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English > life of pi > Flashcards

life of pi Flashcards

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Proverbs and Idioms flashcards
1
Q

how does Pi’s setting influence his beliefs

A

Pondicherry once a French colony > diverse culture > expose to many religions

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2
Q

style of novel

A

magical realism

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3
Q

settings

A

pondicherry
india
the pacific ocean
mexico
canada

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4
Q

climax of novel

A

pi finds land

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5
Q

antagonist

A

hyena/french cook

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6
Q

pov

A

first person of implied author and adult pi

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7
Q

how is novel set out

A
  • fictional author > india > story from mamaji
  • interviews Pi > Pi’s pov & interviews interjected in “Author’s Notes”
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8
Q

where and when does Pi grow up

A

Pondicherry, India
1970s

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9
Q

where does Pi get his name

A

famous swimming pool in paris

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10
Q

what does pi’s father do

A

zookeeper

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11
Q

how does his father’s job affect his children’s upbringing

A

raised amongst wild animals

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12
Q

zookeeping reflected in storytelling

A

zookeeping
animal territories/boundaries

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13
Q

important moment of zookeeping for pi in childhood

A

danger of wild animals shown through tiger eating goat
“the most dangerous animal at a zoo is Man.”

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14
Q

how is Pi raised, on a spiritual level

A

culturally Hindu but family generally unreligious

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15
Q

how does Pi’s religion develop

A
  1. devoutly Hindu
  2. Christian
  3. Islam
    practices all at once
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16
Q

how do others react to Pi’s religious practices

A

parents and religious leaders protest

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17
Q

what is the turning point of the novel

A

political unrest > parents decide to sell zoo and move to Canada

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18
Q

how does family move to Canada

A

Japanese cargo ship - Tsimtsum - with zoo animals

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19
Q

what happens on the Tsimtsum

A

explosion > Pi awake > thrown into lifeboat by sailors
sinks > only survivor

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20
Q

what happens when pi first gets onto lifeboat

A

sees tiger, RP > encourages to climb aboard (DUMBO)

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21
Q

developments of lifeboat pi is on after helping RP get on

A

aboard lifeboat with
- zebra
- hyena
- Orange Juice (orangutan)
(doesn’t know abt RP)

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22
Q

what happens between initial lifeboat company and Pi alone with RP

A
  1. hyena kills + eats zebra
  2. hyena fights + kills OJ
  3. pi notices RP under tarpaulin
  4. RP kills + eats hyena
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23
Q

what does Pi do on initial days of being alone with RP

A
  • raft
  • supplies
  • marks territory/tames RP
  • needs
    > kills + eats fish/turts
    > filters seawater
    > collects rainwater
  • RP/Pi in own territory in peace, but starving
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24
Q

what happens after initial days on lifeboat

A
  • loses track of time
  • remembers events
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25
Q

events Pi remembered in timelessness

A
  • whale
  • lightning storm
  • ship
  • blind/voice
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26
Q

blind/voice incident

A
  • temp blinded
  • hears voice
    > thinks RP
    > blind castaway
  • discuss
    > food
  • boats tg
    > castaway attacks Pi (kill + eat)
    > RP kills castaway
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27
Q

what happens after timeless period

A

island

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28
Q

describe island

A
  • made of algae
  • thousands of meerkats
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29
Q

what do Pi/RP do when find island

A
  • stay there
    > recover health
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30
Q

turning point on island

A
  • pi finds tree w human teeth as fruit (AWKWARD)
    > island is carnivorous
    > decide to leave
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31
Q

what happens after island

A
  • lifeboat washes up on Mexico beach
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32
Q

what happens on beach

A
  • RP into jungle wo looking back
  • Pi rescued by villagers
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33
Q

after beach what happens

A

transcript of interview between Pi + 2 Japanese officials > sinking of Tsimtsum

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34
Q

what happens in transcript

A
  • pi tells story > don’t believe
  • pi tells second story
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35
Q

