Life of Pi Pt 2
disconsolate
(adj.) deeply unhappy or dejected; without hope, beyond consolation
Evanescent
(adj.) vanishing, soon passing away; light and airy
cache
(n.) a hiding place; something hidden or stored
What are two things that Pi says helped him survive?
-Pi "kept [himself] busy" by maintaining an "average day" on the lifeboat (Martel 239-240). -forgetting about the time. He believed that "Time is an illusion that only makes us pant" and only focused on the "events and encounters and routines, markers that emerged here and there from ocean of time and imprinted themselves on my memory" (Martel 242).
Cain
A biblical character, firstborn son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother, Abel, out of envy for being favored by god (God favored Abel's sacrifice over Cain's sacrifice of crops).
Leprosy
A skin and nerve disease that causes open sores on the body and can lead to serious complications and death
Air and water archetype ch. 60
After the descriptions of the sky, Pi becomes aware and says that the volume of air above and the volume of water below him was confounding, or astonishing. Air can represent change while water can represent rebirth. Combined, the two can hint at the internal change in Pi as his perception of his conflict changes to be more positive.
Why do zookeepers clean up animal feces
Animals tend to eat their feces which gives them diseases in their intestines
What does Pi realize in ch. 55
As day breaks, Pi realizes that RP will outlast him because he can survive off of salt water and swim far
What do animals hate most? Why did this make RP do what he did in ch. 53
Back in chapter 53, Pi mentioned that animals hate it when they get disturbed while eating; while Richard Parker was eating Pi accidentally slammed the locker disturbing him, which is the only reason as to why Richard Parker almost attacked him.
Other than Being saved, what is Pi's greatest wish? Why is this?
Besides being saved, Pi's greatest wish was to have a book at that moment. He wanted a piece of literature he could read over and over again that he could have a new understanding of every time he reread it. Pi wants the spiritual guidance of a book, just like how Krishna guides Arjuna in the Hindu scripture.
What does it mean when Pi says he is "guilty as Cain"
By comparing Pi to such a tragic story, it shows the guilt that came with what Pi had to do at sea.
Pi's reference to feeling guilty as Cain is ironic because
Cain killed willfully and was motivated by envy while Pi only kills out of neccessity
Heros journey in beginning of pt 1
Crossing the threshold, leaving India
What does zebra represent
Destruction of beautiful and loss of hope
What does the hyena symbolize in Life of Pi
Evil
Why is fear such a problem
Fear is such a problem because it is not an opponent that someone can easily see or recognize. It first slips into one's mind as doubt, but as one tries to push away the doubt, it soon evolves into anxiety.
Why is fear clever and treacherous
He describes it as a clever and treacherous opponent because it does not work in accordance to laws or morals, rather its own accord showing no mercy.
What does Pi trying to eat RP's feces show
He is desparate for food and has resorted to a more animalistic state (animal's eat poop)
Why does Pi decide not to jump overboard and swim to safety
He will drown in the ocean.
stifling
Heat or hot conditions which causes difficulty breathing or can be suffocating.
What occupies Pi's thoughts
How to kill RP
Which of the following literary techniques does Martel use in ch. 60
Imagery and allusion
Review what Pi says in Chapter 4 about how easily animals adapt to zoos. Then, compare that with how well PI and Richard Parker are adapting to their new environment.
In Chapter 4, Pi explains how animals like the zoos because it provides both consistency and security that is not always in the wild. Richard Parker adapted to the new environment much better than Pi did. For Richard Parker, he has security within in the lifeboat, and although they are in the middle of the ocean, there is still a sense of constancy with the "ceaseless motion of the sea" (Martel 198). He is not distressed like Pi so he is able to rest and in a way, it is just a new habitat for him. Pi, on the other hand, understands the gravity of the situation because in reality, there is no consistency or security. There is no constant food supply or constant safety and their lives is always in danger. The lifeboat does provide some safety; however, it does not protect from weather or big storms. "It [is] apprehension and anxiety that rous[es Pi]" (Martel 198) all the time because knows the instability of the new habitat.
