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What do you think Richard Parker is thinking after his battle with the shark? Especially since Pi is the one who threw it his way...
"Of all the dorados, I remember one in particular, a special dorado." What was special about the dorado?
"I know my survival is hard to believe." Do you find the story hard to believe? Unbelievable? If so, what aspects are hard to swallow? If not, what makes is so believable?
36 comments:
When Pi throws the shark at Richard Parker, I think Pi unintentionally establishes his dominance even more to Richard Parker. After the fight with the shark, Richard Parker is left confused and startled. Richard Parker is not familiar with sharks. He has never encountered a predatory fish before. So, he is alarmed when the shark closes its jaws on his paw. By the end of the fight, Richard Parker has several cuts and an injured left paw. Considering Pi had thrown the shark, I think Richard Parker becomes a little more frightened of Pi. I think Richard Parker realizes that Pi is the “alpha male”; therefore, he can do what he wants since he is the one in charge. Richard Pi must be obedient to Pi if he wants to avoid any future brawls.
During a flying fish storm, a fat and fleshy 40-pound dorado bursts out of the water and lands right in the lifeboat. Richard Parker, who is starving, is surprised and elated by his luck. Richard Parker also spots the nearly-dead fish; he wants it for himself. Pi looks Richard Parker dead in the eyes until Richard Parker backs down. This is the dorado that Pi particularly remembers.
The story is indeed hard to believe. The aspect that Pi survived in a lifeboat with a full-grown Bengal tiger for 227 days is alone hard to swallow. However, it is easier to believe when Pi gives the explanation behind how he was able to survive. Since Richard Parker had lived in a zoo his whole life, he was dependent on Pi for food and water. Richard Parker's dependence undoubtedly helped Pi to gain the "alpha male" status. This explanation seems plausible.
After Pi has thrown the shark at Richard Parker, Pi then becomes in a way a threat to Richard Parker. The battle Richard Parker encounters with the shark is frightening and surprising to him. Normally when Pi throws food to him, Richard Parker just eats it and does not expect to have to fight for it. This time Richard Parker has to endure pain to recieve his food, which was a new and unpleasant experience for him. After this incident, I think Pi is more in control and Richard Parker knows it.
The part that was special about the dorado in these chapters is that it is one of the biggest durado's Pi has received so far. I say received because this durado luckily falls into the lifeboat during one of the flying fish storms. Of course as it falls in Richard Parker is aware of the new creature that is now aboard and he sees it as food. Although Richard Parker is starving, Pi wants no part in the sharing of this monstrous dorado and eventually proves it. He stares down Richard Parker in a attempt to show that he is dominant over Richard Parker and he will be the one to have to dorado. Richard Parker backs down and Pi is left with what he wanted. This dorado is special to Pi because he attempted to take dominance over Richard Parker and he won.
It is hard to say whether Pi's survival story is believable only because there are so many aspects of his story. His survival methods are believable such as the fact that he built a raft and rationed his food but the fact that he survived with a tiger such as Richard Parker is the hard part to believe. Although, Richard Parker did grow up in a zoo since he was a cub so he depended on Pi for food and survival which also changes the believability. Overall, I would say the story is believable.
I think Richard Parker was more confused than anything when he had a shark thrown his way. This was probably his first time ever seeing a shark. He had never see such an aggressive and large fish, and did not know how to fight it. Knowing that Pi was the one to throw the mako at him, Richard Parker probably took it as a way to show how powerful Pi, his alpha male, was. Not only can Pi alter the direction and power of the ocean and make food and water appear, he can unleash beasts to fight out of thin air.
This dorado was special for a number of reasons. The dorado handed itself over to Pi during a storm of flying fish. It jumped right into the boat, a fat, forty-pound fish. It was a blessing sent to help Pi and Richard Parker survive. However, the main reason Pi will never forget this day is because that day Pi was made certain he held dominance over Richard Parker. In any other scenerio, a big cat would attack anything in it's way to feast upon a fish of that stature. The fact that Richard Parker broke the stare first shows that he is under Pi's dominance.
