In Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, we are introduced to the young Indian
             boy named Pi Patel. The novel follows Pi as he goes from India to Canada,
             and the challenges he faces along the way. These challenges are more
             extreme than most. As the son of a zookeeper in Pondicherry, India, Pi and
             his family travel on a cargo ship along with the animals from his father's
             zoo. "Animals were sedated, cages were loaded and secured...the ship was
             worked out of the dock and piloted out to sea...I wildly waved goodbye to
             India...I was terribly excited." (chapter 35). When the ship sinks, Pi is
             forced onto a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a zebra and a Bengal
             tiger. Life of Pi tells the story of how the protagonist survives this
             ordeal and makes it to North America, against all odds.
             The story of Life of Pi takes places almost entirely on the lifeboat
             where Pi is stranded with Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger. Although this
             could seem far-fetched or become boring after several hundred pages, Yann
             Martel manages to keep our interest, and, at the same time, keep Life of Pi
             from seeming too incredible. He does this by expanding on the focus of his
             novel. Although Life of Pi is, on the surface, an adventure tale, Martel
             also intends for it to be a story of the human spirit. "Things didn't turn
             out the way they were supposed to, but what can you do' You must take life
             the way it comes at you and make the best of it." (chapter 35). Martel
             makes the events in Pi Patel's life just about as unlikely as possible, but
             Pi still manages to rise to the challenge. Martel is trying to show that,
             although you can't count on life to be easy and consistent, you can always
             count on the human spirit. He does this by putting Pi in the most extreme
             condition one can imagine; trapped at sea (for months on end) with a Bengal
             Martel introduces the idea of a higher human spirit at the beginning
             ...