how is second story different from story

A

replaced animals with humans

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36
Q

who do the animals translate to in the second story

A

hyena - French cook
zebra - Chinese sailor
OJ - mother
RP - Pi

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37
Q

what happens in second story

A
  • sailor dies + cook eats
  • cook kills + eats mother
  • pi kills cook without much reluctance
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38
Q

how do officials react to second story

A
  • horrified
  • believe
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39
Q

what does pi say after story

A

asks which prefer
> animals

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40
Q

final report comments

A

commend Pi for surviving at sea with tiger

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41
Q

protagonist full name

A

Piscine Molitor Patel

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42
Q

who is the narrator for most of the novel

A

Pi

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43
Q

how many days was Pi stranded for

A

227

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44
Q

how does pi present in situation

A
  • resourceful
  • survival instinct
  • gruesome out of desperation
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45
Q

what does pi go on to do with his life

A
  • University of Toronto
    > zoology
    > religion
  • married w 2 children
  • “has a happy ending”
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46
Q

what is RP (age and animal)

A

three-year-old
male
royal Bengal tiger

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47
Q

what does RP serve as

A

Pi’s companion on the boat

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48
Q

RP name origin

A
  • hunter, RP, captured as cub
  • names switched in paperwork
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49
Q

what values does RP reflect

A

beauty
power
danger

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50
Q

where do Pi/RP live on boat

A

in respective territories

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51
Q

how is RP goodbye described

A

“botched goodbye”

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52
Q

how does RP goodbye affect Pi

A

pains for rest of life

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53
Q

what does Pi represent in second story

A
  • part of Pi
    > violence performed for survival
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54
Q

what is the author

A

fictional

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55
Q

how does the fictional author relate to the actual author

A

Canadian
resembles Yann Martel
> two books
> inspired through Indian trip

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56
Q

what is contained in “Author’s Notes”

A
  • sources
  • interactions w adult pi
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57
Q

Pi’s mother full name

A

Gita Patel

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58
Q

Gita belief system

A
  • Hindu upbringing
  • Baptist education
    > nonreligious, questions Pi
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59
Q

how does Gita influence Pi

A

encouraged Pi to read books in his youth

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60
Q

how does Gita die in first story

A

sunk with Tsimtsum

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61
Q

how does Gita die in second story

A
  • takes place of OJ
    > protects Pi from cook as long as possible
    > murdered, decapitated, eaten by cook
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62
Q

pi’s father full name

A

Santosh Patel

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63
Q

Santosh job

A

head of Pondicherry Zoo

64
Q

Santosh history

A
  • ran hotel
    > zookeeping (love for animals)
65
Q

what does Santosh teach his children

A
  • zookeeping knowledge
  • respect/fear for wild animals
66
Q

Santosh belief system

A
  • Hindu upbringing
    > nonreligious, questions Pi
67
Q

Mamaji full name

A

Francis Adirubasamy

68
Q

who is Mamaji

A
  • friend of Patel family
69
Q

Mamaji history

A
  • champion swimmer in youth
70
Q

what does Mamaji mean

A

“respected uncle”

71
Q

how does Mamaji affect/influence Pi

A
  • teaches
    > swimming
    > love for water
  • name
  • first told story to “author” in India > “make you believe in God”
72
Q

Mr Kumar(s) full name

A

Satish Kumar

73
Q

what school does Pi go to

A

Petit Séminaire

74
Q

who is the first Mr Kumar

A

biology teacher

75
Q

Mr Kumar 1 history

A

polio survivor

76
Q

Mr Kumar 1 appearance

A

triangle-shaped body

77
Q

Mr Kumar 1 beliefs

A
  • atheist
  • admires nature at zoo
78
Q

Mr Kumar 1 influence on Pi

A

study zoology

79
Q

name of Japanese official

A

Tomohiro Okamoto

80
Q

what is the Japanese official an official of?

A

Maritime Department of the Japanese Ministry of Transport

81
Q

what does Japanese official do

A
  • interviews Pi in Mexico
    > investigate sinking of Tsimtsum
82
Q

how does Japanese official feel about Pi’s stories and how is it reflected in the report?

