affect him. So what changed? How did Martel go from writing something that people did not care about to writing a novel like Life of Pi? Another thing that I realized was that as Pi narrates the story, he hints at many things to come later in the novel. When Pi talks about zoomorphism in chapter 32, he mentions something about how if lion cubs were to realize that a dog was their mother, “that would mean they were motherless, the absolute worst condition imaginable…” (86). Pi knows that this will be the worst condition because his mother did not survive the ship sinking.
Seeing Life of Pi the movie a few years ago, I was skeptical about how the book would compare to the movie. I thought the movie was intriguing and that it would ruin the book for me. Watching movies first makes it extremely difficult to finish the book. I am 100 pages into the book and I have not had that difficulty yet. Yann Martel was able to grasp my attention from the beginning. As there are similarities to the movie, I am more drawn to the book. As I write down my forum notes I notice that Martel put hundreds of religious connotations, metaphors, and similes into the book. As a character Pi is often referred to as a disciple figure and as Jesus occasionally. Pi Patel is a character that is intrigued with multiple religions. As an author, Martel had to research those religions and study them carefully while he brought this character to life. As a reader who knows little about being in the Muslim religion, or the Hindu religion, I have had no problem keeping along when these religions are brought into the scene. Martel used his knowledge of the religions while adding them to the story with ease to the reader. I also like the fusion Martel created of fiction and nonfiction. A reader is able to picture themselves as the main character with this blend. I am able to connect to the story and I feel as if I am the one who is experiencing the same problems as Pi. The only questions I had with the reading I have done so far is Pi’s fascination with the sloths. He likes them because of their demure: calm, quiet and introspective. Pi says they help soothe his shattered self. This makes me wonder what connection to the sloth does he have. I am also thought provoked when he describes the scene where he is at an Indian restaurant eating with his hands and the waiter says “Fresh off the boat?” Pi immediately blanches and feels as if there are nails going into skin. I am wondering about the significance the scene has. I think that maybe it is Pi showing that he still has not yet “adapted” back to humans and he is still stuck on the boat with the animals. My last thoughts were about when Pi’s father defends him when the three religious leaders want Pi to choose a religion. Pi’s father says that he simply does not have to choose and can still love God. I am trying to come up with a motive his father would have even though he is atheist. I think it might be out of love like the Priest was telling Pi when he was asking about the crucifixion of Jesus.
The whole of story itself of Life of Pi is interesting and intriguing. The story seems to be read as you are actually listening to Pi tell his story from the beginning to the long 227 day long end. The story has a fiction vs nonfiction conflict through reading the novel. The outline story seems to be to be true but it has its moment throughout the novel that gives it a fiction vibe. Yann Martel uses such excellent description when describing the birds on page 14. He describes things in such great detail as though he is painting the picture in our mind for us. He seems to leave out no details. There is symbols for everything like religion, nature, and human race. He talks in a way and describes in a way that puts thoughts into the mind that seems like you are actually there doing everything with Pi. This particular novel is an easy read for me but it was slow at the beginning. Pi talks about how the animal would not want to escape to the unknown of the world. I am assuming this is a foreshadow for future on the lifeboat in the unknown of the ocean? His father brings him into the cat's house to explain to the boys that even though they may seem friendly and loving animals the cats are still wild in the cage and treat them as though they are in the wild. Why does his father decide then that he would show the boys what would happen if the goat was them? His father describes mostly every animal that can hurt Pi and Ravi with great detail. Why doe Yann Martel add this in there? Does he want to build up to lifeboat? In the beginning it starts to briefly mention religion. Why does he have different religions that he believes in? Christianity believes that you can only have one God...How is this so when Pi has different religions? So far from where I am at in the novel it seems very intriguing to continue on.
I like how Pi has so many different religions. I often have wondered if all the religions in the world do not just have the same God and we just do not know it. Yet all these wars are fought over religions but they all have same basis. I have somewhat considered believing something like Pi does. I have seen that Muslims have a lot of dedication and effort to Allah and that is something I would like to have. So I often wonder why the world can not be that simple and easy. We can all believe in as many or as few religions as possible and make them go together perfectly although in reality they can not. Also I like to believe that Pi is real and so is Richard Parker. As I read this story, and in real life, I believe that they are real. I got this mindset when my younger self watched Life of Pi the movie with my older sister Tracy. I was super confused about Richard Parker leaving Pi once they get to land. I asked her at the end, "So I'm confused, was the tiger real or not?" Tracy replied, "Ugh! Nicole! That is the whole point! You believe what you want." So I decided to believe that Pi Patel and Richard Parker are 100% true. You can learn a lot from Life of Pi and you can get a lot about faith out of it. It was the faith that Pi had the entire time on the boat that kept Richard Parker, and in fact himself alive. Without faith I don't think that Pi Patel could have survived the total of 227 days at sea. Or at least if Richard Parker was not real and was not with Pi that entire time one the boat, the I believe that God sent Richard Parker to Pi as part of his imagination so that Pi could survive the time at sea.
While reading The Life of Pi, I begin to understand the way Yan Martel writes. I enjoy the way the chapters are short. It helps me focus on the real meat and potatoes of the work. I have never read a book, besides the bible, that is so influenced by religion. I could probably take a test on Hinduism itself and ace it. I believe that Yan is helping us as readers come more informative with the three religions. Throughout the journey Pi is soon going to face, slowly but surely, I think that he will be presented with experiences that all religions will help him through. Whether it be lessons he learns like in the bible or a crazy story like the Hindu comics he used to read as a child. From the artwork we looked at in class I can see that once the ship sinks and Pi is left alone with Richard Parker, Pi refuses to be on the lifeboat with Richard. I am interested to see how Pi will end up on the boat and how they will be domesticated together. Why is, whoever is interviewing him, is he interested in Pi? Is Pi going to be known for something bigger we do not know about? It seems impossible to be alive for so long without food and fresh water. To survive on a lifeboat without fresh water (227 days) is not livable for the human body, but that's the way the bible stories are. Many stories like the man who lived inside the whale, completely stretching the truth is what most believe when they first hear it. That could be the reason why religion is such a huge influence in this novel. I hope that soon a climax in the story will pick up and that we can find how Pi and Richard Parker live in somewhat of a harmony throughout there strenuous journey. I could never imagine living on a small boat with a tiger almost three times as big as me.
Life of Pi is undoubtedly one of the most interesting books that I have ever read. In the beginning of the story it was extremely hard to read. I think is due to the fact that Pi is talking of his religion and how he ended up choosing all three religions consisting of Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. This view of one being able to believe in three different religions shocked me. I had not really thought of this being possible but everyone should be able to choose what they believe or disbelieve in. Pi’s religious ordeal is extremely enlightening to me. After the shipwreck is where I became extremely intrigued by the novel and the story it told. Pi’s encounters with the animals on his raft did not at first have much significance to me. I did not really understand what purpose they played in no matter how hard I thought about it. I had to further read into Martel’s masterpiece to unlock the meaning behind the animals, or so I think. I could be completely wrong, but are all books supposed to be interpreted the same way? The answer is simple: no. Life of Pi has truly made me think about life and what it has to offer, more than any book ever has. I am extremely excited to hear what my fellow peers have to say about the book on the forum this upcoming Friday. I have seen the movie a couple of times and I thought it was good, but it is not one of the best movies I have seen just because I think it is somewhat hard to comprehend in just that short amount of time. However, I do believe that I will enjoy the movie so much more after fully completing the novel. I am eager to see it again. I firmly state that Yann Martel is a genius and that Life of Pi will become a literary canon if it is not deemed that already.
Schwint 1 My favorite thing about reading Life of Pi is the wonderful imagery that Yann Martel has added to the book. This imagery helps me, as the reader, to immerse myself into the book and it makes the novel all the more real to me. For example, towards the beginning of the novel Pi describes the zoo and goes in depth into not only telling you which animals you will encounter first but also how the visitors of the zoo react to seeing these same animals. This intense description during this part of the book makes me feel like I am walking through the zoo along with Pi and the visitor and that is amazing because it makes me connect to the book instead of just reading the book. Another major thing that stands out to me in the book Life of Pi is how Pi gets introduced to each religion. In the beginning each time Pi encounters another religion he first talks about his skewed view of that religion. Many people reading this book can probably relate with Pi when he first talks about a new religion like Christianity or Islam because most people are raised that their religion is the right religion and the other religions are wrong. What really intrigues me about Pi encountering all these religions is that he does not run away from all these religions instead he sticks around them and he learns more about them until he too believes what the new religion teaches. Pi also never chooses one religion and instead he practices all the different religions. I think Pi not choosing a religion shows that there should not be fighting against people just because they have a different religion than you instead we should all understand each other, even if we do not agree, and live in harmony.
Life of Pi is a classic novel written by Yann Martel about a young boy who grew up in a zoo, and later becomes stranded on a boat with a tiger while moving his family’s zoo from India to Canada. This book is my favorite novel we have read in class so far and I am not even halfway done with it. Pi is a young boy who is intelligent far beyond his years. He understands more about how the world works than most adults do. He has a different way of looking at the world than most people would, and I believe this gives him an advantage in life. On page 80, it says “He’s [Pi] a shy man. Life has taught him not to show off what is most precious to him”. This is a great example of showing how much Pi has really been through in his life. He has experienced good times along with bad ones, and has survived all of it just fine. An example that could be scarring is when Pi and Ravi’s father gives them a ‘lesson’ about the zoo animals, I think that they were too young and it was too harsh to make them watch it. Their mother was very upset with their father for showing them such horrors, and I agree with her. Pi is a very different young boy. While other boys, such as his brother, are out playing games and worrying about their friends, Pi is enthralled in his own imagination. The fact that Pi is practicing three religions-Islam Hinduism, and Christianity-is very intriguing to me. I do not understand how one would keep all of them straight, and be able to devotedly worship one without breaking rules of the other. Pi also seems to understand these religions exceptionally well, and really comprehend what they believe in.
The book Life of Pi is a very interesting book so far. One thing I have noticed is that he describes everything in so much detail. He uses such vivid words and it is a very easy book to keep reading and stay interested in. He reaches out to the readers and describes what he is going through. Like his childhood bullying and how he deals with his problems and gets through. Another thing I noticed while reading is the symbolism throughout. There are many symbols for religion that I caught on to. It is very interesting to read his thoughts and I enjoy the way he speaks to the reader and really enjoy this book so far. There is also symbols for human race, and nature. I thought it was interesting how Pi’s nickname has stuck with him since he was at the English secondary school in Pondicherry. I also think it is very interesting how Pi follows and studies more than one religion but has not completely devoted himself to one religion. I think he wants to understand all the beliefs and thoughts of different cultures and religions. I do not fully understand how he can do that though. Christianity is the belief in one God, and Hinduism believes in many and they contradict one another. So how he can believe in more than one of these religions is beyond me, but I wonder if that will come up later in the book and will talk about that. Yann Martel did such a great job writing this novel and I can not wait to further advance in this book and take in all it has to offer. I have seen the movie and heard from those who read the book, that the book is better like most books vs movies. The movie is very good, and that is just another reason I can not wait to see what this book holds. I love the way Yann Martel helps you connect with the story in so many ways and makes me feel like I am experiencing it.
The novel, Life of Pi, is an very interesting book so far. I enjoy the way Yann Martel writes, he describes everything in the book with amazingly vivid details. The style in which he writes keeps the reader interested and wanting more. In the beginning of the novel it is difficult to tell who is talking. He starts out the author's notes by Martel reading and explaining his reason for writing the book, then it goes on to how he met a man that had a story to make him believe in god. You cannot tell whether the story is being told by the Indian man, named Pi, or by Yann Martel. It makes you want to continue to read to find out the answer. Another I am enjoying about this book is the talk of religion. Pi is not completely devoted to just one religion, but three religions that have some factors that contradict each other. He is a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I think this is very cool because it is unusual to see this happen. Mostly because it is frowned upon, the average religious person in all religions believes you should only practice one not three. Another reason most people do not follow more than one religion is because of the contradictions within them, Christianity is the believe in one god and Hinduism is the believe in multiple. The story Pi is telling is interesting as well. It begins with his name, Piscine Patel. He was named after a swimming pool, this is because his uncle Mamaji was an amazing swimmer and he taught Pi how to swim. But, he got made fun of in school because it sounds like pissing. So, Pi decided he did not want to called this anymore and he memorized the number represented by Pi. The book is very interesting so far and I cannot wait to continue reading.
Throughout the novel Life of Pi, I have noticed a few things. First off the way he uses personifications. There is personification all over this book, incredible comparisons. For example, he talked about running a hotel would be a zookeepers worst nightmare because the animals are like drunk unhygienic humans. Second off the way he portrays Piscine speak. Piscing speaks of pure knowledge and understanding. He has a way with animals and also a way with God. In the beginning of the book, Pi converts to Hinduism. Then Christianity. Then Muslim. How can one boy be apart of three different, demanding faiths? I found it funny how Martel seemed to have all of the priest show up at once in front of his parents (whom he did not tell yet). All three came about him and were bashing one each religion, oblivious that Pi was still present. They then began to come to realization and forced Pi to choose one religion. One. Pi did not speak but the father came in and offered to take them out for ice cream (of course ice cream is going to fix the problem??) and all matters of religion were left behind. Until later on when he asks his mother for a praying mat when all she can do is sigh. He then retorts back to her “How many nations are there in the sky?” as his mother replies “One.” This is referring to if there is one nation, all religions must be connected somehow. My third connection to the book is the statement, “Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it.” If you think about this statement with a deconstructionist lens, you will see they are polar opposites. Life is an ongoing thing and will continue on long after you have left. Life is to live and then to die. Death is apart of life given they have total separate meanings.
The Life Of Pi is by far my favorite book we have read so far. The idea of a boy stuck on a lifeboat with a 450 pound tiger is amusing and terrifying at the same time. The way Yann Martel tells this story really makes your feel connected with Pi Patel. Pi Patel is a likable character and I find myself becoming anxious when he is anxious, happy when he is happy, and hopeless when he is hopeless. I am very much amused by his religious beliefs and I found myself laughing out loud when the “three wise men” were arguing with each other about their beliefs. Yann Martel changes up the chapter length quite often, some people do not enjoy this inconsistency but I think it enhances the reading. I also enjoy how the book jumps around from young Pi Patel, to old Pi Patel, to the author getting told the story. This story keeps the reader on their toes. I find myself sinking deeper and deeper into this book by the vivid details Yann Martel describes everything. He describes the animals in such great detail that I can imagine what the all the animals look and even sound like. Pi Patel, in chapter 57, thinks about how Richard Parker is the reason he is still alive. No matter how much of a vicious animal Richard Parker is I find myself loving this tiger. The way Pi describes this creature is different how he describes the hyena. The reader can tell that Pi has a deeper connection with Richard Parker. Richard Parker is described as majestic and strong while the hyena is described as hideous and evil. I am rooting for Richard Parker and Pi’s relationship. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book and seeing how Pi can tame Richard Parker. I am keeping hope for both of them! Remember "fear is life's only true opponent."
Yann Martel is a very interesting writer. He is able to write in so many different ways that when he had a new book coming out there is no way to know how it will be written. This is why a question to ask is, what is Yann going to be writing next? The High Mountains of Portugal was his last book. This book is about a boy who goes on a quest for an ancient artifact, and if he can find, it will redefine history. This books writing style is very different from Life of Pi. By what is happening in the story and also what point of view the story is from. Another item I am very intrigued with is where he gets his inspiration from? A lot of the time writes get inspiration from their early/ tragic childhood, But Yann did not have a traumatic childhood. He was raised in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Alaska and Canada by his parents who seemed to have pretty steady jobs and did not struggle in life. While reading Life of Pi you start to get an emotional attachment to the characters, which in return is why Yann is such an accomplished writer. Some of the other questions raised was the fact that over half of the novel is based in a small life boat with a tiger and a couple other animals. How are you able to continue a story when you do not have any other settings to use? Or how there are no new characters in the story for a while so how is he able to keep the reader's attention for so long? I have seen the movie for this book and when books are made into movies there are always some differences, this is why I am enjoying this book more than normal. When reading I enjoy finding things that are different in the book than in the movie. Then I ask myself, Why would they change something from the book in the movie? Does it not take away from the plot and many other parts of the book? So far, the book has been very interesting and I can not wait to continue it further.
2 Litt The novel The Life of Pi is indeed a very curious work of literature. The premise of the novel is such that it plays on the quandaries of the human mind as well as bringing in religion as a major part of the story. As a species humans are obsessed at finding out how far we can be pushed to the limits and survive. Not to mention the fact that Pi Patel in the novel is just a teenage boy. We see him overcoming immense difficulties and who does not love a story in which the main character has to challenge themselves to overcome a huge obstacle in life. This seafaring tale is so encapturing that I find myself losing track of everything else and becoming submerged within the story of a teenage boy on a boat with what looks like no hope of surviving. Another thing that plays to the common interest of the human mind is the ever present danger that he is on the boat with a tiger. The two characters find a way to bond throughout the novel that they almost seem to become friends as crazy as that sounds. The author Yann Martel wrote this novel in such a way that I find myself believing every written word as truth. He writes it in such a way that makes you think he is telling the story of a past experience of his and not just a fictional tale meant to entertain and make you consider the deeper meanings found throughout the novel. An interesting aspect of this book is the movie that was produced. While the movie does a wondrous job of capturing the imagery of the book it lacks the immersion that you feel when getting lost in the story of Pi Patel and Richard Parker trying to overcome insurmountable odds to survive. While reading this novel I am awestruck at how well the author can write in such a way that is so fluent and real. The story makes you want to go back through and pick out certain hidden messages that the author has sprinkled throughout the novel.
At the start of the novel, I had had already a fair amount of previous knowledge of what happens in Life of Pi because I have seen the movie before; however, I have not seen the ending, so I am unaware of how the closure comes about. I feel as though prior to the shipwreck it was a little slow in the book, but I understand that Martel had to insert that part of Pi’s life in order to completely and fully comprehend his tragic experience. I like how it talks in great depth about each animal in particular and describes how each one reacts to certain things and people. It talks about how tigers are extremely dangerous animals, yet it is funny and quite ironic that he ends up in a lifeboat with one and maintains to stay alive. People probably think that most of what he talks about before the shipwreck is non essential information, but if we look closely and more in depth, we are able to see the complete and utter irony that Martel correlates into the novel for specific purposes. I found it interesting yet somehow understandable how when the writer visited Pi, noticed that his cupboards were filled entirely with food. It is quite odd but where he is coming from, extremely understandable and expected. I also found it interesting that Pi was so intrigued with religion: three specifically. After each religion that he came across, he would become so fascinated that he would join it. I do not understand how one can be involved with three different religions because they are all so completely different; however, I sort of admire his persistent dedication towards God and his undying need to be involved to praise Him so much. One thing I really enjoy about the novel is how short and abridged the chapters are. It helps me remain focused on the topic at hand.
I have seen the movie Life of Pi a couple years ago. At the time, a friend of mine asked to watch it with them and I decided, why not? I thought that the movie was good and it was very interesting. Although in my opinion, I do prefer movies over books. I was excited when I found out that I would be able to have the opportunity to read Life of Pi in Literature class. I was not sure if I would get as into the book as many others do just because I normally find it difficult for myself to enjoy a book unless it catches my attention. I have started the book but have not gotten too far into it. So far I find the book intriguing and it is an easier read, by being able to follow along better. I find it helpful that the chapters are short because I am able to focus better on each chapter and what it is applying. What stood out to me as I have been reading is how it is full of religion. I do not think I have ever read a book that talks about religion as much as Life of Pi does. I think that Yan Martel did a fabulous job at explaining how religion works in the novel to be able to concentrate on what is occurring. He uses vivid words that add detail to every chapter.I did have one question in particular before I started the book and as I have been reading. A question that has been on my mind for a while is how it is even humanly possible to be able to spend 227 days on a lifeboat in the middle of the sea? I feel as if religion plays a huge part in this because without a lot of prayers and faith, no one would be able to spend that amount of time in the middle of nowhere like Pi did. As I continue reading this book, I will be able to gain more knowledge on anything and everything I need to know. I am excited to finish the book and discuss what we have all learned in the following forums.
I may have blundered in a way because I first saw the movie "The Life of Pi" several years ago. Now as I read the book, I keep visualizing the movie. This has its advantages, as I can compare how accurately the film portrays the book. Nonetheless this book has so far been a fantastic read. As I read, however, there are several points which peak my interest. Even though the story is written to be a fictional story, it is sometimes necessary to remind oneself that this is not real. From the author's notes, to how Pi Patel acts, the book offers a flow that is very similar to nonfiction stories. One aspect of Pi that is genuinely amazing is that he is able to keep all of his religions straight in his head and able to follow the rules of each without having any of them interfering with the other. As well as being a religious fanatic, he seems to embrace science just as much as he embraces the different religions. This seems a bit odd, because if Pi had believed in so many religions, one would think that he may not be as accepting of science. I read an article after reading a segment of the book, that stated that Pi was a character that the reader doesn’t really progress as a 'character' until later in the book when he is out at sea. Lastly, as I continue to read this book, I am amazed towards the amount of detail that Pi Patel (through the words granted by Yann Martel) describes events with. One example I came upon was when Pi was describing what a zoo would be if it was conceived as a hotel. After reading this, the reader can vividly picture exactly how this would look. Yann Matel has done a great job with the book as far as setting up the story leading to being out at sea. This makes the reader more attached to Pi, and sets up his character for development, rather than if he had started the book right when the [spoilers] boat sank.
Life of Pi intrigues me because of the immense creativity one must have to write such a fantastic novel. I have never read this book or seen the movie before, so I am thrilled to read further into this novel. Everyone always talks about how great of a book and movie it is and so far I am very impressed with this book. I love the writing style Yann Martel has. He writes with an amazing flow that makes his novel so easy and captivating to read. I am able to read multiple pages in one sitting. The other books we read this semester would bore me at times, but this novel fascinates me. He uses a wide variety of symbols when it comes to religion, nature, and human race. I find it interesting that he studies, or practices, both Hinduism and Christianity. This is intriguing to me because they are completely opposite religions. For example, Hindus believe in many gods and Christians believe in one god. I am not quite sure how Pi Patel is able to believe in both religions, but it is riveting. I also find it interesting at the great detail he describes when he talks about the animals in the zoo. He talks about how the animals do not feel trapped when they are in the zoo. They do not feel as if their freedom has been revoked from them. Instead, he explains how the animals actually feel at home. They are very territorial, so it is good for them to be in a zoo. Another plus to being in captivity is that they are guaranteed food. This is refreshing because I always thought of the zoo capturing innocent animals and taking their freedom away. Overall, I have no complaints or questions about this book. The only thing that is a little bothersome to me is when Yann Martel transitions between the story and then the italicized text. I am a little confused as to who is actually speaking during the italicized text. However, I like that it is shown in italics so you know what is and is not apart of the “story.” I also love how the chapters are short because it helps me read the book at a faster pace. I am excited to continue reading this brilliant novel over the next few weeks.
The novel, Life of Pi, is a brilliant work of literature thus far. Yann Martel is extremely skilled in the way he uses vivid details and imagery to enhance the effect his literature is meant to have on its readers. The first part of the novel goes into detail the inner conflict Pi has with three different religions: Hinduism, Christianity,and Islam. He does not encounter all three religions at same time but rather overtime when he is a young teenager. I feel his age plays a role in his susceptibility of believing everything he is told about each religion and how he feels he is able to be a follower of three different religions at the same time. When his family first finds out about this, they are disappointed and do not support him. Ravi, his brother, especially picks on him for thinking he can be a follower of three different religions that contradict their beliefs with one another. I feel he picks out certain aspects of each religion and combines them in his own mind as one. This is the only way he could think that he could believe in all three loyally because each religion has such different beliefs and backgrounds. I also thought it was interesting how he came across two different men both with last name Kumar on his path of learning about the different religions, one being an atheist biology teacher and the other a baker. The baker during one of their talks actually prays in front of Pi which Pi finds very interesting and influences journey. The first part is somewhat difficult to comprehend being that he goes in such depth of two of the religions I know little to nothing about but, it is interesting learning about their different gods and traditions. I’m looking forward to reading about Pi’s tragedy and how he overcomes it in the second part of the book.
Though I have only touched the surface of the water that is Life of Pi, I can understand this book was written with deadly precision and immense thought. I am not yet even a third of the way into the novel and it has already become quite clear to me that Martel has done his research before writing the book. The novel fascinates me in a storytelling aspect as well as on an informational level. The book makes me truly believe that the author is legitimately knowledgeable on the subjects it speaks of. In one moment of my journey through the book, I feel as though I am reading a fictional story. The next, I am watching a detailed documentary about topics that range from wildlife information to religious psychology. His words offer unique insight to anything and everything; Martel constantly forces my mind to swerve in different directions, inspiring me to consider different viewpoints and see things in a brand new way, persuading me to not abandon beliefs but to expand them. His writing style is like none other I have ever read. His unique tactic of blending non-fiction with fiction is simply groundbreaking and innovative. In the early stages of my read, I found this to be incredibly frustrating. "What actually happened?" I would ask myself. "Did this event actually happen? Which of these characters are real?" I desired a sense of resolution and sought closure through knowing which elements of the story were fictitious and which were true. Despite this, as I trekked through the novel, I realized what genius this strategy was and I backed off. In no other book that I have read have I seen an author take a step in that direction. Of course, change is only good if it makes things better. In this case, Martel's divergence from regular, conventional writing significantly enhances the reading experience that I am having with Life of Pi. Martel is a true artist and his novel displays this.
Mixell 1 When reading the Author's Notes, I was surprised by the way in which Martel tells the story. He makes it hard for the individual to distinguish just where he switches from reality to fiction. In my eyes, I believe most of what he was talking about was reality, up until he discusses Pi.
As the story continues, I was drawn into the way in which he speaks of religion. When you hear discussion about Atheists, the discussion usually turns sour very quick. Atheists can also be known for "rude" observations of other religions around them. However, Pi realizes that Atheists are just as he is. One of my favorite quotes so far is "It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them--and then they leap." It is refreshing to see a point of view that is so accepting. If only every individual could follow this view on religion. Imagine the progress we could make as people if there were no wars over religion. We could come together as people and accept different beliefs. In Pi's mind, he feels as if atheists are sworn to believe in doubt. Another interesting quote is "To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation." This is another great quote, and it most certainly takes some thinking to understand it fully.
If this book continues to take us deeper into the mind of Pi and his religious beliefs, I can easily see this book as changing the way in which I think about differing religions. It is cool to see a character that believes in so many different things, while still maintaining an open mind on other's beliefs. So far, this book is wonderful. It is descriptive, interesting, and flows spectacularly. I can see myself really enjoying this book, and being able to analyze it quite deeply.
1 Peterson The first thing that stuck out to me in this novel was the author’s note. Most books that I have read they are just about when and why they wrote that particular book. But in The Life of Pi, Martel’s author’s note is part of the story. It explains who the story is about why they story began and gives more information about the culture that surrounds the novel. Just skipping through the Author’s note would have been a mistake and luckily Mr. C took his time to read it to the class…otherwise I would have not taken the time to read it, because I did not know the importance it played in the novel. Life of Pi has been definitely a different novel that I have ever read before. The beginning was mainly about Pi’s life and what he thinks. I think that Martel does an amazing job of description. His similes, metaphors, and explanations help me picture everything about Pi, including his mannerisms and down to the way he walks. The description about the zoo and how the animals like to have their own place is something that I have never thought of before. I have never enjoyed visiting zoos because I think that animals should be able to be free, but who knows maybe the animals in the zoo actually like to have their own certain area, and for sure know that they are getting food and water that day. I thought his saying that going to running a hotel to running a zoo was quite humorous. That you have to feed the animals and wash the animals and so on. Lastly it has been an eye opener about religion. We are given the explanations of each religion that Pi takes part in. I enjoy how expressive details given…it as if I can feel and understand how Pi feels about God.
Starting this book was difficult for me. I have a tremendously hard time reading a book after seeing the movie. I hate already having an idea of what their physically characteristics are and the main plot points before I can allow my mind to imagine them for themselves. This is the best part of books for me. When I started this book, I was hoping that Yann Martel would be able to write a book in such a way that I could rediscover it. Life of Pi is infact writing just that way. The diction he uses, while still understandable, evokes deeper thought into the way Pi, his friends/family, and the animals act and react. For example, using the phrase “ferocious carnivore” instead of large cat or tiger helps me want to keep reading. I put myself in his positions and find myself understanding some of the things Pi was going through in the section I read. Yann Martel is truly an extraordinary author. While strongly disagreeing on what Pi’s religious stance is and how he approaches it, Yann Martel does a great job of showing Pi’s emotion and feeling through out his spiritual journey. I think that any book that does not slightly offend you or someone else in some way is a slightly useless book. Books are meant to raise questions and force people to try and discover their point of view and fight for it. For example I will fight with anyone who wants to over this topic of Pi’s spiritual journey. I completely disagree that one could believe in every “God” and still say that they are a christian. God’s greatest commandment in the bible is that their should be no other God before him. Believing this commandment and saying you also believe in every other God is absurd. These people are 100 percent hypocrites. I will never understand how someone could even think this. But it does provoke much thought and discussion.
1 Klumpp Klumpp 1 I have truly enjoyed Yann Martel's Life of Pi and believe it’s an extraordinary book. I have been hooked on it since the first chapter. The book is wildly descriptive and is full of symbolism. The book seems to teeter between fact and fiction for me and is sometimes hard to separate. The part that has peaked my interest the most is the shipwreck. I love how Pi goes into great detail about each animal, it really shows how passionate he is about them. I also think it’s interesting who the story is narrated by; an Indian man named Pi. Pi is a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I have learned that Martel must have had extensive knowledge of all three of these religions and has done a lot of research. Life of Pi really makes the reader think and question different things. Martel also describes everything in vivid detail and keeps you wanting more. He also connects with the reader by showing Pi got made fun of during his childhood because of his name “Piscine.” Piscine later changes his name to Pi to avoid any more embarrassment. Martel also uses an immense amount of imagery that truly makes me feel like I am in the story and keeps me completely immersed in it. He describes each animal in the zoo in great detail and you can truly see each animal in your head. Another thing I found interesting is that Pi does not pick one religion, but follows all three. This bothers me because each religion is extremely different and some only have one god while other religions have multiple. I wonder why Pi does this and why he has trouble believing in just one. I am very excited to continue reading and pondering different questions I have about the book. Life of Pi is my favorite book I have read in this class so far.
