Canada Reads

Religion is a universal way of explaining the unexplained; there are many variations, but each shares a common theme of connecting people to a higher power and explaining man’s purpose and place in the world. Religion is a significant reoccurring theme in Life of Pi by Yann Martel: the story of a boy named Pi who embarks on a spiritual adventure alone in the Pacific with his only company being a large Bengal tiger. Before this journey, Pi lived a simple life in India as the son of a zookeeper,…

Many, when they read Life of Pi, read it only as a story. These people see the book simply as an uplifting tale of a boy overcoming Nature, taming a tiger, and surviving at sea for months. However these people only see the surface of what the book actually has to offer, instead of its true depths. Because, at its heart, Life of Pi is actually an intense allegorical tale, a psychological character study in the vein of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy. Throughout the story Pi is faced with…

In the “life of Pi”, Piscine Molitor Patel, Pi, was stranded on a lifeboat with a 450 pound royal bengal tiger named Richard Parker, On a lifeboat, where food is scarce, Richard Parker depended on Pi to take care of him, feed him, water him, and so on. However Pi also needed Richard Parker, almost or even more to the same degree as Richard Parker needed Pi. If it were not for Richard Parker, Pi would not have survived as long as he did, more likely to have died in the first few months, let…

The impact of Pi's past to his future Pi’s past enabled him to survive in a lifeboat with a tiger on the Pacific Ocean for 227 days in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. One’s past can easily influence ability, personality and perspective. Based on Pi’s past, swimming skill, religion and perspective to animal profoundly give him inspiration to find the hope for survival. Swimming skill is the most essential factor to support Pi’s survival on the lifeboat in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. Pi is a good…

Devin Green Mrs.Rider English 102-102 October 24, 2015 The Life of Pi, The Better Story Some people are followers of religion, finding comfort in their religion, using it as a guide through the hardships of life. Some people rely on knowledge and past experiences to overcome adversities. Most people would either lose faith or their belief would become stronger when faced with an extreme life or death situation. When a person is in a seemingly hopeless situation will the will to survive…

The art of getting by according to Pi Surviving in the desert is difficult but what about out in the middle of the ocean. Imagine a person all alone no one to talk to for half a year and the effects it would have on their judgement. Yann Martel is an inspirational author who understands the importance of surviving despite the odds not being in favour of the person. In his compelling novel Life of Pi, Martel demonstrates how grueling it can be to overcome the difficulties of survival, and how…

Life of Pi Essay “Never forget what you are, for surely the world will not. Make it your strength. Then it can never be your weakness. Armour yourself in it, and it will never be used to hurt you” (Martin). George R.R. Martin examines the idea of developing one 's identity and using it as an advantage for the purpose of defending oneself in life. Knowing oneself, and being in a state of acceptance can only be beneficial no matter the individual. When ‘armour’ is equipped, it helps eliminate any…

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi tells the story of a young boy, Piscine Molitor Patel, who loses his entire family and most of the animals he grew up with at the zoo his family owned, when the ship taking them to Canada sinks. Sailors threw Pi onto a life boat that held a tiger, hyena, and a zebra, which ended up saving his life instead of distracting the animals with “food” so the sailors could get on the boat safely and survive. Within his first few weeks of being on the boat the zebra and hyena both…

A survivor is someone who is defined by outliving others in a time of death for others. If an interview was conducted with survivors from different situations they would come up with a diverse group of tips for survival, but many would be repeated. In the book Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why Laurence Gonzales has taken a collection of these common stretegies and created a survival book for any situation. Through this book you are able to connect similarities in two completely…

Belief is the foundation that sustains the themes and events in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. In order for the readers to believe a sixteen year old boy can survive being cast away at sea for 227 days with a tiger the author provides the reader with Pi Patel—the epitome of belief. Pi represents belief because his life’s story is based on the belief of the reader. Throughout Life of Pi the reader is able to witness the effects stories have on Pi’s belief in respect to his survival. The reader is…