Initially, I completely believed this story. I even searched on Google "Is Life of Pi based off a real story." I thought Pi dealt with his situation in a believable way. I thought he knew how to deal with the situations he faced , like all the animals, because he grew up managing a zoo and was very smart. It started getting less believable as the story progressed. The floating algae island and all its mystical powers were very hard to believe.
After Pi gets rid of the shark it surely established his dominance with Richard Parker. I would assume that Richard is thinking that Pi saved him, and he better not mess with him because he might be able to do the same thing back to Richard.
I do not find the story to be believable at all. I think that the tiger not killing him is the first thing that I find I question. The second thing that I doubt in Pi's story is the fact that with all of the other animals on the boat, he came out untouched by all of them.
Richard parker was probably upset. In his mind he must of thought that the boy was testing him or even trying to kill him...if he wasnt thinking that then he probably just thought he was being fed
Richard Parker thinks of PI mostly as a vital food source. Since Richard Parker is not capable of capturing his own food, Pi takes advantage of his weakness to create dominance. Richard Parker was taken by surprise when the shark would not go down without a battle. When Pi fed the shark to Richard Parker the outcome was either going to be a risk or reward concerning Pi. On one hand, if Richard Parker felt threatened by the act of throwing a hostile animal towards him he could of lashed out in anger towards Pi. On the other hand, the action could benefit Pi in a way that he would instill dominance and power over Richard Parker.
Each person in their own right has a right to be selfish. When a miracle happens it is impossible not to savor every minute of it. In Pi’s case when the durado landed on the castaway boat during a storm, he could only think of his own selfish benefit. Pi throughout the novel consistently sacrifices the food he catches to Richard Parker; this give and take relationship takes a strain on Pi. So when the miracle of the durado lands on the boat Pi claims it with full intent of even sacrificing his own life. Pi stared deep in to Richard Parker’s eyes proving to the tiger that he is the up most powerful of the two.
The story seems borderline on real and make-believe. The facts do not always seem to line up. It is hard to believe that a boy without any complete knowledge of the sea would gain so much experience in small amount of time. Also, how was Pi able to accommodate a full grown tiger and fulfill his every need?
Pi almost establishes some dominance by throwing the shark Richard Parker's way, even if it was unintentional. Richard Parker had never seen or encountered a shark before, and was left very frightened and confused after it was killed. Knowing Pi threw the shark his way, he probably also sees Pi as a source of danger.
The "special dorado" was a dorado that had weighed about 40 pounds. Richard Parker, who was starving, saw Pi with the dorado, and wanted it. Pi stared Richard Parker straight in the eyes until Richard Parker backed down.
Parts of the story do seem a little unbelievable. Pi is able to survive, while also keeping a tiger alive. Most people don't last nearly as long as he did by themselves, so how does he manage to keep himself and a 450-pound tiger alive?
By throwing the shark Richard Parker's way, I think Pi accidentally does himself a favor and establishes some dominance in his and Richard Parker's relationship. The pain and challenge brought by the shark may as well have come straight from Pi, considering he was the one that threw it to Richard Parker.
What was special about that dorado was that when it was dying, due to the fatal landing on the life boat, it began flashing all sorts of colors, which Pi had never seen or expected.
Yes, I think Pi's story is very hard to believe. What's hard to swallow is that anyone could survive 7 months on a life boat, with a 450 lb Bengal tiger in tow, and keeping himself plus the tiger alive.
When Pi throws the shark over to Richard Parker, I’m sure Pi just thought it would be harmless, but instead I think it created an even stronger dominance over Richard Parker. Pi actually having the ability to surprise Richard Parker and giving him a challenge shows power. I’m sure Richard Parker is probably thinking that he never wants to mess with a shark again, even though it did give him food. Maybe Pi throwing the shark at Richard Parker was seen as a threat to obey Pi.
The reason that Dorado was special was because it was the first time Pi could use his dominance. What happened was a large Dorado came into the lifeboat, and both Richard Parker and Pi wanted it. Though Richard Parker is stronger, Pi established his dominance by staring into the tiger’s eyes until he was aloud to eat the fish. This direct use of power shows that Pi is definitely in charge.
