Life of Pi Final Project – Please Choose One Option (You may use any Web 2.0 Tools.) 1. Yann Martel said in an interview, "The theme of this novel can be summarized in three lines. Life is a story. You can choose your story. And a story with an imaginative overlay is the better story." In five paragraphs, summarize an event from your own life using precise accuracy. Next, recast this narrative as fiction, using the sort of "imaginative overlay" Martel admires.
2. Pi draws many parallels between the behavior of animals and humans. Discuss how the novel might unfold if it were narrated by one of the animals, particularly Richard Parker. How might the novel's tone have changed if Pi's sole surviving companion had been the zebra or Orange Juice?
3. How might you have coped with Pi's situation? What are your personal strategies for facing fear?
4. Discuss the many uses of the word "survivor" in contemporary society. How is Pi's survivorship different from that of participants in televised reality shows, or those who are interviewed by news reporters following perilous events?
5. Does Pi's family resemble yours in any way? Who is your source for guidance and enlightenment in life? What is your equivalent to Pi's zoo, where he discovers so much about the ways of the world?
6. Pi's voice is politely understated, laced with a deadpan sense of humor and unflinching specificity. He also uses impeccable grammar. Choose a harrowing experience from the past year and describe it as Pi might have, noting the elements that make his voice such a distinctive one.
7. Define the following words: zoomorphism, catholicity, dorado, licit, tress, meerkat, arboreal, tarpaulin. Next, write a fictional two-page survival story incorporating all eight words.
8. Research contemporary life in India. During what time period does this novel take place? How has India changed since Pi's youth? What did you observe about India as seen through the eyes of Pi? Describe his favorite foods, the flora and fauna he sees there, and other aspects of his culture that add verisimilitude to his life.
9. Trace Pi's voyage. Chart the changes in climate, astronomical observations, water temperature, and topography (where applicable) that Pi would have experienced during this chapter of his life.
10. Through personal interviews or library research, create a profile and brief history of each of the belief systems-Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam-embraced by Pi. In what geographic locations are these religions most prevalent? Does the novel reflect or contradict the teachings of these religions?
11. Among the "major lifeboat pests" accompanying Pi are a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a tiger. Research these species' behaviors both in the wild and in contemporary zoos. Does the author provide a realistic representation of how these four animals (or five, if Pi is included) would interact under these circumstances? What aspects and categories of zoology are represented by this menagerie?
12. Yann Martel studied philosophy in college. Choose two philosophers, from two distinct time periods, and consider whether Life of Pi underscores or refutes their tenets.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The child of diplomats, Yann Martel was born in Spain and raised in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Alaska, and Canada. As an adult, he has lived in Iran, Turkey, and India. After studying philosophy, he worked at odd jobs until he began making a living as a writer at the age of twenty-seven, earning the prestigious Pushcart Prize early in his career. He now lives in Montreal, where he divides his time between yoga, writing, and volunteer work.
Projects suggested by the Harcourt Teacher’s Guide
Life of Pi Final Project – Please Choose One Option (You may use any Web 2.0 Tools.)
1. Yann Martel said in an interview, "The theme of this novel can be summarized in three lines. Life is a story. You can choose your story. And a story with an imaginative overlay is the better story." In five paragraphs, summarize an event from your own life using precise accuracy. Next, recast this narrative as fiction, using the sort of "imaginative overlay" Martel admires.
2. Pi draws many parallels between the behavior of animals and humans. Discuss how the novel might unfold if it were narrated by one of the animals, particularly Richard Parker. How might the novel's tone have changed if Pi's sole surviving companion had been the zebra or Orange Juice?
3. How might you have coped with Pi's situation? What are your personal strategies for facing fear?
4. Discuss the many uses of the word "survivor" in contemporary society. How is Pi's survivorship different from that of participants in televised reality shows, or those who are interviewed by news reporters following perilous events?
5. Does Pi's family resemble yours in any way? Who is your source for guidance and enlightenment in life? What is your equivalent to Pi's zoo, where he discovers so much about the ways of the world?
6. Pi's voice is politely understated, laced with a deadpan sense of humor and unflinching specificity. He also uses impeccable grammar. Choose a harrowing experience from the past year and describe it as Pi might have, noting the elements that make his voice such a distinctive one.
7. Define the following words: zoomorphism, catholicity, dorado, licit, tress, meerkat, arboreal, tarpaulin. Next, write a fictional two-page survival story incorporating all eight words.
8. Research contemporary life in India. During what time period does this novel take place? How has India changed since Pi's youth? What did you observe about India as seen through the eyes of Pi? Describe his favorite foods, the flora and fauna he sees there, and other aspects of his culture that add verisimilitude to his life.
9. Trace Pi's voyage. Chart the changes in climate, astronomical observations, water temperature, and topography (where applicable) that Pi would have experienced during this chapter of his life.
10. Through personal interviews or library research, create a profile and brief history of each of the belief systems-Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam-embraced by Pi. In what geographic locations are these religions most prevalent? Does the novel reflect or contradict the teachings of these religions?
11. Among the "major lifeboat pests" accompanying Pi are a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a tiger. Research these species' behaviors both in the wild and in contemporary zoos. Does the author provide a realistic representation of how these four animals (or five, if Pi is included) would interact under these circumstances? What aspects and categories of zoology are represented by this menagerie?
12. Yann Martel studied philosophy in college. Choose two philosophers, from two distinct time periods, and consider whether Life of Pi underscores or refutes their tenets.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The child of diplomats, Yann Martel was born in Spain and raised in Costa Rica, France, Mexico, Alaska, and Canada. As an adult, he has lived in Iran, Turkey, and India. After studying philosophy, he worked at odd jobs until he began making a living as a writer at the age of twenty-seven, earning the prestigious Pushcart Prize early in his career. He now lives in Montreal, where he divides his time between yoga, writing, and volunteer work.
Projects suggested by the Harcourt Teacher’s Guide