In my opinion, Life of Pi is up there with the best of the best in terms of works of literature. Reading it has been a pleasure in an otherwise fairly boring month of school. I think Martel’s writing style is extremely unique and very enjoyable to read. He goes so in depth with his description that I routinely see myself in the situation that he is in. For example, the way he describes the zoo in which he inhabits made me believe that not only is the Pondicherry Zoo real but I have visited it since I was a little kid. I had already watched the movie before reading the book (a mistake I will try to avoid in the future) and the zoo in the movie doesn’t do it justice. I also enjoyed the author’s notes. More than often I skip the author’s notes thinking it will just be the writer dedicating the book to a dear friend or family member and it doesn’t always make for the best reading. However, Martel has carefully woven fact from fiction into a story that just gives you an appetizer without giving you the fully meal. Another detail that I am pleased with is Pi’s character, and how he is so different than many other main characters I have come across. Not only does he belong to 3 religions but he also grew up on a zoo, providing insight into the animal’s way of thinking. Also, being of Indian descent in Canada adds yet another point of view I am not accustomed to seeing. I am very anxious to keep reading and enjoying Martel’s mastery of the art of storytelling. Even though I more or less know how the book ends, I am excited about taking the journey and experiencing it all over again but with more detail than any movie can ever even hope to capture.
1 Peltier After reading Life of Pi I have a lot on my mind. It is almost confusing to me by the way it goes back and forth from present time to flashbacks. However nonetheless it is a very good book. While reading there has been many symbols from religious to nature. I find that there are a lot of situations in the book that people could relate to, such as people feel for the animals in the zoo, like how Pi does, and a lot of times people disagree with keeping wild animals in the zoo but in reality they are probably treated way better in the zoo than in the wild. I feel like readers can relate to Pi and the situations that he has been in. From being bullied for his name to moving to a different country these are situations that adults and kids experience in today's society. I feel that the beginning of the book is a little slow and it takes a while to get used to the way it is written. I find it interesting that Pi is so interested and committed to three different religions, since usually we are all committed to one. Also he branches out and get involved in religions that he did not grow up in, which is what we usually do, we usually fall into the steps of our parents where Pi took a leap of faith and adventure out and got involved in different religions. I kind of wonder why they talk about the zoo so much, because they sold it so it is really not involved in their life as much. They way Martel writes is very interesting to me because it is a new way of writing it is confusing and hard to get used to but I feel once I get used to the style it will all fall into place and I will understand it more clearly. I feel like watching part of the movie kind of cleared some things up like what character is what and it just helped set the whole background and setting of the story so while reading I am able to visual more. All in all I find this book intriguing and it makes me want to continue reading to be able to settle the confusion.
As I read Life of Pi I am more and more interested with Patel's life growing up. He is very impressed by his uncle who is a world class swimmer and searches his life to find the perfect pool. However, his parents do not like to swim nor do his siblings. This makes Pi a unique one who enjoys his uncles hobby. Creating a special connection between them, almost father/son like. I am even more interested on his daily life as a child. At school he is a good student, but when he goes home he is in a zoo. Literally. He has all the animals to learn about and he uses them to think about life and how each relates to himself. This is different that other kids because he has a more mature deeper meaning on life at a younger age. I find it unique the way Martel formatted the writing of the novel. He is writing about real places and placing people that do not exist in them. He himself is even in the novel talking to Pi about his journey, this makes it hard for the reader to understand that Pi is a fictional character. It makes the novel seem more real as a result. Finally, the most interesting concept I find that Martel put in this novel is religion. He made Pi interested in all kinds of faith. He is a curious boy, who just wants to find god and make his own thoughts about what faith means. Most of the religions he approaches are not relevantly close to each other as well, but Pi takes certain things out of each of them to basically create his own. I think this helps the book appeal to more diverse populations because it does not just focus on one certain faith. Overall, Life of Pi is a very intriguing story that will propagate new ideas in readers everywhere.
I have never seen the movie Life of Pi so I came into this book not knowing anything on how this book goes. So how the plot has go so far has left me extremely confused with seeming jumping around because I had to understanding of the plot was suppose to go. However, I am starting to get Yann Martel’s writing style and it is very impressive. First how he blended how actually came to write this novel, Non-Fiction, and the actual fiction story was amazing. It makes you look back and think wait what the story has started already. It has also confused because I am trying to figure out how Pi can keep all of his religion's straight up in his head and how they do not confuse him. To me the religions seem to clash with one another and they are quite different. For instance, Christianity teaches that there is one God and you shall have no other god before him. While Hinduism teaches there are millions of gods in everything in nature. Also Christianity says you have this life and then you either go to Heaven or Hell. While Hinduism says reincarnation is what happens after you die and you become something else the next time you are born. Then Islam also believes in one God, Allah like Christianity not millions of gods. But Islam differs from christianity as well, it does not think Jesus was the Son of God or that he was even a prophet. They think he was like something the anti-christ in some denominations of Islam. Believing that Jesus is God and apart of the trinity is one of the main beliefs of Christians. So this is why he religious way is troubling to me. I just think he is creating his own religion of Pi, but that would violate Christianity as well so I don’t know. I think it will be an intriguing book to read but this part will always trouble with this book.
Life of Pi was first introduced to myself as the movie--which I know was a replicate of a novel but somewhat thought was based on a real story. After watching the movie I was extremely annoyed at the ending. When I realized I would read the written work of the film, I was a bit distracted since the film was completely irritating. However the novel has proven to be a bit more exciting than the movie with more details that can not be expressed within a motive picture. Another aspect a vision film can not capture is the creative, personal images a person creates in their mind. The novel is filled to the brim with extensive details that encourage the imagination to flourish. A reader can picture a magnificent zoo in their mind--from the texture of the cages to the fur of the tiger. Yann Martel does a brilliant job creating a character who can be a realistic person but is not. It has been some time since a book as sought my free time--it is a great feeling to have back. The beginning is a bit slow with all the information about Piscine’s journey through religions but the topic of the three religions arguing is somewhat entertaining. I wonder if Yann Martel put the three religions in the novel to attract a large audience or he did it to have the conflict for the Christian religion? One of the ten commandments is “Thou shalt have no other God,” yet Pi is worshipping multiple gods from three different religions. I am not sure if Pi realizes he is breaking one religion’s law as he falls in love with other religions. My main question with the novel versus the film is the ending, will it be completely different or will it be even more irritating than the movie?
Jacobson 1 Going into Life of Pi, I already knew the basis of the story. I have seen the movie multiple times, but that only gives you so much of the story line. The movie has always been appealing to me because of it's religious aspects...but I am glad to be reading this novel because now I will know more behind the story. As I read Life of Pi I am continually fascinated. Although I am not even half way through the book, it grips me, and my eyes seem to be glued to the pages. The research Martel has done to make this novel as accurate as possible is impeccable. As I continue to turn pages, the amount of passion Martel had for this writing is blatantly obvious. The facts seem so real that I have to continually remind myself that this is a work of fiction and that Pi Patel is not real. This book is an easy read, however I appreciate that because it makes it easier to comprehend what lies between the lines. Martel does an excellent job of using imagery to get the reader to understand the story. The analogies he uses are impeccable...especially the one when the author talks about how the spicy food makes his stomach hurt. "...and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawn mower." This analogy is a great one because we have all experienced that kind of gut ache and can all relate to it. I am excited to see how this novel unfolds. Martel is an excellent writer that is filled with passion, knowledge, and skill. This novel is filled to the brim with excellence, and it is clear why Martel won a prize for it.
I have yet to allow myself to completely dive into the book The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, although I have formed significant thoughts about the book. I am utterly intrigued with the use of metaphors and similes used by Martel throughout his novel. His vivid descriptions and details allow me to gain a more well rounded understanding on what his intentions are for the reader. For me, the animated descriptions allow me to feel as if I am actually part of the book, instead of simply being the reader. Without the provided extra information I feel it would be much more difficult for a reader to comprehend. I have not read this literature before until now, but I am positive if I would have attempted this novel before taking this class I would not be able to appreciate the content as I am capable of doing so now. Literature class has been slowly transforming my brain, as well as my eyes, to search for the deeper meaning hidden between the lines. I am now confident in knowing that Martel mentioning religion several times throughout the novel is a crucial part to the literature as a whole. The way Martel portrays each religion, he does so in a meaningful way, as to give highest praise to each one. It seems as if his intention was to allow the reader to understand and appreciate the religions he is mentioning. The component that amazes me the most about literature in general, not just throughout The Life of Pi, is that when questions arise the reader does not need to dwell or wait for someone to come running with answers. Questions in literature are often discovered and conquered when one allows their mind to be freed within the pages they take in. Reading on can establish answers to questions, connect the pieces to the puzzle, and even create a deeper understanding one did not even realize was there. Literature is what each person makes it out to be, it can be taken in any path and any direction one wishes to choose.
2 Nick Rise In the book “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel I am actually quite early into the book at this point. So far the religious terminology is somewhat hard to understand. The Indian names used are pretty foreign to me along with of course the French ones. These things alone make the book a little bit harder to understand as a native South Dakotan who has never been more than 5 hours from his house. I take great notice and try to make note in my mind whenever the topics of zoology and religion are brought up together. It seems as though these are going to be quite prevalent as the story progresses. I base this of course on the numerous mentions already and from hearing people discuss the book in years prior and by my classmates. I know that Pi becomes stranded upon a boat alone with a Tiger, and I am curious as to how this happens, how he survives, and how he achieves freedom and solace after the fact. I have seen the movie, but this was years ago and I have forgotten just about everything from it which means the wonder and curiosity within the book are still much alive in my mind. I also do wonder what drives the father to show the dangers of the animals in the beginning of the story. He states that he needs them to understand to protect them, but I ponder if there is a deeper reason here. Of course we already know that Pi has many thoughts of animals being personified and maybe he is becoming desensitized to their dangers. With that in mind maybe his father actually did just do it for his own good, even with the risk of destroying the spark and wonder of animals for the rest of his life.
Life of Pi. It is a fairly lengthy book, packed with literary devices and the most clever of descriptive writing. The images created in my mind’s eye are clear enough that I could draw them in such a way that someone could see the drawing and say that it was exactly how they imagined in their own mind. The progression of the chapters is so carefully laid out that every single comma, period, and space has a meaning. Each chapter focuses on one general idea about the main character: chapter 1 is about the psychological occurrences in the main character’s mind; chapter 2 offers a brief description pertaining to the main character’s appearance; chapter 3 alludes to the past of the main character and offers the explanation behind the main protagonist’s name: Piscine Molitor Patel; chapter 4 gives Piscine Molitor Patel’s background among the animals of the zoo that his father owned. This pattern continues and allows the reader the time to organize all of the sequestrated information throughout dozens of chapters. There are areas in the book, such as in chapter 1, where there is a paragraph that seems out of place in comparison to the surrounding context. There is a paragraph about Richard Parker, a character whom we have not met yet, and the way that he/she/it has touched the heart of Pi Patel. The reason may be because the rest of the chapter describes Pi Patel’s mental/emotional state. Animals are not, to some, important characters in a book about people. However, in Life of Pi, the animals are of utmost importance. The sloth, for example, demonstrates the quiet prayer and wisdom of God. The zoo represents the safety of a home even though some think of zoo’s as prisons for animals. The zoo provides them with food every day, shelters them from predators, and keeps them healthy. There was an analogy made between the animals in the zoo to a hotel and its residents. The residents are taken care of, given shelter, and given food on a regular basis, and so is the way of the zoo.
Life of Pi is one of the most interesting books I have read. The beginning starts out by describing a sloth, how weird is that? However, the beginning of the book has much meaning and importance. It gives us, the reader, a background for the rest of the book. We learn about zoo animals. Later, this helps us understand why the animals act how they do on the lifeboat and give us a teaser to how Pi may deal with the lion. Right away, I thought it was interesting that most of the chapters were extremely short. For me, this is because it creates a sense of true storytelling. Yann Martel can easily skip between the storytelling world and the current world where Pi is telling his story. He also can intervene and give us important details. Chapter 31 was extremely amusing. Pi want to show Mr. Kumar around the zoo, however, he knows two Mr. Kumars. One Mr. Kumar is a baker and the other a teacher. They both show up at the zoo and Pi ends up showing both of them around because he can never tell which one is which. It was extremely interesting how Pi acted just minutes after being stranded in the ocean. He called and whistled for Richard Parker to come towards the boat. Pi was motivating Richard Parker along. Why would Pi want a tiger on his lifeboat? Soon realizing his mistake, he screams at the tiger. “We’ll be together? Have I gone mad?” “Let go of that lifebuoy, Richard Parker,” he would say (96). Unfortunately for him, the tiger made it. It is foreshadowed to us, however, that there is a happy ending to this story. It is said directly in the book on page 93, but also because Pi is telling the story of his younger self.
When I heard we were reading Life of Pi, I was worried. I knew that since I have already watched the movie, it would be rough to get captured into the novel. I like opening a book and knowing nothing about it so I can make my own ideas about the characters, their ideas, and their problems. Since I have seen the book, I already have an image of what Pi looks like and how he operates the boat with a tiger as his only companion. However, Yann Martel and how he writes intrigues me and wants me to keep reading. Even though I already know how the novel ends, there are many things throughout the novel that the book left out. One such thing is part one. In the movie, they talk a small amount about his religion and how his father does not agree with Pi's beliefs, but that is about it. The entire part one is basically religion and finding himself as a person. I disagree with Pi's beliefs, however. I do not think one person can believe in every God but still call them a Christian. Out of all the commandments, the first and most important commandment says, "You shall have no other Gods before me." Pi cannot call himself a true Christian if he believes in more than one God. That is what this book makes you think. If you only watched the movie, you would think nothing of his religion, but with how in depth Yann Martel goes with his religion, many people could think about his religion and how each person has their own beliefs. The words Martel uses makes the book much more fascinating than the movie. I am eager to see what else is in store for this book and how Martel will make me love this novel even more.
Li of Pi is by far my favorite book we have read in this class. I enjoy his writing style and although it is not a true story he makes the story come alive. It keeps you wanting to read it more and more. He depicts the story in a way that easy to understand which I really like. I also like how he tells you the background of his life leading up to the sinking of their ship. I thought it was very smart of Martel to incorporate actual stories from Pi’s past. As a reader I find it more relatable even though it is not a true story. A part that interests me throughout the story is the idea that Pi believes in many religions. In many ways this is against actual practices since all three religions differ greatly. As a young child I find it interesting that such a young boy could find such a great interest in religion. While on the lifeboat I wonder if one religion will come into realization for him? Another thing I find intriguing is how well Martel is able to show the Indian culture. For many of us we will never get to experience it. Through this book you get to see what their culture is about. My mind can not understand how Pi is not attacked by the animals on the lifeboat. In any normal circumstance he would be the first to go. In many ways I do not think he could shield himself in anyway. It makes me wonder if animals are as gentle as we want them to be? In our minds they seem harmless but in the wild they are free and vicious. Since they are finally out of their cages I wonder if they will turn on Pi? I hope this book will only get more intriguing as I read on.
Life of Pi is one of my favorite books that I have been required to read for school purposes. Yann Martel instantly gets me hooked. The thing I found most interesting is Martel's interest in animals. A Canadian author writing about exotic animals?? Little strange, but that's what makes it work. The flow, and transition of the novel is all so well done. Very easy, quick read. After the first chapter I couldn't help myself and ended up finishing the book in a week. There are very amusing instances that happen in the book, and one of the funniest is when Pi dabbles in many different religions and his family's reaction. I find it hilarious that a young boy finds such interest in such diverse religions, such as being a Christian, and Muslim.
Some questions that the author leaves unanswered, is was there really another man when Pi is momentarily blind, or is it all a figment of his delirious, shipwrecked state? Did Richard Parker really eat him? I just find it incredulous that Pi happens to meet another shipwrecked person... At one part in the novel, Pi starts to have conversations with the tiger....???
Another comment on the novel, is how Martel portrays the tiger(Richard Parker.) The beginning of the novel, he was a normal tiger, I didn't have much feelings or connection towards the tiger. But the more I read, I actually started rooting for Richard and wanted him to survive. It was the weirdest thing. How can a powerful, 450 pound tiger, turn into a cuddly little furball? Martel's writing style is fun and easy to read. I am excited to read more of his novels.
Life of Pi for me is much easier to read then One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Lord of the Flies. Both books were very good but there was were so many symbols in each book. The symbols made them harder to completely understand what they were trying to say. The symbols they use in Life of Pi like his religion and his name are very important and very clearly stated. Yann Martel goes into depth about each religion Pi is; Muslim, Hindu, Christian. By explaining the religions individually he helps me know what religion believes in what. Without fully explaining each religion I would not completely know the differences in each. I enjoy how Pi does not care what each teacher of the religions think, he says he just wants to love God. Life of Pi is very easy to read because it uses very colorful words which keeps my mind interested and makes me want to keep reading. Pi explains the animals and what the routines are usually for each. When Pi tells us the story of his father showing him and Ravi, Richard Parker, I become very intrigued with what will happen next. Martel keeps the book very interesting and keeps you on your toes. I have not quite hit the full 169 pages but I have made it to when Pi is just waiting to see if he can get out of the water and to make sure Richard Parker is not waiting for him. This I feel builds up a lot of suspense and you just want to keep turning the page to find out what happens next. I feel as if the book somewhat starts out slow which was a bit boring but after about 100 pages it gets more and more build up to the main story which I really enjoy.
Life of Pi is a novel that has been recommended from many people in the past year. I have heard on positive feedback from the novel as well. From what I have read so far, I am shocked at how one can be so detailed and perceptive about every concept. Yann Martel does an extraordinary job and including many literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and symbols. Some of the symbols Yann Martel uses are things I would have never come up with or imagined in a million years. I have not read too much of the book as of right now but I hope as I continue reading Life of Pi that i will stay focused and I will understand what Yann is trying to portray to the readers. I like how Yann makes you feel like you are in the book and that we can all put ourselves in the situations. But what worries me about reading this novel is that it will be too high of a level of reading for me and I will not be able to comprehend certain stories or descriptions throughout the read. But, as of right now I am able to comprehend everything easily. It seems to me that Yann uses some foreshadowing? But I am not for sure if I am accurate at when I believe there is foreshadowing and when there is not. The fact that Yann starts off the book as a child and grows up throughout the book makes the novel more intriguing because I can see how he developed and not just what happened when he was older. So as I continue to read I am wishing to discover more religious symbols and more math and science to be shown. I hope this book will become one of my favorite reads that I can recommend to future student.
I enjoyed reading about all of the animals in the zoo and how Pi effortlessly makes connections with them. He mainly focuses on comparing the animals to religion. Pi is taught that animals are only dangerous when provoked. They are dangerous but not evil. Therefore, religion can be the root to violence. You should really get to know both animals and religion before doing something objectionable with both. Pi is taught by his dad to never pet the tigers or get too close to them. I am starting to ponder why that had to be done in symbolic terms. Throughout my reading, I have become to realize that I only understand Christianity. It is easy for me to perceive the people and action from the bible that Pi describes. As soon as he starts describing aspects from Hinduism or Islam I became perplexed by the foreign names. Before this book, I would have never thought of someone having more than one religion at one time. Although this is just a novel, I’m sure there are people out there just like Pi, struggling to find their path in life and which religion is most suitable to them. Since I have read this, I have become more open minded and have a deeper respect for the other religions. The teeter-totter concept of which religion gets you to heaven was something I pondered a while after reading about it. Pi is thinking that all “passports” or religions should be valid to get you in, while his parents are convinced you can only have one. I struggled to perceive exactly what Martel intended with this sentence from page 50, “...that Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims.” I feel like if I had a better understanding of the other languages, I could decipher this sentence. It’s crazy to think about how much knowledge Martel posses and how he intelligently crafts it into this book.
I have many ideas about the book The Life of Pi. The thought that is always on my mind, however, is if Pi is an abstract character, whose life is he talking about? Who experienced all these situations and learned all the ways of being a Hindu, Muslim, and Christian all at once? This magnificently written novel opens my mind in many ways that I did not think of before. It makes me want to understand all religions and see if I can connect them to each other just as Piscine Molitor Patel did. In some ways I can relate to Piscine, having the older brother that turns down every thought and belief I may have, and my parents wishing I was more like him by having me take all the same classes throughout high school, and even trying to convince me into attending the same college as him although I have no desire to! Right at the beginning of the book there was an amazing quote that stood out to me. "Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud."(Martel 7) I understood this quote as there will always be bad times that happens in one's life. There may be people who try to take what you have, who may be jealous of the happiness you contain, but it is just a temporary upsetting situation that will always pass just as it were the shadow of a cloud. Happiness is found from within, and if others are not happy with themselves, they will take it out on others, causing pain for only a moment, but the happiness will never truly vanish. I am currently on page 101, but I know some extra information about the story--not from what I've read--from my brother who has read this book a couple years prior and informed me of situations that will occur. I also really enjoy how it changes from the author's point of view to Piscine's point of view throughout the novel, and I love the creativity he used by having his words italicized, and Pi's words are normally written. I feel as when I thoroughly complete this novel I will have a greater understanding of religion and life in general, and it makes me grateful that novels, such as this one, have been composed throughout history and inspires me to read more books that aren't just made up stories for entertainment, but books that truly mean something to me. (Let me know if you have any awesome books in mind that could be useful in this case)
When starting the book Life of Pi, I was simply expecting the book to be about an Indian boy stuck on a lifeboat with a giant tiger. However now, as I am almost halfway through it, I realize there is much more to this book. Yann Martel starts the book by telling the story of Pi coming to his religious beliefs. Pi is a young Indian boy who is very wise for his age. He is not only able to comprehend one religion, but three! Pi’s father taught him and his brother at a young age the true power of the animals. Their father takes them into the cat house and forces them to watch the killing of a goat by Mahisha the tiger. Their mother strongly disapproves of the lesson being taught to them. I would agree with her! I believe that this lesson lead to religious choices of Pi. At the time of the lesson Pi was young and still finding himself. After watching the life of an innocent goat be taken away, it made him grow up. Throughout the book Yann also adds in italicized author notes that go into depth on what Pi’s life is like now. Even at an older age Pi continues with his multiple religions. Life has taught him not to show off what is most precious to him, so for the most part he keeps everything on the down-low (kids, wife, pets).
7 Hammond I am not very far in Life of Pi yet, however it has already sucked me into its literary depths. Yann Martel is not just a mere novelist, but an artist of literary devices, a warrior that wields the pen in a most beautiful, yet powerful way. The beginning of the book with its in depth and drawling descriptions would be called drab, excessive, or boring if by any other author, but Martel makes them flow artfully and in an increasingly interesting way. With all the exposition and talk of animals in the zoo, behaviors of those animals, the relation humans have with the zoo, and the way animals view those humans, I feel as if there is something more to come. The discipline, the religion, all of these past aspects are not only forming a more solid form of Pi in my mind, but also in the book and its story line. I am waiting in eager anticipation of Martel’s next move. How will he play with the pieces he has set? His descriptions are always colorful. The section on religion was great. I found not only Martel’s faith, but also Pi’s in the black print. Seeing how it shall play out later in the book shall also be fascinating and exciting. His exposition makes me anticipate the language and plot with ebullience. I am sure that all of these facts will come back with severe importance later on in the story. The lessons that Pi has, although seeming to be a case of extraordinary good luck, all seem to make sense either way. Of course our shipwrecked survivor had rigorous swimming lessons as a boy. Of course he grew up on a zoo with many lessons in animal behavior and animal to human interaction. However these things do not seem to be forced. Pi seems to be an incredible individual as well, not necessarily the commonly found character in most fiction, also this book is also not strictly fiction. I understand now what it means to have a book that blends fiction and nonfiction so, and Martel is a master of this mixing.
Genius! I love it. Yann Martel makes me forget about the fictionality of the main character, Pi, every time I read. The first 93, action-, but not content-lacking, pages got me thinking probably more than anything else I have read my entire life. Young Pi’s opinion of the meaning of life is fascinating and serves as an example to me, as his focus on religion is not mainly on the debatably fictional stories, but on what each religion is trying to teach and accomplish. At the end of the day (coming to the end of the debate between the priest, imam, and the pandit), I realized that each religion is a nuance of the others, mostly preaching about loving and treating others right, being faithful, and continuously striving to be better people as a whole. Zoology and theology is a uniquely and surprisingly harmonizing match: we can learn just as much from animals as from gods and holy books. Due to my love for animals, I read the parts dealing with animal psychology fondly; I could only agree with the theories presented. The story reads itself, and I personally find it surprisingly easy to read dozens of pages within a relatively short amount of time--with me being completely oblivious of my surroundings. Very few books can do that to me, who is rather picky about the books I actually sit down and try to read. Initially, the 20 minutes of the movie Life of Pi got me hooked and beyond interested in the book; I remember myself not even caring about the movie itself when it came out. Hopefully, after finishing the book, I can experience what I have only heard about from others: a book changing my life or worldview. I believe that Life of Pi will continue to be an awesome story written by an amazingly talented writer, however, I have only read 120 pages so far.
At first reading the author's notes of Life of Pi I was immediately confused on what was happening with this book, I was confused on whether or not someone went and jumbled together two books, going back and forth between fiction and reality is something that not many others have done. I do not believe that I have read a book like this before, at one moment be reading something about the present in Yann Martel’s life or reading a piece of fiction about a young boy from India. Pi Patel goes through something that not many would think of doing, he has three religions and practices them all. Hindu, Christian, and Muslim, what makes someone go through this and want to practice all these at once. In the first part of Life of Pi the majority of the time Martel speaks about religion. Yet this story is completely made up, but when you read this story being made up is not the first thing you would think of. You would think that this is a story written about a 227 day adventure of a boy and a tiger trying to survive. When reading this story you can be reading a chapter of a couple pages to a chapter of a couple sentences, or even a couple of words. By doing this Yann really is making you think, he is making us dig deep into this story and understand the symbols he is putting in here. What I also really enjoy in this is that the imagery Yann puts in is great. When talking about a zoo normally people probably would not go into much detail, but in the story Pi talks in great depth of the zoo, he talks about all the animals in it, especially Richard Parker. Also taking about the visitors and how they see the animals and interact. Yann is an author that makes you think, think about everything, religion and how life can be. He gives you something to think about and makes you yearn for more.
1 Wardlow While reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel I find myself amused, offended, and intrigued all at the same time. I am amused by the bits of humor put in place such as when Pi’s father says they will “sail like Columbus” (page 88). I find this amusing because Pi quickly points out that Columbus was in search of India and they most definitely will not be heading to India but rather leaving from there. I also find myself being offended by some things that Pi does and says. Pi is Hindu, Islamic, and Christian all at the same time. There is no way that Pi can possible be faithful to all those religions at the same time. I am offended that he thinks he can faithfully live up to the standards of all these religions at once. In the Christian religion God makes it clear that followers should have no other gods before him. Pi fails, he has two other gods that he thinks he can be faithful too. Why did he have a Hindu wedding if he is Christian and Islamic too? I also am offended when Pi and his parents meet with religious leaders representing all religions that Pi associates himself with. When Pi says that he “ just wants to love God” and no religious figure objects I am offended. The leaders of the religions should discuss with Pi why he can only be one religion, why do they let him justify following multiple religions by saying he just wants to love God? As I continue to read I am also intrigued. This novel is so well written and I applaud Yann Martel for crafting such a fine novel. When I am reading I will often times forget that this story is fictional. After I set down the book I find myself needing to be reminded that this is indeed a fictional piece of literature. I never actually want to set down this book I am intrigued and always want to read on. I have just reached the point in the novel when Pi is thrown overboard into the Pacific Ocean. I truly enjoy this novel.
Going into lit this semester, Life of Pi is probably the book I looked most forward to reading. Having seen the movie, I knew how interesting the plot was and knew I would not be bored reading this novel. Paired with Mr. Christensen’s build up of it, I am glad to have the opportunity to read it for school. Reading just the authors note intrigued me. Before discussing it in class and having read it, I had taken it as reality! But Martel just tricked us because it was actually from the “author” in the stories perspective. But we know that some of it is truly Martel’s experience. Now about a hundred pages in, I know it is a great read. Pi is a wonderful character and protagonist. I love that Yann Martel sets up the novel with Pi’s background and childhood before jumping straight into the main plot. It gives us as the reader time to get to know Pi and better understand him later. Understanding your main character and being able to relate to them in some way is a key component I think. When the book immediately starts with the flash forward and the sloth studies, I could tell Martel is foreshadowing to what will later happen to Pi. Throughout the book, everything the main character describes is so vividly put into words, I find myself whole-heartedly engulfed in reading I forget where I am! I feel as if I’m experiencing what he is and it is a journey for me as well! The way Pi sees religion and accepts things with an open, but clear, mind has got me thinking about my own spirituality. I love when a book opens my mind and my heart to new ways of thinking and feeling. I only wish I had not seen the movie first because as I read it, I picture the movie. I wish I could come up with the images on my own.
Polasky 6 Life of Pi is a book that has caught my attention right away. It is a book that is easier to understand because of the writing style. I am able to enjoy what is happening and looking forward to what is to come. All the interesting facts about different animals was a unique and a great surprise to me as a reader considering it is a famous novel. Many people think that books like this has to be complex but this one is not so far yet and I like it. There are tiny little lessons for Pi and his brother Ravi throughout the book. One example is when their father shows them how dangerous the tigers are by putting a lamb in the cage with it. He continues to take them around the zoo saying how each animal has a dangerous side. He ends on a lighter note with the guinea pig and says that they are not dangerous as long as the are domesticated. I like the setup so far dealing with Pi’s view on religion. It is a very interesting thing to consider. Most people grow up practicing a certain religion and they do not always question it. Not only does Pi question God’s existence, he has fallen in love with three separate religions; Islam, Christian, and Hindu. I could not imagine telling this story like Pi does knowing that there is a part that he loses everything he loves. I have been on a cruise boat before and I can think about the times I would just look out at the endless sea. I could not even begin to fathom having our boat sink and then proceed to get on a life raft with a bunch of dangerous animals that could and probably would kill me. Pi’s strength from the beginning of this book is unbelievable and I cannot wait to see what else will come his way.
