Life of Pi

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What behaviors or abilities make humans different from animals? How do animals and humans have a similar social structure? Why might humans behave more like animals in extreme circumstances, and in what ways might their behavior become more animal-like?

Teaching Suggestion: Pi’s philosophy about animals and people falters during his journey when he takes on the characteristics of an animal and manipulates what he knows about animal social hierarchy to tame the Bengal tiger. After answering the parts of the prompt—perhaps in timed brainstorming sessions—students might discuss their responses in small groups together, then rejoin the larger group to extend the discussion on the social hierarchy of animals. For example, how is social hierarchy seen in various species, and which species might connect most strongly to social hierarchy in humans? In what historical examples do we see humans taking on animalistic characteristics? Students may benefit by first discussing the questions and then exploring the links below.

• This article from Scientific American explores the distinction between humans and other species.
• This 12-minute video explores the social hierarchy of animals and people.

Short Activity

Conduct research to create a Venn diagram comparison between Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, demonstrating the beliefs and practices that are unique to each and those that they share with others.

Teaching Suggestion: Pi is deeply devoted to his religious studies and develops an appetite for Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam, all of which he practices faithfully. Pi’s eclectic viewpoint on religion allows him to, in his eyes, develop a clearer sense of God. Allow students to use the internet to research the beliefs of these religions. Consider discussing Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam and some of the major practices of each religion to better understand the references made by Pi to religion in the novel. Students might use these guiding questions to explore the topics:

• What practices do the three religions have in common?
• How might an individual have difficulty believing in all three religions?
• What makes each religious practice unique?
• This Encyclopedia of Religion and Society by the Hartford Institute for Religion Research might help students find information on the three religions in the prompt.

Differentiation Suggestion: Students who require an additional challenge may find it beneficial to dig deeper into the three religions of Pi and analyze some of the contradictions in Pi might have experienced by practicing all three religions. Consider asking these students to create a parallel Venn diagram to share with peers.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

What kind of survival experiences have you personally encountered or witnessed in someone you know? Do you consider your experience to be unique, or a more typical experience of most people? What strategies and plans did you develop to survive? How might survival experiences take a toll on the body?

Teaching Suggestion: Pi must survive for more than 200 days on the ocean. Students might use this discussion to springboard to small group brainstorming of strategies that might be used to survive extreme (or less extreme) circumstances, and the impact of survival on individual well-being. If they struggle to think of ideas, prompt them with famous historical accounts, such as the Apollo 13 astronauts or the survivors of the Titanic sinking.