Literary Circles: Life of Pi
My group consists of Ryland, John, Justice, Laura, and Landon.

Multiple Choice
1.       Piscine Molitor Patel is named after

a.       A famous indian

b.      A scientific instrument

c.       A swimming pool

d.      A close family relative

2.       Pi’s dad runs a

a.       Drug store

b.      Veterinary clinic

c.       Zoo

d.      Circus

3.       How does Pi’s dad teach Pi a lesson about wild animals?

a.       Showing him a scar

b.      Feeding a goat to a tiger

c.       Telling him a story

d.      Giving mice to a snake

4.       What’s Pi’s first religion?

a.       Christianity

b.      Hindu

c.       Buddhism

d.      Islam

5.       The Tsimtsum is

a.       Religious text

b.      An animal

c.       A ship

d.      The place he lived

6.       Where’s Pi and his family headed to

a.       Mexico

b.      Canada

c.       USA

d.      Japan

7.       Why do the crew members throw Pi in a boat?

a.       His family’s in the boat

b.      Following protocol

c.       To get the boat down

d.      Get the hyena out

8.       Whose Richard Parker?

a.       Pi’s dad

b.      The tiger

c.       A hyena

d.      Pi’s grandpa

9.       Which animal does Pi not share a boat with?

a.       a tiger

b.      a hyena

c.       a lion

d.      a zebra

10.   Orange Juice floats on a raft made of

a.       Wood planks

b.      Bamboo

c.       Oars

d.      Bananas

11.   Which animal dies on the boat first?

a.       The tiger

b.      The hyena

c.       The zebra

d.      The orangutan

12.   Pi finds cans full of

a.       Water

b.      Soda

c.       Soup

d.      Juice

13.   How does Pi keep his distance from the tiger?

a.       Makes a raft to attach to the boat

b.      He trains him

c.       Hangs on the side of the boat

d.      Builds a plank wall

14.   How does the Hyena die?

a.       A storm carries it away

b.      It starves

c.       The tiger kills it

d.      Pi kills it

15.   How does Pi train the tiger?

a.       A whistle

b.      An oar

c.       A spear

d.      A whip

16.   Why is it hard for Pi to hunt fish?

a.       He loves fish

b.      He’s a vegetarian

c.       He doesn’t like to hunt

d.      None of the above

17.   How does Pi react after killing a fish?

a.       Cries

b.      Rejoices

c.       Throws it back

d.      Eats it immediately

18.   What kept Richard Parker from attacking Pi?

a.       Sleeping

b.      Sea sickness

c.       A hurt leg

d.      Fear of Pi

19.   Which animal is Pi happy to see on the life boat?

a.       Richard Parker

b.      The zebra

c.       The hyena

d.      Orange Juice

20.   What almost tips the life boat over?

a.       A tanker

b.      A shark

c.       A dolphin

d.      A submarine

21.   What does Pi find on the island?

a.       People

b.      Meerkats

c.       Another tiger

d.      Monkeys

22.   What scares Pi a bit when being on the island?

a.       Finding skulls

b.      Sharks surrounding it

c.       Finding a human tooth

d.      There’s only meerkats

23.   Why does nothing stay alive on the island besides meerkats?

a.       A vicious lion

b.      The acid that surrounds the island

c.       Not enough food

d.      None of the above

24.   What does Pi use to try to get the ship back?

a.       A whistle

b.      Yelling

c.       Red fireworks

d.      Waving a paddle

25.   What does Pi load on the boat for the tiger to eat from the island?

a.       Plants

b.      Meerkats

c.       Fish

d.      All the above

26.   Where does the boat finally land?

a.       USA

b.      Mexico

c.       Argentina

d.      Peru

27.   How does Richard Parker react when landed?

a.       Stays in the boat

b.      Goes into the jungle

c.       Stays by Pi

d.      Lays on the shore

28.   Why was Pi sad when landing?

a.       Missed his family

b.      Missed home

c.       Wanted to ear

d.      Wanted Richard Parker to appreciate him

29.   After the rescue, Pi is interviewed by two officials from the

a.       Japan Ministry of Transport

b.      Japan Department of Police

c.       Japan Shipping Association

d.      Japan Zoological Society

30.   Why does Pi tell the officials a different story?

a.       They didn’t believe his first story

b.      His story didn’t happen

