Life of Pi

Bibliographic Information: Martel, Y. (2002). Life of pi. New York: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN: 978-0151008117

Plot Summary: Piscine Molitor Patel is a boy from Pondicherry, India (the French part of the country), who was named after a swimming pool, and, to his chagrin, nicknamed “pissing” by his peers. In a small, but grand endeavor to change his name, and therefore, his destiny in life, he starts his first day of the new school year by announcing to his classmates and teachers that his name is “Pi.” Pi grows up in zoo, owned and run by his business-minded father. Pi is very religious at an early age, venturing from his native Hinduism, into the realm of Catholicism and Islam. Growing up along side magnificent beasts and observing them his whole life, has given Pi the unique experience of understanding their behaviors.

            When financial woes strike his family, they are forced to relocate to Canada with animals in-tow. A disastrous shipwreck kills his family and the crew, leaving Pi at odds with God, nature, and himself, in the maddening isolation of a rescue boat, with a few animal friends. The first animal Pi notices is a Zebra, who has broken his leg in the chaos, and just lays there suffering. Soon, a hyena appears, and then an orangutan, and eventually Richard Parker, the magnificent Bengal tiger who has been hiding underneath a tarp. Pi learns not only how to survive out in the sea, but also how to make a wild tiger cooperate and respect him. By claiming his territory, and providing Richard Parker with food and water, they learn to coexist, though not always harmoniously.

            When he is rescued, he shares his story with men from the company that own the sunken ship. Unconvinced by his magnificent tale, Pi offers them an alternative one, starring people as his companions, instead of animals. Years later, Pi shares his story again, this time with a writer, claiming that it is a story “that will make you believe in God,” and whichever story you choose to believe, it is the one with the animals that is the better story.

Critical Evaluation: Life of Pi offers readers a spiritual survival story in the form of an allegory. The framed narrative creates a story within a story within a story—obviously emphasizing the importance of storytelling. The final narrative suggests that Pi wasn’t accompanied by animals, but other people, and that he witnessed all of them perish. If the last story is true, then Richard Parker was really Pi, and he resorted to cannibalism in order to survive. But whichever story is true, this much is certain: “Life will defend itself no matter how small it is.”

Reader’s Annotation: Pi Patel’s family has to sell their zoo and move to Canada. When Pi becomes the only survivor of a shipwreck, save for a few animal companions, his faith is tested, and he learns the power of storytelling.

Author Information: Gale Contemporary Authors Online states, “Yann Martel, Canadian author of fiction, ‘is being hailed as a remarkable voice,’ wrote Rosemary Goring in the Glasgow Herald, ‘the harbinger of a fresh wave of literary invention from a nation already famous for its fiction.’ Following in the footsteps of Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies, and Alice Munro, Martel has earned international repute for his fiction, in particular the award-winning 2001 title, Life of Pi. Born in Spain to Canadian parents, Martel has lived all over the world, including Alaska, Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Iran, Turkey, India, and Canada. His father was a diplomat and poet from the province of Quebec, one-time winner of the Governor General's Award for poetry. Martel, who began to write after studying philosophy at college, once told CA: ‘I write because it's the only way I know how to create, and to create is to live.’”

Genre: Fiction, Adventure

Subjects: survival, shipwreck, spirituality, religion, zoos

Curriculum Ties: N/A

Booktalking Ideas: Potential questions would be:

What could be the significance of a name like Pi?

Mr. Patel teaches his sons a life lesson when he makes them witness the tiger devour a goat. How could this experience have prepared Pi for the hardest battle of his life?

Reading Level/Interest Age: 15+

Challenge Issues/Defense: Due to the concept of having multiple faiths, and descriptions of cannibalism, this book may be challenged. If so, refer to:

1.     The San Francisco Public Library Collection Development Policy, Selection Criteria, and Teen Collection documents.

2.     The California Department of Education District Selection Policies, Reading Lists, and Resources for Recommended Literature: Pre-K-12.

3.     A hard copy of the ALA’s Library Bill of Rights.

4.     Mixed book reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus, and Publisher’s Weekly.

5.     Book selection rationale.

6.     If necessary, The San Francisco Public Library’s Request for Reconsideration of Library Materials Form.

Reason for Selection: I wanted to include a title that would appeal to more spiritual teens, and the combination of religious exploration and self identity in Life of Pi make it the perfect teen "chicken soup for the soul" type of reading.