Life of Pi

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

What behaviors or abilities make humans different from animals? How do animals and humans have a similar social structure? Why might humans behave more like animals in extreme circumstances, and in what ways might their behavior become more animal-like?

Teaching Suggestion: Pi’s philosophy about animals and people falters during his journey when he takes on the characteristics of an animal and manipulates what he knows about animal social hierarchy to tame the Bengal tiger. After answering the parts of the prompt—perhaps in timed brainstorming sessions—students might discuss their responses in small groups together, then rejoin the larger group to extend the discussion on the social hierarchy of animals. For example, how is social hierarchy seen in various species, and which species might connect most strongly to social hierarchy in humans? In what historical examples do we see humans taking on animalistic characteristics? Students may benefit by first discussing the questions and then exploring the links below.

• This article from Scientific American explores the distinction between humans and other species.