I do believe in his story, though many of it is far fetched why couldn’t it happen. I’ve never been on a boat stranded with a tiger so I have no reason to doubt anything that he says. The way that Pi explains things so simply and honestly makes it so believable to me. I don’t see a reason why he would lie or make the story any different then what it is. I just have faith in Pi and his honesty. Pi is a very clever young man who has all the will and strength to survive.
The way Richard Parker reacts towards the shark reminds me of the way my own two cats will attack a toy. Like my own cats, Richard Parker pawed (or in this case, clubbed) the small mako shark. When bit by the shark, Richard Parker expresses his surprise by releasing a ferocious roar (the same way a domestic house cat would hiss or growl). I do not believe the tiger's view of Pi changed in the least after his ordeal with the shark. On page 278, the narrator states, "The fish fell from the sky into Richard Parker's territory." To me, this suggests that the tiger did not know where the fish came from or how it appeared in the boat near him. All Richard Parker knows is that a large object resembling a toy landed in the boat near him, and as he began to paw at it, it bit him.
If my mother (the alpha of my family) threw a deadly animal in a contanied space with me I think wait scratch that I WOULD rebel. I just took on a shark this water is no problem to tend and kill that selfish monster!!! I believe Pi is creating trouble for himself, abused dogs only take so much before they strike. Pi's story hard to believe? yes very very much so, i can't stand this book... first that the animals made it out of the bottom of the boat bfore Pi's family could get out, a zebra ripped open at the gut and surviving the rest of that day into the next morning, and then the sharks not attacking the boat successfully! whats up with that? in the sinking of the u.s.s Inndinapolis many upon many of life boats were taken down there must have been more blood in the water from a zebra and orange juice then the njured men of those life rafts, and how do you not notice a tiger on a 24ft long boat? and how did a tir=ger beingthe alpha not kill the hyena at the first bloodshed, then we have a mall starving 14 year-old boy pulling 300 pound turtles on his raft. sorry i cannot believe this fariytale.
I wouldn't even be able to watch the movie "Jaws", because I know I would never be able to swim in the ocean again if I did! I agree with Meredith, that throwing a shark at Richard Parker only extablished Pi's dominance even more. I think that Richard Parker is scared of the shark and the fact that Pi threw it frightens Richard a little bit.
I find Pi's survival very hard to believe! The fact that he has survived so long is unbelievable. The only fact that makes it a little more believable is that he has a lifeboat that came with supplies, water being the most important. Drinking water is hard to obtain out at sea, and I think that without the supply of water that the lifeboat proviede, Pi would not have made it as many days as he did.
I am not a huge fan of sharks, and I have never seen Jaws, however when I watch Shark Week on the Discovery Channel I get freaked out. I agree with Erin and Meredith, I think that Richard Parker was shocked, stunned, and it resulted in giving Pi more respect. He had many battle scars and fought hard with the shark. Pi is the one that threw it his way to give Richard Parker a challenge. Pi coulnd't fight the shark himself and therefore he gave the difficult job to Richard Parker to solve.
I find this story very hard to believe. To survive around 273 days in the blazing sun with barely any clothes and a restricted diet is very rare. Pi is living with a tiger, I know he has trained Richard Parker to respect him, however can a huge tiger really learn to respect a human? Tigers are wild animals and could crush Pi in a heartbeat if it got hungry. I just can not imagine how a 25 foot boat would have enough food and water and supplies to keep Pi AND Richard Parker alive. I know Pi did a lot of fishing but that doesn't give him a balanced diet to keep his immune system running healthy. I just can't comprehend how Pi managed to survive on the resources he had.
After his battle with the shark I'd think Richard Parker would be pretty confused considering he has never come into contact with any thing like a shark before.
