Block 2 Group 4: Is the story real?

Group BENS remains undecided as to whether or not Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is real. To try and help us, I (being N of BENS) looked up the definition of fiction. Fiction is defined as “a fabrication that applies particularly to a false but carefully invented statement or series of statements, in which some truth is sometimes interwoven.” Even with the definition, we still had a hard time distinguishing real from non-real.

With that being said, the members of BENS came to the conclusion that Life of Pi is indeed a work of fiction. Life of Pi is a “fantastical” collection of embellished details based upon a true story with a real plot. As E of BENS pointed out, the main character, Pi, was probably based on the real person, Piscine Patel (said to be person telling the story to the author so that he could write and publish the story,) that did sail on the Tsimtsum and was stranded in the Pacific Ocean for 277 days.

We used Martel’s background to deduce what could possibly be true in the Life of Pi. Martel studied philosophy, and worked as a tree planter, security guard and dishwasher. Martel’s study of philosophy helped him to write the religious, and truths of life for the novel. His previous work as a tree planter could have been where he got is idea/information about the mysterious, meerkat inhabited, carnivorous island and about whether or not it could exist. His work as a security guard could be where he learned the various fear tactics and information about alpha/beta/omega relationships. We used these connections to figure out how and why Martel was able to “spice up” the truth to the story. “‘I know what you want. You want a story that won’t surprise you. That will confirm what you already know. That won’t make you see higher or further or differently’ ” (Martel 302.) We talked about why Pi would waste his time in creating another story so similar in detail that had the same story line. S of BENS pointed out that by first telling the story with the animals and then telling the same story using humans, Pi was able to prove to the Japanese men that either story is plausible.

Based upon definitions and reviews, we have proven that Life of Pi is a work of fiction, but we have not proven whether or not the novel is real. As B of BENS put it, “we sincerely would like” to believe that the story is real. If fiction can be based upon truth, Life of Pi can be truth.