KNOWLEDGE MONEY

by Yann Martel
12
The movie is an adaptation of the novel written by
entitled Life of Pi.
It is a fictional adventure story. The movie was
directed by Ang Lee and it was released on
November 21, 2012.
The movie garnered four Oscar Awards such as Best
Director, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects
and Best Original Score.
Pi Patel (Irrfan Khan), an immigrant from
Pondicherry in India living in Montreal,
Canada, is approached by a local novelist
(Rafe Spall) who has been referred to him
by his "uncle" (a family friend), believing
that Pi's life story would make a great book.
His parents had named him Piscine Molitor
after a swimming pool in France. He changes
his name to "Pi" (the mathematical symbol,)
when he begins secondary school (Gautam
Belur), even repeating numerous digits of pi,
because he is tired of being taunted with the
nickname "Pissing Patel".
1. What is the reason behind the changing of
name of Pi?
His family owns a local zoo, and Pi takes an
interest in the animals, especially a Bengal tiger
named Richard Parker because of a clerical error.
Pi tries to feed the tiger, endangering himself to
being attacked, and to teach him the reality of the
tiger's nature as a carnivore, Pi's father, Santosh
Patel (Adil Hussain) forces him to witness it killing
a goat.
 2. WHAT IS THE CURRENT RELEGION OF
PI?
He is raised Hindu and vegetarian, but at 12
years old, he is introduced to Christianity and
then Islam, and starts to follow all three religions
as he "just wants to love God." When asked if he
is also Jewish, he replies that he lectures in
Kabbalah at the university.
 When Pi is 16 (Ayush Tandon), his father decides to
close the zoo and move his family to Canada, and
sell the zoo animals, to ensure a good future for his
children.
They book passage with their animals (to be sold in
North America) on a Japanese freighter named
the Tsimtsum. On board the ship,
Pi's father gets into an argument
with the ship's cook (Gerard
Depardieu) when he speaks to Pi's
mother, Gita Patel (Tabu) rudely.
3.Why do they need to close the zoo?
 4. HOW DID PI SURVIVE ?
One night, the ship encounters a heavy storm
and begins to sink while Pi is on deck marveling
at the storm. He tries to find his family, but a
crew member throws him into a lifeboat; from
the rough sea, he watches helplessly as the ship
sinks, killing his family and its crew.
5. Who are the companions of Pi on the
boat?
After the storm, Pi finds himself in the lifeboat with an
injured zebra, and is joined by an orangutan, named
Orange Juice, who lost her offspring in the shipwreck. A
spotted hyena emerges from the tarp covering half of the
boat, and kills the zebra. To Pi's distress, the hyena also
mortally wounds the orangutan in a fight. Suddenly
Richard Parker emerges from under the tarp, and kills and
eats the hyena.
Pi finds emergency food and water rations on the boat. He
builds a small raft of flotation devices so that he can stay at a
safe distance from the tiger.
Realizing that he must feed the tiger to protect himself, Pi
begins fishing, with some success. He also collects rain water
for both to drink. At one point, he makes a board ladder for the
tiger to climb back into the boat after it had jumped off to hunt
fish. He also realizes that caring for the tiger is keeping him
alive.

What
6.Whatareisthe
thevalues
win to of
winPimoment
revealedininthis
this
part of the story?
paragraph?
 7. What are your ideas , when Pi called it
‘the island is carnivorous’?

After months floating in the ocean , Pi and

Richard Parker come upon weird island of algae
with unusual tree, and meerkats but no other
living things. They stay in the island eating
algae and meerkats, drinking and bathing in
fresh water ponds.
However, one night he discovers that the island
is carnivorous. Afraid for his life, Pi takes the
tiger and they leave the island immediately.
 8. If you were Pi, what can you feel
after the tiger left him?

After 227 days drifting in the ocean they

miraculously land on the Mexican beach. Richard
Parker immediately runs to the jungle without
looking back. Pi found by the villagers . He is fed,
bathed and taken to a hospital.
 9. Why do the Japanese freighter don’t
believe to the story of Pi?
In hospital, insurance agents for the Japanese freighter come to
hear his account of the incident. They find his story
unbelievable, and ask him to tell them what "really" happened, if
only for the credibility of their report. He answers with a less
fantastic but detailed account of sharing the lifeboat with his
mother, a sailor with a broken leg, and the cook.
In this story, the cook (hyena) kills the sailor
(zebra) to use him as bait and food. In a later
struggle, Pi's mother (orangutang) pushes him
to safety on a smaller raft, and the cook stabs
her as she falls overboard to the sharks. Later,
Pi returns to grab the knife and kills the cook.
10. WHAT DO THE AUTHOR WANTS TO TELL
US ABOUT LIFE BASED ON THE STORY?
ACTIVTY
TITLE:
AUTHOR:
SETTING:
THEME:
CHARACTERS:
POINT OF VIEW:
 3.__________________
Plot: ___________________
_________________
________________
_______________
_____________
____________
Climax
2.__________________
___________________ 4.__________________