It was a large dorado as least 40lbs and it changed colors as it was dying. I dont think this is what made it special though, I think it was special because he when Richard Parker went for it Pi made him back down. In this act Pi showed that he was the true Alpha
After Richard Parker battles the shark I think he is very confused because he never had to fight something like that, and scared. I also think that Pi unintentionally earned more respect then he had before because he is the one who through the shark at Richard Parker. The dorado was remembered as being so special because that is the first time that Pi really stared down Richard Parker and established that he was in charge. There are times in the story that I do have a hard time believing. For instance that Pi was able to be the dominant one on the boat, how when Pi was weak from being without a lot of food or water he was still able to pull a very heavy turtle into the boat, and how he was able to come across another castaway.
Richard Parker watched Pi conjure a biting, writhing creature and throw it at him, so the connection was made that Pi was some powerful being. The special dorado was not special in itself, but it's appearance was perhaps the defining momen of Pi's struggle. It was at that moment he established who was running things on the boat. This was not only important in his power struggle with the cat, but in his internal struggle for willpower. He had had enough suffering, and he put his foot down. To me, that was when Pi truly made something of his struggle
I think Pi threw the shark towards Richard Parker to attempt to show that he is in charge, and that he ultimately controls Richard Parker’s fate. I would imagine that Richard Parker was extremely confused after he fought with the shark for a couple reasons. The first reason being that he has never had to fight for his food in that way before and the second reason being that the person he trusted to take care of him threw him into the situation. The reason the Dorado was so special is that it allowed Pi the opportunity to use his new gained power over Richard Parker and establish even more dominance over him. Personally, I find the story of his survival unbelievable, because it seems unrealistic that he could keep not only his own life but also that of a Bengal tiger for that long with limited food and drinks.
During his battle with the shark, Richard Parker was probably thinking that Pi was threatening him, but after the shark was dead it was probably more of a treat to him.
The dorado was special because it was practically handed to him. It was an easy catch and already dead and he was so hungry that it was like a gift from God.
I feel like his story is very unlikely because of all of the obstacles that Pi went through. The fact that he is on a tiny boat with a tiger with very little food and water and the tiger has not eaten him is very unbelievable.
Richard Parker is shocked to find such a strange and dangerous creature thrown into his territory. He is even more surprised to find that Pi, his provider, was the one who forced the two to become face to face. Once Richard Parker is bitten by the shark, he realizes that though Pi helps him, Pi is also capable of harming him.
The dorado that Pi remembers the mos is the 40 lb fish that throws itself into the boat during a flying fish storm. The significance of the fish is not just that it offers itself to Pi and the tigers but also that Pi shows his dominance by taking the fish from Richard Parker.
The story is incredible. I find it hard to believe but I dont think it's impossible. Clearly it's not impossible because Pi describes in great detail how it is possible. But knowing myself, I wouldn't be able to survive with such little food and such dangerous animals for such a long time.
I had trouble with the idea that Pi was catching sharks now. It seemed like a bit of a stretch. I think that the battle between Richard Parker and the shark helped prove male dominance for Pi. Since it was Pi who threw the shark at Richard Parker, and the shark attacked the tiger, it was like a direct warning from Pi.
The special dorado is a victory for Pi. Richard Parker and him have a stare down over the fish. Richard Parker backs down and allows Pi to take the food. This act displays Pi as the alpha male.
Pi's story is very hard to believe at a first glance, but reading his story in detail helps prove is believability.
I think Richard Parker is probably confused and shocked because he is usually the big predator but in this case the shark was.
I think that dorado was the most memorable because he caught it and was able to eat it. Also the stare down between him and Richard Parker over the dorado probably make it more memorable than others.
I think it is a little hard to believe because he is on a life boat with a tiger for so long. I think it is weird that the ship they were on had such large life boats that a tiger could fit in it because he said it was not a passenger boat. I also think him being out there for so long and finding water and food is hard to believe, maybe that is just because I don't think i could do it.
I think Richard Parker is very scared when he encounters the shark because it is something he has never experienced and normally never would. Also since the shark injured Richard Parker and Pi threw the shark at Richard Parker i think it made Richard Parker more scared of Pi.
I think the dorado was so memorable because Pi was able to take the fish from Richard Parker and show his dominance.
