Prior to reading Life of Pi, the idea of a sixteen-year old boy surviving 227 days on a lifeboat with a 450-pound Bengal tiger sounded obsurd and unimaginable to everyone in our class; however, reading this colorful and vivid novel of Pi's experiences makes it quite difficult to deny its truth. How can you not believe Pi's story with his detailed descriptions and images? After much discussion and thought, though, our group decided that Pi's original story including Richard Parker is simply an imagination.
Even though our group wanted to believe and defend Pi's remarkable story, we feel it is a story he created while surviving on the lifeboat. When interrogated by Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba, Pi tells both his animal story and the story they wanted to hear: "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. You want a flat story. An immobile story" (Martel 302). Pi does not prefer the story Mr. Okamoto wants to hear because it's the truth - it is not imaginative, colorful, or thought-provoking. After hearing Pi's story of the sailor, the cook, and his mother, our group feels that this is the true story of Pi's survival out on the Pacific Ocean. Once stranded alone after the deaths of his surrounding survivors, Pi keeps himself occupied by creating his own depiction of how he truly survived the sinking of the Tsimtsum. He is surrounded by silence and nature, a perfect setting to allow his mind to daydream and brainstorm a vivid and imaginative story of zoo animals, storms, acidic islands, and flying fish. Even though it is difficult denying the fantastic story in Life of Pi, our group feels Pi's story is simply a work of his imagination.
GROUP 3, PERIOD 2
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3 comments:
Group 2-( Sam,justin,carl)
After reading the authors note before the beginning of the story we were given a little background on the author and the ideas he had about writing this book. We also learnt about the certain circumstances surrounding the book such as the setting . After reading the author's note we questioned ourselves ojn wether the information given revealed the story as real or unreal. We weren't sure but we were informed that the book will actually make you beleive in religion and God or think it is real. When we read the book there were many factors that made us doubt it being real, such as the description of the boat and even how a young boy is not eaten alive by a tiger who is in the same boat as he is. But it is hard to term it as unreal because there was the information about how one can claim his or her territory and scare off the wild animal. Also trees growing in the middle of the ocean is rear, especially one without any soil. But once again the description and explanations behind it make it seem real. If the story isn't real then the author really did a good job forming a foundation or ahistorical background behind the characters life and family. This is a very good book with a lot of images and descriptions. To be honest the deatils seeem to be mostly facts but at the beginning we were informed that it was bound to make us beleive which kind of gives us ahint that it is fiction.
I completely agree with K-Killa and her group. Such a story like Life of Pi sounds amazing and completely creative. One would love to have faith that a story filled with vivid details and extreme circumstances could be true. The fact that a sixteen year old boy could survive 227 days shipwrecked with a 450 pound bengal tiger by his side is certainly intriguing and mind blowing. Yet, the fact that Pi told two different stories to the investigators and the second story seemed more believeable than the first, can only lead to the suspicion that Pi's story is nothing more than a fantasic, fictional and imaginative fantasy. A fantasy to give readers the hope that fiction is coming to life once again.
I agree with the blog. Pi's tale about the animals is truely his imagination. I feel that there is no real way that he would have been able to survive with a fericious Bengal tiger. In reality there would have probably been a conflict between Pi and Richard Paker, the tiger, because most tigers would feast on a human when hungry. Therfore, there is no real way that Pi would have been able to survive 277 days on the lifeboat.
-btgs19
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