Life of Pi Characters

From the book I have chosen five characters that really stood out to me.

Life of Pi: Characters

  1.  Piscine Molitor Patel

Pi is a sixteen year old Indian boy who is lost at sea when the ship, Tsimtsum, he was travelling on to Canada, sunk. Pi is the main character in this book, he is the one narrating the story.

  2.  Richard Parker

Richard Parker is a 450lb Bengal tiger. He was also travelling on the Tsimtsum when it sank, and ends up being Pi’s only travelling companion.

3.  Santosh Patel (Pi’s father)

Santosh is a zoo keeper. He is the reason he and his family are travelling to Canada on the Tsimtsum. He taught Pi and his brother Ravi to care for, control and fear wild animals.

4.  Satish Kumar (teacher)

Satish is Pi's biology teacher at Petit Seminarie. He is Pi's favorite teacher, and the first vowed atheist that Pi ever meets. He is also a great fan of the zoo; he sees it as his temple.

5.   Satish Kumar (baker)

Satish is a Muslim mystic, who works in a bakery in India and is Pi’s inspiration to study religion in college.

Part 3 Vocabulary

 Vocabulary part 3

·         “Their car broke down and the mechanic who fixed it surreptitiously cannibalized the motor of parts, putting in used parts instead...” (p.289)

Surreptitiously: to covert or clandestine.

Cannibalized: to use a machine as a source for spare parts for another, similar machine.

·         “I’m sorry to say it so bluntly, we don’t mean to hurt your feelings...” (p.294)

Bluntly: uncompromisingly forthright in manner.

·         “...we’re not here to talk idly about botany.” (p.295)

Idly: spend time doing nothing.

·         “There is no doubt in my mind that feral giraffes and feral hippos have been living in Tokyo for generations without being seen by a soul.”(p.297)

Feral: to be in a wild state especially after having been domesticated.

·         “Claws like scimitars.” (p.298)

Scimitars: a short sword with a curved blade that broadens towards the point.

·         “You’re bringing our service into disrepute.” (p.300)

Disrepute: the state of being held in low public esteem.

·         “Since the bone was broken at the thigh, it would involve no more than cutting through flesh and setting a tourniquet.” (p.305)

Tourniquet: a device for stopping the flow of blood through an artery.

·         “When your life has been given a reprieve, it’s impossible not to feel some warmth for the one to whom you owe that reprieve.”(p.309)

Reprieve: cancel the punishment of.

·         “Sounds like no more than a passing squall.” (p.315)

Squall: a sudden violent gust of wind or localized storm.