Schroeder pd. 6 Going into the second semester and looking at the list of books Mr. C had given us I was only familiar with the Life of Pi. I enjoyed the other two books that we have read because it made me think deeper than I ever have reading a book. Without this class I would have never picked up Lord Of The Flies or One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s nest. Although, the amount of symbols within these books were almost overwhelming, and in my opinion, not 100% of the symbols we had discussed were intended by the author. Starting out with the authors note in the Life Of Pi I knew right away that it would be fiction but it would read like a nonfiction book that was based on a true story. Reading the first 169 pages, I noticed the way Yann Martel wrote, and that was with very good style that was simple to read in my eyes. The short chapters are nice to have within a book because it helps me move faster from page to page because I always set a goal, “one more chapter”, then I look at the next chapter and realize it is only a couple of pages away and keep on reading one more, and so on. It seems that I cannot put the book down. The book had started off slower than I had anticipated, there was a solid amount of pages I would say about 30 where it is talking about his three choices of religion. HInduism, Muslim, and Christianity are all three of the religions that Pi chose and I like that his parents tell him to choose one but he just wants to love God. In the past I had watched almost half of the movie, and I like how they seemed to have a longer scene when the family was on the boat traveling to Canada. I do not like how in the book, the only thing that is said is that the boat was sinking. It did not have too much about the family on the boat. It is kind of hard to imagine the life raft with all of the animals and himself. The zebra, hyena, Richard Parker, Orange Juice, and Pi on one life raft is very hard to imagine. I could not understand what Pi was thinking during his time out on sea. Watching the hyena eat the zebra from the inside out and not crossing paths with Richard Parker were which I am sure, strenuous. I am excited to read the rest of the book because this would have to be my favorite book so far that we have read in class. It is straightforward and there isn’t much thinking when it comes to reading this book. I wonder how Pi will survive these 227 days out on this life raft with Richard Parker. How will they eat? What will they eat? Will Richard Parker begin to obey Pi? I have many questions but I am excited to ask them this friday during our class forum/discussion.
I am intrigued by how frequently religion, or lack thereof, is integrated into the beginning of the Yann Martel’s novel. While reading about Pi’s trip to Madurai, I wonder why the three god houses were placed on hills instead the mountains that surrounded them, when Pi as confirmed later in the book, places religion above all else in his life. I also wonder if there being three temples on the hills is symbolic for the three wisemen. The arguing of the three priests at the zoo was also interesting. The three religions were not introduced to Pi at the same time, but the holymen coincidentally come to the Patel parents at the same time to not only attack one-another individually, but they would team up on each other. The holymen also are all native Tamil speakers and in unison, said to Pi’s father during their argument over whether or not the boy’s religious beliefs should be acceptable in the New India said, “Yes! Practice--singular!” making me come to the conclusion that the three religions, even with their different beginnings and beliefs, are more the same than they are different. Pi’s kinship with atheists is quite unusual. He surrounded himself with atheists while studying zoology, his favorite school teacher, Mr. Kumar, was an atheist, and all of his immediate family members were atheists. One might think that someone who surrounds himself with unimaginative, rational people would eventually follow suit, but in Pi’s situation, it is quite the contrary. So far, Pi has not tried to convert any of his peers, but instead embraces their differences. Pi’s knowledge and admiration of the changes Mahatma Gandhi wanted to set forth in the once recently independent country has most likely made him so lenient towards other faiths. From what I can infer, Pi is also intelligent, so he would also know that to try to convert others would be social suicide. In conclusion, Yann Martel’s ability to intertwine science and religion into this novel has made it into a truly incredible read. Whatever happens later in the book will surely be entertaining.
If I glance to my right as I write this prompt, I see a container filled with “Super Extra-Large Peanuts”. If I look inside said container, I see a multitude of super, extra-large peanuts. Diving more symbolically into this container, I see that, though contrary to first glance, every individual peanut is slightly different. How can it be so, I ponder? If each peanut was given the exact same processing, harvested from the same plant, given the same seasoning, how can it be that they are all slightly different? The same question can be asked of us. Especially those of us that are in establishments of intellectual training and undiversification known to most as ‘schools’. If we all come to school, learn the same material, are taught the same facts that are deemed ‘important’, then how is it that one is interested in music and another member (even perhaps of the same family line) seems more immersed in science, or welding, or literature, or graphic design? To compare the diversity of people to peanuts, or, even worse, to expect the results of the comparison to be adequate enough to explain ANYTHING about humans, is by all means an impossible task. So how is it that Yann Martel can compare so many things to others, while maintaining a reader’s attention, while relating to the lives of many, all the while perfectly comparing those things to others? It is truly I tell you that this is a feat of achievement most cannot even dare to dream of. In his novel “The Life of Pi”, Martel is noted to have described a zoo which the protagonist (Pi)’s father owned to humans (and religion), as a whole. In the sentence “I have heard nearly as much nonsense about zoos as I have about God and religion”, he makes a statement, all while poking a question at the reader (15). In showing a common human blunder towards basic zoo knowledge and comparing it to the same human blunder towards their own religion, Martel tells the reader that it IS SO, no contradictions allowed. Also during this statement, it poses a very closely-related question to the reader: Am I a person who has false knowledge of zoo life? (or, more likely: my own religion?).
Upon entering the second semester with Mr. C, I was quite excited for it because for one, I figured we would be doing a lot less essays, and the other reason, because I was excited to start reading the multitude of brilliant novels our teacher had picked out for us. Like most people, the list of books we would soon read were all very foreign to me besides one, and that one was Life of Pi. I had never read the book nor seen the movie so I expected it to be quite an experience in a way for me. When I started reading the author’s note at the beginning it really starting taking me in and getting me even more interested in reading the book. When I started reading this book at first, I will admit, it seemed a little boring and I began thinking to myself that this book was going to become harder and harder to get into. But as I continued reading without interruptions, I realised how interesting all of the things he was explaining and talking about were. I myself am a Christian so I already understood most of the things he talked about when he began explaining his experience finding Christ and becoming a Christian. When he explained his experience with the other two religions--Hindu and Muslim--I had no idea what he was talking about and that is where I had a very hard time understanding and following what he was saying. Honestly though, reading on with the book and learning bits and pieces about other religions, it sort of caught my attention. Learning about what other religions practice each day and believe in really interests me. For most people, from what I overheard them talking about, they seemed to find the beginning of the book quite difficult to get into. For me I found the beginning easy to get through and understand after really reading it over. Upon reaching the part of the book where the Patel’s are moving their zoo on the boat and the boat sinking, I became even more into the book than in the beginning. The book was a very easy read and I found myself at page 169 before I knew it.
Kyle Horner 1 This is a fantastic story so far. The question is if Pi and Richard Parker are real. I like to believe that Pi is real and so is Richard Parker. There are questions such as why does Richard leave Pi once they get on the island. Some may argue that he wasn't even with him in the first place. As I read this story, and in real life, I believe that they are real. You can learn a lot from Life of Pi and you can get a lot about faith out of it. It was the faith that Pi had the entire time on the boat that kept Richard Parker, and himself alive. Without faith I don't think that Pi Patel could have survived the total of 227 days at sea. The novel, Life of Pi, is an very interesting book so far. You cannot tell whether the story is being told by the Indian man, named Pi, or by Yann Martel. It makes you want to continue to read to find out the answer. Another I am enjoying about this book is the talk of religion. Pi is not completely devoted to just one religion, but three religions that have some factors that contradict each other. He is a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I do not necessarily agree that he tries to combine all these religions into his faith. He uses vivid words that add detail to every chapter. A question that has been on my mind for a while is how it is even humanly possible to be able to spend 227 days on a lifeboat in the middle of the sea? I feel as if religion plays a huge part in this because without a lot of prayers and faith, nobody would be able to spend that amount of time in the middle of nowhere like Pi did. I am excited to finish the book and discuss what we have all learned in the following forums.
Life of Pi has been very interesting and entertaining. So far, I am to the part where Pi is experiencing different religions and getting into trouble for having different religions. One thing I do really like about the book is when the author adds in comments from the present day about how Pi is currently living. Things such as meeting his wife, Pi showing him his pictures, etc. I am very curious though about why Pi does not remember much from the past. It seems as if it has all kind of slipped away from his memory. I do not understand why though because it seems like this is such a big event, how could it fade? I really liked hearing about how Pi got his name and how he had gotten everyone to call him Pi. I also find it interesting that when the multiple religions get brought up, his mother does not really say much and his father gets mildly outraged. His father says you cannot have more than one religion and that he must choose. When his family was in the park and runs into the three leaders of Pi’s religions, I thought it was incredible how Pi got them to all stop talking when he said that he just wants to love God, making them realize (or in my mind anyway) that religions are different and well, very different sometimes, but no matter what religion it is, there is always one common goal: to come in contact with God. I also found interesting that at the beginning of the book, he said he does not mind if you are atheist, Muslim, Hindu, etc. but what he does mind is if you are agnostic. Pi’s reasoning is that if you are agnostic, you spend your whole life with doubt and wondering without any true answers or beliefs. Life of Pi is very interesting to me because it makes me think and realize things that I really have not thought much of before.
Kunkel 1 Life of Pi is a very descriptive book about a young boy's journey to find meaning in his life through various religion. It also chronicles his struggles aboard a life boat shared with other animals from what is left of his family's zoo. First diving in to this book, I enjoyed the two perspectives between Pi and Martel. Switching between Pi's life story, and Martels descriptions of a now much older Pi gives a glimpse into how all the events Pi talks about shapes the person he became. From why he goes by "Pi" to his deep respect for animals and Life. One perspective that stuck out for me was when Pi describes his zoo as not a prison for the animals who take up residence there but a safe haven. I have often thought about if it was healthy mentally for an animal, shaped years of struggle into survival machines, to live out its life in an enclosure with everything done for them. Its as though you strip the animal of it's meaning. However, Pi describes his family's animals as content. free from struggles. He describes the zoo as being everything these wild animals need, a shelter, constant source of food, and a territory that doesn't require defense. How Pi goes out of his way to not talk only about his life but to talk about the animals he grew up with shows his caring character and respect toward the natural world as well as the many lifeforms that are a part of it. Another thing about Pi that I respect is his open mind toward spirituality. most people think of religion as an "all or nothing" deal. Pi, on the other hand, finds comfort and respect in many religions. His spiritual hunger has an appetite for more than most people.
In the beginning of the novel, Life of Pi, it is quite hard to imagine what the whole point of the zoo is. Pi goes on and on about the zoo and the animals and how different and cool they are. He also says that humans are the most dangerous animals in the zoo. I cannot seem to understand why that is such an important part of the novel, but it really stuck out to me. It seemed to me as if he made it a point to say that humans are the most dangerous animals in the zoo; with the story of the red curtain with a sign that said something like here is the most dangerous animal in the zoo, then behind the curtain was a mirror. After he went on about the people being the most dangerous thing in the zoo, Pi continued with the story of when his father took him to meet Richard Parker. The human being the most dangerous animal in the zoo could of been just big setup to instill fear into the reader later in the book? His father then takes him around the rest of the zoo telling him how dangerous every animal was. Pi was telling saying it as if it was common knowledge to him when it was written in the book, just having two lines about each animal. Having the two lines made it give a powerful approach but yet give the feeling that he was bored by what his father was telling him. I did not really get what the feeling of the book was supposed to be there or what the connection was for the future pages in the book. It might have been to set a fear into the readers saying that all the animals were dangerous? The thought that most kids would have if their father was going around telling them how dangerous things were would be, “He just keeps going on and on about these animals, they cannot be that dangerous”. That is how I feel most kids would react after the amount of animals they saw, and working in the zoo, never seeing anything bad ever happened could not have helped. I do not get how that fear of the dangers of the animals stuck with Pi for so long.
Though I, at this time, have not yet delved very far into Life of Pi, I am already fascinates me. The overall tone of Martel’s writing emits a slightly foreign, humorous, yet sullen edge which tickles my curiosity; I admire this, as it is often incredibly difficult to portray the mindset of a character with such dynamic and subtle precision in a work of literature. How seamlessly Martel has exhibited this portrayal excites and assures me of the vivid and hopefully outlandish story awaiting its chance to paint images across the canvas of my mind. Likewise, the italicized perspective-switching inserts bring an entirely new level of understanding to the reader’s visage, enlightening whomever-it-may-concern of details the protagonist, Piscine Patel, could by no means capture all in his lonesome. Never before have I read a novel that takes advantage of and uses this strategy so effectively. Martel’s first person writing is so flooded with captivating imagery the reader easily becomes lost in its glory, but to occasionally be ripped back to the understanding that the entire story is being told during an interview, a setting significantly less harsh than a raging ocean, contrasts the first-person perspective so perfectly that both are strengthened. Of course, structure and style alone do not make a marvel. The content works with the composition to construct a stylized structure where thoughts and fantasies can thrive and layer over to form a diverse, complex environment, such as a tropical island or a mental ward or even a drifting lifeboat, all places where the unreal may become real. This environment allows the characters (equally as complex and diverse) to explode with life and depth, sometimes with very little direct description necessary. Martel’s use of stereotypes exemplifies this; he seems to personify his thoughts of an entire culture in singular, decisive sentences, masterfully displaying his real, human, mixed feelings about people and things (slightly unfavorable connotation, but with a tinge of love--just like Patel’s nightmares of Richard Parker). I am simply dumbfounded by the compositional skill Martel has exhibited for me in such a small amount of time, and am anxious to continue reading.
Life of Pi, is an extravagant book so far. I truly enjoy the way Yann Martel writes, he describes everything in the book with vivid details. The style in which he writes keeps the reader interested and wanting more. In the beginning of the novel it is difficult to tell who is talking. He starts out the author's notes by Martel reading and explaining his reason for writing the book, then it goes on to how he met a man that had a story to make him believe in god. You cannot tell whether the story is being told by the Indian man, named Pi, or by Yann Martel. It makes you want to continue to read to find out the answer. Another I am enjoying about this book is the talk of religion. Pi is not completely devoted to just one religion, but three religions that have some factors that contradict each other. He is a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I think this is very cool because it is unusual to see this happen. Mostly because it is frowned upon, the average religious person in all religions believes you should only practice one not three. Another reason most people do not follow more than one religion is because of the contradictions within them, Christianity is the believe in one god and Hinduism is the believe in multiple. The story Pi is telling is interesting as well. It begins with his name, Piscine Patel. He was named after a swimming pool, this is because his uncle Mamaji was an amazing swimmer and he taught Pi how to swim. But, he got made fun of in school because it sounds like “pissing”. So, Pi decided he did not want to called this anymore and he memorized the number represented by Pi. The book is very interesting so far and I cannot wait to continue reading
The novel the life of Pi is a novel that possesses an extraordinary ability to express vivid imagery. Mr. Martel has an amazing ability to divulge exactly what the reader needs to hear in order to get his message across vividly and efficiently. The way in which he is able to describe things in depth makes the novel very easy and exciting to read. As the reader the novel is hard not to come back to, it leaves the reader always wanting to read more and more. Yann Martel has an uncanny ability to provide the reader with such vivid imagery. The Life of Pi is amazing at captivating the reader and keeping them interested through every page, each page almost calling to the reader to keep progressing, keep reading, and keep visualising. The Life of Pi is split up into one hundred chapters, each of which carry their own importance. The division of the book was not by accident, Martel does this to add emphasis to certain things as well as providing opportunities to interject and halt the telling of the story for a moment. This incredibly descriptive novel not only can captivate the reader, but with such vivid imagery the reader can almost feel as though they had experienced the same traumas as Pi Patel has. There is a part in the novel in chapter 40 where Pi was on the raft and he is trying to help Richard Parker, the tiger, onto the lifeboat, after he achieves this he starts to wonder to himself why he has done what he did. During that entire scene you can feel every emotion and thought that is running through Pi’s head while he is trying to rescue Richard Parker, and how he feels after. Pi is so afraid of the tiger that he flings himself from the safety of the boat, unto the unknown waters, where presumably many more dangers are lurking.
Oren 2 With Pi, everything seems to happen in threes. There are three animals on the boat with him. There are three benches on the lifeboat. Pi practices three religions; he also studies the three-toed sloth. There are three other members of his family. This includes both his family in India and his family in Canada. Canada had three A’s in it but that’s probably just a coincidence. He is approached by the three wise men about religion. One of his religions is Christianity which discusses the holy trinity often. When Pi blows the whistle he always does it with three TREEEEE TREEEEE TREEEEES. The abbreviated number of pi is 3.14 which has only three digits. Like most people he has three names: Piscine Molitor Patel (which has three I’s in it). Pi discusses the three realms of life: Earth, Heaven, and Hell. So, what is with all of the threes? Then I started thinking about the number three itself, what is unique about the number three? It is often said what good things come in threes, is this true of Pi’s life and his struggle? The number three is relevant in all three of Pi’s religions. Christianity: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. In the Muslim religion the odd number holds a high significance and many things must be done three times because it is the first odd number after one. The number three is a prime number. Nothing can be taken out or divided from it to produce another whole number. Is this supposed to describe Pi? He is still wholesome throughout all he has been through.
Pi also endures the constant struggle to survive. It would be quite easier for Pi to give up. He has already lost everything, why must he continue to survive? Not only does he feel it is important for him to survive, Pi also helps Richard Parker get on the lifeboat without even thinking. That is slightly ironic too, a lifeboat, a life preserver, a life buoy. This thing hold a death trap on it, yet it also holds the key to Pi's survival.
Throughout my schooling, reading has by far been my least favorite homework assignment. I find it extremely difficult for myself to focus on a novel and give the book my undivided attention because I am easily bored. In Life of Pi, I have found myself so intrigued that I have been reading relentlessly. Yann Martel composes the novel with such vivid writing that I find myself enveloped in the novel to the point of feeling as though I am actually present in the setting. This is an important key in novels for readers like myself. If a book does not entice you, you will get extremely little from it. Religion has never been a significant part of my life. I know very little about religion aside from what my religious acquaintances have told me (which most often is biased). When I reached the section of our first reading when Pi becomes interested in being enlightened on a variety of religions, I scoured every sentence. Learning about the various religions--Muslim, Christianity, and Hinduism--was fascinating to me because I enjoy learning about topics of significance. A small portion of the novel I disliked happened to be when the three wise men became enraged when they learned that Pi was practicing more than one religion. Each wise man immediately began vilifying each other's religion instead of condemning a young boy for being unusually mature and researching for himself. I became frustrated when reading this because it shows how brainwashed people can become and overlook the importance of the entire situation; Pi wants to love God and make his own choices as an independent, mature adult. Yann Martel is a miraculous writer which whom I show endless admiration for. He is one of the very few composers to write a book that finally makes reading a privilege instead of a dreadful task.
It has come to my attention that Piscine Molitor Patel is in search of not one, but many religions within the novel. He, like many others (such as myself), is on the quest for answers. I guess I am left here to wonder what inspired him to peruse many religious beliefs instead of one specific religion. It is also surprising to me that he considers himself as Hindu, Christian, and Muslim; three completely different religions that are hard to abide by. How does one believe in three different gods? It is little aspects such as those that interest me deeply into the main character of Life of Pi. I believe that it is hard to be told many different beliefs and to understand them all. There is no proof of any religion being correct. Maybe there is only one god. Perhaps there are many gods. Or possibly even no god. There is no way to fully discover as to whom is right, and who is wrong. Pi Patel believes in them all, a sign of a desperate need to understand life as it is? A need in taking chances and believing all three religions to play his life safe? Religion is a huge part of today’s world and always has been. Within the first few chapters of Life of Pi there has already been large amounts of Christian symbolism and perhaps other religions as well far beyond my knowledge. It is enlightening to read about a character who has the same questions about religion and faith as I do as well; I personally feel that I can fully indulge myself into the novel. As Pi Patel takes readers on for a journey through his past life and experiences, I feel that we are experiencing, and learning right along with him.
As I have been reading the novel Life of Pi, I have been most intrigued with the aspects of how religion has been involved within the novel. I think it is quite interesting that the author, Yann Martel, would write a character who believes in numerous religions including, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. The main character, Piscine Molitor Patel, is one of the most enlightening characters that I have read about in all of the English classes I have taken here at Brandon Valley High School. Pi brings up many great examples and points as to why it should be alright to have a multitude of views on the topic of religion and God. Throughout the novel Pi tells us all he wants to do is love God. Should it matter in which way or route he takes to love God? Pi finds no problem in practicing all of these religions at the same time, though this is not the case for his family and the leaders of these various religions. They tell Pi he must choose a religion, though a majority of the time Pi replies to these statements with “Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’” This response comes full circle when Pi also considers being atheist as a religion as well. A vast amount of the population today would consider if you do not believe in God, you do not belong a religion, not Pi. Pi tells us, the readers and the “author” of the book, that atheism is still a religion because a person who practices atheism still has some sort of faith. People who practice atheism just do not believe in God, but still accept the idea of a God. It is people who are agnostic in which Pi has no favor in. Pi believes everyone must have a belief or faith in something and finds it almost frustrating that someone would choose to not have a source of reasoning behind their lives. Pi believes that a religion is needed to experience a more pleasurable life that has more meaning and understanding.
Kribell 6 In the book--Life of Pi--a boy gets stuck on a boat with a tiger and has to face many challenges. Things I want to know have a lot to do with the author’s choices in writing the book. Some of them are simple questions and some are not even questions at all. But I want to know if there is a significant reason of choosing a tiger to be on the boat with Pi, rather than a lion or a wolf or some other large animal. I wonder if it has to do with the meaning that is represented by a tiger. As a spirit animal, the tiger tends to represent courage, personal strength, and willpower. It can also have negative implications such as anger towards something or someone, an unforeseeable life, or even a part of you that you might try to hide or reject. In dream interpretation a tiger can be a symbol of female sexuality and seduction. Which leads me to my other question that I have. I would also like to know if there is a reason that Yann Martel chose to have a male character like Pi rather than a female character. Is it simply because he felt like it or maybe he relates more to a male character than a feminine one? Or is it because it would make sense to have a young virile boy out on a boat with an animal that might symbolize female sexuality. Maybe it helps to balance them out? Another thought I have is about how Pi decides to study and surround himself with sloths to bring out his inner peace. I guess I would have thought that he’d want to become a tiger analyst or something since he has lived with a tiger on a boat for awhile and probably has more insight into the minds of tigers than anyone else.
There are hundreds...thousands, of words in The Life of Pi, I decided to pick one word to write about. Just one, seemingly insignificant, foreign word. However, after closer speculation and research, I realized this word basically explains the entire purpose of the novel. Is it not astounding that one word can do such a thing? By now, you must be dying to know the word. There is no way one, two- syllable word can wield this much power in such an amazing book. Well, I have one “word’ for you. Tsimtsum. Yes, there it is. Recognize it? Tsimtsum is the name of the ship that sank, the name of the very object that cast Pi out to sea, the thing that started the entire point of the book. The word is actually not just a word, but a concept. First taught by a rabbi, it explained that God vacated region within himself in order to create the world. The significance is completely mind- boggling. Pi, who believes in so many (G)gods and religions, is casted away into this lifeboat, in the middle of the Pacific ocean, and in this region, he finds himself. He finds out ,more about who he is, what faith is...and in doing so, he creates his own world, just as the old rabbi prophesied that God did. The ship, the Tsimtsum, forced Pi to “vacate” as God did to himself. While it took up a part of him that Pi would have rather had to himself, he made a difference, and he is forever changing the lives of individuals who pick up the book. We cannot see Pi, you say, so he himself cannot change our world. However, I say to you, (if you are religious) neither can you see God, but He created your world.
Hanson 6 I imagine Life of Pi was written by a genius. While I dispose of filth and scum at work, I have time to think. I thought of how brilliant Yann Martel is considering how real of a book this seems to feel like. My dad read the book before I did and he was astonished to figure out is was fiction when I told him. It truly trikes me with awe to think that Yann Martel sat down and thought, “Let’s make a book with an Indian guy and a lion and let’s also make it interesting.” I wonder if some of the details he adds in there are just to give it life. Why is Pi Indian and not Spanish? Why is does he enjoy Canada? Personally I think he added specific details such as these just to give life to the character such as real people have specific details relating to them and them only. I would like to criticize the author a little bit. When I read the other books, they brought out so much color and life to characters with passionate vivid imagery; when I read this novel it seems surely sophisticated, but not passionate. Every sing F-bomb in Kasey’s novel was so powerful, and the violent imagery in Lord of the Flies made me feel emotion. I was waiting for Pi to talk about how terrified and despaired he was when he saw the goat getting ripped to shreds, but he does not even remember if he saw blood. I could be wrong. I have only read 40 so pages. When I am at work I also think about all the homework I could be doing. I feel as if I am on a boat where my job is a vicious animal that waits to rip me to shreds if I try to conquer the savage beast.
There are many very unique and interesting aspects about The Life of Pi, but the one thing that really sticks out to me is how lifelike and real everything seems while reading. While reading this book, many times you forgot that you’re reading fiction, and it seems like you’re reading a biography of Pi’s life. The way Yann Martel writes The Life of Pi truly is amazing. All of the details and colorful descriptions of things, he truly knows how to suck a reader in. The use of these details and the style that the novel is written in all make it seem as though the story is a real life account of Pi’s life, which is obviously what he was going for. Every page I read is so full of emotion and story that it truly is crazy to think that all of this was fiction written in the mind of Yann Martel. I also find the way that Yann Martel describes religion and very interesting. The idea that Pi could practice three religions at once and still feel as though he is a devout believer is very interesting to me. It is also cool to see that Pi believes that Atheism is a religion itself. Most people believe that Atheism is a lack of religion and a lack of purpose in life, but Pi believes the complete opposite. It is a very refreshing to hear that outlook on things, because that is an outlook you don’t see very often. The way the book treats religion in general is just a very unique way at looking at everything, and it is one of my favorite aspects of the book so far. I do wonder why Yann Martel decided to include so much about this in the book, but I’m glad he did. It makes for a very interesting read.
The book the Life of Pi, so far, is a really interesting, smooth reading book. I thoroughly enjoy Yann Martel’s writing style. His descriptive, imagery-filled chapters are part of the reason why this book is an easy read. The book is filled with noteworthy, thought-inducing quotes--I have written down numerous ones. “Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can” (pg.6). This quote stuck out to me because it personifies life and death. I like Yann Martel’s use of switching between Pi’s point of view and the author’s point of view. We get to see Pi from the author’s perspective and how Pi sees himself. Yann Martel makes Piscine a lovable character which makes the reader feel for him more throughout the novel. When the three religious men confront Pi about having multiple religions, he simply responds with “Bapu Gandhi says all religions are true. I just want to love God.” I saw Pi’s innocence in that chapter and his big heart. Throughout the book I have picked up on the rule of three. For example, Pi practices three religions, there are three “i’s” in Piscine Molitor Patel, Pi hugs the oar like the three-toed sloth, and the number pi starts with 3.14. But I was curious as to why Yann Martel chose the power of three. Why not have Pi practice Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and numerous others? I was also confused when Pi showed Mr. and Mr. Kumar around the zoo, but neither Kumar's had seen a zebra in their life. Mr. Kumar was Pi’s biology teacher. As a biology teacher and a grown man, you would think he would know what a zebra was. Those were just a few questions I had. Reading this book keeps me on my toes. Yann Martel describes every situation so well I feel like I am experiencing it myself.
Life of Pi… I remember first being introduced to it from commercials of what was said to be the best motion picture since the movie Avatar (2009). They certainly were not wrong about the special effects shown in Life of Pi. It was tremendous what they did to make things come to life with such vivid colors and detail. But the movie, of course, has differences from the novel just as all movies seem to drift off from their ever-so successful books. Why though? Perhaps to enhance the viewer’s experience or maybe because the director of the film did not see the book as interesting enough to bring in the big bucks… who knows. My thoughts on the novel thus far are pretty split. I don’t exactly get pulled into the book as of right now but I guarantee the reason for that is because I am not the farthest. But then again, it certainly is not dreadful the read it either. I am interested in the way Yann Martel is going into such depth with Piscine’s religion, childhood, life, and even desires. It really gets you thinking about what is going to happen later in the novel and all the external and internal struggles Pi will go through. I am intrigued by the zoo life and all the talk about each different species and their levels of ferocity or innocence. Going back to the religion standpoint, it’s outstanding that Pi takes in all that he does. Getting to be familiar with Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity and becoming to love each of them is incredible at his age. I was riding bike around town at the age getting Icee’s at the local gas station. “All religions are true”, said Bapu Ghandi. Pi seems to be all for each of them while his parents do not understand at all nor do they really care to understand. I am extremely excited to dive into this novel with all the input I have heard from so many people about the adventures, hardships, and the life of Pi.
Pd 7 Blok In the Life of Pi I find it very interesting how Martel blends fiction and nonfiction. He does such a seamless job of making the reader think that they are reading a completely nonfiction book when in reality he is writing a completely fiction story. He uses the first person perspective to make it seem as though he actually had experienced the events happening in the novel. I had to continually remind myself that this book was a made up story because Yann Martel does an exquisite job at telling it as if it was an actual experience. Martel does a great job at making the reader keep on reading by using good descriptions to make the reader interested and to give the reader a good picture of what he is trying to invoke into his or her mind. As he talks about religion in the book he goes into a very deep description about what and how he gained respect for all of the religions he was following. He explained that Pi loved the story of Jesus dying for him on a cross. He also enjoyed praying to allah and feeling a connection to the earth through prayer. He also found joy in laying the prayer rug out feeling that the ground he laid it on was somehow sacred and holy to him and had a deeper impact on his life, which made him gain respect for the earth. I also found it interesting how Martel put the reader in the mind of Pi as he traveled around from religion to religion giving us a complete understanding of what he was feeling with each practice of each religion. Pi also gave us a good feeling on what it is like to be a teenager and what it is like to want to do something that other people might frown upon. I also enjoy how raw Pi is and how he is naive to things in the norm and isn’t afraid to be who he is and wants to be
Life of Pi so far has been pretty good. I think it is better than Lord of the Flies but not as good The One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest although I am not really far into the book. The story so far hasn’t really captivated me. I find the long and drawn out descriptions about random things like sloths and swimming pools are really tangential and distracting. They take so long and I my interest in the novel just drops instantly. I understand that some of the scenes are or will be important for the plot at some point, but I do not enjoy reading them. As a nonreligious person, I am completely and entirely bored with all the religious descriptions and comparisons. They have no wonder or mysticism and I kind of roll my eyes every time he says he is close to god or something to that nature. I think Yann Martel did not really have someone like me in mind when he was writing this. This is to be expected though because of the religion based story and the simple fact that more people are religious than not. I do like how real the characters are. They way many of the characters act and think is very convincing. Like when the “three wise men” confront Pi and his family at the beach. They were really aggressive and nasty to each other and I thought that matched the characters perfectly. And the dynamics between Pi and Ravi are very relatable to me. The way they make fun of each other and blame each other and fight each other is all too real for me. I remember me and my brothers doing the exact same thing when we were a lot younger.
