o07. "Winds and currents decided where I went"

Pi manages to keep himself busy on his lifeboat, and has even gotten into the habit of a daily routine. Though leisure time, which consists of praying or sleeping, is minimal, this routine keeps Pi satisfied. After countless days of being shipwrecked, Pi’s health is quickly getting worse. To make matters worse, the scorching sun and salty seawater are wearing away Pi’s clothing and skin. Painful sores and boils develop on his unprotected body. However, not all hope is lost for Pi because he has become a much better fisherman. Fish and marine life are abundant and despite Pi’s vegetarian ways, he does not hesitate to kill the fish if it means putting food in his belly. Richard Parker still appears to be a problem, but Pi, being the son of a zoo owner, manages to impose territory on the ship and now has a tiny portion of the boat. Malnourishment gets the better of Pi, leaving him drained, constipated and famished. Food supplies are virtually gone; will Pi be able to survive on fish alone?

o08. "I was elated to be on speaking terms with a tiger"

Pi's wit and knowledge of zoo animals allows him to train Richard Parker, which means that Pi can now be on the boat rather than on his makeshift raft. He can be in close proximity to this dangerous feline without having to worry about being assaulted. And that is precisely what Pi is forced to do when a raging storm stirs the seas and tosses the lifeboat about. This storm fills the boat with saltwater, damages much-needed supplies (such as food and the raft) and carries them off the boat, into the endless ocean. Time passes by, bringing various events. Pi’s hopes are quickly lifted and then crushed just as fast when an oil ship comes right at the little lifeboat, but floats right past it. An array of debris glides by and Pi places a note in a bottle with high hopes that it will be found. A severe lack of food is draining the life right out of the two seasick mammals as they unwillingly venture the vast Pacific. Their health begins to become so poor that their vision begins to falter to the point where Pi only has a small window of vision to see through. He is almost completely blind when out of nowhere a voice calls out to him. Thinking that he is so close to death that he is going insane, he assumes the voice is Richard Parker. However, the voice’s thick French accent allows Pi to realize that it cannot be the tiger, and that there is another shipwrecked being there. What an incredible and unlikely discovery! Who is this Frenchman, and will he be able to help Pi survive?

o09. 'Green is a lovely colour'

Pi's unexpected guest turns out to have evil intentions, and proves this as he tries to murder Pi. Still being a vigorous creature, even in the face of death, Richard Parker gathers all the strength he has and makes a meal out of the murderous Frenchman. All hope is regained when Pi's journey takes a marvellous turn. On the horizon is a green island that Pi can only faintly see. Though it's seemingly too good to be true, Pi ventures towards the green mass and, much to his delight, finds that the island is in fact real. The island appears to be paradise to Pi; it's infested with meerkats and is abundant in fresh water, fish and algae. However, the island holds a sinister secret, and becomes deadly by night. Immediately upon uncovering this enigma, Pi gathers all the materials he can and departs the evil island. Who knew such land masses existed? Though he is stocked up on supplies, how long will they last him?

o10. "Do your uncle's bonsai [trees] eat meat?"

Pi's perilous journey comes to an end as their lifeboat lands on a beach in Mexico. Immediately upon arrival, without warning or even so much as a glance at Pi, Richard Parker takes off, leaving Pi all by himself. Pi is broken hearted as he realizes he will never see this companion that he spent such a significant part of his life with ever again. Heroic locals find the perishing boy lying on a beach hours later, and immediately take him to get medical attention. Considering the extraordinary events he experienced, Pi's tale seems tall to two Japanese men who work for the Ministry of Transportation. The men question him about the sinking of the cargo ship, and his journey but they are sceptical about Pi's story and are not able to decipher a reason for the ship's sinking. In order to satisfy these doubting men, Pi provides a more realistic story, which they believe right away. Out of Pi's miraculous survival comes a realization about God that brings tears to Pi's eyes. Piscine Molitor Patel has been saved.