life+of+pi

Week 1: Mike Niego-Job A Julian Sison-Job B Jim Horvath-Job C Joe Satkowski-Job D


 * Questions answered in part C.

B: The main character's name is Piscine "Pi" Molitor Patel, a young Indian boy from Pondicherry. He is mentally advanced for his age; he is very familiar and very used to thinking about the contrasting ideas of spiritual life and practical life. He was named after a swimming pool Piscine Molitor Patel (Piscine meaning "pool") and later changed his name to Pi in order to avoid the harassment of others. So far, throughout __Life of Pi__, I have learned that Pi is a person to be pitied rather than to be hated. Pi is defenseless, almost, and is portrayed as the stereotypical lonely child who is extremely mature for his age. Pi is more intelligent than those around him, yet his lifestyle causes him to be disliked by others and he is essentially thrown into the world on his own, similar to how he is stranded later in the book when he endures a shipwreck. I am drawn to Pi because of his high intellect and because of his perserverance through life; he is able to continue through life without the support of others and with the constant mockery of other children. He is a survivor and can endure many hardships to reach his goal, and when he feels in trouble, he relies on his religion to save himself from the problems around him.

C: This week, our group was missing Joe Satkowski, but we still continued to discuss what we had read of __Life of Pi__ so far. We had tried to grasp Pi's distinguishing characteristics in order to understand what kind of person he was, since this week's theme was focused purely on the book's characters. Pi, being the main character, was our primary focus, and we thought it was important that we take note of the fact that Pi seemed somewhat independent and seemed more familiar being alone rather than with other kids. Anyway, it also appeared that other kids who Pi came into contact with did not necessarily get along too well with him; they seemed to insult him, especially because of his name, and one particular insult they used against him was "Pissing Patel", which caused Pi to shorten his name, and for this reason (as well as other events) we took pity on him; he reminded us of Peekay from __The Power of One__, who was insulted by others for his white skin at times and who tended to hang out with outcasts or remain alone.

Pi is described as a young Indian boy whose immature body lies about what is truthfully inside of him. He is truly mature on the inside but the fact that he is young makes it seem like it would be otherwise. I admire Pi for his determination and courage, and also his ability to endure through many struggles. We believe Pi's struggles described early on in the book refer both to his emotional struggles of being intimidated by other kids and insulted because of his differences, and also his physical struggles, such as his being stranded on an island. Pi's love of swimming caused him to be named after his favorite swimming pool, the Piscine Molitor Patel in Paris, France. This unusual name relates to Pi, in our opinion, because while it is unusual to name a child after a swimming pool, Pi is not an ordinary kid. Part of this is due to his religious life, which can be described as far from what is usual in twenty-first century life. So far, Pi's experiences have caused him to come in contact with Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. These three religions make up his life; he relies on his religions to keep himself sane; he continually returns to them when feeling in doubt or troubled. Pi is similar to us as a group because he is determined and persistent, and his differences are what make him emotionally secure and strong.

D: 1. What are your opinions on Pi? 2. What do you think Pi's "sufferings" were? 3. How does Pi's unusual name describe his personality? 4. What effect has religion had on Pi believed throughout his life? 5. How is Pi similar to you?

Week 2: Jim Horvath-Job A Joe Satkowski-Job B Julian Sison-Job C Mike Niego-Job D

B: The language used in the book is easy to read, and could be described as conversational, simply because it is the same type of vocabulary when one would be casually talking with another. It definitely would not be classified as "classic", since the vocabulary is less intense in __Life of Pi__ than in other books. The vocabulary, being fairly simplistic, does not use many words that we do not understand, and we usually have no problem reading the novel. We all stated several times that the language used is first used to convey a message, then to add more detail to the story in order to "spice" it up and make it more interesting for the reader. Martel's plan when writing seems to be to include the reader in the storyline, so that the reader enjoys the book more when understanding each event and reading each chapter. Martel seems to accomplish this plan completely, since I feel, when reading the novel, that I am a part of the book, since it is being narrated to me. I think the book was written at a high school level; since it was included on the summer reading list last year, it seems appropriate for our grade level, and would be interesting enough and enough of a challenge for a group of high schoolers to read.

C: This week's book club was focused on the language used throughout the story; we answered it quite simply by stating that the author, Yann Martel, uses simple language to portray to the reader what specific events are occurring. Yann Martel keeps the story in the first person for the most part, since it is Pi narrating the story, or similar methods to get the point of the story across. We ate our food and then moved deeper into the discussion, asking what we really thought about the language being used in the book. In response, we stated that we thought the language being used was simple enough for the reader to understand the story without any added confusion, but also complex enough to add some interest to the plot; the language is used to tell the story as a primary goal, then to enhance the story as a secondary role. This works quite successfully, in our group's opinions, since we believed that what we had read so far of the book was involving enough to make us want to continue reading the book even when book club ends; it would be difficult to stop reading, since it is so enjoyable.

