Previous
Chapter 99
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Life of Pi, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Survival
Religion and Faith
Storytelling
Boundaries
Summary
Analysis
The author then gives Okamoto’s report of the interview. Okamoto says that the Tsimtsum possibly sank because of an engine problem, but he admits that the cause of the shipwreck is unknowable. He then adds a personal note about Pi, saying that his ordeal at sea was unique and astonishing. He says that Pi’s story is totally unparalleled, as few castaways have survived as long as he did, and none of them did so “in the company of an adult Bengal tiger.”
This final report adds dimension and poignancy to Okamoto’s character, as the official chooses to believe Pi’s animal story as the “better” truth despite his natural skepticism, and so it is the animal version that is marked down in the official documents. Martel ends on this slightly hopeful note after crushing our perception of truth, suggesting that choosing “the better story” is just as important as finding out the facts of reality.
Themes
