Life of Pi
by Yann Martel
Contents
Chapter Sixty Seven
Overview
Pi’s raft and lifeboat become covered with algae and small sea creatures, turning his survival platform into a floating habitat. Pi experiments with eating the growth and becomes obsessed with the only palatable catch: tiny crabs, while barnacles provide useful bait. The living underside of the raft distracts and soothes Pi, offering a fragile sense of peace alongside the constant tension of sharing space with Richard Parker.
Summary
Pi notices that the underside of his raft becomes an ecosystem. It begins with soft green algae on the life jackets, then darker, stiffer algae, and eventually small animals appear.
As the growth thickens, Pi observes a progression of creatures: tiny translucent shrimp, transparent fish, black worms with white spines, green gelatinous slugs, mottled potbellied fish, and finally small brown crabs. Pi tastes nearly everything and finds most of it bitter or overly salty.
The crabs become irresistible to Pi. Whenever they appear, Pi eats them quickly, one after another, until they are gone, then endures long waits for the next “crop.”
Life also clings to the lifeboat itself in the form of gooseneck barnacles. Pi sucks their fluid and saves their flesh as effective fishing bait.
Despite the added weight, Pi grows fond of these ocean “hitchhikers” because they distract him, much like Richard Parker does. Pi spends hours watching the miniature, upside-down world beneath the raft, finding its quiet order calming relief for Pi’s frayed nerves.
Who Appears
- Pi PatelObserves raft ecosystem, eats crabs, uses barnacles as bait, finds distraction watching sea life.
- Richard ParkerBengal tiger; serves as a constant presence Pi compares to the raft’s distracting “hitchhikers.”