Author’s Note: Plot – It starts with the book’s author talking, who has written himself into the text as a character. The author says he flew to Bombay to rejuvenate his mind. He arrived with plans to write a novel about Portugal. But that book failed to materialize, and he began to feel hopeless and dejected about his prospects. P.O.V – the author.
Chapter 1: Setting – Present, Pi is talking about the past of his life in Canada. Plot – Pi tells us he studied religion and zoology at the University of Toronto. He talks about the three-toed sloth, and other animals. Pi talks about his suffering and how he lives with a kind of memento mori (a reminder of death). Pi also talks about God and types of thinkers he dislikes. At a restaurant in Canada, when Pi uses his hands to eat the waitress says, “Fresh off the boat, are you?” This makes Pi upset and uncomfortable. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Characterization – Dynamic; Pi describes an event of suffering and a reminder of death in his past, which must have caused an inner change in Pi’s character. Themes – Religion; Pi mentions of God, the universe, and Pi’s own faith to God. Struggle; Pi hints at the event he has to undergo with a great deal of pain and suffering, foreshadowing the event too.
Chapter 2: Setting – Fall weather. P.O.V – Third person; Interviewer. Plot – He describes Pi’s character and says he’s about forty, reserved and cautious, yet still excitable. Characterization – Pi is described as “He’s a small, slim man—no more than five feet five. Dark hair, dark eyes. Hair greying at the temples. Can’t be older than forty. Pleasing coffee-coloured complexion…Expressive face. Speaks quickly, hands flitting about. No small talk. He launches forth.” (Martel 7)
Chapter 3: P.O.V – First person; Pi. Plot – Pi tells us how he was named. He says he was named after a swimming pool. We meet Ravi, Pi’s brother. Pi works with Mamaji, his uncle who is a champion swimmer, and learns to swim in the pool and ocean. Mamaji tells story after story about the nicest pool in Paris called the Piscine Molitor. Which Pi was named after. Symbolism – Piscine was named after a pool in France that his uncle, Mamaji said was the most beautiful pool ever. Themes – Religion; Pi seems to have a slow, patient soul that finds swimming relaxing and peaceful.
Chapter 4: Setting – Pi’s father’s zoo in Pondicherry. Plot – Pi tells us about Pondicherry, his parent’s zoo, and Pi’s family moves from Madras, India to Pondicherry after his father buys the zoo. Pi loves growing up in the zoo. Pi launches into a discussion of religion, freedom, and zoos. Characterization – Pi’s experiences growing up in a zoo definitely added to his love and knowledge of zoology. Themes – Religion; Pi associates religion and zoology when talking about the zoo in Pondicherry, and compares the two.
Chapter 5: Setting – Pi and Ravi’s childhood school, when Pi was younger, before college. Plot – Pi talks about how he had a few problems as a child because his classmates and teachers made fun of his name because Piscine sounds like pissing. On the first day of school the next year Pi, instead of simply saying his name during attendance writes his full name and gives himself a new nickname which is Pi, and the nickname stays. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Symbolism – Pi’s nickname, and his struggle to get it to change from Pissing to anything symbolizes another struggle Pi has to deal with in his life, except early on in his childhood. Characterization – Pi had to struggle and stand up against everyone that took advantage of his name, and find the strength in him to change it, which helped him change for the rest of his life, showing signs of a dynamic character. Themes – Struggle; Pi’s struggle of getting teased because of his name, is just another struggle Pi has to deal with in his life.
Chapter 6: Setting – Present in Pi’s home. Plot – author talks about how Pi’s cupboards are packed with food. P.O.V – Third person; interviewer.
Chapter 7: Setting – Zoo in Pondicherry. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Plot – Pi talks about his biology teacher, Mr. Kumar. Pi tells us a few important facts about Mr. Kumar and that he’s a Communist, an atheist, and loves visiting the zoo. Mr. Kumar visits the zoo and, although Pi is too shy to talk to him, Mr. Kumar starts a conversation. Mr. Kumar believes that religion never saved anyone and that we can only trust science if we want to make the world a better place. Themes – Religion; the mention of the Kumar’s religion (atheist and agnostic) and we learn he is accepting of those who don’t believe in God, and that the existence of God is inherently unknowable, and so it takes faith to either believe in God or not.