Life of Pi, so far, seems to be a pretty interesting book, especially for an English class. Usually, our books are less than interesting and a dread to read. This book, however, leaves little to be wanted. It is interesting how although chapters break up the book, the whole thing seems to be just one continuous thought. It almost doesn’t need the chapters, except to separate from time periods. Mr. Christensen said that some of us would be disappointed with the ending, while others would love the ending. This was shortly after explaining that some people like open-ended books better. I am wondering, then, how can this book be open-ended if we are in the present and the past? We know what happens to the character: he gets married, has two children, and even a dog. He has a wonderful house and a seemingly wonderful life. Where else could this story lead? I am also curious as to how Pi is a Hindu, Muslim, and Christian all at the same time. Hindus have several gods; they are polytheistic. However, Christianity AND Islam state that there is only one true God. Pi does say a few times in the book that there is only one true God, therefore I wonder if he is really a true Hindu at all. He perhaps only does the practices and acknowledges the gods of the Hindus because of habit. I do not think that he is truly Hindu, because it would not make sense with his other religions, and since he has picked the God of the Muslims and Christians twice now, it would only seem logical that that God is the only one that he truly worships. Between Islam and Christianity, however, I do not know. Most Muslims believe that the Bible was corrupted somewhere along the way, therefore they do not go by the “Injeel” (Bible). They instead go by the prophet Muhammad’s book the Qur’an. In order to be a Christian, the Bible would be enough and any book afterwards would be unnecessary. This is what I wonder, and what I know will not be answered.
The mystery of this novel to me is that from the very early pages Yann Martel already tells us that Pi survives his great trial and is now redomesticated with a family of his own. Yet at the same time the reader has one question, how? How can one teenage boy survive in a lifeboat with the remainder of his family’s zoo? This question demands that the reader continues to see Pi’s life and try to answer this question for themselves. For a reader to try to understand how Pi could survive his days alone at sea, they must discover what makes Pi, Pi. The beginning of the novel is extremely engaging because very few people in the world grow up in a zoo and are amongst creatures from every corner of the world every single day of their lives. However, Pi is still very relatable to most readers because he had a family in which he loved but could still become frustrated with, like any other person. The reader learns about Pi as a child and an adult simultaneously which also makes them ponder how he transitioned from the young boy to the grown man. So far in the novel, there are factors from Pi’s childhood that have obviously helped him on his challenge. One factor is that he has a lot of knowledge about the animals that are with him in the boat and how to interact (or not interact) with them. Secondly, Pi learned how to swim from Mamaji, otherwise he may fear the water and die quickly. The reader has also learned that Pi loves God. He loves him so much that he uses three different religions, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity, to show God how much he loves Him. It can be hypothesized that Pi will rely on his faith in God to make it through his months alone at sea.
I am coming to like this book the more and more I get involved in it. Martel is a very well-informed author and by reading I can tell that he has done his research thoroughly on animals, ships, the ocean, and various religions. I particularly like how he keeps the readers interested. A good example of this is when, at the end of part one, he skips straight from Pi and his family departing on their journey to the ship sinking. In fact, I liked all of those chapters starting part 2 because of how Martel jumped ahead in the story and slowly went back and filled in the blank spots. Another thing that intrigues me about this book is how Martel blends and blurs certain parts of it. He starts off with this at the introduction, he makes the readers question whether Piscine Molitor Patel is a real person or if he is made up. Another example of this is the two Mr. Kumars that Pi becomes acquainted with. There is one particular scene where Martel describes the two men meeting Pi at the zoo and feeding a zebra. (I assume this draws a parallel as to why a zebra jumped onto the boat with Pi) The scene is vague as to which Mr. Kumar is feeding the zebra, whether it is Mr. or Mr. Kumar. I suspect we will find more out about both of these characters come later in the book. I’ve come to notice how thorough Martel is with stories, descriptions, and characterization. Whether it be a lengthy explanation to a simple but not so simple nickname, or information on three-toed sloths, I always am intrigued and interested. I do believe this is due to the experience Martel has under his belt as an author, as well as the preparation he has put into everything.
Jacob Meyer pd.2 Provoking the mind, Life of Pi is an excellent story. In the start of this work, Yann Martel blends reality and fiction into one. He makes the reader question what is real and what is made up in his author’s notes and having various chapter from the point of view of a character in the novel who is an author. I like and dislike this tactic he used; it makes the story seem real but it also makes you question a lot of things about the novel. Unfortunately, I have not had as much time as i would have liked to read, but I will give my insights on what I have accomplished so far. Pi is an unique character. He expresses interest in many religions and is very open minded about the world. His name could be the spawn of his interest. Pi’s full name is Piscine Molitor Patel. Piscine Molitor is a swimming pool in France that the Patel’s family friend Francis Adirubasamy swam in. Mr. Adirbuasamy said the water was clean and clear. This perfect pool represents Pi because Pi is a clear “pool” being molded by the various religions he is experiencing. Pi is also a mathematical number relating to cirlces, a significant item. When Pi chooses to shorten his name, he goes from being bullied (Piscine was bullied because his name sounded like pissing) to a person who is trying to be more serious. I want to keep reading to learn more of Pi and his experience on the raft. Because I am in psychology, I am eager to put my learning into practice while analyzing Pi. I am intrigued by the various religious symbol in this story. The author spared no expense when it comes to detail. I have not had any problems envisioning the story or imagining the characters.
I just finished chapter 42 in Life of Pi, and I am excited to read on. I am curious about many things in the book, and how it will end. I am curious how Pi will get food and water to survive long enough to make it to shore. Pi can swim well, so maybe he will manufacture a spear and try to catch fish, or he might eat the zebra that is on the boat. My thoughts on him getting water would be to create a rain trap on the boat and drink rainwater, but that will only last so long. I do not think that I would be able to handle the sadness that Pi is going through. He just lost the people he loves most after leaving his home for the foreign land of Canada. He has nothing. His religion will help him stay motivated to live throughout the remainder of the novel. His religion is interesting to me as well. It was fun to see him thank the Hindu Gods for putting Christianity in his life. There was so much push back against his faith in all three religions, even though it does not affect any of the others that were angry at his blend of religions. Faith is a personal choice, and I do not empathize with those that want to force their beliefs onto others. You can share your thoughts and sway opinions, but when the three wise men and Pi’s father were angry with him for being of three faiths, I could not identify with their causes. I wonder where Martel found inspiration for this novel. The fiction seems to real that it is almost sure is real. Pi’s story, and even the italicized chapters from the author, read as if they were nonfiction. It is quite enjoyable to read this novel as a nonfiction. I hope that Martel will continue to suspend my disbelief and create a realistic novel. As of now, I am entranced with this novel. Martel is an expert writer. Each sentence flows into each other. This novel is incredibly easy and fun to read. I am looking forward to the rest of the novel, and the thoughts that others will have on the novel in the forum.
Yann Martel is extremely skilled in the way he uses vivid details and imagery to enhance the effect his literature is meant to have on its readers. The first part of the novel goes into detail the inner conflict Pi has with three different religions: Hinduism, Christianity,and Islam. He does not encounter all three religions at same time but rather overtime when he is a young teenager. I feel his age plays a role in his susceptibility of believing everything he is told about each religion and how he feels he is able to be a follower of three different religions at the same time. When his family first finds out about this, they are disappointed and do not support him. Ravi especially picks on him for thinking he can be a follower of three different religions that contradict their beliefs with one another. I feel he picks out certain aspects of each religion and combines them in his own mind as one. This is the only way he could think that he could believe in all three loyally because each religion has such different beliefs and backgrounds. A small portion of the novel I disliked happened to be when the three wise men became enraged when they learned that Pi was practicing more than one religion. Each wise man immediately began vilifying each other's religion instead of condemning a young boy for being unusually mature and researching for himself. I became frustrated when reading this because it shows how brainwashed people can become and overlook the importance of the entire situation; Pi wants to love God and make his own choices as an independent, mature adult. Life of Pi, so far, is a really interesting, smooth reading book. I enjoy Yann Martel’s writing style. His descriptive chapters are part of the reason why this book is an easy read.
Though Life of Pi raises complex philosophical and religious questions, I am finding it very easy to read along and summarize each chapter. The book begins with the authors note, and in the first few chapters we learn about this author, however, he is not the exact same guy as Yann Martel(in my opinion). The author character only shares some of Yann Martel's biography in the book. Whichever way one wishes to think about it though, the author character in the book is meant to be Yann Martel. I really love the method that this author uses to introduce novel, like how he starts off introducing his own self, then travels to visit Pi Patel, who begins to share his philosophy, and the novel begins. I think this is an ideal way to draw in a reader. I would compare it to listening to classic stories passed down through generations. On a side note the book reminds me of the movie Forrest Gump because both tell stories of incredible lives and also introduce quirky, memorable, and unique characters. I think the best stories are derived from the most experience people.
The story is so believable because of the way that Yann Martel develops his characters. Pi Patel has a rich background and his life experiences have made him a well seasoned man. The author even goes as far to apologize for any mistakes he makes in telling Pi's story since he put it together himself. I do not think Yann Martel is making his characters quirky and realistic to balance out the unrealistic events. I think the whole concept of believeing--in the authors characters, in the plot itself--ties into the central theme in the novel which is about a humans faith in God, or believing in a God.
Ellie Klumpp Pd.2 Life of Pi is my favorite book thus far! It is most definitely the easiest to comprehend and I enjoy the amount of detail Yann Martel puts. It is enough but no too much like parts in the Lord of the Flies that would become overdone and unclear with the excessive detail. Martel makes sure you have enough detail so the reader can understand but still keep the story clear and on track. I love reading about the stories and his timeline from childhood to where I am currently am in the book is very smooth. While reading the book Pi seems very wise beyond his years and an incredibly deep thinker. He is extremely good at solving his own issues like his story about the name-calling, adding to that I am also very surprised that the name Pi has stuck with him after all these years. Now on to the main idea of the book so far, Pi choosing multiple religions. I think this is unique for a young child to do because children usually stick with their parents’ religion because it was what they were born into and know no different, but Pi does the opposite! He picks three religions because he sees positives in all three. When his parents originally say he cannot have multiple religions he is confused why. Pi wants to participate and love all the gods in all the religions. Ultimately his parents agree to let him practice all of them. I also wonder why Pi is so interested in religion at all? Most kids that age do not care much about religion and would rather be with friends.
Pi is often viewed as a disciple or Jesus like figure, which I think will foreshadow more later on such as how can a regular human survive 227 days on a boat without fresh water and a hungry tiger? He must be super human because it would take one to do that. I am looking forward to continuing on reading Yann Martel’s amazing book and watch Pi’s and Richard Parker’s journey together.
Hannah Paauw pd 6 Upon finding out that Life of Pi was a novel we were reading, I was more than a little skeptical. The only previous knowledge I had of the story was that a boy and a tiger were stuck on a lifeboat. I was under the impression that the entire novel as well as the movie was just the story of the boy and the tiger surviving in the open sea. But after picking up the novel and diving into it, I have begun to realize that there is far more than i could even imagine with the story. Mr. C kept reiterating that this book changed his life and that he loves Yann Martel as an author--within the first pages I could see how that was a real possibility. Yann Martel has one of the most unique writing styles I have ever come in contact with. Just about every sentence contains one, and sometimes more, uses of figurative language. His writing is so eloquent. Even with his use of large, unfamiliar words from different cultures, one can understand the novel quite easily. I feel as if i'm having a lesson in various aspects of life--from zoos, to culture, to religion--every time I finish a page. The novel also has an extremely unique set of chapter lengths. I haven’t read a book with such short chapters in a long time; not to mention a book with 100 chapters (which I do not believe I ever have). The thing that surprises me the most with the chapter lengths is that not a single one feels rushed. Each ones seems to conclude and give a sense of closure. I also think it is interesting how the chapters signify a change of topic. I have read one previous book like that and I thought it was so interesting and brings you further into the book. One wants to see what happens at the end of every story. There is a sense of disappointment for just a split second until one realizes that they get to continue on with another story they have been waiting anxiously for. Overall I am excited to see what the book continues to bring.
Life of Pi is undeniably one of the most interesting and unique novels I have ever read. Some elements of the story that intrigue me is how the author, Yann Martel, blurs the lines of the story between real and fake. In the author’s notes, he presents Pi Patel as a real person, someone that Martel has met in his travels when looking for inspiration for his book. In actuality, though, Pi Patel is not a real person, but made up by Martel for this story. It makes the reader have to constantly remind themselves that this novel is fiction; it is not a true story. Another interesting element Yann Martel deploys is his author’s note. Not one single book I have ever read has had an author’s note like this one. Most authors’ notes are simply a thank you to friends and family or whomever inspired them. Martel does not do this, though, but, instead, creates his author’s note to be a part of the story. Throughout the entire novel, Martel uses the element of description and visualization to make the novel come alive as well. One thing that I am curious about, though, is why Martel chooses to have such a long introduction/background for Pi Patel before he gets to the actual story. I find it interesting that the first third of the book is all before or after the incident that happens, which is Pi stranded on a lifeboat. There one question I would ask Yann Martel about his book. Why do the animals on the boat die so soon? Why do they eat/destroy each other so quickly, leaving only Richard Parker and Pi? The animals stand for something more significant than simply animals, so why are they gone so quickly? It seems to me it would be difficult to form a complete and fully rounded symbol with these animals that are gone quite briskly.
Although I am only 75 pages into Life of Pi by Yann Martel, I am intrigued in the book. I have heard nothing but good remarks on the not only the book, but the movie. Only being 75 pages in, I can tell this book will definitely be a favorite. Yann Martel has a way of outlining interesting facts that keep me wanting to read more. He has an overwhelming amount of symbols that make me question everything I am reading. I find myself not only enjoying the book, but learning numerous outlines about religions, zoos, and even people. I am interested in learning about all the different religions Yann Martel speaks about in which Pi is a part of. I hope to intelligent myself with this complex book. I admire the way Yann Martel makes it seem as if it is real life; I frequently have to tell myself that this isn’t real, but that it is fiction. I find myself constantly wondering what I would do if I was in Pi’s situation. I am uneducated on the Hindu and Muslim religions so I find it very intriguing yet confusing when Yann Martel speaks of the separate two religions. Although I am educated on the religion of Christianity, I find it especially interesting through Yann Martel’s words. The way he speaks of all three intrigues me to be more open-minded as not only a person but reader; It intrigues me to want to learn more about the Hindu and Muslim religion. I also have a great amount of respect for Yann Martel on his wisdom of all three religions. He talks as if him/pi are extremely educated on these topics, and that is the reasoning behind the thought of this book being nonfiction. Although I am not too far in the book, I am excited to sit down and read it. I know this will be a favorite read; I have always wanted to read it but never gotten the chance, therefore, I am thankful Lit has given me a reason to stop procrastinating this great book and finally read it.
I have read nearly all of the section required for this week’s forum. I have read this book once before and I enjoyed it immensely. The question the book itself asks is one to ponder. The chapter which talks about it was early in the book. I believe I read it already so this is really about the section we read. The agnostic will cling to their dry yeastless factuality and they will miss the better story. They will miss the better story. I think that this is important. The better story could be any religion in this context. Believing in a higher power and life after death gives people meaning in their life. I do have a question about this. I want to know what the author of this book believes spiritually. He did write quite a bit about the subject. He seems to have some of the ideals of an atheist but also talks about Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. the biggest motif I’ve seen so far in the novel is that agnostics suck. When Pi and both the Mr. Kumars meet it is fine since as Pi puts it, they both believe in something. Atheists just believe there is no god. Therefore they can get along with religious people. Agnostics cannot since they don’t care. One other major point I was wondering about was the reason the author chose to jump right to the boat sinking in the second part of the book. The first words are literally, just the ship sank. It seems rather abrupt. It could be to shock the reader. It does add a very different outlook to the previous page. The page before was talking about how it was a new chance and suddenly everyone is dying. Whatever the author was trying to do he definitely got my interest with the change of pace.
Having never read the Life of Pi book before and not seeing the movie when it came out a few years ago, I thought it was a little strange that we were going to read a book that I had actually heard of for class. At the beginning of Life of Pi I personally thought it was slow. I was stuck there wondering when the actual book was going to start. Yes, as a writer I know how important it is to describe your characters and your settings right off the bat, but I think Yann Martel went a litter over the top with Mamaji’s swimming career. I am honestly curious about Pi’s uncle, Mamaji. I think it is strange from his body description to how Pi describes so many of Mamaji’s personal experiences or stories, I am not sure what to do with all of the extra information. I think the author does this to get into why Pi is named Piscine and the whole background, but I think it is just extra fluff right now that the reader does not need to know all of it. Something I really enjoyed at the beginning was when Pi was describing the zoo. He described the zoo in relation to a normal school day of his. You can really tell by his description that he cares for the animals deeply. This flows so well with the thought that Pi loves all of the animals and is at peace with them. Kind of funny before he is put into destress with one.
In years past the people I have talked to about the book Life of Pi have always said the beginning was slow and then by the end of the book you will not be able to set it down. However as I have read the beginning of this book I believe the beginning is not boring. Actually I think of it as quite the opposite. I find myself learning a lot about zoos and the animals in the zoos. So far I believe the beginning of this book is quite interesting. Being the math geek that I am the way Yann Martel made Pi’s nickname possible was quite comical in my opinion. Writing 3.14 on the board in every class would have been a sight to see. I have not quite figured out what it is exactly but the way Yann Martel writes seems to click really well in my head. His book has managed to grab my eyes and so far it has been hard to put the book down. He is extremely descriptive in the way that he writes. He describes the people in the book in a way in which I feel as if I can see them right in front of me. I was confused, however, on one part of the book. How does Pi become a believer in so many religions. With all of the religions Pi begins to believe in they all begin to contradict each other. Christianity says you can not worship other gods yet Pi still believes in Hinduism and Islam. Hinduism is a religion in which their are many gods yet there are many gods in Hinduism. How can Pi claim to be a strong Christian if he does not believe in the laws of Christianity? Even if there may be a few confusing moments in the book, it is still a brilliant work by Yann Martel and I am excited to finish the book.
Emma Roach pd6 As of page 169 I have a lot of questions about the book because as of now I do not fully understand what is going on or going to happen. I have seen the movie which does follow very similar to the book as all great books it is different and more detailed. One of my many questions is why Pi was the only person out of all the people and the crew that survived the boat sinking. Probably for some reason Yann Martel made this happen but I wonder when we will find this out. Another question I have that would be just for the author is why he used those specific animals to survive and make it to the lifeboat with Pi. Maybe it was just random thought or there was actually a system in choosing the specific animals, but I would definitely like to know. I enjoy the book a lot, it has a plot that is unlike any book I have ever heard about or read. At the beginning it builds up so nicely to the actually events of what is happening in most of the book. So in thinking of that I would like to know where the author got the inspiration and the ideas to write this book. Maybe just pure thought from his mind and curiosity or maybe he or someone he knew actually went through events like this one or with the mindset of this one that gave him inspiration to write a fictional novel. I would also like to know why he chose this specific race to base the characters off of. I understand that he is of similar race but that might not be the case in why he would have chose to base the characters off the book as. So far it is a really great book that I am excited to see how it plays out. As I have heard it is a very life changing book that really makes you look and think about life and religion.
From the start the book grabs the reader’s attention. Making the author’s note as a part of the book is something I can say I have never seen before. I find that I am constantly finding something to amaze me or something that I had never thought about before. Such as when Pi talks about the animals in the zoo and their territory. The notion of not the area but the mindset of one’s property intrigued me. I drew a connection from there to humans, people in apartments each own a few different rooms of the same house but all still have some expectation to have that area to themselves while the landlord/landlady takes payment from their tenants hoping for them to stay for some financial gain. I also found the part when the teachers start to change what they call him to be elegantly and expertly written! The transition of his classes being like an oasis to being barren and dry this I found beautiful I understand that it is meant to be his name turning rancid but I first understood it to be his feelings for each class in the change as well. Earlier I said that the author’s note was awesome and unique as is the way he interjects every so often, because he never says he is the author this leaves the readers guessing if it is really the author or if it is an internal monologue by Pi. There is a section when circus lions and their trainers are discussed and I find that the thin control that the trainer has over the loins translates well to everyday life. Each person only has much control as they are given no matter what physical disadvantages they may or may not have. This book is written in a style I had not expected but I am loving it. Yann Martel is using imagery and literary devices like similes and metaphors with such skill that I cannot wait nor can I expect what will be said next.
The novel Life of Pi has been an intriguing read for me. Even though we have the movie, because my sister loved it so much, I have never seen it. So, actually reading the novel, is the first time I’ve been exposed to this author and his writing. Much of the focus of this novel is multiple religions and animals. I find both religion and animals quite interesting. There are many moment in the book when Pi is discussing Christianity, Hinduism and the Muslim religion. Myself, believing the Christian perspective, find it frustrating sometimes when I don’t know much about the other religions. Having studied the Bible since I was little, I feel I know what the history of my personal religion is about. However, not fully understanding Hinduism and Muslim, but yet being able to understand just enough, somehow these two religions conflict with what I actually believe. Holding fast to my own beliefs is very important to me. What I find frustrating is when Pi is trying to explain everything, and yet in doing so, contradicts himself multiple times. Focusing on these pieces as I read is very important to me. The use of animals and their symbolism is absolute fun to read. To be actually stuck, on a boat, in an ocean, with a hyena, monkey, zebra and tiger, is really quite unbelievable. To then say you lived through this entire experience is even more unbelievable. I actually find myself liking Richard Parker the more I read. The saddest part of the book thus far has been the zebra dying. What a horrible, drawn out death. It was very difficult to read. It’s as if, through Yann Martel’s storytelling, I was actually on the boat, out on the ocean with Pi and the animals. This is how it feels reading this novel. Questioning one’s religions beliefs is ok. Reading a novel such as this, which brings those questions to the forefront, forces me to look back on my own religious teachings in the church I attend to see if this is what I truly believe. It has reinforced in my own life the teachings of the Bible and the truth it beholds.
***contains spoiler for those who have not finished the novel***
1 Rohrbach
I have known the ending of the novel for several years now, so I know about the metaphor of the people on the boat as the animals. Knowing the end did not complete the meaning of the book for me, but I noticed something recently while analyzing Chapters 21 and 22, which discusses “the better story”. Yann Martel uses these chapters to reveal his thoughts on religion, life, and the afterlife. He makes it clear that the agnostic in Chapter 22 does not see the better story, but makes an intellectual or logical reasoning to things as he dies. The atheist comes to believe in the idea of a god, thus seeing the better story. Yann is clearly saying that it does not matter what one believes, but as long as they believe in something instead of the “dry, yeastless factuality” of life. The entire novel is about religion and is a metaphor for life. The story of the animals on the boat with Pi is the religion and belief of something more. Living logical and factual is the other story of Pi, his mother, the cook, and the sailor. The point of the story is a demonstration of viewing the world through a lens of religion instead of a scientific and factual lens. The fact that Pi believes in three religions is why these three religions do not conflict. He does not need to make sense of the different contradictions between them, but he just need them in order to have the best story he can. Yann Martel manipulates the intro on purpose, because by blending reality into fiction is the purpose of the novel. Is reality the only or best way to convey truth? No, fiction conveys truth better. He is trying to convey in the best way how the merging of fiction is better than reality. Fiction paints a colorful, detailed picture of truth; reality can only describe truth with its black and white guidelines. Which do you prefer the story of the animals or the real story? It will be the story with the animals of course. How does it make one believe in god? Because the novel gives its readers a message: The better story is the story we want, and the best story for our life is the story with a belief in something more.
My favorite part about Life of Pi so far is the use of the number three. Until reading this book, I guess I never realized how important the number three truly is. Three is present in the religions Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. There are three realms: Heaven, Earth, and Hell. I have a feeling that the third part of the book will be the best and most interesting part. In fact, I just realized that this is the third blog task of the second semester! I don’t know if you planned that, but that is quite the coincidence.
I also admire the way that Pi describes things in great detail. He takes care to describe how ferocious the hyenas are. It is too bad that teachers don’t teach by telling stories. I think I would remember their lessons better if there were stories behind them. There are many stories in the book, but they are set in a way that helps the reader to better understand, rather than confuse the reader. The book itself is a story within a story. The words of the book are beautiful. They aren’t large words, but the book makes it obvious that simplicity can be effective.
Pi is a great character to study and learn from. We should all strive to be as open to new things as Pi. He doesn’t practice three religions to be seen as “better” than everyone else; he does it because he just wants to love and worship God. He is even open and respectful of atheism. Any disagreement Pi has is said in a polite manner. Pi is a caring person even when he is struggling for his life on the lifeboat. He feels bad for the zebra and thinks he should have done something. If I were in his position, I probably would not care about the zebra. Of course, I would be sad and upset when the hyena eats the zebra, but I would probably focus on my own problems instead of the zebra’s.
I wonder why Pi’s brother, Ravi, is not mentioned much in the book. The only time we hear from Ravi is when he is teasing his brother. The book says that he loves sports and is not as faithful as his family. Ravi is much more energetic and carefree than Pi. I think Pi will begin to show regret for not trying harder to wake his brother.
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97 comments:
I am intrigued by the way Yann Martel blurs the border between fiction and reality. As I read along, I must occasionally remind myself Life of Pi is a novel. Various elements of the story--most notably Pi Patel’s ocean voyage on the lifeboat--remind me of other sea-survival tales I have read, such as Endurance (which documents Ernest Shackleton’s failed transantarctic expedition and subsequent trek to rescue) and In the Heart of the Sea (which recounts the attack of the whaleship Essex by a sperm whale and the crew’s subsequent drift to safety). Unlike Life of Pi, these other books are nonfiction; but to be quite honest, my mind is subconsciously reading Life of Pi like it is nonfiction too. It makes for a curious read indeed! Of course the majority of the book is presented as if it really were nonfiction, but all the same, there are parts of the story that seem surreal (because they are, in fact, surreal)--including the presence of zoo animals, etc. I wonder why Martel decided to write the book this way.
I am also enchanted by Martel’s prologue, or Author’s Note. I had already read it before we discussed it in class--and I had accepted it as reality! Only when we reread it in class did I realize it was not necessarily from Yann Martel; but of course, it is necessarily directed to the reader nonetheless. While certain elements of the Author’s Note are probably reality--it is difficult to distinguish which ones (not all of them are, that much is certain--Pi Patel is referred to as if he were a real, interviewed man brimming with life experiences). I suppose Pi Patel is brimming with life experiences, otherwise Martel would never have been able to bring the character to life. Martel is layering fiction on fiction: the novel itself is overlayed by an invented storyline about the drafting/inspiration process. This does not mean the narrator is unreliable; well, I am not sure what it means. I think it best if each reader decides for himself.
6 Bose said…
Life of Pi is an extraordinary read. I feel as if I am in the setting and there with Pi as I am reading. He describes everything so vividly and I also love all of the metaphors and symbols. As far as I have gotten, there have been numerous symbols in the readings. Such as religious symbols, symbols for nature, and symbols for just the human race in general. He talks on a level where I believe the audience can relate to. He goes from childhood bullies which talks to the younger audience, to moving houses and jobs and how hard work can be, which attracts the adult audience. I do have some questions though. I understand that it is Pi speaking in the italicized parts, but those parts to me are random. They don’t make sense. They described someone cooking and another one was some man, just what his caricature looked like. This confuses me. Also why have those random spots in the reading? I am sure that they relate somehow but I am not quite sure how they do yet. Also, if Pi is the italicized, then who is narrating the rest of the reading? I find it quite interesting all of the religions he uses throughout the novel. It appears to one that he may be confused on what religion he likes best, but I see it as a window of opportunity to study and become familiar with other religions. Pi must be careful of this though, due to the fact that some of the religions he is worshiping contradict praising another God other than the one from that religion. For instance, in the bible, which is the symbol for Christianity, it says that you can only praise one God, meaning Jesus, and that money isn’t God and you should always put God first then earthly things because God lasts forever and earthly things don’t. If Pi worships different religions, he is not following certain ones correctly, due to the fact that he is worshiping more than one God. This is just an observation I have made throughout reading this novel. As far as I am in the novel, I really enjoy reading it and the diversity it brings to fiction novels.
Life of Pi is an easy novel for me to jump into and comprehend. As the reader, I am able to clearly picture and visualize what Pi is going through and experiencing. There are many symbols and themes within that novel that I can decipher, such as symbols for human race, religion, and nature. For as far as I am in the novel, those were some symbols I had taken into account and looked more into. Two themes that have stuck out to me are religion and science. I enjoy how Yann Martel started the novel off from childhood and how he is gradually growing with it. It is enjoyable to read how Piscine Molitor Patel actually got his nickname Pi because in many short stories you read, the author does not explain and go into depth to events like that. Things like childhood memories, which Yann Martel explained to us in the novel, make the novel that much more interesting and intriguing for the reader. I find it interesting how Pi’s nickname has stuck with him since he was at the English-medium secondary school in Pondicherry. Personally, having flashbacks to childhood or important memories is eye catching for me to read about, because it makes me interested in the novel and makes me want to continue to read. I am a little curious about what the importance of Pi’s cupboards filled with food represents. Is it foreshadowing to when Pi gets stranded in a lifeboat for 227 days and does not have the variety of food he has now? Does it symbolize something? I also find it interesting how Pi follows other religions, but yet does not fully commit to a certain religion. According the the Bible, you shall have to other Gods. You are to worship one God. Does Pi know what he is doing is against certain religions? These were just a few questions and things I had observed while reading Life of Pi.
6 Mullet
For me, Life of Pi is an eye opener. Chapters 1 through 58 talk widely of religion and the feeling of each God personally reaching Pi Patel. I love how vivid the feelings are and how you can personally feel things along with Pi. I know how Pi feels when he connects with God, so I can understand the other religions reaching him. The book has the ability to question what is so different between religions if they are all trying to get to one place. On page 74 Pi says, “If there’s only one nation in the sky, shouldn’t all passports be valid for it?” The question he imposes can make you think deeply about personal religion and your own life. It can make you think about where you are going and what your aim in the grand scheme of life is. The animal parts of the book are very interesting, but also hard to follow. I think the book was written with the intent that you would not pay too much attention to the animal actions and behaviors, because when the animals are mentioned they are mentioned in huge lists that take up 3 or more lines. When Pi talks about the animal behaviors, he also lists them in a way that takes up more than 3 lines. If I was a professional writer and wanted my work to be easily interpreted and soaked in, then I would not put all of the animals in a list like that. It takes away their importance. I think Yann Martel just meant for most animals in the zoo to be tertiary characters, where they do not have to even exist other than the purpose of having a decent sized zoo. Life of Pi pulls you in quickly and captures your attention easily. The descriptors are solid and Martel does a wonderful job of allowing you inside the mind of Pi Patel, letting you feel Pi’s feelings, and showing you the story instead of telling it.
