This is my essay based off the book, Life of Pi. I am focusing on organization.
What would it feel like to spend 227 days fifteen feet away from a Bengal tiger? What if it was the two of you, in a lifeboat, in the middle of the ocean? Young Piscine Patel survived this journey told in Life of Pi. He encountered man-eating trees, a blind man, and the occasional meerkat. After nearly starving, nearly dying, and have nearly been eaten, Pi’s safe landing was documented in Part III. Pi was interviewed by two Chinese men, who were writing the police report of what happened to the Tsimtsum, during Part III. Pi told two stories of what happened after the ship sank, but once the Chinese heard both stories, they chose to write the animal version in the report, why?
During the interview Pi retold the entire story, with and without animals, but both ended the same way; Pi was in a lifeboat with a few other creatures and he was the only one that lived. Only the second story had a more gruesome, detailed storyline that was did not appeal to the interviewers. While they did not care for the original, animalistic version of the story, that was the one the interviewers wrote in the report.
The report consisted of many interesting developments that, for me, were "a ha" moments. One of them being the sentence, "Survivor's assessment of weather impressionistic and unreliable." however they continued to use Pi's assessments of other factors later in the report. I figured the Chinese men had made a mistake, but then thought that they were picking and choosing parts out of both of Pi’s stories. Another example is the very last sentence, "Very few castaways can claim to have survived so long at sea as Mr. Patel, and none in the company of an adult Bengal tiger." which means Mr. Okamoto and Mr. Chiba cited the animal story, not the more realistic one.
Pi’s journey would be believed unrealistic to some, but never fear he has another story up his sleeve. His two stories might have stirred up strong feelings from the Chinese, each told of what happened after the ship sank. During this eye opening experience, however, he lost his family, his life, and his zoo. Realistic or fiction, in the end of, Life of Pi, Pi ended up stronger, self enlightened, and with a great story to tell.
Four animals, three dead, two stories, one lifeboat.
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