Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Cast of Characters
- Plot Summary
- An Analysis of Major Characters
-
Chapter Summary and Analysis
- Summary: Author's Note
- Summary: Part One, Chapters 1-7
- Summary: Part One, Chapters 8-15
- Summary: Part One, Chapters 16-28
- Summary: Part One, Chapters 29-36
- Summary: Part Two, Chapters 37-47
- Summary: Part Two, Chapters 48-62
- Summary: Part Two, Chapters 63-79
- Summary: Part Two, Chapters 80-95
- Summary: Part Three, Chapters 96-100
- Symbols and Themes
- Key Facts
- Key Quotes
- Discussion Questions
- Take The Quiz
- Further Reading
- Flashcards
- Biography of Yann Martel
Summary: Part Two, Chapters 37-47
Summary: Part Two, Chapters 37-47
At the beginning of Part Two, Pi tells us bluntly that the cargo ship carrying him and his family sinks. He begins the story after the sinking of the ship. He is clinging to a lifeboat and, in the midst of his confusion, feels compelled to aid the only other living creature within his view: an adult male Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. He encourages the tiger to climb aboard the lifeboat and then suddenly realizes that this is stupid. Clearly, he will not survive long in such a small space with a dangerous carnivore. Pi jumps out of the lifeboat into the water.
In the next chapter, Pi flashes back to the moments before the ship sank. He is sleeping in the cabin he shares with Ravi. Awakened suddenly by a loud noise, he decides to investigate. He tries to get Ravi to come with him, but his brother is too sleepy. He walks down the corridor and briefly considers waking his parents, but decides against it. Feeling brave, he goes to the main deck. It is raining hard, and the ship is tipped drastically to one side. Realizing that something is terribly wrong, Pi runs back down toward where his family is sleeping. The stairs leading below are now completely flooded, and Pi realizes that his family is also under water. In fear and confusion, he runs back up to the deck. It is chaos. The animals are screaming, and the crewmen are shouting at one another in Chinese; Pi can’t understand a word. Hoping that the crewmen will help him somehow, Pi runs toward them. They give him a life jacket and throw him overboard.
Pi lands on the tarpaulin covering a lifeboat. The lifeboat is still attached to the side of the ship. A zebra falls through the air just after Pi, and the force of its landing causes the lifeboat to separate from the ship. It is now floating freely in the water. The narrative jumps forward in time, to the moment after Pi abandoned the lifeboat containing Richard Parker. Clinging to an oar protruding from the lifeboat, Pi watches the sink ship completely beneath the water. It does not appear that...
Sign up to continue reading Summary: Part Two, Chapters 37-47 >