7 Nelson
I first read Life of Pi as a freshman in high school. From what I remember, the beginning dragged on and boring. As I read it again three years later, it is still slow. However, I know realize the great significance of such an introduction. Also, when I first read this novel, I did not give a second about this book only being a tale because I was busy being entirely intrigued in the fake world of Pi Patel. My mind is baffled as to how Yann Martel made a fictional character so real by blurring the lines of fiction and reality. I wonder how he was so inspired to do something that, I imagine, was entirely impossible. Maybe impossible to my mind, but not to Martel’s. The Author’s Note at the beginning of the novel is what made me accept what I was about to read as reality. More often than not, I do not read the author’s note. It is always the thanking of people who I do not know nor have any interest in. The note Martel wrote is a part of the story. Why is he thanking fictional character for inspiration. Are they based on real people? This is my book now, and I can make up my own opinion or story that is just as believable as Pi. Piscine Patel follows many different religions which is and was an extreme taboo in any generation. This makes me wonder about what Yann Martel thinks about religion and society and if this is his subconscious speaking his opinion. When Pi explains why he is so intrigued by each religion, I fully understand and see why he chose to study each one. How is it that Pi chooses multiple religions and his father chooses none. Could it be a way to rebel? While reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel, many questions arise that I choose to answer myself. While continuing to read this novel I find it difficult to analyze as I did with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. As stated before, this book blurs the lines of fiction and reality and in real life, one does not realize foreshadow and symbols until after a life lesson is learned the hard way.
Before the novel is even started, the author’s note, a work of reality and fiction intertwine with the author’s life and the fictional life of Pi, draws readers in with vivid imagery and verbosity in the best way possible. A unique start to an award-winning (and certainly deserving) novel, I have never encountered anything like this, anything this enthralling, this thought-provoking, and this well-written. Yann Martel writes with passion, which is clearly visible throughout this novel, filled with enviable sentences and the provocative topics and ideas that are presented within. Inspiration blurs fact and fiction. Disbelief sets in as you read of Martel meeting Pi --much older now--in his home in Canada. Out of Pi’s adroit mouth flows stories of lifeboats, zoos, zebras, religion, and, of course, Richard Parker. The idiosyncrasy of this instantly sets readers up for an experience that they will never forget as they ride along in the massive lifeboat with Pi and Richard Parker; they will question things they never thought to before.
As with the actual novel, I was neither underwhelmed nor was it what I had expected. The writing swims into your mind with the ease of a shark slicing through the salty ocean waters and sparks interest into your brain like a bolt of literary lightning. Readers will sympathize with Pi as he watches the zebra struggle to live and see that translated into his will to live as he resides on that lifeboat in the middle of ocean. I find this novel to be one of extreme heroism; however, Pi is not the only hero. Life of Pi will make you want to both believe in God and question your religion. I am beyond thrilled to continue devouring this novel and I hope to find more meaningful symbolism throughout this incredibly captivating and charming novel.
The Life of Pi is an intriguing book. I began reading and was immediately confused, wondering what was happening and who was talking. Because of that, it made me want to continue reading to ease my mind and answer my questions. As I continued reading, the puzzle pieces started to come together. To my understanding as of now, the main character, Pi Patel, is recounting his life to the author of the book. Up to where I’m at, I’ve learned that Pi Patel was a young boy, often made fun of in school. He turned to religion and found he was extremely passionate about not only one, but three different types of religions: Christian, Hindu, and Muslim. Pi’s parents don’t seem to be understanding of his beliefs, as well as the leaders of each of the religions. Regardless, Pi sticks to what Bapu Ghandi said, “All religions are true.”
A couple things in this book so far have left me confused. I can not help but wonder why...why is Pi so passionate about three different religions? At that young age, most are playing games and hanging out with friends, but not Pi. His love for all the three religions makes me confused and just questioning his reasoning for it. Another thing that I wonder about is some of the last names. Two important people in Pi’s life both have the same last name of Kumar, but have no apparent relationship to each other: Mr. Kumar the baker and Mr. Kumar the biology teacher. Could this be a symbol for something...or what is the author’s point to choosing the same last names? At one point, the three of them, Mr. Kumar, Mr. Kumar, and Pi, are all at the zoo together. This is confusing to understand who is talking. I wonder if this will have a larger effect later on in the novel.
I recall reading this novel when I was a sophomore. I considered it hard to comprehend and I had stopped as Pi began to start his journey into learning new religions. I found it absurd that one could believe in so many religions as Pi did. Most of the ideas in each religion are vastly different from each other, so why would Pi believe in them? Pi does not realize that some of the religions contradict each other. Christians believe in God, whereas Hindus believe in multiple. I wonder if Pi will ever realize this? I have also wondered what religion his children believe in. Another thing that I also am wondering is if Pi somewhat a reflection of Martel as in someone who has had trouble with religion or finding something to believe in. However, as I reread the parts that I read in sophomore year and also read those parts I did not get to, I realized that I have missed a lot of important aspects of this famous novel. As I am older, I feel as if I appreciate this novel more than I did in the past. Yann Martel did a fantastic job writing this novel. I have seen the movie but I am easily able to picture many of the events in the book because Martel did such an amazing job. One question I wondered as I read the author’s note was what changed in Martel? He explained that his second book did not do well and that it did not affect him. So what changed? How did Martel go from writing something that people did not care about to writing a novel like Life of Pi? Another thing that I realized was that as Pi narrates the story, he hints at many things to come later in the novel. When Pi talks about zoomorphism in chapter 32, he mentions something about how if lion cubs were to realize that a dog was their mother, “that would mean they were motherless, the absolute worst condition imaginable…” (86). Pi knows that this will be the worst condition because his mother did not survive the ship sinking.
Seeing Life of Pi the movie a few years ago, I was skeptical about how the book would compare to the movie. I thought the movie was intriguing and that it would ruin the book for me. Watching movies first makes it extremely difficult to finish the book. I am 100 pages into the book and I have not had that difficulty yet. Yann Martel was able to grasp my attention from the beginning. As there are similarities to the movie, I am more drawn to the book. As I write down my forum notes I notice that Martel put hundreds of religious connotations, metaphors, and similes into the book. As a character Pi is often referred to as a disciple figure and as Jesus occasionally. Pi Patel is a character that is intrigued with multiple religions. As an author, Martel had to research those religions and study them carefully while he brought this character to life. As a reader who knows little about being in the Muslim religion, or the Hindu religion, I have had no problem keeping along when these religions are brought into the scene. Martel used his knowledge of the religions while adding them to the story with ease to the reader. I also like the fusion Martel created of fiction and nonfiction. A reader is able to picture themselves as the main character with this blend. I am able to connect to the story and I feel as if I am the one who is experiencing the same problems as Pi. The only questions I had with the reading I have done so far is Pi’s fascination with the sloths. He likes them because of their demure: calm, quiet and introspective. Pi says they help soothe his shattered self. This makes me wonder what connection to the sloth does he have. I am also thought provoked when he describes the scene where he is at an Indian restaurant eating with his hands and the waiter says “Fresh off the boat?” Pi immediately blanches and feels as if there are nails going into skin. I am wondering about the significance the scene has. I think that maybe it is Pi showing that he still has not yet “adapted” back to humans and he is still stuck on the boat with the animals. My last thoughts were about when Pi’s father defends him when the three religious leaders want Pi to choose a religion. Pi’s father says that he simply does not have to choose and can still love God. I am trying to come up with a motive his father would have even though he is atheist. I think it might be out of love like the Priest was telling Pi when he was asking about the crucifixion of Jesus.
The whole of story itself of Life of Pi is interesting and intriguing. The story seems to be read as you are actually listening to Pi tell his story from the beginning to the long 227 day long end. The story has a fiction vs nonfiction conflict through reading the novel. The outline story seems to be to be true but it has its moment throughout the novel that gives it a fiction vibe. Yann Martel uses such excellent description when describing the birds on page 14. He describes things in such great detail as though he is painting the picture in our mind for us. He seems to leave out no details. There is symbols for everything like religion, nature, and human race. He talks in a way and describes in a way that puts thoughts into the mind that seems like you are actually there doing everything with Pi. This particular novel is an easy read for me but it was slow at the beginning. Pi talks about how the animal would not want to escape to the unknown of the world. I am assuming this is a foreshadow for future on the lifeboat in the unknown of the ocean? His father brings him into the cat's house to explain to the boys that even though they may seem friendly and loving animals the cats are still wild in the cage and treat them as though they are in the wild. Why does his father decide then that he would show the boys what would happen if the goat was them? His father describes mostly every animal that can hurt Pi and Ravi with great detail. Why doe Yann Martel add this in there? Does he want to build up to lifeboat? In the beginning it starts to briefly mention religion. Why does he have different religions that he believes in? Christianity believes that you can only have one God...How is this so when Pi has different religions? So far from where I am at in the novel it seems very intriguing to continue on.
I like how Pi has so many different religions. I often have wondered if all the religions in the world do not just have the same God and we just do not know it. Yet all these wars are fought over religions but they all have same basis. I have somewhat considered believing something like Pi does. I have seen that Muslims have a lot of dedication and effort to Allah and that is something I would like to have. So I often wonder why the world can not be that simple and easy. We can all believe in as many or as few religions as possible and make them go together perfectly although in reality they can not. Also I like to believe that Pi is real and so is Richard Parker. As I read this story, and in real life, I believe that they are real. I got this mindset when my younger self watched Life of Pi the movie with my older sister Tracy. I was super confused about Richard Parker leaving Pi once they get to land. I asked her at the end, "So I'm confused, was the tiger real or not?" Tracy replied, "Ugh! Nicole! That is the whole point! You believe what you want." So I decided to believe that Pi Patel and Richard Parker are 100% true. You can learn a lot from Life of Pi and you can get a lot about faith out of it. It was the faith that Pi had the entire time on the boat that kept Richard Parker, and in fact himself alive. Without faith I don't think that Pi Patel could have survived the total of 227 days at sea. Or at least if Richard Parker was not real and was not with Pi that entire time one the boat, the I believe that God sent Richard Parker to Pi as part of his imagination so that Pi could survive the time at sea.
While reading The Life of Pi, I begin to understand the way Yan Martel writes. I enjoy the way the chapters are short. It helps me focus on the real meat and potatoes of the work. I have never read a book, besides the bible, that is so influenced by religion. I could probably take a test on Hinduism itself and ace it. I believe that Yan is helping us as readers come more informative with the three religions. Throughout the journey Pi is soon going to face, slowly but surely, I think that he will be presented with experiences that all religions will help him through. Whether it be lessons he learns like in the bible or a crazy story like the Hindu comics he used to read as a child. From the artwork we looked at in class I can see that once the ship sinks and Pi is left alone with Richard Parker, Pi refuses to be on the lifeboat with Richard. I am interested to see how Pi will end up on the boat and how they will be domesticated together. Why is, whoever is interviewing him, is he interested in Pi? Is Pi going to be known for something bigger we do not know about? It seems impossible to be alive for so long without food and fresh water. To survive on a lifeboat without fresh water (227 days) is not livable for the human body, but that's the way the bible stories are. Many stories like the man who lived inside the whale, completely stretching the truth is what most believe when they first hear it. That could be the reason why religion is such a huge influence in this novel. I hope that soon a climax in the story will pick up and that we can find how Pi and Richard Parker live in somewhat of a harmony throughout there strenuous journey. I could never imagine living on a small boat with a tiger almost three times as big as me.
Life of Pi is undoubtedly one of the most interesting books that I have ever read. In the beginning of the story it was extremely hard to read. I think is due to the fact that Pi is talking of his religion and how he ended up choosing all three religions consisting of Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity. This view of one being able to believe in three different religions shocked me. I had not really thought of this being possible but everyone should be able to choose what they believe or disbelieve in. Pi’s religious ordeal is extremely enlightening to me. After the shipwreck is where I became extremely intrigued by the novel and the story it told. Pi’s encounters with the animals on his raft did not at first have much significance to me. I did not really understand what purpose they played in no matter how hard I thought about it. I had to further read into Martel’s masterpiece to unlock the meaning behind the animals, or so I think. I could be completely wrong, but are all books supposed to be interpreted the same way? The answer is simple: no. Life of Pi has truly made me think about life and what it has to offer, more than any book ever has. I am extremely excited to hear what my fellow peers have to say about the book on the forum this upcoming Friday.
I have seen the movie a couple of times and I thought it was good, but it is not one of the best movies I have seen just because I think it is somewhat hard to comprehend in just that short amount of time. However, I do believe that I will enjoy the movie so much more after fully completing the novel. I am eager to see it again. I firmly state that Yann Martel is a genius and that Life of Pi will become a literary canon if it is not deemed that already.
Schwint 1
My favorite thing about reading Life of Pi is the wonderful imagery that Yann Martel has added to the book. This imagery helps me, as the reader, to immerse myself into the book and it makes the novel all the more real to me. For example, towards the beginning of the novel Pi describes the zoo and goes in depth into not only telling you which animals you will encounter first but also how the visitors of the zoo react to seeing these same animals. This intense description during this part of the book makes me feel like I am walking through the zoo along with Pi and the visitor and that is amazing because it makes me connect to the book instead of just reading the book. Another major thing that stands out to me in the book Life of Pi is how Pi gets introduced to each religion. In the beginning each time Pi encounters another religion he first talks about his skewed view of that religion. Many people reading this book can probably relate with Pi when he first talks about a new religion like Christianity or Islam because most people are raised that their religion is the right religion and the other religions are wrong. What really intrigues me about Pi encountering all these religions is that he does not run away from all these religions instead he sticks around them and he learns more about them until he too believes what the new religion teaches. Pi also never chooses one religion and instead he practices all the different religions. I think Pi not choosing a religion shows that there should not be fighting against people just because they have a different religion than you instead we should all understand each other, even if we do not agree, and live in harmony.
1 Gloege
Life of Pi is a classic novel written by Yann Martel about a young boy who grew up in a zoo, and later becomes stranded on a boat with a tiger while moving his family’s zoo from India to Canada. This book is my favorite novel we have read in class so far and I am not even halfway done with it. Pi is a young boy who is intelligent far beyond his years. He understands more about how the world works than most adults do. He has a different way of looking at the world than most people would, and I believe this gives him an advantage in life. On page 80, it says “He’s [Pi] a shy man. Life has taught him not to show off what is most precious to him”. This is a great example of showing how much Pi has really been through in his life. He has experienced good times along with bad ones, and has survived all of it just fine. An example that could be scarring is when Pi and Ravi’s father gives them a ‘lesson’ about the zoo animals, I think that they were too young and it was too harsh to make them watch it. Their mother was very upset with their father for showing them such horrors, and I agree with her. Pi is a very different young boy. While other boys, such as his brother, are out playing games and worrying about their friends, Pi is enthralled in his own imagination. The fact that Pi is practicing three religions-Islam Hinduism, and Christianity-is very intriguing to me. I do not understand how one would keep all of them straight, and be able to devotedly worship one without breaking rules of the other. Pi also seems to understand these religions exceptionally well, and really comprehend what they believe in.
The book Life of Pi is a very interesting book so far. One thing I have noticed is that he describes everything in so much detail. He uses such vivid words and it is a very easy book to keep reading and stay interested in. He reaches out to the readers and describes what he is going through. Like his childhood bullying and how he deals with his problems and gets through. Another thing I noticed while reading is the symbolism throughout. There are many symbols for religion that I caught on to. It is very interesting to read his thoughts and I enjoy the way he speaks to the reader and really enjoy this book so far. There is also symbols for human race, and nature. I thought it was interesting how Pi’s nickname has stuck with him since he was at the English secondary school in Pondicherry. I also think it is very interesting how Pi follows and studies more than one religion but has not completely devoted himself to one religion. I think he wants to understand all the beliefs and thoughts of different cultures and religions. I do not fully understand how he can do that though. Christianity is the belief in one God, and Hinduism believes in many and they contradict one another. So how he can believe in more than one of these religions is beyond me, but I wonder if that will come up later in the book and will talk about that. Yann Martel did such a great job writing this novel and I can not wait to further advance in this book and take in all it has to offer. I have seen the movie and heard from those who read the book, that the book is better like most books vs movies. The movie is very good, and that is just another reason I can not wait to see what this book holds. I love the way Yann Martel helps you connect with the story in so many ways and makes me feel like I am experiencing it.
The novel, Life of Pi, is an very interesting book so far. I enjoy the way Yann Martel writes, he describes everything in the book with amazingly vivid details. The style in which he writes keeps the reader interested and wanting more. In the beginning of the novel it is difficult to tell who is talking. He starts out the author's notes by Martel reading and explaining his reason for writing the book, then it goes on to how he met a man that had a story to make him believe in god. You cannot tell whether the story is being told by the Indian man, named Pi, or by Yann Martel. It makes you want to continue to read to find out the answer. Another I am enjoying about this book is the talk of religion. Pi is not completely devoted to just one religion, but three religions that have some factors that contradict each other. He is a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I think this is very cool because it is unusual to see this happen. Mostly because it is frowned upon, the average religious person in all religions believes you should only practice one not three. Another reason most people do not follow more than one religion is because of the contradictions within them, Christianity is the believe in one god and Hinduism is the believe in multiple. The story Pi is telling is interesting as well. It begins with his name, Piscine Patel. He was named after a swimming pool, this is because his uncle Mamaji was an amazing swimmer and he taught Pi how to swim. But, he got made fun of in school because it sounds like pissing. So, Pi decided he did not want to called this anymore and he memorized the number represented by Pi. The book is very interesting so far and I cannot wait to continue reading.
Throughout the novel Life of Pi, I have noticed a few things. First off the way he uses personifications. There is personification all over this book, incredible comparisons. For example, he talked about running a hotel would be a zookeepers worst nightmare because the animals are like drunk unhygienic humans. Second off the way he portrays Piscine speak. Piscing speaks of pure knowledge and understanding. He has a way with animals and also a way with God. In the beginning of the book, Pi converts to Hinduism. Then Christianity. Then Muslim. How can one boy be apart of three different, demanding faiths? I found it funny how Martel seemed to have all of the priest show up at once in front of his parents (whom he did not tell yet). All three came about him and were bashing one each religion, oblivious that Pi was still present. They then began to come to realization and forced Pi to choose one religion. One. Pi did not speak but the father came in and offered to take them out for ice cream (of course ice cream is going to fix the problem??) and all matters of religion were left behind. Until later on when he asks his mother for a praying mat when all she can do is sigh. He then retorts back to her “How many nations are there in the sky?” as his mother replies “One.” This is referring to if there is one nation, all religions must be connected somehow.
My third connection to the book is the statement, “Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it.” If you think about this statement with a deconstructionist lens, you will see they are polar opposites. Life is an ongoing thing and will continue on long after you have left. Life is to live and then to die. Death is apart of life given they have total separate meanings.
The Life Of Pi is by far my favorite book we have read so far. The idea of a boy stuck on a lifeboat with a 450 pound tiger is amusing and terrifying at the same time. The way Yann Martel tells this story really makes your feel connected with Pi Patel. Pi Patel is a likable character and I find myself becoming anxious when he is anxious, happy when he is happy, and hopeless when he is hopeless. I am very much amused by his religious beliefs and I found myself laughing out loud when the “three wise men” were arguing with each other about their beliefs. Yann Martel changes up the chapter length quite often, some people do not enjoy this inconsistency but I think it enhances the reading. I also enjoy how the book jumps around from young Pi Patel, to old Pi Patel, to the author getting told the story. This story keeps the reader on their toes. I find myself sinking deeper and deeper into this book by the vivid details Yann Martel describes everything. He describes the animals in such great detail that I can imagine what the all the animals look and even sound like. Pi Patel, in chapter 57, thinks about how Richard Parker is the reason he is still alive. No matter how much of a vicious animal Richard Parker is I find myself loving this tiger. The way Pi describes this creature is different how he describes the hyena. The reader can tell that Pi has a deeper connection with Richard Parker. Richard Parker is described as majestic and strong while the hyena is described as hideous and evil. I am rooting for Richard Parker and Pi’s relationship. I am looking forward to reading the rest of this book and seeing how Pi can tame Richard Parker. I am keeping hope for both of them! Remember "fear is life's only true opponent."
Yann Martel is a very interesting writer. He is able to write in so many different ways that when he had a new book coming out there is no way to know how it will be written. This is why a question to ask is, what is Yann going to be writing next? The High Mountains of Portugal was his last book. This book is about a boy who goes on a quest for an ancient artifact, and if he can find, it will redefine history. This books writing style is very different from Life of Pi. By what is happening in the story and also what point of view the story is from. Another item I am very intrigued with is where he gets his inspiration from? A lot of the time writes get inspiration from their early/ tragic childhood, But Yann did not have a traumatic childhood. He was raised in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Alaska and Canada by his parents who seemed to have pretty steady jobs and did not struggle in life.
While reading Life of Pi you start to get an emotional attachment to the characters, which in return is why Yann is such an accomplished writer. Some of the other questions raised was the fact that over half of the novel is based in a small life boat with a tiger and a couple other animals. How are you able to continue a story when you do not have any other settings to use? Or how there are no new characters in the story for a while so how is he able to keep the reader's attention for so long? I have seen the movie for this book and when books are made into movies there are always some differences, this is why I am enjoying this book more than normal. When reading I enjoy finding things that are different in the book than in the movie. Then I ask myself, Why would they change something from the book in the movie? Does it not take away from the plot and many other parts of the book? So far, the book has been very interesting and I can not wait to continue it further.
2 Litt
The novel The Life of Pi is indeed a very curious work of literature. The premise of the novel is such that it plays on the quandaries of the human mind as well as bringing in religion as a major part of the story. As a species humans are obsessed at finding out how far we can be pushed to the limits and survive. Not to mention the fact that Pi Patel in the novel is just a teenage boy. We see him overcoming immense difficulties and who does not love a story in which the main character has to challenge themselves to overcome a huge obstacle in life. This seafaring tale is so encapturing that I find myself losing track of everything else and becoming submerged within the story of a teenage boy on a boat with what looks like no hope of surviving. Another thing that plays to the common interest of the human mind is the ever present danger that he is on the boat with a tiger. The two characters find a way to bond throughout the novel that they almost seem to become friends as crazy as that sounds. The author Yann Martel wrote this novel in such a way that I find myself believing every written word as truth. He writes it in such a way that makes you think he is telling the story of a past experience of his and not just a fictional tale meant to entertain and make you consider the deeper meanings found throughout the novel. An interesting aspect of this book is the movie that was produced. While the movie does a wondrous job of capturing the imagery of the book it lacks the immersion that you feel when getting lost in the story of Pi Patel and Richard Parker trying to overcome insurmountable odds to survive. While reading this novel I am awestruck at how well the author can write in such a way that is so fluent and real. The story makes you want to go back through and pick out certain hidden messages that the author has sprinkled throughout the novel.
At the start of the novel, I had had already a fair amount of previous knowledge of what happens in Life of Pi because I have seen the movie before; however, I have not seen the ending, so I am unaware of how the closure comes about. I feel as though prior to the shipwreck it was a little slow in the book, but I understand that Martel had to insert that part of Pi’s life in order to completely and fully comprehend his tragic experience. I like how it talks in great depth about each animal in particular and describes how each one reacts to certain things and people. It talks about how tigers are extremely dangerous animals, yet it is funny and quite ironic that he ends up in a lifeboat with one and maintains to stay alive. People probably think that most of what he talks about before the shipwreck is non essential information, but if we look closely and more in depth, we are able to see the complete and utter irony that Martel correlates into the novel for specific purposes. I found it interesting yet somehow understandable how when the writer visited Pi, noticed that his cupboards were filled entirely with food. It is quite odd but where he is coming from, extremely understandable and expected. I also found it interesting that Pi was so intrigued with religion: three specifically. After each religion that he came across, he would become so fascinated that he would join it. I do not understand how one can be involved with three different religions because they are all so completely different; however, I sort of admire his persistent dedication towards God and his undying need to be involved to praise Him so much. One thing I really enjoy about the novel is how short and abridged the chapters are. It helps me remain focused on the topic at hand.
I have seen the movie Life of Pi a couple years ago. At the time, a friend of mine asked to watch it with them and I decided, why not? I thought that the movie was good and it was very interesting. Although in my opinion, I do prefer movies over books. I was excited when I found out that I would be able to have the opportunity to read Life of Pi in Literature class. I was not sure if I would get as into the book as many others do just because I normally find it difficult for myself to enjoy a book unless it catches my attention. I have started the book but have not gotten too far into it. So far I find the book intriguing and it is an easier read, by being able to follow along better. I find it helpful that the chapters are short because I am able to focus better on each chapter and what it is applying. What stood out to me as I have been reading is how it is full of religion. I do not think I have ever read a book that talks about religion as much as Life of Pi does. I think that Yan Martel did a fabulous job at explaining how religion works in the novel to be able to concentrate on what is occurring. He uses vivid words that add detail to every chapter.I did have one question in particular before I started the book and as I have been reading. A question that has been on my mind for a while is how it is even humanly possible to be able to spend 227 days on a lifeboat in the middle of the sea? I feel as if religion plays a huge part in this because without a lot of prayers and faith, no one would be able to spend that amount of time in the middle of nowhere like Pi did. As I continue reading this book, I will be able to gain more knowledge on anything and everything I need to know. I am excited to finish the book and discuss what we have all learned in the following forums.
I may have blundered in a way because I first saw the movie "The Life of Pi"
several years ago. Now as I read the book, I keep visualizing the movie. This has its advantages, as I can compare how accurately the film portrays the book. Nonetheless this book has so far been a fantastic read. As I read, however, there are several points which peak my interest. Even though the story is written to be a fictional story, it is sometimes necessary to remind oneself that this is not real. From the author's notes, to how Pi Patel acts, the book offers a flow that is very similar to nonfiction stories. One aspect of Pi that is genuinely amazing is that he is able to keep all of his religions straight in his head and able to follow the rules of each without having any of them interfering with the other. As well as being a religious fanatic, he seems to embrace science just as much as he embraces the different religions. This seems a bit odd, because if Pi had believed in so many religions, one would think that he may not be as accepting of science. I read an article after reading a segment of the book, that stated that Pi was a character that the reader doesn’t really progress as a 'character' until later in the book when he is out at sea. Lastly, as I continue to read this book, I am amazed towards the amount of detail that Pi Patel (through the words granted by Yann Martel) describes events with. One example I came upon was when Pi was describing what a zoo would be if it was
conceived as a hotel. After reading this, the reader can vividly picture exactly how this would look. Yann Matel has done a great job with the book as far as setting up the story leading to being out at sea. This makes the reader more attached to Pi, and sets up his character for development, rather than if he had started the book right when the [spoilers] boat sank.
Life of Pi intrigues me because of the immense creativity one must have to write such a fantastic novel. I have never read this book or seen the movie before, so I am thrilled to read further into this novel. Everyone always talks about how great of a book and movie it is and so far I am very impressed with this book. I love the writing style Yann Martel has. He writes with an amazing flow that makes his novel so easy and captivating to read. I am able to read multiple pages in one sitting. The other books we read this semester would bore me at times, but this novel fascinates me. He uses a wide variety of symbols when it comes to religion, nature, and human race. I find it interesting that he studies, or practices, both Hinduism and Christianity. This is intriguing to me because they are completely opposite religions. For example, Hindus believe in many gods and Christians believe in one god. I am not quite sure how Pi Patel is able to believe in both religions, but it is riveting. I also find it interesting at the great detail he describes when he talks about the animals in the zoo. He talks about how the animals do not feel trapped when they are in the zoo. They do not feel as if their freedom has been revoked from them. Instead, he explains how the animals actually feel at home. They are very territorial, so it is good for them to be in a zoo. Another plus to being in captivity is that they are guaranteed food. This is refreshing because I always thought of the zoo capturing innocent animals and taking their freedom away. Overall, I have no complaints or questions about this book. The only thing that is a little bothersome to me is when Yann Martel transitions between the story and then the italicized text. I am a little confused as to who is actually speaking during the italicized text. However, I like that it is shown in italics so you know what is and is not apart of the “story.” I also love how the chapters are short because it helps me read the book at a faster pace. I am excited to continue reading this brilliant novel over the next few weeks.
The novel, Life of Pi, is a brilliant work of literature thus far. Yann Martel is extremely skilled in the way he uses vivid details and imagery to enhance the effect his literature is meant to have on its readers. The first part of the novel goes into detail the inner conflict Pi has with three different religions: Hinduism, Christianity,and Islam. He does not encounter all three religions at same time but rather overtime when he is a young teenager. I feel his age plays a role in his susceptibility of believing everything he is told about each religion and how he feels he is able to be a follower of three different religions at the same time. When his family first finds out about this, they are disappointed and do not support him. Ravi, his brother, especially picks on him for thinking he can be a follower of three different religions that contradict their beliefs with one another. I feel he picks out certain aspects of each religion and combines them in his own mind as one. This is the only way he could think that he could believe in all three loyally because each religion has such different beliefs and backgrounds. I also thought it was interesting how he came across two different men both with last name Kumar on his path of learning about the different religions, one being an atheist biology teacher and the other a baker. The baker during one of their talks actually prays in front of Pi which Pi finds very interesting and influences journey. The first part is somewhat difficult to comprehend being that he goes in such depth of two of the religions I know little to nothing about but, it is interesting learning about their different gods and traditions. I’m looking forward to reading about Pi’s tragedy and how he overcomes it in the second part of the book.
Finch 1
Though I have only touched the surface of the water that is Life of Pi, I can understand this book was written with deadly precision and immense thought. I am not yet even a third of the way into the novel and it has already become quite clear to me that Martel has done his research before writing the book. The novel fascinates me in a storytelling aspect as well as on an informational level. The book makes me truly believe that the author is legitimately knowledgeable on the subjects it speaks of. In one moment of my journey through the book, I feel as though I am reading a fictional story. The next, I am watching a detailed documentary about topics that range from wildlife information to religious psychology. His words offer unique insight to anything and everything; Martel constantly forces my mind to swerve in different directions, inspiring me to consider different viewpoints and see things in a brand new way, persuading me to not abandon beliefs but to expand them. His writing style is like none other I have ever read. His unique tactic of blending non-fiction with fiction is simply groundbreaking and innovative. In the early stages of my read, I found this to be incredibly frustrating. "What actually happened?" I would ask myself. "Did this event actually happen? Which of these characters are real?" I desired a sense of resolution and sought closure through knowing which elements of the story were fictitious and which were true. Despite this, as I trekked through the novel, I realized what genius this strategy was and I backed off. In no other book that I have read have I seen an author take a step in that direction. Of course, change is only good if it makes things better. In this case, Martel's divergence from regular, conventional writing significantly enhances the reading experience that I am having with Life of Pi. Martel is a true artist and his novel displays this.