A
  • skeptical of 1
  • agrees more compelling than 2
  • official report commends for surviving with tiger
83
Q

Pi’s brother’s full name

A

Ravi Patel

84
Q

Ravi characteristics

A
  • older brother
  • sports
  • teases
    > name
    > faith
85
Q

how does Ravi die

A
  • ignores Pi
  • keeps sleeping
86
Q

who is the second Mr Satish Kumar

A

baker

87
Q

Mr Kumar 2 beliefs

A
  • Muslim
  • Sufi mystic
  • goes to zoo
    > praises God for animals
88
Q

Mr Kumar 2 influence on Pi

A
  • teaches Islam
    > converts
89
Q

how is the hyena described

A

ugly
violent

90
Q

what does the hyena do

A
  • eats zebra
    > leg
    > insides while alive
  • kills OJ
  • killed + eaten by RP
91
Q

what is the zebra (specifically)

A

male Grant’s zebra

92
Q

how is the zebra described

A

beautiful
exotic

93
Q

what happens to the zebra

A
  • jumps onto lifeboat
    > breaks leg
    > suffers from hyena
    > dies
94
Q

what is OJ

A

orangutan

95
Q

how is OJ described

A

peaceful
maternal
(brave)

96
Q

OJ history

A

birthed 2 sons at zoo

97
Q

how does OJ arrive

A

floats to lifeboat on island of bananas

98
Q

how does OJ die

A
  • fights hyena (brave)
    > killed
99
Q

who is the Christian guy

A

Father Martin

100
Q

what is Father Martin

A

Christian priest

101
Q

how is Father Martin described

A

kind

102
Q

Father Martin influence on Pi

A

teaches Pi about Jesus
> converts him

103
Q

full name of Pi’s wife

A

Meena Patel

104
Q

pi’s wife in novel

A

author briefly meets only

105
Q

full name of pi’s son

A

Nikhil Patel

106
Q

Nikhil quality

A

plays baseball

107
Q

full name of pi’s daughter

A

Usha Patel

108
Q

Usha qualities

A

shy
close to father

109
Q

who is the blind castaway

A

castaway man met in middle of Pacific

110
Q

castaway qualities

A
  • blind
  • starving
  • French accent
    > possibly cook
111
Q

castaway actions

A

tries to kill + eat Pi
> killed by RP

112
Q

Okamoto’s assistant name

A

Atsuro Chiba

113
Q

Atsuro qualities

A
  • naïve
  • bumbling
114
Q

how does Okamoto relate to Atsuro

A

exasperated by his inexperience

115
Q

who is The French Cook

A

human counterpart to hyena

116
Q

how is The French Cook described

A

rude
violent

117
Q

The French Cook actions

A
  • eats sailor
  • kills + eats mother
  • lets himself be stabbed by Pi
118
Q

The Chinese Sailor

A

human counterpart to zebra

119
Q

how is The Chinese Sailor described

A

young
beautiful
speaks only Chinese

120
Q

The Chinese Sailor actions

A
  • breaks leg
    > infected
    > cook cuts off
    > dies painfully
121
Q

Mrs Ghandi full name

A

Indira Ghandi

122
Q

who is Mrs Ghandi

A

leader of India during time Pi lived there

123
Q

who introduced/influenced Pi regarding Hinduism

A

his aunt

124
Q

Pi’s aunt’s name

A

Auntie Rohini

125
Q

themes

A

survival
religion/faith
storytelling
boundaries

126
Q

how is survival presented in the novel

A
  • struggle for against seemingly impossible odds:
    > stranded on lifeboat in Pacific for 227 days w tiger
127
Q

odds against survival

A
  • starvation
  • protection against RP
128
Q

how does survival affect Pi

A
  • break lifelong pacifism/vegetarianism
    > kill + eat fish/turts
129
Q

who else does survival affect

A

OJ
RP

130
Q

how does survival affect OJ

A

peaceful
> violent when attacking hyena

131
Q

how does survival affect RP

A

powerful
> Pi gives food > submits to taming

132
Q

what point is made about survival

A

extremes undergone to survive
> can fundamentally change nature
> good/bad

133
Q

what different effects of survival are presented

A

great heroism
horrible gruesomeness

134
Q

great heroism as result of survival example

A

Pi
- resourcefulness
- will to live
- peace over killing RP
> waits for when leaves island

