Life of Pi :: essays research papers

Life of Pi Pi Patel is on a ship to a whole new world. He’s leaving his whole world behind except the zoo, it‘s on board with him. When awoken by a sound, Pi goes to explore. He finds that the ship is sinking and before he can wake his family he is thrown into a lifeboat. A zebra falls into the lifeboat, breaking its leg. Without truly realizing what he is doing, Pi helps Richard Parker onto the lifeboat. Then he realizes, he is on a lifeboat with a 450 pound Bengal tiger. Pi builds a raft out of oars and life jackets so that he can stay a safe distance from the lifeboat. The lifeboat doesn’t seem to have the tiger on it at all. Just a zebra and a hyena and orangutan. The hyena attacks both zebra and orangutan and then the tiger appears. He is sleek and quiet about his approach. None the less, Pi Patel is now alone on a lifeboat with Richard Parker. He wonders how he will survive with a tiger. Pi decides that it would be best to keep the tiger alive, to act as the alpha. He trains Richard Parker to understand which space belongs to who. Pi uses a solar power water filter for fresh water and fishes for food. He feeds himself and the tiger. This keeps them at more of a alpha relationship because Richard Parker knows where his food and water come from. When there is no fish to caught and no more supplies, the only option is to starve for that day. Finally, Pi and Richard Parker land on an island. It is a very mysterious place. The trees seem to grow straight out of the algae and the meerkats do no seem to be afraid of anything. There are fresh water ponds and for some reason Richard Parker always returns to the lifeboat at night to sleep. Pi finds out the algae is acidic and that’s why Richard Parker sleeps in the boat at night.