Mixell 1
When reading the Author's Notes, I was surprised by the way in which Martel tells the story. He makes it hard for the individual to distinguish just where he switches from reality to fiction. In my eyes, I believe most of what he was talking about was reality, up until he discusses Pi.
As the story continues, I was drawn into the way in which he speaks of religion. When you hear discussion about Atheists, the discussion usually turns sour very quick. Atheists can also be known for "rude" observations of other religions around them. However, Pi realizes that Atheists are just as he is. One of my favorite quotes so far is "It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them--and then they leap." It is refreshing to see a point of view that is so accepting. If only every individual could follow this view on religion. Imagine the progress we could make as people if there were no wars over religion. We could come together as people and accept different beliefs. In Pi's mind, he feels as if atheists are sworn to believe in doubt. Another interesting quote is "To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation." This is another great quote, and it most certainly takes some thinking to understand it fully.
If this book continues to take us deeper into the mind of Pi and his religious beliefs, I can easily see this book as changing the way in which I think about differing religions. It is cool to see a character that believes in so many different things, while still maintaining an open mind on other's beliefs. So far, this book is wonderful. It is descriptive, interesting, and flows spectacularly. I can see myself really enjoying this book, and being able to analyze it quite deeply.
1 Peterson
The first thing that stuck out to me in this novel was the author’s note. Most books that I have read they are just about when and why they wrote that particular book. But in The Life of Pi, Martel’s author’s note is part of the story. It explains who the story is about why they story began and gives more information about the culture that surrounds the novel. Just skipping through the Author’s note would have been a mistake and luckily Mr. C took his time to read it to the class…otherwise I would have not taken the time to read it, because I did not know the importance it played in the novel.
Life of Pi has been definitely a different novel that I have ever read before. The beginning was mainly about Pi’s life and what he thinks. I think that Martel does an amazing job of description. His similes, metaphors, and explanations help me picture everything about Pi, including his mannerisms and down to the way he walks. The description about the zoo and how the animals like to have their own place is something that I have never thought of before. I have never enjoyed visiting zoos because I think that animals should be able to be free, but who knows maybe the animals in the zoo actually like to have their own certain area, and for sure know that they are getting food and water that day. I thought his saying that going to running a hotel to running a zoo was quite humorous. That you have to feed the animals and wash the animals and so on. Lastly it has been an eye opener about religion. We are given the explanations of each religion that Pi takes part in. I enjoy how expressive details given…it as if I can feel and understand how Pi feels about God.
6 Bender
Starting this book was difficult for me. I have a tremendously hard time reading a book after seeing the movie. I hate already having an idea of what their physically characteristics are and the main plot points before I can allow my mind to imagine them for themselves. This is the best part of books for me. When I started this book, I was hoping that Yann Martel would be able to write a book in such a way that I could rediscover it. Life of Pi is infact writing just that way. The diction he uses, while still understandable, evokes deeper thought into the way Pi, his friends/family, and the animals act and react. For example, using the phrase “ferocious carnivore” instead of large cat or tiger helps me want to keep reading. I put myself in his positions and find myself understanding some of the things Pi was going through in the section I read. Yann Martel is truly an extraordinary author.
While strongly disagreeing on what Pi’s religious stance is and how he approaches it, Yann Martel does a great job of showing Pi’s emotion and feeling through out his spiritual journey. I think that any book that does not slightly offend you or someone else in some way is a slightly useless book. Books are meant to raise questions and force people to try and discover their point of view and fight for it. For example I will fight with anyone who wants to over this topic of Pi’s spiritual journey. I completely disagree that one could believe in every “God” and still say that they are a christian. God’s greatest commandment in the bible is that their should be no other God before him. Believing this commandment and saying you also believe in every other God is absurd. These people are 100 percent hypocrites. I will never understand how someone could even think this. But it does provoke much thought and discussion.
1 Klumpp
Klumpp 1
I have truly enjoyed Yann Martel's Life of Pi and believe it’s an extraordinary book. I have been hooked on it since the first chapter. The book is wildly descriptive and is full of symbolism. The book seems to teeter between fact and fiction for me and is sometimes hard to separate. The part that has peaked my interest the most is the shipwreck. I love how Pi goes into great detail about each animal, it really shows how passionate he is about them. I also think it’s interesting who the story is narrated by; an Indian man named Pi. Pi is a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I have learned that Martel must have had extensive knowledge of all three of these religions and has done a lot of research. Life of Pi really makes the reader think and question different things. Martel also describes everything in vivid detail and keeps you wanting more. He also connects with the reader by showing Pi got made fun of during his childhood because of his name “Piscine.” Piscine later changes his name to Pi to avoid any more embarrassment. Martel also uses an immense amount of imagery that truly makes me feel like I am in the story and keeps me completely immersed in it. He describes each animal in the zoo in great detail and you can truly see each animal in your head. Another thing I found interesting is that Pi does not pick one religion, but follows all three. This bothers me because each religion is extremely different and some only have one god while other religions have multiple. I wonder why Pi does this and why he has trouble believing in just one. I am very excited to continue reading and pondering different questions I have about the book. Life of Pi is my favorite book I have read in this class so far.
Smith 1
In my opinion, Life of Pi is up there with the best of the best in terms of works of literature. Reading it has been a pleasure in an otherwise fairly boring month of school. I think Martel’s writing style is extremely unique and very enjoyable to read. He goes so in depth with his description that I routinely see myself in the situation that he is in. For example, the way he describes the zoo in which he inhabits made me believe that not only is the Pondicherry Zoo real but I have visited it since I was a little kid. I had already watched the movie before reading the book (a mistake I will try to avoid in the future) and the zoo in the movie doesn’t do it justice. I also enjoyed the author’s notes. More than often I skip the author’s notes thinking it will just be the writer dedicating the book to a dear friend or family member and it doesn’t always make for the best reading. However, Martel has carefully woven fact from fiction into a story that just gives you an appetizer without giving you the fully meal. Another detail that I am pleased with is Pi’s character, and how he is so different than many other main characters I have come across. Not only does he belong to 3 religions but he also grew up on a zoo, providing insight into the animal’s way of thinking. Also, being of Indian descent in Canada adds yet another point of view I am not accustomed to seeing. I am very anxious to keep reading and enjoying Martel’s mastery of the art of storytelling. Even though I more or less know how the book ends, I am excited about taking the journey and experiencing it all over again but with more detail than any movie can ever even hope to capture.
1 Peltier
After reading Life of Pi I have a lot on my mind. It is almost confusing to me by the way it goes back and forth from present time to flashbacks. However nonetheless it is a very good book. While reading there has been many symbols from religious to nature. I find that there are a lot of situations in the book that people could relate to, such as people feel for the animals in the zoo, like how Pi does, and a lot of times people disagree with keeping wild animals in the zoo but in reality they are probably treated way better in the zoo than in the wild. I feel like readers can relate to Pi and the situations that he has been in. From being bullied for his name to moving to a different country these are situations that adults and kids experience in today's society. I feel that the beginning of the book is a little slow and it takes a while to get used to the way it is written. I find it interesting that Pi is so interested and committed to three different religions, since usually we are all committed to one. Also he branches out and get involved in religions that he did not grow up in, which is what we usually do, we usually fall into the steps of our parents where Pi took a leap of faith and adventure out and got involved in different religions. I kind of wonder why they talk about the zoo so much, because they sold it so it is really not involved in their life as much. They way Martel writes is very interesting to me because it is a new way of writing it is confusing and hard to get used to but I feel once I get used to the style it will all fall into place and I will understand it more clearly. I feel like watching part of the movie kind of cleared some things up like what character is what and it just helped set the whole background and setting of the story so while reading I am able to visual more. All in all I find this book intriguing and it makes me want to continue reading to be able to settle the confusion.
As I read Life of Pi I am more and more interested with Patel's life growing up. He is very impressed by his uncle who is a world class swimmer and searches his life to find the perfect pool. However, his parents do not like to swim nor do his siblings. This makes Pi a unique one who enjoys his uncles hobby. Creating a special connection between them, almost father/son like. I am even more interested on his daily life as a child. At school he is a good student, but when he goes home he is in a zoo. Literally. He has all the animals to learn about and he uses them to think about life and how each relates to himself. This is different that other kids because he has a more mature deeper meaning on life at a younger age. I find it unique the way Martel formatted the writing of the novel. He is writing about real places and placing people that do not exist in them. He himself is even in the novel talking to Pi about his journey, this makes it hard for the reader to understand that Pi is a fictional character. It makes the novel seem more real as a result. Finally, the most interesting concept I find that Martel put in this novel is religion. He made Pi interested in all kinds of faith. He is a curious boy, who just wants to find god and make his own thoughts about what faith means. Most of the religions he approaches are not relevantly close to each other as well, but Pi takes certain things out of each of them to basically create his own. I think this helps the book appeal to more diverse populations because it does not just focus on one certain faith. Overall, Life of Pi is a very intriguing story that will propagate new ideas in readers everywhere.
I have never seen the movie Life of Pi so I came into this book not knowing anything on how this book goes. So how the plot has go so far has left me extremely confused with seeming jumping around because I had to understanding of the plot was suppose to go. However, I am starting to get Yann Martel’s writing style and it is very impressive. First how he blended how actually came to write this novel, Non-Fiction, and the actual fiction story was amazing. It makes you look back and think wait what the story has started already. It has also confused because I am trying to figure out how Pi can keep all of his religion's straight up in his head and how they do not confuse him. To me the religions seem to clash with one another and they are quite different. For instance, Christianity teaches that there is one God and you shall have no other god before him. While Hinduism teaches there are millions of gods in everything in nature. Also Christianity says you have this life and then you either go to Heaven or Hell. While Hinduism says reincarnation is what happens after you die and you become something else the next time you are born. Then Islam also believes in one God, Allah like Christianity not millions of gods. But Islam differs from christianity as well, it does not think Jesus was the Son of God or that he was even a prophet. They think he was like something the anti-christ in some denominations of Islam. Believing that Jesus is God and apart of the trinity is one of the main beliefs of Christians. So this is why he religious way is troubling to me. I just think he is creating his own religion of Pi, but that would violate Christianity as well so I don’t know. I think it will be an intriguing book to read but this part will always trouble with this book.
Life of Pi was first introduced to myself as the movie--which I know was a replicate of a novel but somewhat thought was based on a real story. After watching the movie I was extremely annoyed at the ending. When I realized I would read the written work of the film, I was a bit distracted since the film was completely irritating. However the novel has proven to be a bit more exciting than the movie with more details that can not be expressed within a motive picture. Another aspect a vision film can not capture is the creative, personal images a person creates in their mind. The novel is filled to the brim with extensive details that encourage the imagination to flourish. A reader can picture a magnificent zoo in their mind--from the texture of the cages to the fur of the tiger. Yann Martel does a brilliant job creating a character who can be a realistic person but is not. It has been some time since a book as sought my free time--it is a great feeling to have back. The beginning is a bit slow with all the information about Piscine’s journey through religions but the topic of the three religions arguing is somewhat entertaining. I wonder if Yann Martel put the three religions in the novel to attract a large audience or he did it to have the conflict for the Christian religion? One of the ten commandments is “Thou shalt have no other God,” yet Pi is worshipping multiple gods from three different religions. I am not sure if Pi realizes he is breaking one religion’s law as he falls in love with other religions.
My main question with the novel versus the film is the ending, will it be completely different or will it be even more irritating than the movie?
Jacobson 1
Going into Life of Pi, I already knew the basis of the story. I have seen the movie multiple times, but that only gives you so much of the story line. The movie has always been appealing to me because of it's religious aspects...but I am glad to be reading this novel because now I will know more behind the story. As I read Life of Pi I am continually fascinated. Although I am not even half way through the book, it grips me, and my eyes seem to be glued to the pages. The research Martel has done to make this novel as accurate as possible is impeccable. As I continue to turn pages, the amount of passion Martel had for this writing is blatantly obvious. The facts seem so real that I have to continually remind myself that this is a work of fiction and that Pi Patel is not real.
This book is an easy read, however I appreciate that because it makes it easier to comprehend what lies between the lines. Martel does an excellent job of using imagery to get the reader to understand the story. The analogies he uses are impeccable...especially the one when the author talks about how the spicy food makes his stomach hurt. "...and my digestive tract starts to twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawn mower." This analogy is a great one because we have all experienced that kind of gut ache and can all relate to it. I am excited to see how this novel unfolds. Martel is an excellent writer that is filled with passion, knowledge, and skill. This novel is filled to the brim with excellence, and it is clear why Martel won a prize for it.
I have yet to allow myself to completely dive into the book The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, although I have formed significant thoughts about the book. I am utterly intrigued with the use of metaphors and similes used by Martel throughout his novel. His vivid descriptions and details allow me to gain a more well rounded understanding on what his intentions are for the reader. For me, the animated descriptions allow me to feel as if I am actually part of the book, instead of simply being the reader. Without the provided extra information I feel it would be much more difficult for a reader to comprehend. I have not read this literature before until now, but I am positive if I would have attempted this novel before taking this class I would not be able to appreciate the content as I am capable of doing so now. Literature class has been slowly transforming my brain, as well as my eyes, to search for the deeper meaning hidden between the lines. I am now confident in knowing that Martel mentioning religion several times throughout the novel is a crucial part to the literature as a whole. The way Martel portrays each religion, he does so in a meaningful way, as to give highest praise to each one. It seems as if his intention was to allow the reader to understand and appreciate the religions he is mentioning. The component that amazes me the most about literature in general, not just throughout The Life of Pi, is that when questions arise the reader does not need to dwell or wait for someone to come running with answers. Questions in literature are often discovered and conquered when one allows their mind to be freed within the pages they take in. Reading on can establish answers to questions, connect the pieces to the puzzle, and even create a deeper understanding one did not even realize was there. Literature is what each person makes it out to be, it can be taken in any path and any direction one wishes to choose.
2 Nick Rise
In the book “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel I am actually quite early into the book at this point. So far the religious terminology is somewhat hard to understand. The Indian names used are pretty foreign to me along with of course the French ones. These things alone make the book a little bit harder to understand as a native South Dakotan who has never been more than 5 hours from his house. I take great notice and try to make note in my mind whenever the topics of zoology and religion are brought up together. It seems as though these are going to be quite prevalent as the story progresses. I base this of course on the numerous mentions already and from hearing people discuss the book in years prior and by my classmates. I know that Pi becomes stranded upon a boat alone with a Tiger, and I am curious as to how this happens, how he survives, and how he achieves freedom and solace after the fact. I have seen the movie, but this was years ago and I have forgotten just about everything from it which means the wonder and curiosity within the book are still much alive in my mind. I also do wonder what drives the father to show the dangers of the animals in the beginning of the story. He states that he needs them to understand to protect them, but I ponder if there is a deeper reason here. Of course we already know that Pi has many thoughts of animals being personified and maybe he is becoming desensitized to their dangers. With that in mind maybe his father actually did just do it for his own good, even with the risk of destroying the spark and wonder of animals for the rest of his life.
Life of Pi. It is a fairly lengthy book, packed with literary devices and the most clever of descriptive writing. The images created in my mind’s eye are clear enough that I could draw them in such a way that someone could see the drawing and say that it was exactly how they imagined in their own mind. The progression of the chapters is so carefully laid out that every single comma, period, and space has a meaning. Each chapter focuses on one general idea about the main character: chapter 1 is about the psychological occurrences in the main character’s mind; chapter 2 offers a brief description pertaining to the main character’s appearance; chapter 3 alludes to the past of the main character and offers the explanation behind the main protagonist’s name: Piscine Molitor Patel; chapter 4 gives Piscine Molitor Patel’s background among the animals of the zoo that his father owned. This pattern continues and allows the reader the time to organize all of the sequestrated information throughout dozens of chapters.
There are areas in the book, such as in chapter 1, where there is a paragraph that seems out of place in comparison to the surrounding context. There is a paragraph about Richard Parker, a character whom we have not met yet, and the way that he/she/it has touched the heart of Pi Patel. The reason may be because the rest of the chapter describes Pi Patel’s mental/emotional state.
Animals are not, to some, important characters in a book about people. However, in Life of Pi, the animals are of utmost importance. The sloth, for example, demonstrates the quiet prayer and wisdom of God. The zoo represents the safety of a home even though some think of zoo’s as prisons for animals. The zoo provides them with food every day, shelters them from predators, and keeps them healthy. There was an analogy made between the animals in the zoo to a hotel and its residents. The residents are taken care of, given shelter, and given food on a regular basis, and so is the way of the zoo.
Life of Pi is one of the most interesting books I have read. The beginning starts out by describing a sloth, how weird is that? However, the beginning of the book has much meaning and importance. It gives us, the reader, a background for the rest of the book. We learn about zoo animals. Later, this helps us understand why the animals act how they do on the lifeboat and give us a teaser to how Pi may deal with the lion. Right away, I thought it was interesting that most of the chapters were extremely short. For me, this is because it creates a sense of true storytelling. Yann Martel can easily skip between the storytelling world and the current world where Pi is telling his story. He also can intervene and give us important details. Chapter 31 was extremely amusing. Pi want to show Mr. Kumar around the zoo, however, he knows two Mr. Kumars. One Mr. Kumar is a baker and the other a teacher. They both show up at the zoo and Pi ends up showing both of them around because he can never tell which one is which. It was extremely interesting how Pi acted just minutes after being stranded in the ocean. He called and whistled for Richard Parker to come towards the boat. Pi was motivating Richard Parker along. Why would Pi want a tiger on his lifeboat? Soon realizing his mistake, he screams at the tiger. “We’ll be together? Have I gone mad?” “Let go of that lifebuoy, Richard Parker,” he would say (96). Unfortunately for him, the tiger made it. It is foreshadowed to us, however, that there is a happy ending to this story. It is said directly in the book on page 93, but also because Pi is telling the story of his younger self.
2 Laycock
When I heard we were reading Life of Pi, I was worried. I knew that since I have already watched the movie, it would be rough to get captured into the novel. I like opening a book and knowing nothing about it so I can make my own ideas about the characters, their ideas, and their problems. Since I have seen the book, I already have an image of what Pi looks like and how he operates the boat with a tiger as his only companion. However, Yann Martel and how he writes intrigues me and wants me to keep reading. Even though I already know how the novel ends, there are many things throughout the novel that the book left out. One such thing is part one. In the movie, they talk a small amount about his religion and how his father does not agree with Pi's beliefs, but that is about it. The entire part one is basically religion and finding himself as a person. I disagree with Pi's beliefs, however. I do not think one person can believe in every God but still call them a Christian. Out of all the commandments, the first and most important commandment says, "You shall have no other Gods before me." Pi cannot call himself a true Christian if he believes in more than one God. That is what this book makes you think. If you only watched the movie, you would think nothing of his religion, but with how in depth Yann Martel goes with his religion, many people could think about his religion and how each person has their own beliefs. The words Martel uses makes the book much more fascinating than the movie. I am eager to see what else is in store for this book and how Martel will make me love this novel even more.
Li of Pi is by far my favorite book we have read in this class. I enjoy his writing style and although it is not a true story he makes the story come alive. It keeps you wanting to read it more and more. He depicts the story in a way that easy to understand which I really like. I also like how he tells you the background of his life leading up to the sinking of their ship. I thought it was very smart of Martel to incorporate actual stories from Pi’s past. As a reader I find it more relatable even though it is not a true story. A part that interests me throughout the story is the idea that Pi believes in many religions. In many ways this is against actual practices since all three religions differ greatly. As a young child I find it interesting that such a young boy could find such a great interest in religion. While on the lifeboat I wonder if one religion will come into realization for him? Another thing I find intriguing is how well Martel is able to show the Indian culture. For many of us we will never get to experience it. Through this book you get to see what their culture is about. My mind can not understand how Pi is not attacked by the animals on the lifeboat. In any normal circumstance he would be the first to go. In many ways I do not think he could shield himself in anyway. It makes me wonder if animals are as gentle as we want them to be? In our minds they seem harmless but in the wild they are free and vicious. Since they are finally out of their cages I wonder if they will turn on Pi? I hope this book will only get more intriguing as I read on.
Life of Pi is one of my favorite books that I have been required to read for school purposes. Yann Martel instantly gets me hooked. The thing I found most interesting is Martel's interest in animals. A Canadian author writing about exotic animals?? Little strange, but that's what makes it work. The flow, and transition of the novel is all so well done. Very easy, quick read. After the first chapter I couldn't help myself and ended up finishing the book in a week. There are very amusing instances that happen in the book, and one of the funniest is when Pi dabbles in many different religions and his family's reaction. I find it hilarious that a young boy finds such interest in such diverse religions, such as being a Christian, and Muslim.
Some questions that the author leaves unanswered, is was there really another man when Pi is momentarily blind, or is it all a figment of his delirious, shipwrecked state? Did Richard Parker really eat him? I just find it incredulous that Pi happens to meet another shipwrecked person...
At one part in the novel, Pi starts to have conversations with the tiger....???
Another comment on the novel, is how Martel portrays the tiger(Richard Parker.) The beginning of the novel, he was a normal tiger, I didn't have much feelings or connection towards the tiger. But the more I read, I actually started rooting for Richard and wanted him to survive. It was the weirdest thing. How can a powerful, 450 pound tiger, turn into a cuddly little furball? Martel's writing style is fun and easy to read. I am excited to read more of his novels.
Life of Pi for me is much easier to read then One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and Lord of the Flies. Both books were very good but there was were so many symbols in each book. The symbols made them harder to completely understand what they were trying to say. The symbols they use in Life of Pi like his religion and his name are very important and very clearly stated. Yann Martel goes into depth about each religion Pi is; Muslim, Hindu, Christian. By explaining the religions individually he helps me know what religion believes in what. Without fully explaining each religion I would not completely know the differences in each. I enjoy how Pi does not care what each teacher of the religions think, he says he just wants to love God. Life of Pi is very easy to read because it uses very colorful words which keeps my mind interested and makes me want to keep reading. Pi explains the animals and what the routines are usually for each. When Pi tells us the story of his father showing him and Ravi, Richard Parker, I become very intrigued with what will happen next. Martel keeps the book very interesting and keeps you on your toes. I have not quite hit the full 169 pages but I have made it to when Pi is just waiting to see if he can get out of the water and to make sure Richard Parker is not waiting for him. This I feel builds up a lot of suspense and you just want to keep turning the page to find out what happens next. I feel as if the book somewhat starts out slow which was a bit boring but after about 100 pages it gets more and more build up to the main story which I really enjoy.
Life of Pi is a novel that has been recommended from many people in the past year. I have heard on positive feedback from the novel as well. From what I have read so far, I am shocked at how one can be so detailed and perceptive about every concept. Yann Martel does an extraordinary job and including many literary devices such as metaphors, similes, and symbols. Some of the symbols Yann Martel uses are things I would have never come up with or imagined in a million years. I have not read too much of the book as of right now but I hope as I continue reading Life of Pi that i will stay focused and I will understand what Yann is trying to portray to the readers. I like how Yann makes you feel like you are in the book and that we can all put ourselves in the situations. But what worries me about reading this novel is that it will be too high of a level of reading for me and I will not be able to comprehend certain stories or descriptions throughout the read. But, as of right now I am able to comprehend everything easily. It seems to me that Yann uses some foreshadowing? But I am not for sure if I am accurate at when I believe there is foreshadowing and when there is not. The fact that Yann starts off the book as a child and grows up throughout the book makes the novel more intriguing because I can see how he developed and not just what happened when he was older. So as I continue to read I am wishing to discover more religious symbols and more math and science to be shown. I hope this book will become one of my favorite reads that I can recommend to future student.
I enjoyed reading about all of the animals in the zoo and how Pi effortlessly makes connections with them. He mainly focuses on comparing the animals to religion. Pi is taught that animals are only dangerous when provoked. They are dangerous but not evil. Therefore, religion can be the root to violence. You should really get to know both animals and religion before doing something objectionable with both. Pi is taught by his dad to never pet the tigers or get too close to them. I am starting to ponder why that had to be done in symbolic terms. Throughout my reading, I have become to realize that I only understand Christianity. It is easy for me to perceive the people and action from the bible that Pi describes. As soon as he starts describing aspects from Hinduism or Islam I became perplexed by the foreign names. Before this book, I would have never thought of someone having more than one religion at one time. Although this is just a novel, I’m sure there are people out there just like Pi, struggling to find their path in life and which religion is most suitable to them. Since I have read this, I have become more open minded and have a deeper respect for the other religions. The teeter-totter concept of which religion gets you to heaven was something I pondered a while after reading about it. Pi is thinking that all “passports” or religions should be valid to get you in, while his parents are convinced you can only have one. I struggled to perceive exactly what Martel intended with this sentence from page 50, “...that Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims.” I feel like if I had a better understanding of the other languages, I could decipher this sentence. It’s crazy to think about how much knowledge Martel posses and how he intelligently crafts it into this book.
I have many ideas about the book The Life of Pi. The thought that is always on my mind, however, is if Pi is an abstract character, whose life is he talking about? Who experienced all these situations and learned all the ways of being a Hindu, Muslim, and Christian all at once? This magnificently written novel opens my mind in many ways that I did not think of before. It makes me want to understand all religions and see if I can connect them to each other just as Piscine Molitor Patel did. In some ways I can relate to Piscine, having the older brother that turns down every thought and belief I may have, and my parents wishing I was more like him by having me take all the same classes throughout high school, and even trying to convince me into attending the same college as him although I have no desire to! Right at the beginning of the book there was an amazing quote that stood out to me. "Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can. But life leaps over oblivion lightly, losing only a thing or two of no importance, and gloom is but the passing shadow of a cloud."(Martel 7) I understood this quote as there will always be bad times that happens in one's life. There may be people who try to take what you have, who may be jealous of the happiness you contain, but it is just a temporary upsetting situation that will always pass just as it were the shadow of a cloud. Happiness is found from within, and if others are not happy with themselves, they will take it out on others, causing pain for only a moment, but the happiness will never truly vanish.
I am currently on page 101, but I know some extra information about the story--not from what I've read--from my brother who has read this book a couple years prior and informed me of situations that will occur. I also really enjoy how it changes from the author's point of view to Piscine's point of view throughout the novel, and I love the creativity he used by having his words italicized, and Pi's words are normally written. I feel as when I thoroughly complete this novel I will have a greater understanding of religion and life in general, and it makes me grateful that novels, such as this one, have been composed throughout history and inspires me to read more books that aren't just made up stories for entertainment, but books that truly mean something to me. (Let me know if you have any awesome books in mind that could be useful in this case)
When starting the book Life of Pi, I was simply expecting the book to be about an Indian boy stuck on a lifeboat with a giant tiger. However now, as I am almost halfway through it, I realize there is much more to this book. Yann Martel starts the book by telling the story of Pi coming to his religious beliefs. Pi is a young Indian boy who is very wise for his age. He is not only able to comprehend one religion, but three! Pi’s father taught him and his brother at a young age the true power of the animals. Their father takes them into the cat house and forces them to watch the killing of a goat by Mahisha the tiger. Their mother strongly disapproves of the lesson being taught to them. I would agree with her! I believe that this lesson lead to religious choices of Pi. At the time of the lesson Pi was young and still finding himself. After watching the life of an innocent goat be taken away, it made him grow up. Throughout the book Yann also adds in italicized author notes that go into depth on what Pi’s life is like now. Even at an older age Pi continues with his multiple religions. Life has taught him not to show off what is most precious to him, so for the most part he keeps everything on the down-low (kids, wife, pets).
7 Hammond
I am not very far in Life of Pi yet, however it has already sucked me into its literary depths. Yann Martel is not just a mere novelist, but an artist of literary devices, a warrior that wields the pen in a most beautiful, yet powerful way. The beginning of the book with its in depth and drawling descriptions would be called drab, excessive, or boring if by any other author, but Martel makes them flow artfully and in an increasingly interesting way. With all the exposition and talk of animals in the zoo, behaviors of those animals, the relation humans have with the zoo, and the way animals view those humans, I feel as if there is something more to come. The discipline, the religion, all of these past aspects are not only forming a more solid form of Pi in my mind, but also in the book and its story line. I am waiting in eager anticipation of Martel’s next move. How will he play with the pieces he has set? His descriptions are always colorful. The section on religion was great. I found not only Martel’s faith, but also Pi’s in the black print. Seeing how it shall play out later in the book shall also be fascinating and exciting. His exposition makes me anticipate the language and plot with ebullience. I am sure that all of these facts will come back with severe importance later on in the story. The lessons that Pi has, although seeming to be a case of extraordinary good luck, all seem to make sense either way. Of course our shipwrecked survivor had rigorous swimming lessons as a boy. Of course he grew up on a zoo with many lessons in animal behavior and animal to human interaction. However these things do not seem to be forced. Pi seems to be an incredible individual as well, not necessarily the commonly found character in most fiction, also this book is also not strictly fiction. I understand now what it means to have a book that blends fiction and nonfiction so, and Martel is a master of this mixing.
7 Nador
Genius! I love it. Yann Martel makes me forget about the fictionality of the main character, Pi, every time I read. The first 93, action-, but not content-lacking, pages got me thinking probably more than anything else I have read my entire life. Young Pi’s opinion of the meaning of life is fascinating and serves as an example to me, as his focus on religion is not mainly on the debatably fictional stories, but on what each religion is trying to teach and accomplish. At the end of the day (coming to the end of the debate between the priest, imam, and the pandit), I realized that each religion is a nuance of the others, mostly preaching about loving and treating others right, being faithful, and continuously striving to be better people as a whole. Zoology and theology is a uniquely and surprisingly harmonizing match: we can learn just as much from animals as from gods and holy books. Due to my love for animals, I read the parts dealing with animal psychology fondly; I could only agree with the theories presented. The story reads itself, and I personally find it surprisingly easy to read dozens of pages within a relatively short amount of time--with me being completely oblivious of my surroundings. Very few books can do that to me, who is rather picky about the books I actually sit down and try to read.
Initially, the 20 minutes of the movie Life of Pi got me hooked and beyond interested in the book; I remember myself not even caring about the movie itself when it came out. Hopefully, after finishing the book, I can experience what I have only heard about from others: a book changing my life or worldview. I believe that Life of Pi will continue to be an awesome story written by an amazingly talented writer, however, I have only read 120 pages so far.
Beck 1
At first reading the author's notes of Life of Pi I was immediately confused on what was happening with this book, I was confused on whether or not someone went and jumbled together two books, going back and forth between fiction and reality is something that not many others have done. I do not believe that I have read a book like this before, at one moment be reading something about the present in Yann Martel’s life or reading a piece of fiction about a young boy from India.
