Life of Pi, Part 4

Ahhhh! The book has finally come to an end, and I have to admit, this one is definitely one of my favorite books I have read in a while! This final reading assignment was one of the most nerve racking because I didn't know how it was going to end! Was Pi and Richard Parker going to be saved? Or were they both going to die from starvation and dehydration? However, once Pi and Richard Parker land on Mexico, I had a feeling everything was going to be okay for the both of them. I didn't, however, like the fact that Richard Parker trotted away into the jungle before Pi could say good bye to him.

However, in part 3 of the book, this tale takes a new and even more tragic meaning when Pi reveals another version of his story, one in which the animals are replaced by humans. Once we learn this, we understand and assume that Pi probably made up the animal version as a way to cope with the tragedy. Both versions of the story, with and without animals are viable, and Pi never reveals to the reader which version is true. Still, Pi seems to confess in these last chapters that he has made up his entire story as a way to cope with the shocker series of events. This part of the book was truly heartbreaking for me.

Nevertheless, this book definitely goes on my "Top 10 Favorite Books of All Time" list! I can't wait to read Martel's other books!

"Astounding story of courage and endurance in the face of difficulty and tragic circumstances."

Life of Pi, Part 3

This reading assignment opens as Pi is using his resources to survive. As Pi reads the survivor manual, he finds the lifeboat locker. He realizes that he needs to fish and create a shelter. Hungry and thirsty, he decides to go back to the lifeboat. Hesitantly, Pi pulls up to the raft and sees Richard Parker has marked his territory by spraying urine all around the bottom of the boat. Pi then drinks some of the water from a puddle and urinates on the locker lid to mark his own territory. Now, Pi must find a way to find food. He decides that he will try to fish. His first attempt using a leather shoe doesn't work very well. However, soon enough, a school of flying fish swim by the raft. Some hit Pi and Richard Parker while others fall into the boat or jump over the hull. Being a vegetarian and pacifist, Pi hesitates and then cries when he finally breaks the fish's neck with his hands.

After eating the fish, Pi busies himself with miscellaneous tasks. He creates a daily schedule that consists of different chores and activities. This repetition of activities necessary for life proves distressing for Pi. Because there is no regular source of water, the compulsion to drink water every day has become a nuisance. Also, because Pi must wear the same clothes every day, they disintegrate and fall off his body. Pi continues to read the survival manual and continues to fish. When he isn't reading or fishing, Pi spends hours observing the sea life. Pi also begins to keep a diary, mostly writing about his observations.

A terrible storm then rolls in and sends Pi scrambling into the lifeboat where he lies flat on a bench, farthest away from Richard Parker. The storm seems to rage on for a day and a night. During this storm, Pi seemed sure that this was when he was going to die. Then, the appearance of the tanker holds the potential for rescue, but ends in hopelessness. The real conclusion comes without any warning. Without warning, the lifeboat lands in Mexico, and Pi is saved. That was definitely one of my favorite chapters! It was so suspenseful! It kept me on the edge of my seat with every page flip! I can't wait to see what happens next!

Life of Pi (Part 2)

Part 2 of Life of Pi opens with the ship sinking, and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat in the midst of utter chaos. This chaos includes seeing a Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker in the water. After Richard Parker boards the lifeboat, Pi then realizes the dangers of sharing such a lifeboat with an animal as a tiger. This realization leads Pi to throw himself into the water. This section of the book reminds the reader the power and strength one has to avoid death. The reader reads about many near fatal incidents, and yet life continually surprises us with its might and will power. For example, Pi survives his forty foot fall through the air and lands unharmed on the lifeboat's tarpaulin cover. Then, the zebra survives the fall but with a broken leg. As Pi analyzes his surroundings, he realizes that he must become more mature and strong willed if he wants to survive the waters.

Even though I liked the first part of this reading assignment, I am not a big fan of what happened next. As the animals and Pi are stuck on the lifeboat, the hyena becomes restless and bites off the zebra's broken leg. Not only does the hyena eat that broken leg, it then decapitates the orangutan's head. This violence and brutality teaches Pi a lesson: the qualities a human or animal exhibit when unprovoked can vary extraordinary from those that same human or animal will show if attacked or threatened. Also, after Orange Juice strikes the hyena, he realizes that personality is something separate and distinct from instinct. After the brutal deaths of the zebra and the orangutan, Orange Juice, Pi fears that Richard Parker will kill him. Pi then devises a plan to increase the distance between the two by building a raft. This raft proves to be sea worthy, and Pi tries to prove he is stronger than the tiger by using a whistle from one of the life jackets as a whip and shouts across the water.

This reading assignment has been by far my favorite. I just couldn't stop reading after Pi throws himself into the water. I can't wait to see what happens next!