I do find the story hard to believe beacuse it is such a crazy story but what makes it believeable are the details. Pi has so many details about everything that happens to him they are the only things that make me believe his story. If someone told me this story in real life i would most likely not believe it though.
Richard Parker is probably very alarmed. He wasn't sure what to expect or how to handle the shark, and he didn't understand Pi's dominance until now.
The special thing about this particular dorado is the fact that it was huge and both Parker and Pi were hungry and Parker backed down and let Pi have it.
I do find the story hard to believe. It is hard to swallow that he lived on a raft with a tiger. That is just insane. But I relate this to Noah's ark in a sense. Noah took 2 of every animal on an ark he built during a flood. If Noah can survive with all of those wild animals....why not just one bengal tiger?
Richard Parker was probably stunned and terrified all at the same time after his battle with the shark. Up until this point i bet Richard Parker believed Pi to be his equal, just another pack member whom he doesn't really have to worry about. After Pi threw the shark, which led to a challenging fight, Richard Parker probably began to feel as if Pi is more than an equal. That he might be the leader of the pack.
The dorado that Pi speaks of being special, was the one that when Richard Parker was about to eat it, Pi made him back down. This is showing that Richard Parker is finally believing that Pi is the alpha.
The whole story is a little unbelievable. For one boy to live 227 days stranded in the ocean is one thing. But then when a tiger is thrown in the mix I begin to question how this is even possible.
I believe Richard Parker was confused and afraid of the shark. He was used to easily gulping down the fish pi usually threw his way. Now all of the sudden one fights back and causes him harm. This made Richard Parker respect pi more since he threw it at Richard Parker. This becomes evident during their staredown over the dorado.
The dorado was special because it was huge and pi didn't even have to fish for it, it just jumped into the boat.
I found the story believable because pi grew up in a zoo and learned how animals react and what their reactions mean. This helped him understand Richard Parker and tame him enought to not eat him.
Richard Parker was probably really confused and maybe a little upset. Richard Parker has probably never seen a shark before and really didnt know how to attack it. I think Richard Parker could see Pi in two different ways after he threw the shark at him: one Richard Parker could consider Pi more dominant for challeging him with the shark or the whole ordeal could have made Richard Parker really mad and now just waiting to kill Pi.
The special dorado just jumped into the boat while they were both hungry and Parker stepped back and let Pi have it.
I am starting to find this story harder and harder to believe the more days they survive. I dont think they have enough food and even if they did its not a balanced diet that would keep their bodies going and can you really train a tiger not to eat you when all the tiger wants to do is survive?
Throughout the entire story I was contemplating whether or not I believed it. In part one, I thought of Pi as a very genuine, intelligent kid. He acts like a 50-year-old man in a young boy's body. His strong personality in this part of the book is what leads me to believe that he is definitely capable of surviving such a hopeless situation. However, in part two of the novel, I began to question things. A wounded zebra, a heartless hyena, a Bengal Tiger, a chimpanzee, and no explanation as to why or who let all of these animals out are only a few of the many things that caught me off guard. It feels so ridiculous, but the thought of someone as honest as Pi making the whole thing up is such a contradiction. I wonder if there was just a crazy worker on the ship who intentionally wanted to create a catastrophe? Regardless, the situation is highly unlikely. But ignoring this fact, I began to take into consideration Pi's outstanding knowledge of animals due to the fact that he basically grew up in a zoo. This definitely helped me believe Pi's outrageous story. Overall, I believe that he was honest, with a few exceptions that can only be blamed on his desperation and grief for all he has been put through.
By this point in the book, I was truly startled at how desperately the author wants to add viability to his novel, even though it is a work of fiction. Stating that Pi’s story is hard to believe is superfluous because it never happened and should not be believed at all. Connections with the real world, detailed descriptions of survival scenarios, and a simple, bordering on naïve narrator (Pi) show that the author did his research. Believing that the story actually happened probably adds something to the novel that someone who picked the book up from the fiction section cannot experience. Perhaps that is the irony of the book – Pi is so desperate to be believed that the reader forgets Pi’s adventure never actually happened. This is especially so in the final chapters of the book when Pi has to explain himself to the Japanese businessmen.