We described the language of __Life of Pi__ as we have described the language used in most of our book club books; the language is not classic, or comical, or specified to fit under any other categories but to get the story out and then make the story sound better by using words to envelop the reader and make them feel aas if they are a part of the book. This, we think, is our favorite aspect of Martel's writing style, since we enjoy reading books when the plot is easier to follow and there is more of a focus on action than on words themselves, since we believe it is the actions that make the book, not the words themselves. Martel is not much of a user of literary devices, but when Pi uses literary devices (usually similes and metaphors) it helps convey a message, or provide an example to the reader for them to understand better. We do not think Martel's language is meant to have a secondary meaning, but a secondary role to interest the reader more in the plotline and almost involve others into the story to make it more interesting. We believe that Martel is trying to convey something to the reader using the language, and that it is the story, as if it is a gift to the reader, since it is being narrated to the reader rather than being put in the third-person. Using the language, it seems to make more sense to the reader, as if they are taking place in the novel with Pi, rather than being on the outside watching. So far, the writing in __Life of Pi__ has kept us all engaged in the story.

D: 1. How would you describe the language used throughout __Life of Pi__? 2. What is your favorite aspect of Martel's writing style? 3. Do you think Martel uses literary devices successfully or not? Why? 4. Do you believe Martel's language is meant to have a secondary meaning? 5. What does Martel try to convey to the reader using the language in the book?

Week 3: Joe Satkowski-Job A Jim Horvath-Job B Mike Niego-Job C Julian Sison-Job D

B: The mood of __Life of Pi__ is somewhat hopeful; as Pi is stuck on a raft with a tiger in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, he learns to appreciate the little things in life. For the most part, he is alone, and many times is faced with extreme border or discomfort as far as hunger and thirst, and he lacks a source of hope or excitement at many times. His constant exposure to the sea around him and the constant loneliness drives him to look for slight things that would cheer him up, such as good weather, or a successful fishing experience. This means that his morale drops desperately, and his remembrance of his deceased family members (his mother, father, and brother Ravi) provides a slightly depressing mood, and what is also sorrowful is how Pi constantly refers to his losses and his fear of the lion (named Richard Parker) that lives in the lifeboat with him. Yann Martel, the author, tends to have "in-between" chapters, where Pi discusses topics such as religion and provides reflections on the events that had occurred throughout the novel that had importance to him. These chapters also have memories of Pi when he was a young child and other moments that provide the reader insight as to his personality. The overall mood of this book is somewhat depressing, but what really interests me is the humor that Martel provides through surprising moments and discoveries by Pi. These tiny moments also make the book much more enjoyable.

C: This week we shifted our topic to mood and we all stated simply that __Life of Pi__'s mood was simple, yet useful, and still at the same time very slight and subtle. What defines the mood of the book is Martel's unique writing style which involves a completely different way of stating information and narrating the plot than other authors we have read. The mood is not only the way to write the book; the mood is the book. Since it is Pi who is narrating the story and it is also Pi who the story revolves around, Pi's gloomy, yet hopeful mood surrounds the reader; when the reader is imagining the story in their head, the mood gives way for the reader to understand the severity of the situations Pi and his tiger, Richard Parker, are stuck in. Martel could have just stated that Pi's water levels and food were scarce; instead of doing so, he goes beyond the obvious and describes Pi's extreme thirst to the level that he must mix ocean water with the fresh water given to the tiger, as tigers have the ability to break down the saline concentration in the salt water. On the topic of his intense hunger, Martel states how Pi's eating habits have changed dramatically; where before he was a vegetarian afraid to kill a simple fish, he now has no problem in breaking the necks of all he catches and has even grabbed the tails of sharks and eaten them. He eats every edible part of the fish and even cuts its insides out (including the bones for their marrow, which surprised us) so as to waste nothing.

