Preceden

Life of Pi

Literal Plot

Pi was born

06/25/1963

He was named after a glorious swimming pool in Paris called the Pisine Molitor. (Pi was born)

Pi learned to swim

1970

He was seven years old, and his family friend, mamaji, gave him his first swimming lesson in the ocean. (Pi's learned to swim)

Religion

1976

Pi was originally Hindu, but he stumbled upon a cathedral, and decided to be a Christain as well. Soon, he walked into a mosque, and added Islam to his accumulation of religions he followed. Once the head of the different churches found out, they wanted him to chose just one (or in other words, their own belief), and gave him much pain about it. In turn, Pi just went to different places to worship. (Religion)

Shipwreck

07/02/1977

He heard a noise in the night, and went on deck only to find a storm. When he was going back to his cabin with Ravi, he noticed there was water on the floor. Then he went back on deck and was thrown aboard a lifeboat. 16 years old. (Shipwreck)

Killed his first fish

07/09/1977

Killed flying fish (broke neck)- Pi is very sad. Soon after he killed the dorado (beat with axe hilt)- ecstatic and proud."...a person can get used to anything, even killing" (Matel, 185)

Stopped looking for ships

08/17/1977

Stopped looking for a rescuer almost entirely (Martel, 191) Soon after expending all of his flares (that happen to smell like Cumin), he sees the very high improbability of being rescued by a ship. (Martel, 199) (Stopped looking for ships)

No more raft

09/20/1977

During a brutal storm in which Pi got under the tarpaulin with Richard, the raft broke free and the lifeboat became slightly marred.

Pi trains Richard Parker

09/30/1977

Pi wants to be able to get on the lifeboat more often, so he starts to assert his dominance by blowing a whistle loudly while rocking the boat and making him feel seasick. He finally is able to gain complete dominance over him during a stare-down over a dorado fish.

Mortality

10/02/1977

Pi is reminded that Richard Parker isn't as all-powerful as he appears to be. He gets attacked by a Maco shark that Pi throws aboard unthinkingly.

The Oiltanker

10/10/1977

Pi and Richard finally encounter a ship they think is close enough to see and rescue them. Pi becomes absolutely distraught when they very nearly get run over and the flare he set off ricocheted off the ship into the water. It is here Pi declares his love and gratification to Richard Parker.

Pi and R.P. go blind

10/25/1977

Richard Parker is the first to go blind, then Pi finds that a black dot grows in his vision until he too is unable to see. They are both in very bad physical condition (skin and bones) 241

The Frenchman

10/27/1977

Pi is weak, and when he hears a voice, he decides to talk to it. At first they talk about food. Then Pi thinks it is Richard Parker that is talking to him. So, he asks him some questions, and in turn finds out he killed a man and a woman. When he hears the French accent, he realizes it is a person. The man boards Pi's lifeboat, and tries to kill him. R.P. ends up killing the Frenchman.

Returning Vision

10/29/1977

Pi gains his vision back as he continues to rinse it with seawater.

Algae Island

12/14/1977

Pi and R.P. come across the algae island (p 257).

The Fruit

01/05/1978

Pi encountered a tree with some fruit. So, he climbs this tree and sees how interesting it is. It has several stems, and as he picks it up it is very light. Before this, he had never even imagined going back onto the lifeboat. It was not in fact fruit, but human teeth covered in leaves. There were 32 "fruit", and entire human set. Not only this, but a searing pain shot up into his feet as he stepped onto the algae at night.The island was carnivorous (p 280).

Pi and R.P. leave the island

01/06/1978

They leave the island together, and take some algea on a rope behind the boat, and as much food as will fit in the lifeboat.Grief, ache, and endurance is all that follows on his trip. So he turns to God.

Journey on the sea ends

02/14/1978

As they landed on the beach, Richard Parker left the boat and went straight into the forest. Pi never got a chance to say goodbye. He was found some hours later by some people. Pi survived at sea for 227 days.

Benito Juarez Infermary, Tomatlan, Mexico

02/19/1978

Pi is visited by by two men ( Mr. Okamoto, and Mr. Chiba ), and is asked to tell his story. They don't believe that bananas float, or in the carnivorous island. They also are uncertain about the truth behind the tiger."Don't bully me with your politeness! Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe?" Pi Patel ( Martel, 297)" I know what you want. You want a story that won't surprise you. That will confirm what you already know. That won't make you see higher or further or differently. You want a flat story. An immobile story. You want dry, yeastless factuality." (p 302).

"Dry, Yeastless Factuality" -Pi Patel

02/19/1978

Pi decides to tell them a different story. This one, however, replaces the animals with actual people.After the ship sunk, he fell into the water, and was pulled aboard with a life bouey that the French cook from the ship threw out to him. There was already a Chinese sailor, who had broken his femur jumping onto the lifeboat. They found Pi's mom floating on a pile of bananas.The Frenchman was a vulgar man that wanted to cut off the sailor's leg to use for bait. The sailor's wound caused him sever pain that took him a very long time to die from. After he died, the Frenchman mutilated, and cured his flesh so that he could not only use it as bait, but eat it as well.The horrified mother slapped him. The horrid man also helped them get food and maneuver the ship. One day, he kills Pi's mother and throws her head at Pi. Pi and the man get in a fight, and Pi stabs him to death.

Allegorical Plot