135
Q

horrible gruesomeness as a result of survival example

A
  • French cook
    > murder
    > cannibalism
  • RP
    > violence is manifestation of Pi’s survival instinct
136
Q

how is survival used as tool in book

A
  • know will survive; happy now
    > struggle throughout provides tension
137
Q

when is theme of religion introduced

A

Francis Adirubasamy presents story to implied author as “a story to make you believe in God”

138
Q

how is Pi raised in terms of religion

A

secular
culturally Hindu

139
Q

how do religious leaders react to Pi’s multitheism

A

assert that theirs contains whole/exclusive truth

140
Q

how does Pi deal with resistance to his multitheism

A
  • focus on different stories/pathways to God of faiths
  • independence of faith
141
Q

what does pi read from all three religions

A

story of universal love

142
Q

what is most important to Pi in his understanding of faith/religion, and how is this proved?

A

faith/belief more important than religious truth
> admires beliefs of atheism
> dislikes agnostics

143
Q

why does Pi have an issue with agnostics?

A
  • choose doubt as way of life
    > never choose a “better story”
144
Q

when does theme of religion and faith come to the forefront

A
  • stranded at sea
    > faith tested by struggle
    > grandeur of scene
    + infinite desolation
    + lightning storm as “miracle”
145
Q

what conclusion is made about Pi’s relationship to faith and where?

A
  • rescue, officials asked which story preferred - animal
    > animal:
    + compelling/memorable
    > “so it goes with God”
    = choose faith as worldview more beautiful

== facts on God’s existence unknown > choose story preferred (involves God)

146
Q

how is the theme of storytelling most fundamentally displayed

A

novels framework
- complex
- several layers of narration
> real writes as fictional author
> fictional writes as adult Pi
> transcript of young Pi w diff story

= nature of truth in storytelling explored

147
Q

how is the nature of truth in storytelling further explored within the content of the novel

A
  • 3 religions
  • animal story possibly invented
    = storytelling is its own truth
148
Q

how is the nature of truth in storytelling explored by the 3 religions

A

> beauty of truth of all > truth not absolute, can coexist and contradict

149
Q

how is the nature of truth in storytelling explored by the animal story possibly being invented

A

> attempt for greater truth
+ values communicated better through different lens of understanding and hence essence truer
coping mechanism for sanity
+ euphemised explanation/retelling

150
Q

how do Japanese officials view the two stories

A

human is “true” one
animal more compelling/memorable

151
Q

how is storytelling depicted as its own truth

A

in case of unknown events/realities (existence of God, reason Tsimtsum sank, how survived) > choose stories seem most true, beautiful, moving > make own

152
Q

how is the theme of boundaries explored

A
  • contradiction between boundaries and freedom
  • territory
  • psychological
153
Q

how is the contradiction between boundaries and freedom expressed

A
  • boundless expanse of open ocean/sky BUT trapped in tiny lifeboat w limited territory
154
Q

how is territory represented on lifeboat

A

Pi: raft and top of tarpaulin
- marks it
> urine
> “training whistle”
RP: floor of lifeboat

155
Q

how is territory explored in the novel besides the physical territories on the lifeboat

A
  • zoo context in Part 1
    > animals love rituals/boundaries IF accept as territory
    = uses to “tame” RP > “alpha” of lifeboat > safety
156
Q

how are boundaries explored in a psychological sense?

A
  • (possibly) creates RP
    > method to deal with personal darkness/bestiality
    > brutality a different inhuman being
    = sets psychological boundary
    > RP disappears when ashore
    + existed only on lifeboat out of necessity
    = able to continue on without > “happy ending” DUE TO maintained sanity and humanity in symbolically severing bestial nature

English (3 decks)

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