Life Of Pi by Yann Martel - Learning From Literature

Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a philosophical fiction novel published in 2001.

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General Summary (No Spoilers)

Piscine “Pi” Patel grows up in 1960s India, where his father runs a zoo, home to a 450-pound Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Raised as a Hindu and a vegetarian, Pi is also drawn to Christianity and Islam, exploring these faiths out of a deep love for God. In 1976, due to political unrest, Pi’s family decides to sell the zoo, take a few animals, and sail to Canada.

The story shifts to the journey across the Pacific, but a violent storm sinks the ship. Pi survives by boarding a lifeboat, only to find that he’s not alone. Alongside him are a spotted hyena, an injured zebra, and an orangutan named Orange Juice. As the days pass, Pi discovers that Richard Parker, the tiger, is also on board, hiding beneath a tarp. The novel then follows Pi’s fight for survival in the vast, empty ocean.

Background

In Life Of Pi, Yann Martel uses a literary technique called framing, which involves using one story to enclose another (a story within a story). One story serves as a “frame,” setting the stage / context for the main narrative. Framing can create a specific mood, convey a particular theme, or manipulate the reader’s perception of the story.

Examples:

One Thousand And One Nights (Arabian Nights) → the life of Scheherazade, who avoids execution by telling the king a story every night and leaving it incomplete
The Canterbury Tales → a procession of pilgrims take turns telling each other stories to pass the time as they travel
Frankenstein → Captain Walton writes multiple letters to his sister describing his encounter with Dr. Frankenstein and the unbelievable tale he told

Life Of Pi is framed by a fictional letter from Yann Martel recounting how he first heard of Pi’s story and met with Pi to hear his account.

Themes

Religion / Faith

Pi explores Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam against his family’s and mentors’ wishes. The author emphasizes the common aspects within all three religions, such as loving others, rather than exclusive maxims

Storytelling

Pi and Yann Martel both believe that while one version of a story can be factually correct, another variation may possess an emotional and/or thematic truth that the former cannot fully convey

Morality

The author uses Pi’s zoo, vegetarianism, religious beliefs, and more to raise ethical questions about life, such as how we treat the environment, animals, and other people

Review

Despite being a work of fiction, Martel managed to address complex themes in a way that was both meaningful and applicable to real life. The author went beyond a simple plot and explored these topics more realistically and with greater depth than the average fiction novel.

Personal Thoughts And Recommendations

I loved Life of Pi, and it would be one of the first books I’d tell someone trying to get into fiction to read. My favorite elements of the novel are the open-ending plot, the story of survival on the lifeboat, and the evolution of Pi and Richard Parker’s relationship.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes easy-to-read fiction with philosophical applications. For example, if you like The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, you should read Life Of Pi.

The “Life Of Pi” (2012) movie was created based on Martel’s novel

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