Pi Patel goes through something that not many would think of doing, he has three religions and practices them all. Hindu, Christian, and Muslim, what makes someone go through this and want to practice all these at once. In the first part of Life of Pi the majority of the time Martel speaks about religion. Yet this story is completely made up, but when you read this story being made up is not the first thing you would think of. You would think that this is a story written about a 227 day adventure of a boy and a tiger trying to survive.
When reading this story you can be reading a chapter of a couple pages to a chapter of a couple sentences, or even a couple of words. By doing this Yann really is making you think, he is making us dig deep into this story and understand the symbols he is putting in here.
What I also really enjoy in this is that the imagery Yann puts in is great. When talking about a zoo normally people probably would not go into much detail, but in the story Pi talks in great depth of the zoo, he talks about all the animals in it, especially Richard Parker. Also taking about the visitors and how they see the animals and interact. Yann is an author that makes you think, think about everything, religion and how life can be. He gives you something to think about and makes you yearn for more.
1 Wardlow
While reading Life of Pi by Yann Martel I find myself amused, offended, and intrigued all at the same time. I am amused by the bits of humor put in place such as when Pi’s father says they will “sail like Columbus” (page 88). I find this amusing because Pi quickly points out that Columbus was in search of India and they most definitely will not be heading to India but rather leaving from there. I also find myself being offended by some things that Pi does and says. Pi is Hindu, Islamic, and Christian all at the same time. There is no way that Pi can possible be faithful to all those religions at the same time. I am offended that he thinks he can faithfully live up to the standards of all these religions at once. In the Christian religion God makes it clear that followers should have no other gods before him. Pi fails, he has two other gods that he thinks he can be faithful too. Why did he have a Hindu wedding if he is Christian and Islamic too? I also am offended when Pi and his parents meet with religious leaders representing all religions that Pi associates himself with. When Pi says that he “ just wants to love God” and no religious figure objects I am offended. The leaders of the religions should discuss with Pi why he can only be one religion, why do they let him justify following multiple religions by saying he just wants to love God? As I continue to read I am also intrigued. This novel is so well written and I applaud Yann Martel for crafting such a fine novel. When I am reading I will often times forget that this story is fictional. After I set down the book I find myself needing to be reminded that this is indeed a fictional piece of literature. I never actually want to set down this book I am intrigued and always want to read on. I have just reached the point in the novel when Pi is thrown overboard into the Pacific Ocean. I truly enjoy this novel.
Going into lit this semester, Life of Pi is probably the book I looked most forward to reading. Having seen the movie, I knew how interesting the plot was and knew I would not be bored reading this novel. Paired with Mr. Christensen’s build up of it, I am glad to have the opportunity to read it for school. Reading just the authors note intrigued me. Before discussing it in class and having read it, I had taken it as reality! But Martel just tricked us because it was actually from the “author” in the stories perspective. But we know that some of it is truly Martel’s experience. Now about a hundred pages in, I know it is a great read. Pi is a wonderful character and protagonist. I love that Yann Martel sets up the novel with Pi’s background and childhood before jumping straight into the main plot. It gives us as the reader time to get to know Pi and better understand him later. Understanding your main character and being able to relate to them in some way is a key component I think. When the book immediately starts with the flash forward and the sloth studies, I could tell Martel is foreshadowing to what will later happen to Pi. Throughout the book, everything the main character describes is so vividly put into words, I find myself whole-heartedly engulfed in reading I forget where I am! I feel as if I’m experiencing what he is and it is a journey for me as well! The way Pi sees religion and accepts things with an open, but clear, mind has got me thinking about my own spirituality. I love when a book opens my mind and my heart to new ways of thinking and feeling. I only wish I had not seen the movie first because as I read it, I picture the movie. I wish I could come up with the images on my own.
Polasky 6
Life of Pi is a book that has caught my attention right away. It is a book that is easier to understand because of the writing style. I am able to enjoy what is happening and looking forward to what is to come.
All the interesting facts about different animals was a unique and a great surprise to me as a reader considering it is a famous novel. Many people think that books like this has to be complex but this one is not so far yet and I like it. There are tiny little lessons for Pi and his brother Ravi throughout the book. One example is when their father shows them how dangerous the tigers are by putting a lamb in the cage with it. He continues to take them around the zoo saying how each animal has a dangerous side. He ends on a lighter note with the guinea pig and says that they are not dangerous as long as the are domesticated.
I like the setup so far dealing with Pi’s view on religion. It is a very interesting thing to consider. Most people grow up practicing a certain religion and they do not always question it. Not only does Pi question God’s existence, he has fallen in love with three separate religions; Islam, Christian, and Hindu.
I could not imagine telling this story like Pi does knowing that there is a part that he loses everything he loves. I have been on a cruise boat before and I can think about the times I would just look out at the endless sea. I could not even begin to fathom having our boat sink and then proceed to get on a life raft with a bunch of dangerous animals that could and probably would kill me. Pi’s strength from the beginning of this book is unbelievable and I cannot wait to see what else will come his way.
Schroeder pd. 6
Going into the second semester and looking at the list of books Mr. C had given us I was only familiar with the Life of Pi. I enjoyed the other two books that we have read because it made me think deeper than I ever have reading a book. Without this class I would have never picked up Lord Of The Flies or One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s nest. Although, the amount of symbols within these books were almost overwhelming, and in my opinion, not 100% of the symbols we had discussed were intended by the author. Starting out with the authors note in the Life Of Pi I knew right away that it would be fiction but it would read like a nonfiction book that was based on a true story. Reading the first 169 pages, I noticed the way Yann Martel wrote, and that was with very good style that was simple to read in my eyes. The short chapters are nice to have within a book because it helps me move faster from page to page because I always set a goal, “one more chapter”, then I look at the next chapter and realize it is only a couple of pages away and keep on reading one more, and so on. It seems that I cannot put the book down. The book had started off slower than I had anticipated, there was a solid amount of pages I would say about 30 where it is talking about his three choices of religion. HInduism, Muslim, and Christianity are all three of the religions that Pi chose and I like that his parents tell him to choose one but he just wants to love God. In the past I had watched almost half of the movie, and I like how they seemed to have a longer scene when the family was on the boat traveling to Canada. I do not like how in the book, the only thing that is said is that the boat was sinking. It did not have too much about the family on the boat. It is kind of hard to imagine the life raft with all of the animals and himself. The zebra, hyena, Richard Parker, Orange Juice, and Pi on one life raft is very hard to imagine. I could not understand what Pi was thinking during his time out on sea. Watching the hyena eat the zebra from the inside out and not crossing paths with Richard Parker were which I am sure, strenuous. I am excited to read the rest of the book because this would have to be my favorite book so far that we have read in class. It is straightforward and there isn’t much thinking when it comes to reading this book. I wonder how Pi will survive these 227 days out on this life raft with Richard Parker. How will they eat? What will they eat? Will Richard Parker begin to obey Pi? I have many questions but I am excited to ask them this friday during our class forum/discussion.
I am intrigued by how frequently religion, or lack thereof, is integrated into the beginning of the Yann Martel’s novel. While reading about Pi’s trip to Madurai, I wonder why the three god houses were placed on hills instead the mountains that surrounded them, when Pi as confirmed later in the book, places religion above all else in his life. I also wonder if there being three temples on the hills is symbolic for the three wisemen. The arguing of the three priests at the zoo was also interesting. The three religions were not introduced to Pi at the same time, but the holymen coincidentally come to the Patel parents at the same time to not only attack one-another individually, but they would team up on each other. The holymen also are all native Tamil speakers and in unison, said to Pi’s father during their argument over whether or not the boy’s religious beliefs should be acceptable in the New India said, “Yes! Practice--singular!” making me come to the conclusion that the three religions, even with their different beginnings and beliefs, are more the same than they are different.
Pi’s kinship with atheists is quite unusual. He surrounded himself with atheists while studying zoology, his favorite school teacher, Mr. Kumar, was an atheist, and all of his immediate family members were atheists. One might think that someone who surrounds himself with unimaginative, rational people would eventually follow suit, but in Pi’s situation, it is quite the contrary. So far, Pi has not tried to convert any of his peers, but instead embraces their differences. Pi’s knowledge and admiration of the changes Mahatma Gandhi wanted to set forth in the once recently independent country has most likely made him so lenient towards other faiths. From what I can infer, Pi is also intelligent, so he would also know that to try to convert others would be social suicide.
In conclusion, Yann Martel’s ability to intertwine science and religion into this novel has made it into a truly incredible read. Whatever happens later in the book will surely be entertaining.
If I glance to my right as I write this prompt, I see a container filled with “Super Extra-Large Peanuts”. If I look inside said container, I see a multitude of super, extra-large peanuts. Diving more symbolically into this container, I see that, though contrary to first glance, every individual peanut is slightly different. How can it be so, I ponder? If each peanut was given the exact same processing, harvested from the same plant, given the same seasoning, how can it be that they are all slightly different? The same question can be asked of us. Especially those of us that are in establishments of intellectual training and undiversification known to most as ‘schools’. If we all come to school, learn the same material, are taught the same facts that are deemed ‘important’, then how is it that one is interested in music and another member (even perhaps of the same family line) seems more immersed in science, or welding, or literature, or graphic design? To compare the diversity of people to peanuts, or, even worse, to expect the results of the comparison to be adequate enough to explain ANYTHING about humans, is by all means an impossible task. So how is it that Yann Martel can compare so many things to others, while maintaining a reader’s attention, while relating to the lives of many, all the while perfectly comparing those things to others? It is truly I tell you that this is a feat of achievement most cannot even dare to dream of. In his novel “The Life of Pi”, Martel is noted to have described a zoo which the protagonist (Pi)’s father owned to humans (and religion), as a whole. In the sentence “I have heard nearly as much nonsense about zoos as I have about God and religion”, he makes a statement, all while poking a question at the reader (15). In showing a common human blunder towards basic zoo knowledge and comparing it to the same human blunder towards their own religion, Martel tells the reader that it IS SO, no contradictions allowed. Also during this statement, it poses a very closely-related question to the reader: Am I a person who has false knowledge of zoo life? (or, more likely: my own religion?).
Upon entering the second semester with Mr. C, I was quite excited for it because for one, I figured we would be doing a lot less essays, and the other reason, because I was excited to start reading the multitude of brilliant novels our teacher had picked out for us. Like most people, the list of books we would soon read were all very foreign to me besides one, and that one was Life of Pi. I had never read the book nor seen the movie so I expected it to be quite an experience in a way for me. When I started reading the author’s note at the beginning it really starting taking me in and getting me even more interested in reading the book. When I started reading this book at first, I will admit, it seemed a little boring and I began thinking to myself that this book was going to become harder and harder to get into. But as I continued reading without interruptions, I realised how interesting all of the things he was explaining and talking about were. I myself am a Christian so I already understood most of the things he talked about when he began explaining his experience finding Christ and becoming a Christian. When he explained his experience with the other two religions--Hindu and Muslim--I had no idea what he was talking about and that is where I had a very hard time understanding and following what he was saying. Honestly though, reading on with the book and learning bits and pieces about other religions, it sort of caught my attention. Learning about what other religions practice each day and believe in really interests me. For most people, from what I overheard them talking about, they seemed to find the beginning of the book quite difficult to get into. For me I found the beginning easy to get through and understand after really reading it over. Upon reaching the part of the book where the Patel’s are moving their zoo on the boat and the boat sinking, I became even more into the book than in the beginning. The book was a very easy read and I found myself at page 169 before I knew it.
Kyle Horner 1
This is a fantastic story so far. The question is if Pi and Richard Parker are real. I like to believe that Pi is real and so is Richard Parker. There are questions such as why does Richard leave Pi once they get on the island. Some may argue that he wasn't even with him in the first place. As I read this story, and in real life, I believe that they are real. You can learn a lot from Life of Pi and you can get a lot about faith out of it. It was the faith that Pi had the entire time on the boat that kept Richard Parker, and himself alive. Without faith I don't think that Pi Patel could have survived the total of 227 days at sea. The novel, Life of Pi, is an very interesting book so far. You cannot tell whether the story is being told by the Indian man, named Pi, or by Yann Martel. It makes you want to continue to read to find out the answer. Another I am enjoying about this book is the talk of religion. Pi is not completely devoted to just one religion, but three religions that have some factors that contradict each other. He is a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I do not necessarily agree that he tries to combine all these religions into his faith. He uses vivid words that add detail to every chapter. A question that has been on my mind for a while is how it is even humanly possible to be able to spend 227 days on a lifeboat in the middle of the sea? I feel as if religion plays a huge part in this because without a lot of prayers and faith, nobody would be able to spend that amount of time in the middle of nowhere like Pi did. I am excited to finish the book and discuss what we have all learned in the following forums.
Life of Pi has been very interesting and entertaining. So far, I am to the part where Pi is experiencing different religions and getting into trouble for having different religions. One thing I do really like about the book is when the author adds in comments from the present day about how Pi is currently living. Things such as meeting his wife, Pi showing him his pictures, etc. I am very curious though about why Pi does not remember much from the past. It seems as if it has all kind of slipped away from his memory. I do not understand why though because it seems like this is such a big event, how could it fade? I really liked hearing about how Pi got his name and how he had gotten everyone to call him Pi. I also find it interesting that when the multiple religions get brought up, his mother does not really say much and his father gets mildly outraged. His father says you cannot have more than one religion and that he must choose. When his family was in the park and runs into the three leaders of Pi’s religions, I thought it was incredible how Pi got them to all stop talking when he said that he just wants to love God, making them realize (or in my mind anyway) that religions are different and well, very different sometimes, but no matter what religion it is, there is always one common goal: to come in contact with God. I also found interesting that at the beginning of the book, he said he does not mind if you are atheist, Muslim, Hindu, etc. but what he does mind is if you are agnostic. Pi’s reasoning is that if you are agnostic, you spend your whole life with doubt and wondering without any true answers or beliefs. Life of Pi is very interesting to me because it makes me think and realize things that I really have not thought much of before.
Kunkel 1
Life of Pi is a very descriptive book about a young boy's journey to find meaning in his life through various religion. It also chronicles his struggles aboard a life boat shared with other animals from what is left of his family's zoo. First diving in to this book, I enjoyed the two perspectives between Pi and Martel. Switching between Pi's life story, and Martels descriptions of a now much older Pi gives a glimpse into how all the events Pi talks about shapes the person he became. From why he goes by "Pi" to his deep respect for animals and Life. One perspective that stuck out for me was when Pi describes his zoo as not a prison for the animals who take up residence there but a safe haven. I have often thought about if it was healthy mentally for an animal, shaped years of struggle into survival machines, to live out its life in an enclosure with everything done for them. Its as though you strip the animal of it's meaning. However, Pi describes his family's animals as content. free from struggles. He describes the zoo as being everything these wild animals need, a shelter, constant source of food, and a territory that doesn't require defense. How Pi goes out of his way to not talk only about his life but to talk about the animals he grew up with shows his caring character and respect toward the natural world as well as the many lifeforms that are a part of it. Another thing about Pi that I respect is his open mind toward spirituality. most people think of religion as an "all or nothing" deal. Pi, on the other hand, finds comfort and respect in many religions. His spiritual hunger has an appetite for more than most people.
Rasmussen 7
In the beginning of the novel, Life of Pi, it is quite hard to imagine what the whole point of the zoo is. Pi goes on and on about the zoo and the animals and how different and cool they are. He also says that humans are the most dangerous animals in the zoo. I cannot seem to understand why that is such an important part of the novel, but it really stuck out to me. It seemed to me as if he made it a point to say that humans are the most dangerous animals in the zoo; with the story of the red curtain with a sign that said something like here is the most dangerous animal in the zoo, then behind the curtain was a mirror. After he went on about the people being the most dangerous thing in the zoo, Pi continued with the story of when his father took him to meet Richard Parker. The human being the most dangerous animal in the zoo could of been just big setup to instill fear into the reader later in the book? His father then takes him around the rest of the zoo telling him how dangerous every animal was. Pi was telling saying it as if it was common knowledge to him when it was written in the book, just having two lines about each animal. Having the two lines made it give a powerful approach but yet give the feeling that he was bored by what his father was telling him. I did not really get what the feeling of the book was supposed to be there or what the connection was for the future pages in the book. It might have been to set a fear into the readers saying that all the animals were dangerous? The thought that most kids would have if their father was going around telling them how dangerous things were would be, “He just keeps going on and on about these animals, they cannot be that dangerous”. That is how I feel most kids would react after the amount of animals they saw, and working in the zoo, never seeing anything bad ever happened could not have helped. I do not get how that fear of the dangers of the animals stuck with Pi for so long.
Though I, at this time, have not yet delved very far into Life of Pi, I am already fascinates me. The overall tone of Martel’s writing emits a slightly foreign, humorous, yet sullen edge which tickles my curiosity; I admire this, as it is often incredibly difficult to portray the mindset of a character with such dynamic and subtle precision in a work of literature. How seamlessly Martel has exhibited this portrayal excites and assures me of the vivid and hopefully outlandish story awaiting its chance to paint images across the canvas of my mind. Likewise, the italicized perspective-switching inserts bring an entirely new level of understanding to the reader’s visage, enlightening whomever-it-may-concern of details the protagonist, Piscine Patel, could by no means capture all in his lonesome. Never before have I read a novel that takes advantage of and uses this strategy so effectively. Martel’s first person writing is so flooded with captivating imagery the reader easily becomes lost in its glory, but to occasionally be ripped back to the understanding that the entire story is being told during an interview, a setting significantly less harsh than a raging ocean, contrasts the first-person perspective so perfectly that both are strengthened. Of course, structure and style alone do not make a marvel. The content works with the composition to construct a stylized structure where thoughts and fantasies can thrive and layer over to form a diverse, complex environment, such as a tropical island or a mental ward or even a drifting lifeboat, all places where the unreal may become real. This environment allows the characters (equally as complex and diverse) to explode with life and depth, sometimes with very little direct description necessary. Martel’s use of stereotypes exemplifies this; he seems to personify his thoughts of an entire culture in singular, decisive sentences, masterfully displaying his real, human, mixed feelings about people and things (slightly unfavorable connotation, but with a tinge of love--just like Patel’s nightmares of Richard Parker). I am simply dumbfounded by the compositional skill Martel has exhibited for me in such a small amount of time, and am anxious to continue reading.
Life of Pi, is an extravagant book so far. I truly enjoy the way Yann Martel writes, he describes everything in the book with vivid details. The style in which he writes keeps the reader interested and wanting more. In the beginning of the novel it is difficult to tell who is talking. He starts out the author's notes by Martel reading and explaining his reason for writing the book, then it goes on to how he met a man that had a story to make him believe in god. You cannot tell whether the story is being told by the Indian man, named Pi, or by Yann Martel. It makes you want to continue to read to find out the answer. Another I am enjoying about this book is the talk of religion. Pi is not completely devoted to just one religion, but three religions that have some factors that contradict each other. He is a follower of Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. I think this is very cool because it is unusual to see this happen. Mostly because it is frowned upon, the average religious person in all religions believes you should only practice one not three. Another reason most people do not follow more than one religion is because of the contradictions within them, Christianity is the believe in one god and Hinduism is the believe in multiple. The story Pi is telling is interesting as well. It begins with his name, Piscine Patel. He was named after a swimming pool, this is because his uncle Mamaji was an amazing swimmer and he taught Pi how to swim. But, he got made fun of in school because it sounds like “pissing”. So, Pi decided he did not want to called this anymore and he memorized the number represented by Pi. The book is very interesting so far and I cannot wait to continue reading
The novel the life of Pi is a novel that possesses an extraordinary ability to express vivid imagery. Mr. Martel has an amazing ability to divulge exactly what the reader needs to hear in order to get his message across vividly and efficiently. The way in which he is able to describe things in depth makes the novel very easy and exciting to read. As the reader the novel is hard not to come back to, it leaves the reader always wanting to read more and more. Yann Martel has an uncanny ability to provide the reader with such vivid imagery. The Life of Pi is amazing at captivating the reader and keeping them interested through every page, each page almost calling to the reader to keep progressing, keep reading, and keep visualising. The Life of Pi is split up into one hundred chapters, each of which carry their own importance. The division of the book was not by accident, Martel does this to add emphasis to certain things as well as providing opportunities to interject and halt the telling of the story for a moment. This incredibly descriptive novel not only can captivate the reader, but with such vivid imagery the reader can almost feel as though they had experienced the same traumas as Pi Patel has. There is a part in the novel in chapter 40 where Pi was on the raft and he is trying to help Richard Parker, the tiger, onto the lifeboat, after he achieves this he starts to wonder to himself why he has done what he did. During that entire scene you can feel every emotion and thought that is running through Pi’s head while he is trying to rescue Richard Parker, and how he feels after. Pi is so afraid of the tiger that he flings himself from the safety of the boat, unto the unknown waters, where presumably many more dangers are lurking.
Oren 2
With Pi, everything seems to happen in threes. There are three animals on the boat with him. There are three benches on the lifeboat. Pi practices three religions; he also studies the three-toed sloth. There are three other members of his family. This includes both his family in India and his family in Canada. Canada had three A’s in it but that’s probably just a coincidence. He is approached by the three wise men about religion. One of his religions is Christianity which discusses the holy trinity often. When Pi blows the whistle he always does it with three TREEEEE TREEEEE TREEEEES. The abbreviated number of pi is 3.14 which has only three digits. Like most people he has three names: Piscine Molitor Patel (which has three I’s in it). Pi discusses the three realms of life: Earth, Heaven, and Hell. So, what is with all of the threes? Then I started thinking about the number three itself, what is unique about the number three? It is often said what good things come in threes, is this true of Pi’s life and his struggle? The number three is relevant in all three of Pi’s religions. Christianity: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva. In the Muslim religion the odd number holds a high significance and many things must be done three times because it is the first odd number after one. The number three is a prime number. Nothing can be taken out or divided from it to produce another whole number. Is this supposed to describe Pi? He is still wholesome throughout all he has been through.
Pi also endures the constant struggle to survive. It would be quite easier for Pi to give up. He has already lost everything, why must he continue to survive? Not only does he feel it is important for him to survive, Pi also helps Richard Parker get on the lifeboat without even thinking. That is slightly ironic too, a lifeboat, a life preserver, a life buoy. This thing hold a death trap on it, yet it also holds the key to Pi's survival.
Throughout my schooling, reading has by far been my least favorite homework assignment. I find it extremely difficult for myself to focus on a novel and give the book my undivided attention because I am easily bored. In Life of Pi, I have found myself so intrigued that I have been reading relentlessly. Yann Martel composes the novel with such vivid writing that I find myself enveloped in the novel to the point of feeling as though I am actually present in the setting. This is an important key in novels for readers like myself. If a book does not entice you, you will get extremely little from it. Religion has never been a significant part of my life. I know very little about religion aside from what my religious acquaintances have told me (which most often is biased). When I reached the section of our first reading when Pi becomes interested in being enlightened on a variety of religions, I scoured every sentence. Learning about the various religions--Muslim, Christianity, and Hinduism--was fascinating to me because I enjoy learning about topics of significance. A small portion of the novel I disliked happened to be when the three wise men became enraged when they learned that Pi was practicing more than one religion. Each wise man immediately began vilifying each other's religion instead of condemning a young boy for being unusually mature and researching for himself. I became frustrated when reading this because it shows how brainwashed people can become and overlook the importance of the entire situation; Pi wants to love God and make his own choices as an independent, mature adult. Yann Martel is a miraculous writer which whom I show endless admiration for. He is one of the very few composers to write a book that finally makes reading a privilege instead of a dreadful task.
It has come to my attention that Piscine Molitor Patel is in search of not one, but many religions within the novel. He, like many others (such as myself), is on the quest for answers. I guess I am left here to wonder what inspired him to peruse many religious beliefs instead of one specific religion. It is also surprising to me that he considers himself as Hindu, Christian, and Muslim; three completely different religions that are hard to abide by. How does one believe in three different gods? It is little aspects such as those that interest me deeply into the main character of Life of Pi. I believe that it is hard to be told many different beliefs and to understand them all. There is no proof of any religion being correct. Maybe there is only one god. Perhaps there are many gods. Or possibly even no god. There is no way to fully discover as to whom is right, and who is wrong. Pi Patel believes in them all, a sign of a desperate need to understand life as it is? A need in taking chances and believing all three religions to play his life safe? Religion is a huge part of today’s world and always has been. Within the first few chapters of Life of Pi there has already been large amounts of Christian symbolism and perhaps other religions as well far beyond my knowledge. It is enlightening to read about a character who has the same questions about religion and faith as I do as well; I personally feel that I can fully indulge myself into the novel. As Pi Patel takes readers on for a journey through his past life and experiences, I feel that we are experiencing, and learning right along with him.
As I have been reading the novel Life of Pi, I have been most intrigued with the aspects of how religion has been involved within the novel. I think it is quite interesting that the author, Yann Martel, would write a character who believes in numerous religions including, Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. The main character, Piscine Molitor Patel, is one of the most enlightening characters that I have read about in all of the English classes I have taken here at Brandon Valley High School. Pi brings up many great examples and points as to why it should be alright to have a multitude of views on the topic of religion and God. Throughout the novel Pi tells us all he wants to do is love God. Should it matter in which way or route he takes to love God? Pi finds no problem in practicing all of these religions at the same time, though this is not the case for his family and the leaders of these various religions. They tell Pi he must choose a religion, though a majority of the time Pi replies to these statements with “Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’” This response comes full circle when Pi also considers being atheist as a religion as well. A vast amount of the population today would consider if you do not believe in God, you do not belong a religion, not Pi. Pi tells us, the readers and the “author” of the book, that atheism is still a religion because a person who practices atheism still has some sort of faith. People who practice atheism just do not believe in God, but still accept the idea of a God. It is people who are agnostic in which Pi has no favor in. Pi believes everyone must have a belief or faith in something and finds it almost frustrating that someone would choose to not have a source of reasoning behind their lives. Pi believes that a religion is needed to experience a more pleasurable life that has more meaning and understanding.
Kribell 6
In the book--Life of Pi--a boy gets stuck on a boat with a tiger and has to face many challenges. Things I want to know have a lot to do with the author’s choices in writing the book. Some of them are simple questions and some are not even questions at all. But I want to know if there is a significant reason of choosing a tiger to be on the boat with Pi, rather than a lion or a wolf or some other large animal. I wonder if it has to do with the meaning that is represented by a tiger. As a spirit animal, the tiger tends to represent courage, personal strength, and willpower. It can also have negative implications such as anger towards something or someone, an unforeseeable life, or even a part of you that you might try to hide or reject. In dream interpretation a tiger can be a symbol of female sexuality and seduction. Which leads me to my other question that I have. I would also like to know if there is a reason that Yann Martel chose to have a male character like Pi rather than a female character. Is it simply because he felt like it or maybe he relates more to a male character than a feminine one? Or is it because it would make sense to have a young virile boy out on a boat with an animal that might symbolize female sexuality. Maybe it helps to balance them out? Another thought I have is about how Pi decides to study and surround himself with sloths to bring out his inner peace. I guess I would have thought that he’d want to become a tiger analyst or something since he has lived with a tiger on a boat for awhile and probably has more insight into the minds of tigers than anyone else.
There are hundreds...thousands, of words in The Life of Pi, I decided to pick one word to write about. Just one, seemingly insignificant, foreign word. However, after closer speculation and research, I realized this word basically explains the entire purpose of the novel. Is it not astounding that one word can do such a thing? By now, you must be dying to know the word. There is no way one, two- syllable word can wield this much power in such an amazing book. Well, I have one “word’ for you. Tsimtsum. Yes, there it is. Recognize it? Tsimtsum is the name of the ship that sank, the name of the very object that cast Pi out to sea, the thing that started the entire point of the book. The word is actually not just a word, but a concept. First taught by a rabbi, it explained that God vacated region within himself in order to create the world. The significance is completely mind- boggling. Pi, who believes in so many (G)gods and religions, is casted away into this lifeboat, in the middle of the Pacific ocean, and in this region, he finds himself. He finds out ,more about who he is, what faith is...and in doing so, he creates his own world, just as the old rabbi prophesied that God did. The ship, the Tsimtsum, forced Pi to “vacate” as God did to himself. While it took up a part of him that Pi would have rather had to himself, he made a difference, and he is forever changing the lives of individuals who pick up the book. We cannot see Pi, you say, so he himself cannot change our world. However, I say to you, (if you are religious) neither can you see God, but He created your world.
Hanson 6
I imagine Life of Pi was written by a genius. While I dispose of filth and scum at work, I have time to think. I thought of how brilliant Yann Martel is considering how real of a book this seems to feel like. My dad read the book before I did and he was astonished to figure out is was fiction when I told him. It truly trikes me with awe to think that Yann Martel sat down and thought, “Let’s make a book with an Indian guy and a lion and let’s also make it interesting.” I wonder if some of the details he adds in there are just to give it life. Why is Pi Indian and not Spanish? Why is does he enjoy Canada? Personally I think he added specific details such as these just to give life to the character such as real people have specific details relating to them and them only. I would like to criticize the author a little bit. When I read the other books, they brought out so much color and life to characters with passionate vivid imagery; when I read this novel it seems surely sophisticated, but not passionate. Every sing F-bomb in Kasey’s novel was so powerful, and the violent imagery in Lord of the Flies made me feel emotion. I was waiting for Pi to talk about how terrified and despaired he was when he saw the goat getting ripped to shreds, but he does not even remember if he saw blood. I could be wrong. I have only read 40 so pages. When I am at work I also think about all the homework I could be doing. I feel as if I am on a boat where my job is a vicious animal that waits to rip me to shreds if I try to conquer the savage beast.
There are many very unique and interesting aspects about The Life of Pi, but the one thing that really sticks out to me is how lifelike and real everything seems while reading. While reading this book, many times you forgot that you’re reading fiction, and it seems like you’re reading a biography of Pi’s life. The way Yann Martel writes The Life of Pi truly is amazing. All of the details and colorful descriptions of things, he truly knows how to suck a reader in. The use of these details and the style that the novel is written in all make it seem as though the story is a real life account of Pi’s life, which is obviously what he was going for. Every page I read is so full of emotion and story that it truly is crazy to think that all of this was fiction written in the mind of Yann Martel. I also find the way that Yann Martel describes religion and very interesting. The idea that Pi could practice three religions at once and still feel as though he is a devout believer is very interesting to me. It is also cool to see that Pi believes that Atheism is a religion itself. Most people believe that Atheism is a lack of religion and a lack of purpose in life, but Pi believes the complete opposite. It is a very refreshing to hear that outlook on things, because that is an outlook you don’t see very often. The way the book treats religion in general is just a very unique way at looking at everything, and it is one of my favorite aspects of the book so far. I do wonder why Yann Martel decided to include so much about this in the book, but I’m glad he did. It makes for a very interesting read.