What do the fish (and the dorados) represent
In Hindu stories, Vishnu saved the world by taking the form of a fish. Pi sees fish and dorados as a gift from god. This is seen by the fact that as he kills the dorado, it starts flashing different colors.
Why is it important that Pi forgets about being rescued?
It is important that Pi forgets about being rescued because he would rely on someone else on his own survival rather than himself. "I had to stop hoping so much that a ship would rescue me. I should not count on outside help. Survival had to start with me. In my experience a castaway's worst mistake is to hope too much and do too little. Survival starts by paying attention to what is close at hand and immediate. To look out with idle hope is tantamount to dreaming one's life away."
Why is the feces a sign of social dominance in the animal kingdom?
It marks their territory which indicates dominance.
Orange archetype ch. 52
Many of the survival items made out of plastic are orange, which represents the part of Pi's character that is determined to survive past this ordeal.
Vishnu ad Markandeya
One day, Markandeya saw thick black clouds forming. Soon, it started raining heavily, covering the entire mountain. There was chaos all around and Markandeya felt Lost. He found a baby lying on a branch of the tree. The baby sucked him into his mouth. Markandeya saw the entire universe: the sky, the earth, the heavens, the seas, and the mountains. He saw forests, rivers, cities, and people. Markandeya realised that he had just seen the greatness of Vishnu.
What ocean is Pi in?
Pacific
What does Pi consider "life's only opponent" and why is it such a problem?
Pi considers "fear" to life's only true opponent as it is the only thing that can defeat life.
Ch. 53 summary
Pi creates a raft in case he needs to escape Richard Parker in the lifeboat. -The hyena gets eaten -it rains and Pi uses the rain catcher.
What does Pi do to protect himself while he is "training" Richard Parker?
Pi creates a shield out of a turtle shell and rope to block the tiger's attacks. Pi also relies on the fact that Richard Parker was not trying to kill Pi, since animals generally like to avoid violence, which allowed Pi to train with Richard Parker without dying.
Ch. 66
Pi has descended to a new level of savagry and kills animals easily
Ch. 60 summary
Pi has the realization after waking up in the middle of the night that his ordeal was insignificant compared to the grand scheme of the world, alluding to the story of Markandeya and Vishnu to convey his point.
Why is Pi at a loss when it comes to reading the navigational instructions in his survival manual?
Pi is at a loss due to his lack of experience at sea, and the manual was intended for "an experienced sailor" who "knew how he found his way into trouble, if not how he would get out of it". (Martell 193)
How has Pi become more animalistic
Pi is shocked by how vicious he has grown. Despite having been raised as a strict vegetarian, he now regularly captures and consumes sea creatures. The once noble vegetarian has become enthusiastic about the consumption of animals, Pi has gone as far as to state how "every time [the opportunity] appeared, I popped them one after another into my mouth like candy until there were none left. I couldn't control myself." Showing how the depravity had led him to take actions he once though unthinkable and savage like.
What begins in ch. 72
Pi makes a shield out of a turtle shell and begins his "training" with Richard Parker in order to tame him.
What do biscuits represent
Pi needing to give up a part of himself to survive, since the biscuits contain animal fat and are not vegetarian
What does Pi realize
Pi realizes its better to try and find land and rely on himself. Because there is such a small chance of a ship passing near the lifeboat and an even smaller chance of it's crew seeing him, Pi decides to completely give up on being saved (252). He makes up his mind that "it [is] land [he] had to reach, hard, firm, certain land" (252).
The cargo net that arrived with Orange Juice is not strong enough to use for capturing the fish, but it proves useful in another way. How does Pi use the cargo net?
Pi says that "as a fishing net, [the cargo net] was useless- too stiff and heavy and with a weave that wasn't tight enough. But it was perfect as a lure" (Martel 195). He states that the cargo net was attractive to fish. He says that when seaweed started growing on it, some fish started living there, so he used the net as a lure to catch and eat fish.
