The Context of Life of Pi

Historical Context

The tragic journey of Piscine Molitor Patel began with the sinking of the Tsimtsum on July 2^nd, 1977. The real story, however, can be traced to the election of Mrs. Indira Gandhi six years prior. Defeating Raj Narain, Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of India for six years before she was charged of election fraud and the misuse of state machinery. Having been found guilty of the charges, Mrs. Gandhi was unseated from her position, and the election was declared null and void. In a wild attempt to maintain her position of authority, Gandhi advised President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to declare a State of Emergency on the grounds that “there is an imminent danger to the security of India being threatened by internal disturbances.” And so began one of the darkest periods in democratic India’s history: the Emergency.

While there have been noted benefits of Gandhi’s reign, including the significant stabilization and growth of India’s economy, the period was most heavily associated with a blatant attack on civil liberties. Elections were suspended, and political opposition became almost entirely ineffective. As such, many citizens of India lived in some degree of fear or their families and property. Pi’s father was one such concerned citizen. Fearful that his Pondicherry zoo would be taken over by the corrupt government, he decided that the best course of action would be to lead his family to a better life across the seas.

The Patel family accordingly packed their belongings and set sail on the Japanese cargo ship known as the Tsimtsum. Leaving their home in the midst of economic woes, Pi and his family were not able to afford any mode of transportation other than the shoddy likes of the Tsimtsum. While not a great deal of the political environment is explored throughout the novel, it is clear that the historical context plays an important role in establishing and initializing the plot.