We described the mood of __Life of Pi__ as increasingly necessary. The beginning of the book was a simple introduction as to the later events in the book, however, as the plot continues, it becomes more apparent the role the mood plays; with each action, the reader feels the pain or the joy that Pi likewise feels, and any tragedy is connected back tot he thoughts of the reader, who feels Pi's suffering. The significance of the in-between chapters could be described as an analysis and conclusion section; they provide vital insight to the reasons for Pi's actions, which is an important factor in almost any novel. Knowing Pi's motivations helps the reader understand Pi better. Our opinions used on the humor in __Life of Pi__ are that it is very successful, in ways such as comic relief, but also to lighten the overall mood of the book. However, like the mood, it is subtle, in a way that the reader will laugh without noticing the intention that Martel had of making the reader laugh. Martel's mood impacts the portrayal of Pi since it shows how the elements have turned Pi into a "savage beast", and the only characteristic that separates Pi from Richard Parker, the tiger, is his ability to reason. The impact this has on the plot is quite similar, in a way, Martel questions society, making it seem as if one traumatic event is all that is required to reverse the progress humans have made and turn us all into selfish savage animals, and in a way reversing history.

D: 1. How would you describe the mood of __Life of Pi__? 2. What is significant about the "in-between" chapters of __Life of Pi__? 3. What are your opinions on the humor used in __Life of Pi__? Is it successful? 4. How does Yann Martel's mood impact the portrayal of Pi? 5. What impact does the mood have on the plot?

Week 4: Jim Horvath-Job A Mike Niego-Job B Julian Sison-Job C Joe Satkowski-Job D

B: The images used in the book are usually meant to be taken literally as opposed to symbolic images that must be interpreted from a deep analysis. The images used are normally of nature, although there are exceptions to this statement. The images used many times can portray water, normally in terms of the never-ending ocean; Pi is surrounded by water all around him, though in his deep and overwhelming thirst, he is unable to drink what water is around him. He is also surrounded by food in the form of fish, although bad catches and broken equipment sometimes cause him to fail at the acquiring of food. Pi's narration provides the reader the images of despair, hopelessness, and desperation, as at one point he even resorted to slight cannabalism, eating some of the flesh of another castaway whose boat had drifted towards his. In this event during the book, the castaway posed as a helpless survivor of the shipwreck with no food or water, blind (just like Pi at the time whose blindness was caused by an infection due to his lack of hygiene), and willing to sympathize with Pi. In all actuality, he was trying to kill Pi to take his supplies, although he could not anticipate the tiger that was lying down in Pi's lifeboat, who in turn killed the man and saved Pi's life. Afterwards, Pi gave to the reader an image of sheer brutality and gore, as he was staring straight into the remains of a dead human. The author, Yann Martel, uses these images in order to help the reader grasp the severity of the moment and understand to what extent Pi is suffering during his time spent in the ocean.

C: In order to conclude our book club for this year, we tried to not only focus on the images used, but on what we thought was significant throughout the novel. We began by trying to remember certain images that appealed to us or to images that we could remember shocked us. I remembered where in the beginning of the book, Pi had been swimming in the Pacific Ocean after the book had sunk. He had been thrown off the side of the boat by two Chinese workers on deck, and the first thing he saw when landing in the ocean was what he had called "a triangle slicing the water". During this part, Martel had truly "set the scene", with rainy weather, an intense storm, and unruly waves trying to drown Pi. As Pi spotted the shark and began panicking, swimming frantically to reach the lifeboat, it became clear how dangerous the next section and how traumatic the following experiences would be for Pi. We all enjoyed the book we had read this marking period, and personally, I believed it was the best novel we had chosen this year, even better than __No Country for Old Men__.

Our group agreed that the single image we remember the clearest during __Life of Pi__ was the image of cannibalism. We remember the extreme desperation Pi had felt eating the man who had tried to kill him, and how he had stared at a human corpse for an entire day or two. Martel portrays these images symbolically in the desolation and loneliness felt by Pi; he had been so close to having a real conversation with another human, which would have cured his loneliness slightly, although he was tricked by another desperate castaway attempting to take his supplies. We agreed that the image that we felt was most significant may have been the image of Richard Parker, a friend, yet a foe. Richard Parker had his own farewell section towards the ending of the book; Pi, after landing in Mexico, watched Richard Parker run into the forest without even looking back, and in an attempt to reach closure (which he had stated afterwards that he always sought to find closure) he dedicated a section to saying good-bye to Richard Parker. Richard Parker had originally tried to kill Pi, although he had stated that Richard Parker's company was the only thing keeping him alive at times. We believe Pi conveys these negative images to the reader in order to let the reader understand just how severe these moments were for him, and so the readers could understand how much he was suffering on the inside. Pi's suffering influenced the plot of the story by making each desperate moment more intense, and even more interesting.

D: 1. What images do you best remember of the novel thus far? 2. How does Yann Martel portray these images symbolically? 3. What images do you think were the most significant? 4. Why, do you think, Pi conveys these negative images to the reader? 5. How does Pi's suffering influence the plot of the story?