The book the Life of Pi, so far, is a really interesting, smooth reading book. I thoroughly enjoy Yann Martel’s writing style. His descriptive, imagery-filled chapters are part of the reason why this book is an easy read. The book is filled with noteworthy, thought-inducing quotes--I have written down numerous ones. “Life is so beautiful that death has fallen in love with it, a jealous, possessive love that grabs at what it can” (pg.6). This quote stuck out to me because it personifies life and death. I like Yann Martel’s use of switching between Pi’s point of view and the author’s point of view. We get to see Pi from the author’s perspective and how Pi sees himself. Yann Martel makes Piscine a lovable character which makes the reader feel for him more throughout the novel. When the three religious men confront Pi about having multiple religions, he simply responds with “Bapu Gandhi says all religions are true. I just want to love God.” I saw Pi’s innocence in that chapter and his big heart. Throughout the book I have picked up on the rule of three. For example, Pi practices three religions, there are three “i’s” in Piscine Molitor Patel, Pi hugs the oar like the three-toed sloth, and the number pi starts with 3.14. But I was curious as to why Yann Martel chose the power of three. Why not have Pi practice Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, and numerous others? I was also confused when Pi showed Mr. and Mr. Kumar around the zoo, but neither Kumar's had seen a zebra in their life. Mr. Kumar was Pi’s biology teacher. As a biology teacher and a grown man, you would think he would know what a zebra was. Those were just a few questions I had. Reading this book keeps me on my toes. Yann Martel describes every situation so well I feel like I am experiencing it myself.
Life of Pi… I remember first being introduced to it from commercials of what was said to be the best motion picture since the movie Avatar (2009). They certainly were not wrong about the special effects shown in Life of Pi. It was tremendous what they did to make things come to life with such vivid colors and detail. But the movie, of course, has differences from the novel just as all movies seem to drift off from their ever-so successful books. Why though? Perhaps to enhance the viewer’s experience or maybe because the director of the film did not see the book as interesting enough to bring in the big bucks… who knows. My thoughts on the novel thus far are pretty split. I don’t exactly get pulled into the book as of right now but I guarantee the reason for that is because I am not the farthest. But then again, it certainly is not dreadful the read it either. I am interested in the way Yann Martel is going into such depth with Piscine’s religion, childhood, life, and even desires. It really gets you thinking about what is going to happen later in the novel and all the external and internal struggles Pi will go through. I am intrigued by the zoo life and all the talk about each different species and their levels of ferocity or innocence. Going back to the religion standpoint, it’s outstanding that Pi takes in all that he does. Getting to be familiar with Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity and becoming to love each of them is incredible at his age. I was riding bike around town at the age getting Icee’s at the local gas station. “All religions are true”, said Bapu Ghandi. Pi seems to be all for each of them while his parents do not understand at all nor do they really care to understand. I am extremely excited to dive into this novel with all the input I have heard from so many people about the adventures, hardships, and the life of Pi.
Pd 7 Blok
In the Life of Pi I find it very interesting how Martel blends fiction and nonfiction. He does such a seamless job of making the reader think that they are reading a completely nonfiction book when in reality he is writing a completely fiction story. He uses the first person perspective to make it seem as though he actually had experienced the events happening in the novel. I had to continually remind myself that this book was a made up story because Yann Martel does an exquisite job at telling it as if it was an actual experience. Martel does a great job at making the reader keep on reading by using good descriptions to make the reader interested and to give the reader a good picture of what he is trying to invoke into his or her mind. As he talks about religion in the book he goes into a very deep description about what and how he gained respect for all of the religions he was following. He explained that Pi loved the story of Jesus dying for him on a cross. He also enjoyed praying to allah and feeling a connection to the earth through prayer. He also found joy in laying the prayer rug out feeling that the ground he laid it on was somehow sacred and holy to him and had a deeper impact on his life, which made him gain respect for the earth. I also found it interesting how Martel put the reader in the mind of Pi as he traveled around from religion to religion giving us a complete understanding of what he was feeling with each practice of each religion. Pi also gave us a good feeling on what it is like to be a teenager and what it is like to want to do something that other people might frown upon. I also enjoy how raw Pi is and how he is naive to things in the norm and isn’t afraid to be who he is and wants to be
Life of Pi so far has been pretty good. I think it is better than Lord of the Flies but not as good The One Who Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest although I am not really far into the book. The story so far hasn’t really captivated me. I find the long and drawn out descriptions about random things like sloths and swimming pools are really tangential and distracting. They take so long and I my interest in the novel just drops instantly. I understand that some of the scenes are or will be important for the plot at some point, but I do not enjoy reading them.
As a nonreligious person, I am completely and entirely bored with all the religious descriptions and comparisons. They have no wonder or mysticism and I kind of roll my eyes every time he says he is close to god or something to that nature. I think Yann Martel did not really have someone like me in mind when he was writing this. This is to be expected though because of the religion based story and the simple fact that more people are religious than not.
I do like how real the characters are. They way many of the characters act and think is very convincing. Like when the “three wise men” confront Pi and his family at the beach. They were really aggressive and nasty to each other and I thought that matched the characters perfectly. And the dynamics between Pi and Ravi are very relatable to me. The way they make fun of each other and blame each other and fight each other is all too real for me. I remember me and my brothers doing the exact same thing when we were a lot younger.
Life of Pi, so far, seems to be a pretty interesting book, especially for an English class. Usually, our books are less than interesting and a dread to read. This book, however, leaves little to be wanted. It is interesting how although chapters break up the book, the whole thing seems to be just one continuous thought. It almost doesn’t need the chapters, except to separate from time periods. Mr. Christensen said that some of us would be disappointed with the ending, while others would love the ending. This was shortly after explaining that some people like open-ended books better. I am wondering, then, how can this book be open-ended if we are in the present and the past? We know what happens to the character: he gets married, has two children, and even a dog. He has a wonderful house and a seemingly wonderful life. Where else could this story lead? I am also curious as to how Pi is a Hindu, Muslim, and Christian all at the same time. Hindus have several gods; they are polytheistic. However, Christianity AND Islam state that there is only one true God. Pi does say a few times in the book that there is only one true God, therefore I wonder if he is really a true Hindu at all. He perhaps only does the practices and acknowledges the gods of the Hindus because of habit. I do not think that he is truly Hindu, because it would not make sense with his other religions, and since he has picked the God of the Muslims and Christians twice now, it would only seem logical that that God is the only one that he truly worships. Between Islam and Christianity, however, I do not know. Most Muslims believe that the Bible was corrupted somewhere along the way, therefore they do not go by the “Injeel” (Bible). They instead go by the prophet Muhammad’s book the Qur’an. In order to be a Christian, the Bible would be enough and any book afterwards would be unnecessary. This is what I wonder, and what I know will not be answered.
The mystery of this novel to me is that from the very early pages Yann Martel already tells us that Pi survives his great trial and is now redomesticated with a family of his own. Yet at the same time the reader has one question, how? How can one teenage boy survive in a lifeboat with the remainder of his family’s zoo? This question demands that the reader continues to see Pi’s life and try to answer this question for themselves.
For a reader to try to understand how Pi could survive his days alone at sea, they must discover what makes Pi, Pi. The beginning of the novel is extremely engaging because very few people in the world grow up in a zoo and are amongst creatures from every corner of the world every single day of their lives. However, Pi is still very relatable to most readers because he had a family in which he loved but could still become frustrated with, like any other person. The reader learns about Pi as a child and an adult simultaneously which also makes them ponder how he transitioned from the young boy to the grown man.
So far in the novel, there are factors from Pi’s childhood that have obviously helped him on his challenge. One factor is that he has a lot of knowledge about the animals that are with him in the boat and how to interact (or not interact) with them. Secondly, Pi learned how to swim from Mamaji, otherwise he may fear the water and die quickly. The reader has also learned that Pi loves God. He loves him so much that he uses three different religions, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity, to show God how much he loves Him. It can be hypothesized that Pi will rely on his faith in God to make it through his months alone at sea.
I am coming to like this book the more and more I get involved in it. Martel is a very well-informed author and by reading I can tell that he has done his research thoroughly on animals, ships, the ocean, and various religions. I particularly like how he keeps the readers interested. A good example of this is when, at the end of part one, he skips straight from Pi and his family departing on their journey to the ship sinking. In fact, I liked all of those chapters starting part 2 because of how Martel jumped ahead in the story and slowly went back and filled in the blank spots. Another thing that intrigues me about this book is how Martel blends and blurs certain parts of it. He starts off with this at the introduction, he makes the readers question whether Piscine Molitor Patel is a real person or if he is made up. Another example of this is the two Mr. Kumars that Pi becomes acquainted with. There is one particular scene where Martel describes the two men meeting Pi at the zoo and feeding a zebra. (I assume this draws a parallel as to why a zebra jumped onto the boat with Pi) The scene is vague as to which Mr. Kumar is feeding the zebra, whether it is Mr. or Mr. Kumar. I suspect we will find more out about both of these characters come later in the book. I’ve come to notice how thorough Martel is with stories, descriptions, and characterization. Whether it be a lengthy explanation to a simple but not so simple nickname, or information on three-toed sloths, I always am intrigued and interested. I do believe this is due to the experience Martel has under his belt as an author, as well as the preparation he has put into everything.
Jacob Meyer pd.2
Provoking the mind, Life of Pi is an excellent story. In the start of this work, Yann Martel blends reality and fiction into one. He makes the reader question what is real and what is made up in his author’s notes and having various chapter from the point of view of a character in the novel who is an author. I like and dislike this tactic he used; it makes the story seem real but it also makes you question a lot of things about the novel. Unfortunately, I have not had as much time as i would have liked to read, but I will give my insights on what I have accomplished so far.
Pi is an unique character. He expresses interest in many religions and is very open minded about the world. His name could be the spawn of his interest. Pi’s full name is Piscine Molitor Patel. Piscine Molitor is a swimming pool in France that the Patel’s family friend Francis Adirubasamy swam in. Mr. Adirbuasamy said the water was clean and clear. This perfect pool represents Pi because Pi is a clear “pool” being molded by the various religions he is experiencing.
Pi is also a mathematical number relating to cirlces, a significant item. When Pi chooses to shorten his name, he goes from being bullied (Piscine was bullied because his name sounded like pissing) to a person who is trying to be more serious.
I want to keep reading to learn more of Pi and his experience on the raft. Because I am in psychology, I am eager to put my learning into practice while analyzing Pi. I am intrigued by the various religious symbol in this story. The author spared no expense when it comes to detail. I have not had any problems envisioning the story or imagining the characters.
I just finished chapter 42 in Life of Pi, and I am excited to read on. I am curious about many things in the book, and how it will end. I am curious how Pi will get food and water to survive long enough to make it to shore. Pi can swim well, so maybe he will manufacture a spear and try to catch fish, or he might eat the zebra that is on the boat. My thoughts on him getting water would be to create a rain trap on the boat and drink rainwater, but that will only last so long.
I do not think that I would be able to handle the sadness that Pi is going through. He just lost the people he loves most after leaving his home for the foreign land of Canada. He has nothing. His religion will help him stay motivated to live throughout the remainder of the novel.
His religion is interesting to me as well. It was fun to see him thank the Hindu Gods for putting Christianity in his life. There was so much push back against his faith in all three religions, even though it does not affect any of the others that were angry at his blend of religions. Faith is a personal choice, and I do not empathize with those that want to force their beliefs onto others. You can share your thoughts and sway opinions, but when the three wise men and Pi’s father were angry with him for being of three faiths, I could not identify with their causes.
I wonder where Martel found inspiration for this novel. The fiction seems to real that it is almost sure is real. Pi’s story, and even the italicized chapters from the author, read as if they were nonfiction. It is quite enjoyable to read this novel as a nonfiction. I hope that Martel will continue to suspend my disbelief and create a realistic novel.
As of now, I am entranced with this novel. Martel is an expert writer. Each sentence flows into each other. This novel is incredibly easy and fun to read. I am looking forward to the rest of the novel, and the thoughts that others will have on the novel in the forum.
Yann Martel is extremely skilled in the way he uses vivid details and imagery to enhance the effect his literature is meant to have on its readers. The first part of the novel goes into detail the inner conflict Pi has with three different religions: Hinduism, Christianity,and Islam. He does not encounter all three religions at same time but rather overtime when he is a young teenager. I feel his age plays a role in his susceptibility of believing everything he is told about each religion and how he feels he is able to be a follower of three different religions at the same time. When his family first finds out about this, they are disappointed and do not support him. Ravi especially picks on him for thinking he can be a follower of three different religions that contradict their beliefs with one another. I feel he picks out certain aspects of each religion and combines them in his own mind as one. This is the only way he could think that he could believe in all three loyally because each religion has such different beliefs and backgrounds. A small portion of the novel I disliked happened to be when the three wise men became enraged when they learned that Pi was practicing more than one religion. Each wise man immediately began vilifying each other's religion instead of condemning a young boy for being unusually mature and researching for himself. I became frustrated when reading this because it shows how brainwashed people can become and overlook the importance of the entire situation; Pi wants to love God and make his own choices as an independent, mature adult. Life of Pi, so far, is a really interesting, smooth reading book. I enjoy Yann Martel’s writing style. His descriptive chapters are part of the reason why this book is an easy read.
Though Life of Pi raises complex philosophical and religious questions, I am finding it very easy to read along and summarize each chapter. The book begins with the authors note, and in the first few chapters we learn about this author, however, he is not the exact same guy as Yann Martel(in my opinion). The author character only shares some of Yann Martel's biography in the book. Whichever way one wishes to think about it though, the author character in the book is meant to be Yann Martel. I really love the method that this author uses to introduce novel, like how he starts off introducing his own self, then travels to visit Pi Patel, who begins to share his philosophy, and the novel begins. I think this is an ideal way to draw in a reader. I would compare it to listening to classic stories passed down through generations. On a side note the book reminds me of the movie Forrest Gump because both tell stories of incredible lives and also introduce quirky, memorable, and unique characters. I think the best stories are derived from the most experience people.
The story is so believable because of the way that Yann Martel develops his characters. Pi Patel has a rich background and his life experiences have made him a well seasoned man. The author even goes as far to apologize for any mistakes he makes in telling Pi's story since he put it together himself. I do not think Yann Martel is making his characters quirky and realistic to balance out the unrealistic events. I think the whole concept of believeing--in the authors characters, in the plot itself--ties into the central theme in the novel which is about a humans faith in God, or believing in a God.
Ellie Klumpp Pd.2
Life of Pi is my favorite book thus far! It is most definitely the easiest to comprehend and I enjoy the amount of detail Yann Martel puts. It is enough but no too much like parts in the Lord of the Flies that would become overdone and unclear with the excessive detail. Martel makes sure you have enough detail so the reader can understand but still keep the story clear and on track. I love reading about the stories and his timeline from childhood to where I am currently am in the book is very smooth. While reading the book Pi seems very wise beyond his years and an incredibly deep thinker. He is extremely good at solving his own issues like his story about the name-calling, adding to that I am also very surprised that the name Pi has stuck with him after all these years. Now on to the main idea of the book so far, Pi choosing multiple religions. I think this is unique for a young child to do because children usually stick with their parents’ religion because it was what they were born into and know no different, but Pi does the opposite! He picks three religions because he sees positives in all three. When his parents originally say he cannot have multiple religions he is confused why. Pi wants to participate and love all the gods in all the religions. Ultimately his parents agree to let him practice all of them. I also wonder why Pi is so interested in religion at all? Most kids that age do not care much about religion and would rather be with friends.
Pi is often viewed as a disciple or Jesus like figure, which I think will foreshadow more later on such as how can a regular human survive 227 days on a boat without fresh water and a hungry tiger? He must be super human because it would take one to do that. I am looking forward to continuing on reading Yann Martel’s amazing book and watch Pi’s and Richard Parker’s journey together.
Hannah Paauw pd 6
Upon finding out that Life of Pi was a novel we were reading, I was more than a little skeptical. The only previous knowledge I had of the story was that a boy and a tiger were stuck on a lifeboat. I was under the impression that the entire novel as well as the movie was just the story of the boy and the tiger surviving in the open sea. But after picking up the novel and diving into it, I have begun to realize that there is far more than i could even imagine with the story. Mr. C kept reiterating that this book changed his life and that he loves Yann Martel as an author--within the first pages I could see how that was a real possibility.
Yann Martel has one of the most unique writing styles I have ever come in contact with. Just about every sentence contains one, and sometimes more, uses of figurative language. His writing is so eloquent. Even with his use of large, unfamiliar words from different cultures, one can understand the novel quite easily. I feel as if i'm having a lesson in various aspects of life--from zoos, to culture, to religion--every time I finish a page. The novel also has an extremely unique set of chapter lengths. I haven’t read a book with such short chapters in a long time; not to mention a book with 100 chapters (which I do not believe I ever have). The thing that surprises me the most with the chapter lengths is that not a single one feels rushed. Each ones seems to conclude and give a sense of closure. I also think it is interesting how the chapters signify a change of topic. I have read one previous book like that and I thought it was so interesting and brings you further into the book. One wants to see what happens at the end of every story. There is a sense of disappointment for just a split second until one realizes that they get to continue on with another story they have been waiting anxiously for. Overall I am excited to see what the book continues to bring.
Life of Pi is undeniably one of the most interesting and unique novels I have ever read. Some elements of the story that intrigue me is how the author, Yann Martel, blurs the lines of the story between real and fake. In the author’s notes, he presents Pi Patel as a real person, someone that Martel has met in his travels when looking for inspiration for his book. In actuality, though, Pi Patel is not a real person, but made up by Martel for this story. It makes the reader have to constantly remind themselves that this novel is fiction; it is not a true story. Another interesting element Yann Martel deploys is his author’s note. Not one single book I have ever read has had an author’s note like this one. Most authors’ notes are simply a thank you to friends and family or whomever inspired them. Martel does not do this, though, but, instead, creates his author’s note to be a part of the story. Throughout the entire novel, Martel uses the element of description and visualization to make the novel come alive as well. One thing that I am curious about, though, is why Martel chooses to have such a long introduction/background for Pi Patel before he gets to the actual story. I find it interesting that the first third of the book is all before or after the incident that happens, which is Pi stranded on a lifeboat. There one question I would ask Yann Martel about his book. Why do the animals on the boat die so soon? Why do they eat/destroy each other so quickly, leaving only Richard Parker and Pi? The animals stand for something more significant than simply animals, so why are they gone so quickly? It seems to me it would be difficult to form a complete and fully rounded symbol with these animals that are gone quite briskly.
Although I am only 75 pages into Life of Pi by Yann Martel, I am intrigued in the book. I have heard nothing but good remarks on the not only the book, but the movie. Only being 75 pages in, I can tell this book will definitely be a favorite. Yann Martel has a way of outlining interesting facts that keep me wanting to read more. He has an overwhelming amount of symbols that make me question everything I am reading. I find myself not only enjoying the book, but learning numerous outlines about religions, zoos, and even people. I am interested in learning about all the different religions Yann Martel speaks about in which Pi is a part of. I hope to intelligent myself with this complex book. I admire the way Yann Martel makes it seem as if it is real life; I frequently have to tell myself that this isn’t real, but that it is fiction. I find myself constantly wondering what I would do if I was in Pi’s situation. I am uneducated on the Hindu and Muslim religions so I find it very intriguing yet confusing when Yann Martel speaks of the separate two religions. Although I am educated on the religion of Christianity, I find it especially interesting through Yann Martel’s words. The way he speaks of all three intrigues me to be more open-minded as not only a person but reader; It intrigues me to want to learn more about the Hindu and Muslim religion. I also have a great amount of respect for Yann Martel on his wisdom of all three religions. He talks as if him/pi are extremely educated on these topics, and that is the reasoning behind the thought of this book being nonfiction. Although I am not too far in the book, I am excited to sit down and read it. I know this will be a favorite read; I have always wanted to read it but never gotten the chance, therefore, I am thankful Lit has given me a reason to stop procrastinating this great book and finally read it.
I have read nearly all of the section required for this week’s forum. I have read this book once before and I enjoyed it immensely. The question the book itself asks is one to ponder. The chapter which talks about it was early in the book. I believe I read it already so this is really about the section we read. The agnostic will cling to their dry yeastless factuality and they will miss the better story. They will miss the better story. I think that this is important. The better story could be any religion in this context. Believing in a higher power and life after death gives people meaning in their life. I do have a question about this. I want to know what the author of this book believes spiritually. He did write quite a bit about the subject. He seems to have some of the ideals of an atheist but also talks about Islam, Christianity, and Hinduism. the biggest motif I’ve seen so far in the novel is that agnostics suck. When Pi and both the Mr. Kumars meet it is fine since as Pi puts it, they both believe in something. Atheists just believe there is no god. Therefore they can get along with religious people. Agnostics cannot since they don’t care. One other major point I was wondering about was the reason the author chose to jump right to the boat sinking in the second part of the book. The first words are literally, just the ship sank. It seems rather abrupt. It could be to shock the reader. It does add a very different outlook to the previous page. The page before was talking about how it was a new chance and suddenly everyone is dying. Whatever the author was trying to do he definitely got my interest with the change of pace.
Having never read the Life of Pi book before and not seeing the movie when it came out a few years ago, I thought it was a little strange that we were going to read a book that I had actually heard of for class. At the beginning of Life of Pi I personally thought it was slow. I was stuck there wondering when the actual book was going to start. Yes, as a writer I know how important it is to describe your characters and your settings right off the bat, but I think Yann Martel went a litter over the top with Mamaji’s swimming career. I am honestly curious about Pi’s uncle, Mamaji. I think it is strange from his body description to how Pi describes so many of Mamaji’s personal experiences or stories, I am not sure what to do with all of the extra information. I think the author does this to get into why Pi is named Piscine and the whole background, but I think it is just extra fluff right now that the reader does not need to know all of it.
Something I really enjoyed at the beginning was when Pi was describing the zoo. He described the zoo in relation to a normal school day of his. You can really tell by his description that he cares for the animals deeply. This flows so well with the thought that Pi loves all of the animals and is at peace with them. Kind of funny before he is put into destress with one.
In years past the people I have talked to about the book Life of Pi have always said the beginning was slow and then by the end of the book you will not be able to set it down. However as I have read the beginning of this book I believe the beginning is not boring. Actually I think of it as quite the opposite. I find myself learning a lot about zoos and the animals in the zoos. So far I believe the beginning of this book is quite interesting. Being the math geek that I am the way Yann Martel made Pi’s nickname possible was quite comical in my opinion. Writing 3.14 on the board in every class would have been a sight to see. I have not quite figured out what it is exactly but the way Yann Martel writes seems to click really well in my head. His book has managed to grab my eyes and so far it has been hard to put the book down. He is extremely descriptive in the way that he writes. He describes the people in the book in a way in which I feel as if I can see them right in front of me. I was confused, however, on one part of the book. How does Pi become a believer in so many religions. With all of the religions Pi begins to believe in they all begin to contradict each other. Christianity says you can not worship other gods yet Pi still believes in Hinduism and Islam. Hinduism is a religion in which their are many gods yet there are many gods in Hinduism. How can Pi claim to be a strong Christian if he does not believe in the laws of Christianity? Even if there may be a few confusing moments in the book, it is still a brilliant work by Yann Martel and I am excited to finish the book.
Emma Roach pd6
As of page 169 I have a lot of questions about the book because as of now I do not fully understand what is going on or going to happen. I have seen the movie which does follow very similar to the book as all great books it is different and more detailed. One of my many questions is why Pi was the only person out of all the people and the crew that survived the boat sinking. Probably for some reason Yann Martel made this happen but I wonder when we will find this out. Another question I have that would be just for the author is why he used those specific animals to survive and make it to the lifeboat with Pi. Maybe it was just random thought or there was actually a system in choosing the specific animals, but I would definitely like to know. I enjoy the book a lot, it has a plot that is unlike any book I have ever heard about or read. At the beginning it builds up so nicely to the actually events of what is happening in most of the book. So in thinking of that I would like to know where the author got the inspiration and the ideas to write this book. Maybe just pure thought from his mind and curiosity or maybe he or someone he knew actually went through events like this one or with the mindset of this one that gave him inspiration to write a fictional novel. I would also like to know why he chose this specific race to base the characters off of. I understand that he is of similar race but that might not be the case in why he would have chose to base the characters off the book as. So far it is a really great book that I am excited to see how it plays out. As I have heard it is a very life changing book that really makes you look and think about life and religion.
From the start the book grabs the reader’s attention. Making the author’s note as a part of the book is something I can say I have never seen before. I find that I am constantly finding something to amaze me or something that I had never thought about before. Such as when Pi talks about the animals in the zoo and their territory. The notion of not the area but the mindset of one’s property intrigued me. I drew a connection from there to humans, people in apartments each own a few different rooms of the same house but all still have some expectation to have that area to themselves while the landlord/landlady takes payment from their tenants hoping for them to stay for some financial gain. I also found the part when the teachers start to change what they call him to be elegantly and expertly written! The transition of his classes being like an oasis to being barren and dry this I found beautiful I understand that it is meant to be his name turning rancid but I first understood it to be his feelings for each class in the change as well. Earlier I said that the author’s note was awesome and unique as is the way he interjects every so often, because he never says he is the author this leaves the readers guessing if it is really the author or if it is an internal monologue by Pi. There is a section when circus lions and their trainers are discussed and I find that the thin control that the trainer has over the loins translates well to everyday life. Each person only has much control as they are given no matter what physical disadvantages they may or may not have. This book is written in a style I had not expected but I am loving it. Yann Martel is using imagery and literary devices like similes and metaphors with such skill that I cannot wait nor can I expect what will be said next.
7 Ullom
The novel Life of Pi has been an intriguing read for me. Even though we have the movie, because my sister loved it so much, I have never seen it. So, actually reading the novel, is the first time I’ve been exposed to this author and his writing. Much of the focus of this novel is multiple religions and animals. I find both religion and animals quite interesting. There are many moment in the book when Pi is discussing Christianity, Hinduism and the Muslim religion. Myself, believing the Christian perspective, find it frustrating sometimes when I don’t know much about the other religions. Having studied the Bible since I was little, I feel I know what the history of my personal religion is about. However, not fully understanding Hinduism and Muslim, but yet being able to understand just enough, somehow these two religions conflict with what I actually believe. Holding fast to my own beliefs is very important to me. What I find frustrating is when Pi is trying to explain everything, and yet in doing so, contradicts himself multiple times. Focusing on these pieces as I read is very important to me.
The use of animals and their symbolism is absolute fun to read. To be actually stuck, on a boat, in an ocean, with a hyena, monkey, zebra and tiger, is really quite unbelievable. To then say you lived through this entire experience is even more unbelievable. I actually find myself liking Richard Parker the more I read. The saddest part of the book thus far has been the zebra dying. What a horrible, drawn out death. It was very difficult to read. It’s as if, through Yann Martel’s storytelling, I was actually on the boat, out on the ocean with Pi and the animals. This is how it feels reading this novel.
Questioning one’s religions beliefs is ok. Reading a novel such as this, which brings those questions to the forefront, forces me to look back on my own religious teachings in the church I attend to see if this is what I truly believe. It has reinforced in my own life the teachings of the Bible and the truth it beholds.
***contains spoiler for those who have not finished the novel***
1 Rohrbach
I have known the ending of the novel for several years now, so I know about the metaphor of the people on the boat as the animals. Knowing the end did not complete the meaning of the book for me, but I noticed something recently while analyzing Chapters 21 and 22, which discusses “the better story”. Yann Martel uses these chapters to reveal his thoughts on religion, life, and the afterlife. He makes it clear that the agnostic in Chapter 22 does not see the better story, but makes an intellectual or logical reasoning to things as he dies. The atheist comes to believe in the idea of a god, thus seeing the better story. Yann is clearly saying that it does not matter what one believes, but as long as they believe in something instead of the “dry, yeastless factuality” of life.
The entire novel is about religion and is a metaphor for life. The story of the animals on the boat with Pi is the religion and belief of something more. Living logical and factual is the other story of Pi, his mother, the cook, and the sailor. The point of the story is a demonstration of viewing the world through a lens of religion instead of a scientific and factual lens. The fact that Pi believes in three religions is why these three religions do not conflict. He does not need to make sense of the different contradictions between them, but he just need them in order to have the best story he can.
Yann Martel manipulates the intro on purpose, because by blending reality into fiction is the purpose of the novel. Is reality the only or best way to convey truth? No, fiction conveys truth better. He is trying to convey in the best way how the merging of fiction is better than reality. Fiction paints a colorful, detailed picture of truth; reality can only describe truth with its black and white guidelines.
Which do you prefer the story of the animals or the real story? It will be the story with the animals of course. How does it make one believe in god? Because the novel gives its readers a message: The better story is the story we want, and the best story for our life is the story with a belief in something more.
My favorite part about Life of Pi so far is the use of the number three. Until reading this book, I guess I never realized how important the number three truly is. Three is present in the religions Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. There are three realms: Heaven, Earth, and Hell. I have a feeling that the third part of the book will be the best and most interesting part. In fact, I just realized that this is the third blog task of the second semester! I don’t know if you planned that, but that is quite the coincidence.
I also admire the way that Pi describes things in great detail. He takes care to describe how ferocious the hyenas are. It is too bad that teachers don’t teach by telling stories. I think I would remember their lessons better if there were stories behind them. There are many stories in the book, but they are set in a way that helps the reader to better understand, rather than confuse the reader. The book itself is a story within a story. The words of the book are beautiful. They aren’t large words, but the book makes it obvious that simplicity can be effective.
Pi is a great character to study and learn from. We should all strive to be as open to new things as Pi. He doesn’t practice three religions to be seen as “better” than everyone else; he does it because he just wants to love and worship God. He is even open and respectful of atheism. Any disagreement Pi has is said in a polite manner. Pi is a caring person even when he is struggling for his life on the lifeboat. He feels bad for the zebra and thinks he should have done something. If I were in his position, I probably would not care about the zebra. Of course, I would be sad and upset when the hyena eats the zebra, but I would probably focus on my own problems instead of the zebra’s.
I wonder why Pi’s brother, Ravi, is not mentioned much in the book. The only time we hear from Ravi is when he is teasing his brother. The book says that he loves sports and is not as faithful as his family. Ravi is much more energetic and carefree than Pi. I think Pi will begin to show regret for not trying harder to wake his brother.
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