Description

The X-Kit Achieve! Literature series offers a unique series of visually attractive, high-quality exam preparation tools. The series has been written by top South African educationalists. The books cover all the knowledge and skills tested in the final English Home Language and First Additional Language literature exams for the FET phase. Plot, theme, character, style, symbolism and imagery are all discussed in detail, and thoroughly taught and tested. Study and exam preparation techniques are covered and exam questions provided. Answers are also provided for all the questions to allow learners to monitor their own understanding. This study guide aims to provide you with sufficient support for doing really well in your Grade 12 English examination. This study guide will provide: • All the background information needed for a full understanding of Life of Pi; • Summaries, including a précis of the whole play, plus details of acts and scenes; • Important quotes for use in exams; • An analysis of the play that will help you understand the plot and develop insight and appreciation; • Pointers about the characters for quick and easy revision; • A summary of the key themes; • Comprehensive exam preparation assistance, including test-yourself questions, sample contextual questions and full answers; and • A glossary explaining literature terminology. About the author, Yann Martel Yann Martel was born in 1963 in Spain. His parents were diplomats and, during his childhood, he lived in many different countries, including Costa Rica, France, India, Iran, Mexico, Turkey, Canada and the United States. After studying philosophy at Trent University in Canada, Martel worked at a variety of jobs and travelled to many countries, including Iran, Turkey and India. At the age of 27, he became a fulltime writer and it was while he was in India that he got the idea for Life of Pi. Life of Pi has been described as a fable, a religious story or parable, an adventure story and a castaway story. When Pi is 16, his father decides to emigrate from India to Canada with the family. They set off for Canada on board the Tsimtsum, taking with them some animals destined for zoos in the United States. During a storm, the ship sinks taking Pi’s family with it. Pi finds himself on a lifeboat together with a zebra with a broken leg, a hyena and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Later, they are joined by an orang-utan. The hyena eats the zebra alive and kills and eats the orang-utan. The tiger kills the hyena, leaving only himself and Pi alive. Pi remains adrift on the Pacific Ocean with the tiger for 227 days. He struggles to survive and overcome his grief, seasickness, relentless storms, starvation, thirst, blazing sun, skin sores, loneliness and despair, as well as the threat of being attacked by the tiger. The Hindu vegetarian boy finds himself eating fish and turtles raw and uses his knowledge of animal psychology and lion taming to dominate Richard Parker and keep him at a safe distance. In the process of grappling with despair and his faith in God, Pi surprises himself with the strength of his will to survive, and to overcome all obstacles with his ingenuity and his will. This eBook is in ePDF format, which enables you to: • View the entire book offline on desktop or tablet; • Search for and highlight text; and • Add and edit personal notes directly in your eBook.