After Richard Parker's battle with the shark, I can bet he's a little shocked. He is used to being the predator and was unprepared when the shark bit his paw.
The dorado was special in two significant ways. First, the catch was unexpectant. The fish was chashing a flying fish and accidentally landed inside the life boat. Also, this was a victory for Pi over Richard Parker. It was clear to Pi that the tiger wanted to take the dorado for himself but Pi's unwavering eye contact lead to his victory.
Pi's story is very unbelievable. I believe the best example of this occurs later in the novel on the island. How does algae support an entire island? How does it become acidic at night? How did a multitude of meerkats come to be living on it?
After Pi threw the ark at Richard Parker, I think that Richard Parker would be more afraid of Pi. Pi produce the shark out of nowhere (he grabbed it from the water) and Richard Parker was not suspecting it. Because Richard Parker did not see how the shark was produced, it might lead him to believe that Pi can produce a shark at any time.
I find the story to be believable because of the details Pi gives but parts seem to be either made up or poorly researched by the author. Like the Zebra falling onto the boat and only breaking its leg.
I think when Pi throws the shark toward Richard Parker he takes it as a threat, he now knows that Pi is the dominant one. Richard Parker has never seen a shark, yet alone got attacked by one so this was probably a traumatic event for him that made him scared of Pi.
The reason this dorado was so important is because Pi felt like it was a gift from god to help him survive.
Richard Parker is probably wondering why his ‘master’ threw him something harmful. Although Pi didn’t knew R.P would stick his paw in the sharks mouth.
The dorado changed colors multiple times while dying. It was kind of like life flashing before the eyes.
I found this story very believable. What makes it so believable is the way the story is told. I’m not sure how to put it. He says everything so calmly like it was just a walk in the park. Everything was so descriptive that if you were to close your eyes you could be sitting on a lifeboat next to a tiger floating through the ocean.
Richard parker was probably dazed and confused by even getting attacked by anything because he has always lived in a zoo and has everything catered to him but it probably showed him that pi was waering the pants in this relationship as well letting richard know that he was fed because of pi. I dont find the story hard to believe because why would pi lie about it all.
Richard Parker, after his battle with the shark, is probably shocked. He went from being the predator on the ship to having a shark thrown out of virtually nowhere, the ocean, and have it attack him as he tries to eat it.
The dorado was special because it came to Pi in a moment of great need.
The End
I find the truth of this story very hard to believe, I do, however, believe that Pi believes what he is saying. I will not believe for one moment that Pi was on a boat, with his only company being a tiger, for 227 days at such a young age, and is okay mentally. No way. A 16 year old boy who doesn’t have the strength to blow a whistle can wrestle a 300 pound turtle? An island that eats people and is full of meercats? Another blind man floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean? The beginning of this story is believable yes, but as it goes on the truth of it deteriorates much like his mental state. Back to what I said previously about Pi believing what he said. He has suffered a lot, and as I made clear, he must not be mentally okay now. The beginning of the story is believable, that is because that part is true. At that point Pi is still healthy enough to do all that he says and is not yet on the boat for a long enough time for his health and mind to deteriorate. As it goes on things become less believable and Pi is simply hallucinating, making things up in his mind such as the man he met in another boat. Being blind with no sense of where you are, without eating or drinking will certainly make you hear things. It’s like a mirage, but since he is blind he hears things instead of seeing things. He can’t remember everything so he makes up details to put in place of the holes in his journey. Before he imagined banquets with the most delicious food, now he is imagining eating turtle, and he is so hungry he actually believes he is eating the turtle. Even at the end when the two men are interviewing him, he seems like a crazy old man, and he is only a 16 year old, maybe 17 at this point. I am not saying he did not recover from this deranged mental state, I believe he did since he now has a wife and kids and acts fine during the interview with the reporter. Still, he believes wholeheartedly all of the things he imagined while he was in such a delicate state.
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