character sketch: life of pi

Character Sketch

Piscine Molitor Patel named after an Olympic pool in Paris: the Piscine Molitor, becomes known as Pi at the secondary school Petit Seminaire after being teased and called “Pissing”.  He is the protagonist and the narrator of the story and also becomes a dynamic character on the lifeboat.  While Pi's story is being told he is a 16-year-old Indian boy from Pondicherry, who later travels on a cargo Ship, the Tsimtsum, to Winnipeg, Canada.  However, when the chapters switch to the present Pi, he is a shy, greying and middle-aged man, who is married to Meena Patel with a daughter named Usha; a son named Nikhil, who prefers “Nick”; has a black and brown mongrel mutt named Tata; and an orange cat named Moccasin.  Older Pi is also described as being a small, slim man with dark hair and eyes and an expressive face.  As a kid, he reads widely and obtains a dependence on and love of stories.  Throughout his childhood, Pi makes an effort towards learning as much about religion and zoology as possible, making Mr. And Mr. Kumar the prophets of his Indian youth.  Therefore, Pi embraces Hindu, Christian, and Muslim for their rich narratives that provide dimension and meaning to life, which helps him while on the lifeboat.  Pi is religiously inquisitive, joyful, loving, eager, curious, and an excitable child that depends on his family for protection.  Although, after the Tsimtsum sinks and he is stranded on a lifeboat with four animals, including Richard Parker, which other than Richard Parker, all die, leaving him to be self-sufficient, turning him into an adult, and a dynamic character.  At the beginning of his time on the lifeboat, Pi mourns his family and fears for his life, while constantly watching the horizon in hopes for the boat that will hold his family.  However, after accepting the demise of his family, he is given strength by the belief that God is with him on this journey, proven by the miracle that he continues to be alive and fights for his survival by taming Richard Parker.  Life of Pi isn't a character driven book; therefore Martel rather uses Pi as a gateway for his ideas as opposed to a character that deepens through his encounter on the lifeboat.  While at Sea, Christianity shows Pi the redemptive qualities of suffering, Hinduism then presents to him the rituals of survival, and Islam guides the way to the Beloved, even if the Beloved wants to kill you.  Science also becomes essential knowledge on the lifeboat as Pi attempts to train Richard Parker, making science and rationality into tools to help control his current situation.  Science, Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam are all ideas present in Pi's character that have been explored by Martel, making Pi an important to the story as he's used as a vessel.  The quote “If there's only one nation in the sky, shouldn't all passports be valid for it?” (1.26.43) illustrates the deep love and admiration that Pi expresses for his religions, as well as the devotion he contains for Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam.  Pi also discovers the similarities between these faiths and creates an unexpected harmony between them, making him into an elemental character through Martel's creation using religion, science, and brutal survival instincts.