The theme of survival is evident throughout this brilliant novel.  Even if we view the novel on a literal level, as a wonderfully entertaining story or as stories within a story, it is about a sixteen-year old boy who manages to survive 227 days in the Pacific ocean, with a tiger for company.

On a metaphorical or figurative level, this is perhaps a deeply disturbing psychoanalytical novel about what a human being will do to survive.

We are set adrift on the ocean of life from the day we enter the world.  Like Pi we have to find anchors, sometimes it is religion, sometimes just family, goals to achieve etc. but we usually survive by believing in something. Without hope, love and forgiveness, we may be adrift forever and never find a happy ending.  Usually we use all the lessons we learnt while we were growing up, to survive the adult world or adverse conditions, to write our story, and so it is with Pi. 

Think about all the influences in his life and how he used this knowledge to survive, to adapt to new beginnings.  What lessons and skills did he draw on to deal with the business of surviving?

Happy studying

Mrs Ramlall