Chapter 8: Setting – Zoo in Pondicherry. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Plot – Pi talks about a lesson his father once taught him. His father attempts to teach him how tigers are not your friends and humans are more dangerous than animal. Pi’s father takes him and Ravi to see Mahisha, a Bengal tiger. Babu, the big cats keeper, toss a goat into the tiger’s cage and the tiger kills the goat immediately. Pi’s father goes through a list of other dangerous animals in the zoo. The chapter ends with the boys holding guinea pigs, because these are an example of safe animals. Characterization – Pi’s father taught Pi a lot about the boundaries between humans and animals from this, and that knowledge Pi obtained shaped him into the character he is in the end, showing evidence of a dynamic character. Themes – Boundaries; the training of animals is basically a slow rearrangement of their territory, and in zoos the animals must accept humans living on adjacent territories to their own.
Chapter 9: Plot – Pi talks about getting animals used to humans, manipulating the fight or flight instinct, and creating stress-free environments for animals so they’re happy, don’t kill you, etc. Pi’s father is very good at all of this in the zoo. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Themes – Boundaries; The training of animals is basically a slow rearrangement of their territory, and in zoos the animals must accept humans living on adjacent territories to their own.
Chapter 10: Plot – Pi talks about how animals will always try to escape sometimes. He says “animals don’t escape to somewhere but from something.” P.O.V – First person; Pi
Chapter 11: Plot – Pi talks about when a female black leopard from the Zurich Zoo in 1933 attempted an escape. P.O.V – First person; Pi.
Chapter 12: Setting – Pi’s house. P.O.V – Third person; interviewer. Plot – The author and Pi are talking about the story and Pi gets upset on how the author is taking the story. The author told Pi he likes spicy food when, really, it makes his “digestive tract twist and groan in agony like a boa constrictor that has swallowed a lawn mower”.
Chapter 13: Plot – Pi talks about lion taming. He says when a lion mauls his trainer, it’s not because the lion is bloodthirsty, but because the trainer violated its space. Pi says that the trainer has to show the animal who’s boss. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Themes – Boundaries; Pi talks about the animal-training center on boundaries and confidence in the trainer. The lions know that they could overpower the trainer, but don’t because the trainer provides food, security, and order.
Chapter 14: Plot – Pi says the animals lowest on the social totem-pole are usually the most amenable to training. P.O.V – Third person; Pi. Themes – Boundaries; symbolizes Pi’s training of Richard Parker. Omega, as the last letter of the Greek alphabet, represents a harmonious and final ending, unlike Pi’s namesake—π—or his “botched goodbye” with Richard Parker.
Chapter 15: Setting – Present in Pi’s home. P.O.V – Third person; interviewer. Plot – He describes Pi’s house, and says there are many statuettes, paintings, and photographs. The author describes a Ganesha, a Virgin Mary, a photograph of the Kaaba, a Shiva, and a crucifix. Symbolizes – all of the religious statues, paintings, and photographs symbolize religion’s worth to Pi, and his strong faith and devotion to those religions. Characterization – Pi’s devotion to his religions show that religion must have helped him through a struggle in his life, and religion is now something he needs to carry on forever. Themes – Religion; Religion and zoology are overlapped again. Also, Pi’s religious beliefs seem overlapping and muddled based on the contents in his house.
Chapter 16: Plot – Pi tells us his Auntie Rohini took him to a temple when he was an infant and that’s why he loves all religions. He loves Hinduism for its rituals and fragrances and vibrancy.
