Life of Pi Test
What does Pi say is "the worst pair of opposites" for someone stranded at sea?
Boredom and terror
What clue do we have that Pi's account of the episode with the blind Frenchman might not be precisely factual?
Both people in the story are blind, yet they find each other in such a vast place as the ocean.
What does Pi mean when he says, "The obsession with putting ourselves at the centre of everything is the bane not only of theologists but also of zoologists"?
Human experience and thinking will never be able to grasp the complexity of animals or religion, so viewing these concepts from our own POV and understanding will never suffice.
Why, according to Pi, did he weep over the having to kill the flying fish, yet he killed the dorado triumphantly? What is significant about Pi's second explanation?
Killing the fish was a victory for him in his situation, and was almost a way to get back at the world for his circumstances. At first it was hard to kill for the benefit of himself, yet - Pi begins to gain pleasure from killing the fish which is a dark and sad thing
Why is an understanding of animals' flight distance important to a zookeeper?
Knowing the flight distance is an important factor in knowing how close or far away zoo visitors should be.
According to Father Martin, what is the key to the entire Christian story?
Love
Why hadn't Pi noticed the abundance of life in the ocean before? What does he say is the best way to experience wildlife?
On the big ship Pi was on before, it was hard to see little details of the ocean which would have robbed Pi of the ocean's abundance. The best way to experience wildlife is to pay attention to the details which requires going slow.
What might the origin of Patel's name foreshadow?
Patel's name has a relation to water so the story or plot might also.
What were Mr. Patel's two majors in college? What connection does he make between the two? How do they foreshadow what is likely to come later in the novel?
Patel's two majors were zoology and religious studies; Patel finds connections between the characteristics of the animals he studies and different religions or lack thereof (ex. compares sloths to religious hesitancy); These majors suggest the main topics of the story, as well as further connection between them.
When staring at the hyena, what terms does Pi begin to use when speaking of himself? Why is this significant? What might it foreshadow?
Pi calls himself "super-alpha"; Pi has become dominant in this relationship and things are looking up in terms of survival; This might foreshadow Pi might survive.
How does Pi finally gain the mastery over Richard Parker that he has desired?
Pi controls when Richard Parker gets seasick. Richard Parker is forced to make Pi his master out of the desire to no longer experience seasickness.
With what significant imagery and symbolism does Pi describe the arrival of Orange Juice, the Orangutan? How does he continue to describe the orangutan herself?
Pi describes her as a goddess with an arrival filled with fog, a halo, and light. Pi later realizes she is less like an untouchable goddess and more motherly.
What first impresses Pi about Islam?
Pi is impressed by the urgency and structure of islam (specifically their prayer)
What does Pi mean when he says that "certain illusions about freedom plague" both zoos and religion?
Pi is saying that a common misconception is that both zoos and religion take freedom, but in reality both of these things bring stability.
Why does Pi and Richard Parker's parting bother Pi so much?
Pi kept both of them alive in a peaceful relationship which is practically impossible, yet Richard expresses no thanks or value/connection in their relationship
What does Pi like most about Christianity? How does he compare it to his own Hinduism?
Pi likes the simplicity, accessibility, and personal connection Christianity offers. Hinduism offers a connection to "all" (including nature) not just specifically simple accessibility in a personal sense
What is significant, in terms of Pi's coming of age, about the fact that he decides no longer to dwell on being rescued? How might the survival manual symbolize this?
Pi no longer is dependent on something greater than saving him (a god), religion is not such a dominant force on him, and Pi takes matters into his own hands. A manual gives instructions to do something on one's own.
What is the point of Pi's tale of Krishna and the milkmaids?
Pi presents the theory that one person cannot have a god or religion to themselves, and if one tries to live out religion this way they will only lose connection with that god. (Krishna (god) could have all the milkmaids, but each milkmaid couldn't be the only one with Krishna)
What turns Pi's outlook around just as he is at the depth of his sorrow?
Pi turns to desperate prayer when he is at his darkest in hope to regain his hope; Pi knows the only way he can survive is if something greater or a greater power helps him.
Given what Pi tells the author about fear, why is he telling the author his story?
Pi wants the author to face fear head-on because that is the only way to overcome it.
What does Pi say made him a Hindu?
Pi was attracted to it first because of the details and sensory effect, second, he agreed with the beliefs.
What does Pi's wife do for a living?
Pi's wife was a pharmacist (from Canada)
Why is Pi so moved by the Gideon Bible he once found in a Canadian hotel room?
The Bible in the hotel was a way for faith to be spread to travelers without force or condemnation. This knowledge of the faith is entirely in the hands of the reader this way, and is also in the form of a book which Pi appreciated.
What is significant about the details the fictional author chooses to reveal about Mr. Patel?
The author gives insight into Patel's gentle and somewhat nervous personality which is foreshadowing into later events in the novel.
What is suggested by the author's comment about fiction being "the selective transforming of reality? The twisting of it to bring out its essence"?
The author is saying that although the story he is writing is true, he is taking creative liberty in adding and twisting parts of the story into fiction to give the reader access to the "essence" or depth of the story's purpose/depth.
What is ironic about the Muslim baker's name? What is Martel suggesting by naming him this?
The baker's name is also Mr. Kumar (the same name as his atheist teacher). Although these people are polar opposites in religious beliefs there is irony in their hidden similarities.
What happens to the flies?
The flies come and go (die) in only 2ish days; Some are eaten by animals
Why is it fortunate for Pi that the hyena is in the lifeboat?
The hyena is less violent than the tiger (something else for the tiger to eat) and the hyena is the reason Pi is in the lifeboat and not drowned (Pi was attempted bait)
What happened to the leopard that escaped from a zoo in Zurich in the 1930s, and what does the story illustrate?
The leopard was never caught and remained peacefully in hiding around the city; This further proves the point that animals wild or captive are not dangerous or in need of saving - they only want stability.
What is the point of the episode Pi relates about the ravenous tiger and the goat? Why has Martel placed this episode in the same chapter with the discussion of anthropomorphism? What might this episode foreshadow?
The predator vs. prey relationship between the tiger and the goat also represents the world's culture (some people are predators while some are prey). This also foreshadows further comparison of this relationship (even in a literal sense).
Why does Martel employ so much hyperbole in Pi's description of the water and the rations in the locker?
The use of hyperbole is an expression for how intensely Pi is feeling thirst and hunger at this point in his journey.
What theme does Pi's story about the man finding the banana and feeling better suggest?
The value in hope and survival
What is the significance of the meeting of the two Mr. Kumars?
This meeting and conversation confirm Pi's belief that there is ironic relation between religion and reason.
What does the author's description of Patel's kitchen suggest?
What does the author's description of Patel's kitchen suggest?
What is the significance of Richard Parker's encounter with the shark?
What is the significance of Richard Parker's encounter with the shark?
Why is the animal with the "lowest social standing" also the easiest to train?
When the lowest animal is trained, the animal establishes a relationship with the trainer (who has the highest social standing) this will benefit the animal socially.
If we accept the Richard Parker story as an allegorical account of the factual, literal story, what do each of the characters in the allegory represent?
Zebra: Chinese sailor Hyena: French cook Orangutan: Pi's mother Tiger: Pi (parts of himself are animal-like)
