("Life of Pi: Calvin and Hobbes Edition")
Summary:
Piscine Molitor Patel is a man of religion and science, two fields that do not often coincide. He studied both zoology and religion at the University of Toronto. He is named after a swimming pool. A dear family friend named Francis Adirubasamy, who Piscine known as Mamaji, had a love of both swimming and pools. When Piscine was born, he was named after the most beautiful pool Mamaji had ever seen, the Piscine Molitor. While Piscine loved his name, it began to give him trouble in school. His fellow students would call him Pissing. So, when Piscine began at a new school, he introduced himself to his teachers and classmates as 'Pi'.
Pi grew up in the Pondicherry Zoo where his father was the zookeeper. While Pi loved the sights and sounds of the zoo, from a young age his father taught him of the dangers of the animals living there. His father made Pi and his brother, Ravi, watch as a tiger in the zoo devoured a helpless goat. They then walked through the zoo as their father related all the threats of the animals in the zoo. While this may seem cruel, Pi knew it was only because their father worried about them.
Figurative Language - Simile:
In the first chapter, Pi uses a simile to compare his life to a memento mori painting.
(Hannelore)
(David The Younger Teniers)
The skull is a symbol of the ever-present threat of death in Pi's life. However, to this Pi says "You may not believe in life, but I don't believe in death. Move on!" (Martel 5).
Setting:
Pi establishes setting early in the book. He describes the Pondicherry Zoo in vivid detail. He relates the sights that one sees as one enters the zoo. He lists many of the plants that live in the zoo. Many of these plants are uncommon or exotic.
The Peepul:
("The Banyan")
The Gulmohur:
(Mohan)
The Red Silk Cotton:
(Turner)
The Jacaranda
("Grafton to Get Shorter Jacaranda Festival Holiday")
The Jackfruit Tree:
("Jackfruit")
Pi's descriptions help to enhance the reader's comprehension of his experiences as he was growing up in Pondicherry during the introduction of the book.
Works Cited:
David The Younger Teniers. "Memento Mori". Oil painting. 1st-Art-Gallery.com. N. D. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
Glibert, Hannelore. "Nymphalis's Bucket". Painting. English Blog. 15 Feb. 2008. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
"Grafton to Get Shorter Jacaranda Festival Holiday." ABC News. ABC, 3 Sept. 2014. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
Harnett, William Micahel. "To This Favour". 1879. Painting. The Art of Manliness. 29 Oct. Web. 19 Feb. 2015.
"Jackfruit." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
"Life Of Pi: Calvin And Hobbes Edition." WeKnowMemes. WeKnowMemes LLC, 13 Jan. 2013. Web. 23 Mar. 2015.
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Orlando: Harcourt, 2001. Print.
Mohan, Sunita. "Monsoon." Monsoon! n.p. 19 June 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
"The Banyan." Bangalore Walks. Bangalore Environment Trust. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
Turner, Steve. "Red Silk Cotton Tree (Bombax ceiba)." Richard Lyons Nursery Inc. Richard Lyons Nursery, Inc, 27 Jan. 2013. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