He believes in the principle of Brahman saguna and atman, where the divine manifest in the world connects with the divine in human beings. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Characterization – Pi’s devotion to religion is based on his Auntie Rohini. Chapter 17: Setting – Munnar. Plot – Pi becomes a Christian. So now he’s Christian and Hindu. Pi and his family take a vacation in the hill station (a city at a higher elevation) of Munnar. Pi wanders up to a Catholic church. He enters the church and meets one Father Martin. Father Martin makes Pi fall in love with Christianity. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Themes – Pi meets Father Martin who initially introduces Pi to Christianity. Chapter 18: Setting – Muslim quarter in Pondicherry. Plot – In this chapter, Pi discovers Islam. Pi wanders into the Muslim quarter in Pondicherry. He meets a baker and he prays in front of Pi since, while Pi is in the shop, the muezzin sounds the call of prayer. Pi is interested in the new practice of Muslim religion. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 19: Setting – Mosque. Plot – Pi joins the baker in the mosque. They start a conversation about Islam. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 20: Setting – Bakery. Plot – Pi tells us the name of the baker: Satish Kumar and Pi pray together at the bakery. Pi describes the world all of a sudden as pulsing with energy and peace. And then a year later, in Canada in the winter, Pi sees Virgin Mary in the woods. P.O.V- First person; Pi. Characterization – Introduces us to another religion Pi becomes interested in, in the future. Symbolism – When he sees Virgin Mary in the woods, this could symbolize Christianity in his future. Themes – Religion; Pi is influenced by another religion in his life. Chapter 21: Setting – Present; cafe. P.O.V – First person; interviewer. Plot – He’s sitting in a café after meeting with Pi. He has some realizations about Pi’s religious devotion. Themes – Religion; again the book reminds us of Pi’s strong devotion to his religions. Chapter 22: Plot – Pi imagines an atheist’s death versus that of an agnostic. Pi believes atheist can find god in their last moments, but not the agnostic. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Symbolism – Pi talking about agnostic and atheists may foreshadow that he will encounter an atheist and/or agnostic in the future. Chapter 23: Setting – Pi’s zoo. Plot – Pi’s imam, priest, and pandit notice he’s going to mosque, church, and temple. When Pi and his family are out enjoying each other’s company, these three religious leaders happen upon them. They’re shocked that Pi knows each of them. There are some insults and disagreements. Pi has to choose one religion but Pi doesn’t think so. Pi’s father defuses the situation. Irony – The religious focus on love, but a fight in this chapter about one another’s religion. Allusions – Bapu Gandhi and the Prophet. Foreshadowing – Pi will pursue all three religions. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 24: P.O.V – First person; Pi. Plot – Ravi makes fun of Pi for practicing so many religions. Chapter 25: P.O.V – First person; Pi. Plot – Pi laments the small-mindedness of some zealots. Pi realizes he’s got to lay low if he’s going to practice so many faiths, so he doesn’t stop practicing he just practices in silence. Symbolism – Conflicting religions symbolize internal conflicts within Pi. Characterization – Pi criticizes how people don’t help others in need but argue with people who question their beliefs. Chapter 26: Setting – Pi’s home in Pondicherry. P.O.V – First person Pi. Plot – Pi goes to his father’s office to ask for a prayer rug and permission to be baptized. Pi’s father will not allow it. His mother tries to redirect him to literature. Pi tries to quote Gandhi again but his mother cuts him off. The boy loves Gandhi. Symbolism – Pi’s struggle to get his parents to buy things he needs for religious practice symbolizes Pi’s own internal struggles. Chapter 27: Setting – Pi’s home in Pondicherry. Plot – Pi overhears his parents having a conversation over him. His mother and father are talking over who gave Pi permission to buy a prayer rug, etc. Pi’s mother defends Pi. As they enumerate Pi’s religious devotions, they loosen up. Father believes Pi should stick to the religion he was born with which is Hinduism. His mom defends him and believes he should be allowed to do whatever he wishes. Father says Pi should be more like Ravi, and his mom is more passive and is not as hard on Pi. Chapter 28: Setting – Pi’s home in Pondicherry. Plot – Pi got a prayer rug and gets baptized. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Symbolism – Pi finally getting his prayer rug and getting baptized provides internal relief for Pi from one of his many struggles. Chapter 29: Plot – The family decides to move. At dinner, Pi’s parents tell them they’re moving to Canada. