Life of Pi

In the beginning of Life of Pi, the author opens up with a detailed description of the sloth, the different types, the speed, and the wittiness. It survives by being slow and because of its slowness; it allows algae to grow on its body that acts like a camouflage with the surrounding moss and foliage. The book starts out in first person with the main character, Piscine Patel, talking about his name which means "pool" in numerous languages. He found it weird that his parents named him Piscine but neither of them ever took to the water. It was Pi's uncle, Mamaji, who was the enthusiast of water. Mamaji had taught Pi how to swim. "I lay on the bench and fluttered my legs and scratched away at the sand with my hands, turning my head at every stroke to breathe. I must have looked like a child throwing a peculiar, slow-motion tantrum." I find this quote to be not only funny but descriptive and vivid. It is lines like these in the book that you could see this boy doing and it makes you smile if not laugh a little. Pi Patel then talks about his country of India and his city that he lives in of Pondicherry. Pi lives in Pondicherry, India with his mother, father, and older brother, Ravi. Together, the family owns a magnificent zoo that is home to hundreds of animals including tigers and zebras. The foundation of the book describes the zoo and Pondicherry wonderfully and detailed. The author, Yann Martel, describes the place and you can see it all, the town, the zoo, and the nature of the whole scenery. He makes the reader smell, see, and feel what Pi smells, sees, and feels; emotionally, physically, and mentally. I would have started this book out the same but this description of where he lives and his surroundings and the day-to-day conversations he has is a little boring. It seems over the top, and it takes up too much space in the book. Pi is also having a religious conflict. He was brought up a Hindu but explores all sorts of religions in his childhood such as Christian,