Fa
_________________ ___________________

llin
ti o g
________________ _________________

A c si n
n
Conflict

g
_______________ ________________

Ac
Ri
_____________ _______________

ti o
____________ _____________
____________

n
1.__________________ Resolution
5.__________________
Exposition
___________________
___________________
_________________
_________________
________________
________________
_______________
_______________
_____________
_____________
____________
____________
NAME SYMBOLISM (minimum of 3)
1. LIFEBOAT

2. TIGER

3. SEA

4. ISLAND
Title: LIFE OF PI

Author: YANN MARTEL

Setting:
PONDICHERRY INDIA,
PACIFIC OCEAN,
CANADA,MEXICO
Characters:
Piscine Patel, Tiger,
Zebra, Parents,
Hyena, Japanese
men
PISCINE MOLITOR “PI” PATEL

• A 15-year-old Indian boy and only

survivor of a sunken ship. He survives
after 227 days with a tamed tiger in
the lifeboat. He has strong faith in God
and believes in 3 religions.
THE AUTHOR
•He is a Canadian. He narrates
the story as he interviews Pi
about his journey. He becomes
Pi’s friend.
RICHARD PARKER

•A ferocious Bengal tiger but

tamed by Pi. The only
companion, friend and foe of
Pi in his journey.
RAVI PATEL
•He is the older brother of Pi.
He loves and protects Pi. He
encourages Pi to drink the holy
water in the Catholic church.
MR. SANTOSH PATEL

•The father of Pi. He owns the

zoo. He is loving, practical yet
strict. He is a good father and
husband.
MRS. GITA PATEL
•A loving, understanding and
protective mother of Pi. She
exposes Pi to Hinduism
Point Of View:
First Person
 3.__________________
Plot: ___________________
_________________
________________
_______________
_____________
____________
Climax
2.__________________
___________________ 4.__________________

Fa
_________________ ___________________

llin
ti o g
________________ _________________

A c si n
n
Conflict

g
_______________ ________________

Ac
Ri
_____________ _______________

ti o
____________ _____________
____________

n
1.__________________ Resolution
5.__________________
Exposition
___________________
___________________
_________________
_________________
________________
________________
_______________
_______________
_____________
_____________
____________
____________
 EXPOSITION
• His parents had named him Piscine Molitor after
a swimming pool in France. He changes his
name to "Pi" (the mathematical symbol,) when
he begins secondary school (Gautam Belur),
even repeating numerous digits of pi, because
he is tired of being taunted with the nickname
"Pissing Patel".
RISING ACTION

•The father of Pi needs to

close the zoo and go to
Canda for better future.
 CLIMAX
•When the tsimsum sinks and
Pi’s family dies, leaving him
alone with wild animals
 CLIMAX
• One night, the ship encounters a heavy storm
and begins to sink while Pi is on deck marveling
at the storm. He tries to find his family, but a
crew member throws him into a lifeboat; from
the rough sea, he watches helplessly as the ship
sinks, killing his family and its crew.
CONFLICT
•Pi struggle to survive in the
ocean
•Pi found the carnivorous island
FALLING ACTION

After 227 days drifting in the

ocean they miraculously land
on the Mexican beach.
RESOLUTION / DENOUEMENT

Richard Parker immediately runs to

the jungle without looking back. Pi
found by the villagers . He is fed,
bathed and taken to a hospital.
NAME SYMBOLISM
1. LIFEBOAT • SECURITY
• SAFETY
• HOPE
• JOURNEY OF LIFE
2. TIGER
• DANGER
• CHALLENGE/PROBLEM
• TRAITOR
• DEATH
3. SEA • SOURCE OF LIFE
• MIRACLE
• DANGER
• PROBLEM
4. ISLAND
• LONELINESS
• TEMPORARY PARADISE
• ISOLATION
THEME:
•UNCONDITIONAL BELIEF
•FAITH IN GOD
•NEVER GIVE UP AND
NEVER LOSE HOPE