Authors notes and chapter 1-4 Life of Pi

In this chapter, we finally learn the full name of our narrator. What is it and how did he get it?

The narrator is Piscine Malator Patel and he was named after Mamaji's favorite swimming pool in Paris.

What cities does Mr. Patel say he would like to visit?

Oxford, Mecca, Varanasi, Jerusalem, and Paris

Why did the author go to India?

He goes to India because he wants to write another book.

How does Piscine link his statement about freedom in zoos to religion?

He says that zoos imprison animals and deprive them of their happiness, and religion deprives people of their freedom.

Does Piscine think animals are better off in the wild or in a zoo?

Piscine thinks the animals are better off inside the zoo.

What can we infer about the narrator so far?

He came from India, he has suffered a medical problem, he loves animals, and religion.

What can we determine about Mr. Patel from his tone?

He is very calm and gentle. He likes animals very much and interested in religion. He is kind hearted.

What ideas or information is described in detail?

How he got his name is described in much detail.

Piscine's father was a zookeeper. What comment does Piscine make about the transition from hotel owner to zookeeper?

Piscine says that running a hotel is not much different besides the guests are much more demanding.

According to Piscine, what are the only two things that are important to wild animals?

Food and shelter are the only things that are important to wild animals according to Piscine.

Why did the person speaking in chapter 1 choose to study the sloth? Taken with the information we got in the Author's Note, what might you surmise about this person?

He chose this because of it's demeanor and it was something to sooth his shattered self. He has been through some kind of trauma.

What happens when the waiter accuses Mr. Patel of being "fresh off the boat"?

He gets embarrassed and picks up his fork and begins to use it instead as his hands tremble.

What was the author's "one preparation" for his trip to India?

He has one word that he knows that people in India use and that is bamboozle.

Chapter 2 is very short. Why do you think the author included this chapter? What is hinted at in this chapter?

He includes this to give us a visionary of what Mr. Patel actually looks like, so we can picture him throughout the story.

What do you learn about the narrator and his childhood?

He loved to swim and got his name from a pool.

What is significant about the narrator's name?

He loves swimming as well and that's about his name.

What did Piscine's father do for a living?

He managed a zoo as a zookeeper.

What does the adult Piscine say about the idea of freedom versus the "prison" of zoos?

He says that "It yearns mightily for freedom and does all it can to escape. Then he says being denied its freedom for too long, the animal becomes a shadow of itself, its spirit broken."

What does the name "Mamaji" mean?

It means Mama Uncle to indicate respect and affection.

What is most significant about the story that the author hears?

It would make him believe in God.

Who first tells the author about Mr. Patel's story? How many storytellers does this make in the book so far?

Mr. Adirubasamy first tells the author about Mr. Patel's story.

What were Mr. Patel's two majors in college? What connection does he make between the two?

Mr. Patel's two majors in college were religious studies and Zoology. A sloth reminds him of God because of the uniqueness. People are hesitant to believe in God and that also reminds him of a sloth because they are the same.

Why does the author mail his manuscript for the book about Portugal to a made-up address in Siberia?

So nobody will actually get it because he felt defeated.

What distinction does Mr. Patel makes between the ocean and the swimming pool?

The ocean is very chaotic but the swimming pool is a proper rectangle and is all flat.

Near the end of this chapter, the story makes an abrupt change. We started the chapter with the narrator talking about his love of animals and his personal beliefs about God. At the end of the chapter, however, he begins talking about doctors, nurses, and his medical health. What do you think the author is trying to convey here?

There is some kind of medical trauma that he has experienced.

What significant trait did the narrator and Mamaji share?

They shared the ability to swim.

What does Piscine imply when he says that "a house is compressed territory, where our basic needs can be fulfilled close by and safely"?

This means that no matter how big the place you are in you are safe and have the things you need to survive.

How, according to Piscine, did his father feel about running the zoo? How did Pi feel about living there?

To his father it was a source of pleasure and many headaches. To Pi it was like paradise on earth.

Who is the first speaker in the book? What kind of person does he seem to be? How can you tell?

Yann Martel is the first speaker in the book. He seems to be a spur of the moment kind of person. I can tell because he doesn't have much money and just jumps up and begins to go to India and write a book.

Was Mamaji a good swimmer? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Yes, because the text states, "mamaji was a champion competitive swimmer, the champion of South India." Page 6