Chapters 22-36

Summary:

Pi never told his parents about his practice of three religions, however, they inevitably found out.  One day, Pi and his parents meet a priest, an imam, and a pandit simultaneously.  They each praise Pi for his religious devotion.  His family is completely perplexed by Pi's beliefs.  When Pi gathers the courage to ask his father for a prayer rug and to be baptized, he tells Pi that he cannot practice three different religions and praying will not make a difference anyway.  Pi is persistent and speaks to his mother about it, who gives in.

During the 1970s, India was in political strife.  In fact, the entire government of Tamil Nadu collapsed.  The Patel family decided to move to Canada.  The animals had to be sold to other zoos and the paperwork was outrageous.  It was over a year before the family could move.  However, on June 21, 1977, the family finally boarded the Japanese cargo ship Tsimtsum.  

Suspense and Foreshadowing:

Chapter 36 concludes Part 1 of Life of Pi.  The first part of the book contains the introduction and rising action of the book.  Suspense is built in several ways throughout this section of the book to lead to the climax.  In the beginning of the book, Martel foreshadows how the book will end when Pi says "I still cannot understand how he could abandon me so unceremoniously, without any sort of good-bye, without looking back even once.  The pain is like an axe that chops at my heart." (Martel 6).  Martel also builds suspense when he writes from Pi's perspective about how large and ferocious animals can live with smaller, weaker animals (like in this article: http://www.buzzfeed.com/gavon/45-adorable-animal-odd-couples ) and how a lion tamer establishes dominance over an animal that could easily kill him.

("Lion Tamer")

Sources:

Laessig, Gavon. "45 Adorable Animal Odd Couples." BuzzFeed. Buzzfeed, Inc, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. 

"Lion Tamer".  Lithograph.  Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Mar. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion_taming>.

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Orlando: Harcourt, 2001. Print.