Pi does not know how many days he has been at sea, so why does he take time out to sing to his mother?
Pi singing to an estimated happy birthday his mother is a way for Pi to grasp on to the humanity of the outside world. He misses his family, their celebrations, and connections, singing "happy birthday" to his mother to honor her.
What does the clear sky represent in ch. 60
Pi states the sky is clear shows how his understanding of his situation will become clear even though there is much he does not know, hinting at his revelation this chapter.
CH. 54 summary
Pi struggles to sleep on his raft due to the rain, so he tries to come up with numerous plans (6 in total) on how to kill Richard Parker, fearing his death. He ultimately comes up with the plan to wait until the laws of nature to kill Richard Parker off (thirst and hunger).
What does Pi mean when he says that "God's hat was always unraveling, God's pants were falling apart. God's cat was a constant danger. God's ark was a jail..."
Pi tries to comfort himself through finding god in his grim conditions, but even this illusion cannot save him from the grave reality of his situation.
What happens in ch. 61
Pi tries to fish but then realizes that he must feed RP or be killed. He begins to despair, but all of a sudden flying fish come out of the water (chased by dorados) and Pi uses them to tame RP. Pi breaks one's neck and eats it, feeling guilty as cain, but after killing one he realizes he can get used to killing fish. he then kills a dorado, which begins flashing colors, and thanks Vishnu for taking the form of the dorado as a gift (reward)
What is the goal of Pi's training methods?
Pi wants to train the tiger and make him believe that he is the provider for the tiger. This is required in order to establish territory and control over the tiger which essentially ensures his survival on the boat.
What happens to Pi's skin and why
Pi's clothes disintegrated due to the elements and constant salt-water boils appeared as a result
What happens in ch. 51 life of pi
Pi's thirst compels him to unroll the tarpaulin, and gets dangerously close to where Richard Parker is sleeping. He finds food and water in a locker under the tarpaulin, and quenches his thirst and hunger, calculates how long his supplies will last.
Pi thanking Vishnu for providing the fish that he will kill suggests that
Pi's values and faiths are changing in the face of his need for survival
What do turtles represent
Protection, security, and endurance
What is Pi's motivation to clean up after Richard Parker after he defecates?
RP tried to hide his feces, which shows he recognizes Pi as the master. "To display his feces openly, to flaunt the smell of them, would have been a sign of social dominance. Coversely, to hide them, or try to was a sign of defense- of deference to me" (Martel 266). Pi cleaned up after RP and messed with his feces to further establish his role as the master.
What is it about his current setup with Richard parker that reminds Pi of a zoo?
Richard Parker's part of the lifeboat had, "... his sheltered area for sleeping and resting, his food, stash, his lookout and now his water bowl." (Martel 238) This setup reminded Pi of a zoo because it had all the essentials that an animal needs which the zoo provides.
Desert archetype on RP
Richard Parker's paws were described as "little desert islands". This represents a reflection of the vastly isolated setting that Pi has found himself in and the misery and struggle of the current situation. The only saving grace is the "seaweed" surrounding the "islands", representing the few resources Pi does have available.
What happens in ch. 69
Some nights Pi he thinks light in the distance and sends a flare but is unsuccessful. Therefore, he decides to put his mind to finding land rather than trying to rely on the help of others.
What does flare (and the burning out of it) represent
The light that comes from the flares represent Pi's hope that he will be saved. The light burning out shows how Pi stopped relying on humanity to save him.
What does the sunset at the ned of ch. 53 represent
The sunset at the end of the chapter represents the ending of an important day, as it is the day that Pi has secured a way for him to survive at sea with a tiger and a way to get water.
Color orange archetype ch. 50
There are a lot of things that are orange, such as the boat, tarpaulin, lifejackets, and whistles. This color represents Pi's determination to survive in the ocean. This affects character, as Pi is very determined to live and survive through this experience.
Pi realizes that there is probably a store of food and water on the lifeboat. When he goes searching for it, though, it occurs to him that the opening to the storage hold may be under the tarpaulin. Why is this a problem?
