Life of Pi - Developing, Asking, and Answering Questions

For the final two days of the week our focus is on developing, asking, and answering questions about the book. Questions can both deepen our understanding of the novel and of help us explore the ways in which our own thoughts and experiences relate to it.

We'll focus on these three types of questions:

• Factual questions are used during the discussion to clarify – the answers are specifically named in the text.
• e.g. “What is the origin of Pi’s name?”
• Opinion questions bring in personal experiences and biases – the answer is not named in the text and these can’t be proven, only supported by the text.
• e.g. “Why do you think Pi’s father used the demonstration with the tiger to teach Pi a lesson?” or “Which of Pi’s early experiences had the biggest impact on his identity?”
• Interpretive questions are used during the discussion to investigate possibilities in the text.  Interpretive questions tend to be longer and more involved than questions we usually ask because they are to encourage deeper thinking.  The question is based on a point of doubt in the text.

• They follow a specific three-part format:
• When (author, character) says, "(quotation),"
• does s/he mean (provide one interpretation)?  
• If so, then (implication)?

• e.g. When Pi says, “repetition is important in the training not only of animals but also of humans,”(23) does he mean animals and humans are nearly identical in the ways they learn? If so, then are there other ways to teach humans, or just through repetition? If not, then what are the limits of teaching through repetition?
• or: When Pi says, “repetition is important in the training not only of animals but also of humans,” what does he mean when he says “training”? Does he mean instruction about a specific task? If so, then how is this different from other types of learning? Can one learn something without repetition?
• e.g. When Pi says, “Socially inferior animals are the ones that make the most strenuous, resourceful efforts to get to know their keepers,” (45) does he mean the animals seek this relationship as a means of protection? If so, then does being socially inferior always mean being in a position of vulnerability?
• or: When Pi says, “Socially inferior animals are the ones that make the most strenuous, resourceful efforts to get to know their keepers,” (45) does he mean this will be a way to increase their social status? If so, is there a risk of this backfiring and being further marginalized?