Life of Pi Essay Prompts
Choose one of the following:
Topic #1: Why a tiger? Conduct research about tigers (beyond the elementary school basics
and what we get in the book) to detailed tiger behavior. Based on what you find, was a tiger
the best choice for Pi’s companion? If you think so, why? If you think not, what animal would
have been a better choice and why? Either way, use information from the text to support your
argument.
Topic #2: Conduct a bit of research about human psychology and the animals presented in
the story. How might each of the animals might be a manifestation of Pi's psyche? What
part of his psyche/personality is represented in the zebra? The orangutan? The hyena? And,
most importantly, in the tiger? Consider what befalls each and by what means. Through this
understanding, what does it then allow us to understand about Pi? List your ideas about what you
think each animal represents based on your research. Try to discern what the connection is to Pi
and how it affects the understanding of the story. Think about how much of this story might take
place not on the ocean, but in Pi’s mind.
Topic #3: What is Martel saying about what humans need to survive? Research Maslow's
Hierarchy of Needs, as well as your knowledge of the text, to reveal Martel's commentary.
Looking at Maslow's hierarchy, list the stages and how Pi lets go of certain needs to focus on
others. Lastly you will look at the overall stages Pi went through to make an assumption about
what Martel is saying about human needs.
Topic #4: A close-reading is a type of analysis in which the writer uses a single passage to
discuss the text as a whole. Choose a passage of no more than one page. Carefully dissect this
passage, using this passage to reveal the meaning of the text as a whole. For this choice, your
research will need to focus literary criticism and, perhaps, interviews conducted with Yann
Martel. What is interesting to think about is a comment Martel himself made in an interview, that
Chapters 21-22 are crucial to the understanding of the text. Go back to these pages and you will
notice that they are not obvious in their poignancy. This might be a great place to use for a close
reading, or you can choose your own selection. To start, list your ideas and what you understand
about the passage as it relates to the whole text.
ALL ESSAYS must adhere to the following guidelines:
 2-3 pages in length
 Based on research: 2-3 reliable sources
 In-text (parenthetical) citations and Works Cited included
 Conform to all conventions of good writing
 Use rubric to help guide you
***You will turn in a hard copy of your essay and your project on the first day of school.***