This is a problem because Richard Parker the tiger is residing under the tarpaulin. Richard Parker is still unconscious when Pi has his realization, but by approaching the tiger, Pi risks waking Richard Parker. As Pi states, "If I unrolled it, I would give myself access to what supplies might be stored below. But that meant creating an opening onto Richard Parker's den"(Martel 176).
What does Pi consider "good news wearing a foul dress" and what does it mean to Pi?
To Pi, it means salvation to have Richard Parker's urine with all of it's glorious odor marking off the tiger's territory, being "exclusively from below the tarpaulin", meaning Richard Parker only wanted "the floor of the boat". From this, Pi could safely "make the tarpaulin [his]" (Martel 215), leading to a peaceful coexistence between tiger and human.
What does viewing ocean at night teach Pi about his predicament?
Viewing the ocean at night teaches Pi that his predicament might seem huge to him, yet it isn't in comparison to the whole world. As Pi stares at the ocean, he realizes that his "suffering was taking place in a grand setting," and that he saw his "suffering for what it was, finite and insignificant" (Martel 223).
How is Pi's reaction to killing his first fish different to that of killing the second?
When Pi kills the first fish, he feels that he is "as guilty as Cain" showing regret at taking a life (Martel 231). When he kills the second, instead of feeling as remorseful, he "vigorously beat the fish on the head" with much less restraint than he had previously displayed, giving in to a more animalistic nature (Martel 234). The contrast between the two instances, as Pi says, shows that "a person can get used to anything, even to killing" (Martel 234).
ampoule
a small vial
Agile
able to move easily; graceful
Roused
activated or awoken
Injunction
an authoritative command or order
Yann Martel creates a sense of symmetry in this passage by
beginning and ending the passage at night
Ch. 51 stage of heroes journey
challenges and tests
Desoltion
complete ruin and loneliness
Fickle
constantly changing, unstable
What do the flares smell like to Pi
cumin from his childhood in Pondicherry
What emotion does Pi have in ch. 58
determination to improve the raft, train RP, and build himself shelter
tantamount
equivalent
Civility
formal politeness and courtesy in behavior or speech
Prusten is the sound tigers make to express
friendliness
What does orange remind Pi of
he states that it is "such a nice Hindu color", and that it "is the color of survival"(Martel 174).
After coming close to attacking Pi in the lifeboat, Richard Parker now looks at the boy with a contented and relaxed air. Why is there such a change in Richard Parker?
he was sated from drinking the rainwater and eating the hyena.
Edification
improvement of understanding or knowledge
Why is ch. 60 signficant
introduces Pi's interest in philosophy
vexed
irritated; annoyed
What does prusten compell pi to do
makes Pi decide to try and tame RP
What does Orange Juice represent
motherly love, gentleness, and hope
Sextant
navigation tool that determines latitude and longitude by finding angle between horizon and celestial body
Expendable
of little significance when compared to an overall purpose, and therefore able to be abandoned
adversary
one's opponent in a contest, conflict, or dispute
forbearance
patience
Imprinted
pressed into
Poingancy
quality of evoking a keen sense of sadness or regret
deference
respect
What does the boat Pi is in represent
safe passage across the ocean
cuffed
struck
propulsion
the action of driving or pushing forward.
Pi's comparing Richard Parker's efficiemcy at catching the flying fish to his own clumsiness suggests
the wild animal's superior ability to survive in the natural world
Why is Pi disconsolate
there are no books or sciptures in the boat to read.
How does Pi start learning how to tame RP in ch. 53
throws him a rat and learns that he can get seasick
Arjuna and Krishna chariot
two cousins who killed demons. Arjuna didn't want to fight in the chariot because many of the opposing army was his family and friends. Krishna told him it was his moral duty to fight and that although he would be killing their physical bodies, their souls would be reborn again.
Inert
unable to act or move; inactive; sluggish
erratic
unpredicatable
What does Pi decide to wage against RP
war of attrition (wait for RP to die)