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 30: Setting – Present day, Pi’s current home with wife. P.O.V – First person; interviewer. Plot – He meets Pi’s wife, Meena. We learn more about Pi’s home life. Chapter 31: Setting – Zoo in Pondicherry. Plot – Mr. Kumar, the Muslim meets Mr. Kumar, the biologist at the zoo. They both charm Pi with their curiosity and wonder. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Symbolism – The Kumars symbolize Pi’s contrasting passions; zoology and religion. Chapter 32: Plot – Pi tells about some animal’s curious living arrangements: it’s called zoomorphism. Pi talked about rhinos and goats living together. Pi gives us some more examples. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Themes – Religion – Martel is making more connections between the animal world and human world – he sees this kind of zoomorphism as animals choosing “the better story” or having a kind of religious faith, one that makes their reality more pleasant. Chapter 33: Setting – Pi’s home. P.O.V – the interviewer. Plot – He tells us about a visit to Pi’s house. Pi shows the author memorabilia, but only has four photos of childhood: a photo of Mamaji, of Richard Parker, of the Aurobindo Ashram swimming pool, and a photo of Pi’s secondary school. Pi showing the interviewer old family photos. There are pictures of Pi’s wedding and his days growing up in Canada, but nothing from India. There are only four photos, which is of Richard Parker. None of the pictures have Pi’s mother in them, and Pi says that he has started forgetting what his mother looks like. Symbolism – Pi has lost a lot of his belongings in India which could symbolize he has lost memories of his life in India. Chapter 34: Plot – Pi informs us they have sold most of the zoo animals to other zoos. Some Americans show up in Pondicherry to inspect the animals. Pi’s family prepares to sail to Canada. Pi describes the troubles of selling a zoo. The zoo cost enough money to fund the family’s journey. They arranged for some of the animals to travel with them across the Pacific, where they would be delivered to American zoos. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 35: Setting – India, 1977. Plot – Pi describes his mother’s sadness at leaving India. The family leaves from Madras on June 21st, 1977. Pi’s mother considers buying Indian cigarettes even though she doesn’t smoke, only because she’s already homesick. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 36: Setting – Pi’s home, present day. P.O.V – the interviewer. Plot – We meet more of Pi’s family in Canada: his son Nikhil, his dog Tata, his daughter Usha, and his cat Moccasin. The author assures us that this story has a happy ending. Symbolism – Pi’s orange cat may symbolize Richard Parker. Martel has shown Pi’s happy childhood and happy adulthood.
Part 2
Chapter 37: Setting – The ocean where the Tsimtsum sank. Plot – the chapter opens with the sentence, “The ship sank” (2.37.1). Pi doesn’t tell us how or why yet but he’s in a lifeboat, in the wind and the rain, encouraging Richard Parker the tiger, who is in the water, to swim up to him. Pi throws Richard Parker a lifebuoy and then realizes he’s bringing a tiger into his lifeboat. Richard Parker jumps into the lifeboat, and Pi jumps overboard. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 38: Setting – the Tsimtsum. Plot – Pi explains the events leading up to Chapter 37’s dramatic opening. Pi tells says the ship sails with no problems for days. Pi hears an explosion during the night. He shakes Ravi to get him up, but Ravi turns looks at Pi sleepily and turns over. Pi also decides not to wake his parents. Once on the deck, the wind and rain don’t seem that bad. But one side of the ship is listing badly, the ship is groaning, and no one’s out on the deck. Pi finally sees some sailors up on the bridge. They make a quick decision, give Pi a lifejacket, and throw him overboard. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Themes – Survival: Pi is suddenly made independent of his family and support network and forced to act as an adult to survive. Chapter 39: Setting – The lifeboat. Plot – Pi lands on the tarpaulin covering of a lifeboat. A zebra runs across the deck and jumps overboard into the lifeboat as well, missing the tarpaulin, and breaking a bench, but otherwise succeeds in lowering the lifeboat into the water. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Themes – Survival: Pi falls a huge distance but happens to land unharmed on a soft surface. The zebra is not so lucky, but it too survives, showing the extremely potent desire of living things to keep on living. Chapter 40: Setting – the lifeboat. Plot – Richard Parker has pulled himself up into the lifeboat and Pi is in the water. Pi sees shark fins through the water. He wedges his oar in between the tarpaulin and the bow of the boat and pulls himself up. He’s now on an oar above shark-infested waters. And Richard Parker is still in the boat. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Themes – Survival: Pi is stuck between a tiger and sharks, Pi’s survival is critical. Chapter 41: Setting – the lifeboat. Plot – Richard Parker hasn’t attacked Pi, the sharks haven’t attacked him yet, and the lifeboat hasn’t sunk. He inches his way closer to the bow, puts his feet on the gunnel and onto the tarpaulin. The zebra is lying in the back of the boat with a broken leg. There’s a hyena by the zebra, and that’s why Richard Parker hasn’t eaten the tiger. Pi concludes Richard Parker must have fallen overboard since a hyena and a tiger can’t be friends in this small a space. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Symbolism – The tarpaulin may symbolize the boundary that is separating Pi from the animals. Themes – Survival; Pi’s survival is so important to him at this point, the lose of the Tsimtsum doesn’t seem to phase him. Chapter 42: Setting – the lifeboat. Plot – Another animal shows up floats up to the lifeboat: Orange Juice, a orangutan, who’s on a raft of bananas, and who looks like the Virgin Mary bathed in a halo of light. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Symbolism – Pi making the reference that Orange Juice looks like the Virgin Mary may symbolize that God is with him on his journey of survival. Themes – Religion: Alludes to the Virgin Mary when Orange Juice approaches the raft and reminds Pi of the Virgin Mary. Chapter 43: Setting – the lifeboat. Plot – It’s mid-morning after the night ship sank. Orange Juice is basically in a state of shock. She’s not moving. The hyena jumps over the zebra and ventures underneath the tarpaulin. It doesn’t stay there long, it scampers back out and begins to run in circles around the zebra, all the while yapping. The hyena vomits. It stays behind the zebra. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 44: Setting – the lifeboat. Plot – The hyena and zebra snap at some flies that ended up on the lifeboat. Evening approaches and Pi gets scared. There’s barking and squealing. The night passes. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Chapter 45: Setting – the lifeboat. Plot – Pi notices the zebra’s broken leg is missing. The hyena has bitten it off. Pi also notices that Orange Juice is seasick. He feels a little green, too. Pi can’t understand why the hyena hasn’t attacked Orange Juice. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Themes – Boundaries: the hyena and the orangutan have never interacted in the wild before which may be why the hyena hasn’t attacked yet. Chapter 46: Setting – the lifeboat. Plot – Pi tells us this night counts as one of his worst. The hyena finally tears into the zebra. But the hyena only eats parts of the zebra and the zebra is still alive. Orange Juice and the hyena have a mini-showdown: Orange Juice roars and the hyena backs off. The animals can’t understand the knocking against the boat. It’s the sharks, who have been attracted by the zebra’s blood. Pi confronts the fact that his parents and Ravi have most likely died. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Symbolism – When Orange Juice is staring out into the ocean looking sad like she’s mourning, she is most likely sad because of her two lost sons. This may symbolize that Pi is mourning from his brothers and parents too. Chapter 47: Setting – the lifeboat. Plot – It’s the next day, and the zebra dies by noon. The hyena and Orange Juice go at it again, and Orange Juice thumps the hyena on the head. The hyena gets a hold of Orange Juice’s throat and kills Orange Juice. Pi decides it’s him or the hyena. He advances to the edge of the tarpaulin. Richard Parker is down there, under the tarpaulin, which is why the hyena has stayed toward the stern of the boat. Night falls. P.O.V – First person; Pi. Symbolism
Chapter 48: In this chapter, Pi tells us how Richard Parker was named. A panther had been killing people in Bangladesh. A professional hunter set up a trap. Instead of the panther, a tiger shows up. He tranquilizes the tiger. The hunter’s name, Richard Parker, gets attached to the tiger. Chapter 49: Morning breaks. Pi lies on the tarpaulin, weak with hunger and thirst. This is day four. Pi can’t believe he failed to notice Richard Parker, but it explains the animals’ strange behavior. Pi decides he has no chance against RP and might as well find some food and water on the lifeboat. Chapter 50: Pi describes the boat; it’s twenty-six feet long, eight feet wide, and three-and-a-half feet deep. Chapter 51: Pi keeps looking around the lifeboat. He has to unroll the tarpaulin and peek into RP’s den, but he’s so thirsty he doesn’t care. There’s a locker with water and food. Chapter 52: Pi’s list of tools and supplies on the boat. Pi falls asleep. Chapter 53: Pi decides to build a raft. While building the raft, Richard Parker kills the hyena with ease. Pi thinks he’s next. RP focuses on eating the hyena. Pi focuses on finishing his raft. He ties it with some handy rope to the lifeboat. The chapter ends with Pi out on his raft. Night falls. Chapter 54: Pi spends the night on the raft. During the night, Pi thinks about what he has to do about RP. Pi decides he will simply outlast RP. Chapter 55: Morning breaks. Eventually, the rain stops. Pi reconsiders his plan. He figures RP will get hungry and come eat him if he tries to outlast the tiger, and he also decides he needs a new plan.