The story is about a man named Pi Patel, who as a child, was raised in a zoo in India by his parents. Pi's father decided to move the family to Canada, but their ship sank in a storm, and Pi found himself on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, and a tiger named Richard Parker. After the hyena killed the orangutan and the zebra, Pi and Richard Parker were left alone on the lifeboat.
Pi used his knowledge of animals and his resourcefulness to survive on the lifeboat with the tiger. They formed a bond, and Pi learned to coexist with Richard Parker. They caught fish, collected rainwater, and even encountered a whale and a school of flying fish.
Eventually, they arrived at a carnivorous island, where Pi realized that the island was digesting fish at night. He collected supplies, took Richard Parker, and swam further. Exhausted, they reached the coast of Mexico, where Richard Parker jumped onto the sand and disappeared into the jungle without saying goodbye.
Pi was found by local residents and later told his story to a writer, who was amazed by his incredible tale. However, when insurance company representatives asked Pi to tell the truth, he told them a different story - a darker one, where he and his mother were the only survivors of the shipwreck, and his mother was eventually killed by the ship's cook, a brutal man who forced Pi to his limits.
The writer preferred the first story with the tiger, which he found more inspiring, and Pi agreed, saying that it was the better story.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The story is about a boy named Pi, who was born and raised in a zoo owned by his father.
2. Pi's full name is Piscine Molitor Patel, and he was named after a French swimming pool.
3. Pi's family had to leave India and move to Canada due to financial difficulties.
4. The family traveled on a Japanese cargo ship, but it sank in a storm.
5. Pi survived the disaster and found himself on a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, and a tiger named Richard Parker.
6. Pi used his knowledge of animal behavior to coexist with the tiger and eventually train it.
7. Pi and Richard Parker survived on the lifeboat for 227 days, catching fish and drinking rainwater.
8. They eventually landed on a floating island, but it was carnivorous and they had to escape.
9. Pi and Richard Parker were rescued when they washed ashore in Mexico.
10. Pi told two different stories about his survival to an insurance company, one with a tiger and one without.
11. The writer of the story chose to believe the version with the tiger, even though it was less plausible.
12. Pi grew up to live a happy life with a wife and two sons, but still remembered his time on the lifeboat with Richard Parker.