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=Plot Summary= Life of Pi tells about Picine Molitor Patel, a multireligious young Indian, gets lost at sea with his 450 pound Bengal Tiger after their ship to Canada sinks in a storm and their survival on a life raft. In the novel, there are three parts. In the first part, Piscine is telling us about Francis Adirubasamy, a family friend also known as "Mamaji", and background of Santosh Patel, Piscine's father who owns Pondicherry Zoo. It also gives the background behind fourteen year old boy Piscine Molitor Patel, the multireligious young Indian, and his Bengal Tiger, Richard Parker, and their survival on the liferaft. The novel starts out with the adult version of Pi, explaining the reason behind “Pi” and how he got his name. Pi was named after swimming pool in France. His friends used to call him “Pissing Patel” and he hated it, so he came up with Pi. Pi was brought up as a Hindu, but ventures out and finds Christianity and Islam. Pi mentions in the story that “ all religions are true.” The first main part in the novel is that due to a problem in the government, his family has to sell the zoo and move to canada. The second part of the novel starts off with the Patel family on a cargo boat heading to Canada. During a stormy night, the boat sinksL and because Pi woke up and ventured out to the deck and his family did not, he escaped on a lifeboat into the rough sea. During the escape, a zebra manages to jump onto Pi’s lifeboat, but due to such a hard fall it breaks its leg. Also on the lifeboat is Orange Juice, an Orangutan, Richard Parker, a 450 pound Bengal Tiger, and a hyena. As soon as Pi saw the tiger he jumped overboard because he didn't want to get attacked. Pi gets back aboard and can't find the tiger but has an eye on all other animals. The hyena ends up killing the zebra and the orangutang. After a while, Richard Parker comes out from underneath the tarpaulin and rips apart the hyena which scares Pi to death. After a couple of long days he finds supplies and builds a small raft and attaches it to the lifeboat. He goes fishing and supplies food to him and Richard Parker, which makes him become dominant because RP realizes that without Pi, he would die. Pi uses techniques that his dad taught him from the zoo and uses to train RP not to kill. For example, causing sea sickness and blowing a whistle as a punishment for misbehaiving. During many points on the adventure Pi thinks back on life and religion. A major part in the second section is when Pi is captured by a french man that was also lost at sea. As a result of Pi being the master figure to RP, he saves Pi and eats the french man.

=Major Themes=

Athens, from The New York Times, states the theme isn't so much "believe in god," but "why not believe in god?" On the other hand, Yann Martel in his interview, says his book "isn't about religion, but about faith." In many other interviews Martel states that "he was writing a novel about religion but the main point was faith." Martel also says that he not only wants to write about the faith in Pi, but " the faith of his readers" One of the smallest themes in the novel according to Swenson is Adaptation.

=Style=

Athens, a writer from The New York Times described the novel to be at some points "easily believable" and others unbelievable. According to Athens, this style of writing is on purpose to make the reader wonder whether or not the story is real. Martel also stated it involves the reader. In an interview for the magazine Writer's Digest, Matel answered a question about style by saying, "The one thing i do do consciously is that each book tackles an issue i'm interested in." The actual type of writing is that he "uses subtle changes in voice, and exquisite use of language." He also used "many vivid descriptions" Another thing Martel did well was his "sense of humor gives way to a sense of the absurd, references to God diminish, and Pi's struggle to survive, physically and emotionally."

=Adaptations=

In a interview with The International Business Times, Martel was asked what he thought of Ang Lee's View of the story and if she did well transitioning it to the film. He responded with "I'm very happy with Ang's adaptation" Martel also stated that "People who've never heard of the book see the movie, and then go read the book"

=Background=

The IB Times asked Martel "What inspired you to write this story?" He answered with "What inspired me was a trip to India. a place where all religions are practiced. It's an incredibly diverse country, yet it holds together. A place like that is inevitably a fountain of stories."

=Reception=

A critique from The New York Times Book Review said "Life of Pi could renew your faith in the ability of novelists to invest even the most outrageous scenario with plausible life."