Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

An introduction at the beginning of a story is a very critical part of a book. Without it, the reader would be lost and find it difficult to understand what is happening. An introduction gives the reader a bit of background information on the characters, settings, themes and plot of the story. In many books, the author will spend the first few chapters or so describing what is happening in the book, and it becomes clearer to the reader how things fit together. An author can spend as much time introducing different aspects of the story, as they like, but this particular novel requires much more detail that is attained by description of events and characters. Introductions can range from minimal to a good portion of the book, and Yann Martel’s

This introduction of the characters, plot and themes is vital in progressing the story. It is easy when reading Life of Pi to discover that Yann Martel's intentionally long introduction was necessary in the development of the plot. It contributed to describing many parts of Pi that the reader doesn’t have figured out on their own, but more specifically, his relation with animals. By introducing all of Pi's experiences throughout the zoo and his time with his father, more understanding and background knowledge became useful when the reader reads about his experience on the lifeboat. Without this introduction, readers would find it hard to understand how Pi knows so much about animals and their interactions with humans. "But what can you do when you love your father? Life goes on and you don't touch tigers," (Martel, 48). Yann Martel does an excellent job with explaining the life lessons Pi's father teaches him and later on will be put to the

The excessive introduction allows for a greater depth of these characters to be perceived. By explaining characters such as Pi and Mamaji, Yann Martel implies that the main plot will be based on the characters reaction to events, in which they have maintained prior to the events. Pi seems to be introducing himself through the animals mentioned, and explained how similar Mammal qualities sustain his own life. "We look at an animal and see a mirror," (47). He uses the habits of animals to learn more about the natural aspect of life. For example, the upbringing of the black swans misleading appearance implies the unpredictability of himself. The importance of animal comparison grows stronger when it is noted that animals feel a certain sense of comfort when enclosed in a zoo. This is a direct relation to Pi's family. He lives in a resourceful and willingly providing home, in which he had no choice, and has made the realization that he should appreciate the “comfortable” factor he has been supplied with. By establishing these characters early on in the book it forces the reader to feel a sort of attachment with them. "I got close to mother. She was trembling, too. Even father seemed to pause and study himself," (Martel, 42). In this case, the reader is able to see a more sensitive side of the characters, and therefore creating an attachment with them. By having the reader attach themselves to these