c.       To make it sound more realistic

d.      He didn’t like his real story

31.   Who was the orangutan considered as?

a.       the cook

b.      the sailor

c.       the mom

d.      Pi

32.   Who was they hyena considered as?

a.       The cook

b.      The sailor

c.       The mom

d.      Pi

33.   Who was the zebra considered as?

a.       The cook

b.      The sailor

c.       The mom

d.      Pi

34.   Who was the lion considered as?

a.       The cook

b.      The sailor

c.       The mom

d.      Pi

35.   How do the officials like the fake story?

a.       Like it better

b.      Prefer the animal story

c.       Don’t like either story

            d.      Like both stories

Open Questions

1. Write an essay about a novel (Life of Pi) that reveals a sense of self identity through a momentous plot of hardships and obstacles.  Identify the self awareness, and explain its significance to the work as a whole. 
2. Frequently a work of literature will revolve around a major transformation in a character.  This transformation can often be taken as literal or figurative.  Choose a novel (Life of Pi) and write a well-organized essay in which you discuss the complexion of the transformation and its relationship to the character and the theme.
3. In many works of literature, past events can affect, positively or negatively, the attitude of a character.  Choose a novel or play in which a character must battle with some aspect of the past.  Then write an essay in which you show how the character's relationship to the past contributes to the meaning of the work (Life of Pi) as a whole.

Prose Questions

1. In Life of Pi, the main character experiences adversities and challenges in the physical and the spiritual world. Use at least 2 literary techniques that the author uses to describe Pi’s adversities in both worlds. Avoid plot summary. 
2. Throughout the Life of Pi, the author uses multiple settings to describe Pi’s journey. Use at least three literary techniques shown that the author uses to develop setting throughout the novel.
 

Literary Techniques

Imagery- The author uses imagery throughout the novel to describe Pi’s journey. The imagery that I found most interesting was when he was characterizing and describing the animals that Pi was stuck on the boat with.

Allegory- It is arguable that the whole book is an allegory. For example, Richard Parker (the tiger) could be God and Pi’s time on the boat could be considered a spiritual journey. Think about it…

Setting- The setting of the book changes very often but, the main places that the story takes place is in India, a ship, a boat, an algae island, and finally when he is rescued he is brought to the mainland.

Theme- I think that the theme is apparent within the first 100 pages of the novel. The book is a spiritual journey and I believe the author wrote this book in the defense of religion because Pi’s mastery of multiple religions and his hardships represent the strength that he received through his faith in God.

Characterization- The author’s characterizations of the characters at times leaves the reader flabbergasted because his descriptions makes the reader feel like they are part of Pi’s journey by depicting the characters flawlessly.

Tone- The tone in Life of Pi seemed mostly surreal. Throughout the story Pi’s journey was incredibly hard to believe; therefore the authors tone matches the feeling of the story.

Mood- The mood in this story is adventurous and semi-religious. Pi’s journey takes him to the wildest places imaginable and gives him an experience not many people will ever get. It also sheds light on religion due to his time on the boat with Richard Parker. 

Diction-The author’s way of connecting to the reader was very easy to apply. The reader is able to understand the theme of the story as well as the inner meaning that the book is trying to imply. This is clearly shown throughout the book. 

Allusion-This book is an allusion to Joseph from the Bible. The hardships and tribulations that Pi has to go through are very similar to what Joseph had to bear, yet both of them had a certain someone watching over them. 

Personification-Personification is shown throughout the book when the author uses it to describe the natural setting, such as the ocean, around the main character.