Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi)
"Pi" Pisince Molior Patel, is an Indian boy from Pondicherry, he explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. Patel gets his name from a specific pool a family friend enjoyed swimming in called the "Piscine Molitor" which was located in Paris. In his early years in India, Pi would be bullied because of his name and be called "pissing". When he became fed up with this name, he decided to tell his class mates his name was after the Math term Pi, even with these efforts, he was still bullied but later accepted his name as an adult. In University, Pi studied zoology and religion. At a young age, he chooses to participate in several religions, with the main 3 being Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Pi seems to see the benefits in all religions so he practices multiple at a time. Pi's dad not being very religious at all sees his son’s decisions as irrelevant. The majority of this story is Pi trying to survive on a life boat and is accompanied by the carnivorous tiger Richard Parker. While trying to survive in the deep blue sea's, Pi has to choose between religion and survival multiple times and always chooses survival when he is on the boat. At first he becomes depressed when he betrays his Hinduism beliefs off staying a vegetarian but later forgives himself for his actions of killing a fish.
Character Traits: Brave, persistent, and intelligent
Richard Parker (Tiger)
Richard Parker is quite an unusual yet very important character in this book. In the story, he was portrayed to have strong emotions but was also portrayed to be a ferocious tiger that can choose to show mercy or no mercy at all. At the start of the book, Pi is walking around his zoo and stumbles upon the cage where Richard Parker stays in. Pi see's the tiger and decides to feed the tiger raw meat himself, moments before Pi puts his arm inside the cage to feed the carnivore, his dad snatches his son causing the tiger to run away. His dad in order to teach a valuable lesson put’s a goat in front of Richard Parker where Richard Parker proceeded to rip up the poor animal and feast on it. The purpose of the lesson was so Pi would understand that animals will always be animals and Pi must stay away from the tiger at all costs because the tiger wouldn't think twice before killing Pi just like the goat. Later on in the story when Pi got lost out at sea, he found himself scared to death as he was on the boat with what he assumed to be a savage tiger who showed no mercy. Pi thought he was surely not capable of surviving on a lifeboat with a tiger but little did he know Richard Parker wasn't as. Pi figured out that as long as you didn't bother with the tiger as he was quite harmless. Richard Parker is a harmless tiger as long no one enter his territory. The reason why he'd attack someone for entering his territory is he feels like someone is entering his territory to harm him so he attacks back. Richard Parker killed the hyena out of fear that maybe the hyena might attack him next. The reason why he didn't kill Pi is because he knew Pi was harmless and there was some part inside of him that needed Pi. By observing Richard Parker, we can see that animals are not all that bad and they're not as dangerous as we assume they are.
Character Traits: Fierce, human like, intelligent for an animal
"Pi" Pisince Molior Patel, is an Indian boy from Pondicherry, he explores issues of spirituality and practicality from an early age. Patel gets his name from a specific pool a family friend enjoyed swimming in called the "Piscine Molitor" which was located in Paris. In his early years in India, Pi would be bullied because of his name and be called "pissing". When he became fed up with this name, he decided to tell his class mates his name was after the Math term Pi, even with these efforts, he was still bullied but later accepted his name as an adult. In University, Pi studied zoology and religion. At a young age, he chooses to participate in several religions, with the main 3 being Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Pi seems to see the benefits in all religions so he practices multiple at a time. Pi's dad not being very religious at all sees his son’s decisions as irrelevant. The majority of this story is Pi trying to survive on a life boat and is accompanied by the carnivorous tiger Richard Parker. While trying to survive in the deep blue sea's, Pi has to choose between religion and survival multiple times and always chooses survival when he is on the boat. At first he becomes depressed when he betrays his Hinduism beliefs off staying a vegetarian but later forgives himself for his actions of killing a fish.
Character Traits: Brave, persistent, and intelligent
Richard Parker (Tiger)
Richard Parker is quite an unusual yet very important character in this book. In the story, he was portrayed to have strong emotions but was also portrayed to be a ferocious tiger that can choose to show mercy or no mercy at all. At the start of the book, Pi is walking around his zoo and stumbles upon the cage where Richard Parker stays in. Pi see's the tiger and decides to feed the tiger raw meat himself, moments before Pi puts his arm inside the cage to feed the carnivore, his dad snatches his son causing the tiger to run away. His dad in order to teach a valuable lesson put’s a goat in front of Richard Parker where Richard Parker proceeded to rip up the poor animal and feast on it. The purpose of the lesson was so Pi would understand that animals will always be animals and Pi must stay away from the tiger at all costs because the tiger wouldn't think twice before killing Pi just like the goat. Later on in the story when Pi got lost out at sea, he found himself scared to death as he was on the boat with what he assumed to be a savage tiger who showed no mercy. Pi thought he was surely not capable of surviving on a lifeboat with a tiger but little did he know Richard Parker wasn't as. Pi figured out that as long as you didn't bother with the tiger as he was quite harmless. Richard Parker is a harmless tiger as long no one enter his territory. The reason why he'd attack someone for entering his territory is he feels like someone is entering his territory to harm him so he attacks back. Richard Parker killed the hyena out of fear that maybe the hyena might attack him next. The reason why he didn't kill Pi is because he knew Pi was harmless and there was some part inside of him that needed Pi. By observing Richard Parker, we can see that animals are not all that bad and they're not as dangerous as we assume they are.
Character Traits: Fierce, human like, intelligent for an animal
The Author
The author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel, inserts himself in his story many times. Martel never admits it is indeed him in the story, but there are several pieces of evidence that indicate it is Yann Martel himself. These include explaining the character has written and published two books, lives in Canada and got inspired to write Pi’s story on a vacation to India.
Character Traits: Collaborative, understanding, intelligent
The author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel, inserts himself in his story many times. Martel never admits it is indeed him in the story, but there are several pieces of evidence that indicate it is Yann Martel himself. These include explaining the character has written and published two books, lives in Canada and got inspired to write Pi’s story on a vacation to India.
Character Traits: Collaborative, understanding, intelligent
Francis Adirubasamy
Francis Adirubasamy is a very close family friend to Pi. Francis was the person who taught Pi how to swim. Pi has a lot of respect for Francis and calls him Mamiji which means respected uncle. Francis is also the person that told the author of The Life of Pi about Pi's story. Francis told the author “I have a story that will make you believe in God”(Martel, 10). He wasn't the person that described the story in-depth to the author but if it wasn't for him, this story wouldn't have been able to turn into a very successful book and movie.
Character Traits: Athletic, wise, teacher