1.Religion is of utmost importance to Pi. Discuss the role of religion in his life and how it helps him survive his ordeal.
2.Naming and names are significant in this novel—Pi’s own name is elaborately explained, and Richard Parker gets his name through a clerical error. How is naming relevant to the novel’s main themes?
3.In light of the fact that this is a novel about imagination, why does Martel begin with the Author’s Note, which gives the impression that Pi’s account is truth, not fiction?
4.The two Japanese officials who interview Pi don’t believe that he really landed on a man-eating island. When they say that carnivorous trees and fish-eating algae do not exist, Pi responds, “Only because you’ve never seen them.” What is the point that Yann Martel is making through this statement and how is it developed in the novel?
5.Pi argues that Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba should take the “better story” as the true story. Argue that either the first or second story is the “true story.”
6.Yann Martel has said that the hyena is meant to represent cowardice. Explain how this is developed in the novel.
7.Both worship of God and survival are hugely important to Pi— to which does he give primacy? Justify your answer.
8.What are the significance of the stories behind how Pi and Richard Parker got their names?
9.Why does Pi give Richard Parker credit for his survival?
10.Trace religion through Martel's text. What is Martel trying to say about religion and its purpose? You may focus on one religion or follow all three.
11.Argue for this story as a mental and spiritual journey rather than a physical one. In this journey, what does Pi seek?
12.In Life of Pi, the study of zoology and spirituality is prominent. In a well-organized essay, explain how Yann Martel uses zoology and/or religion to explain the journey and survival of Pi Patel.
13.In the Life of Pi, Martel tells the reader early in the novel “This story has a happy ending” (end of Chapt.36 and part 1). In a well-organized essay, defend or challenge the validity of this observation. Be sure to support your position using the novel.
14.“Life of Pi is a story that asks questions of life, beliefs, faith, and the importance of imaginative story telling.”Discuss the validity of this statement.
15.Consider the question that Pi presents to the Japanese officials at the end of the novel, “Which is the better story, the story with the animals or the story without the animals?” (317). In a well-composed essay, defend your answer to this question noting Martel’s use of realism and fantasy as it relates to the major themes of the novel
16.What is the definition of a hero? Is there a hero in this story? If so, who is it? If not, why not? Support your answers with examples from the text.
17.What is the definition of anthropomorphism? What role does it play in the book? Why is it important to the story? Please support your answers with examples from the text.
18.Pi's ordeal involves his faith in God, his faith in himself, and his will to survive. Discuss each of these, using specific examples from the book
19.Discuss the significance of Pi’s statement: “Had I considered my prospects in the light of reason, I surely would have given up and let go of the oar, hoping that I might drown before being eaten. But I don't recall that I had a single thought during those first minutes of relative safety. I didn’t even notice daybreak. I held on to the oar, I just held on, God only knows why”
20.Pi says, “I am a person who believes in form, in the harmony of order. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape” ( 285). Discuss the above statement and how it relates to Pi’s journey.