Life of Pi - Fear

Today we'll focus our attention on chapters 56 and 57, and the notion of fear.

• What is fear?
• How does Pi define it?
• What are the sources of fear?
• What can change it for him?

We noticed how chapter 56 focuses on the concept of fear and little else - there is no narrative in this chapter, no characters, and little in the way of setting.  Why might the book include a chapter like this? What other chapters call attention to ideas instead of show progression of the narrative? How does that affect your thinking about the novel?

We then focused on Pi's changing sense of Richard Parker, and his decision to keep him alive. Pi looks at the tiger with "fearful wonder," and after his decision to tame Richard Parker notes his "fear was defeated."  But why? What was it about Richard Parker that allowed Pi to reach this new understanding?  How do the lessons Pi learned earlier in life - to be afraid of tigers - affect his thinking at this point in the book?

We'll close with a look at how this question applies to our beliefs about fear outside the novel.