10

English
Quarter 1 – Module 3:
What Lies Behind?

Source:Mohammed Hassan.brain-education-environmental-growth-2204620.https://www.pexels.com/photo/brain-
education-environmental-growth-2204620/Free to use.No attribution required.
English – Grade 10
Quarter 1 – Module 3: What Lies Behind?

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of the
Government of the Philippines. However, prior approval of the government agency or office
wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such
agency or office may, among other things, impose as a condition the payment of royalties.

Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand names, trademarks,
etc.) included in this book are owned by their respective copyright holders. Every effort has
been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from their respective
copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership over
them.

Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad

Assistant Regional Director: Jessie L. Amin

Development Team of the Module

Writers:
1. MARIANETH B. BAÑARES
2. APHRODITE A. BECHAYDA
3. LYRA B. BEDIS
4. SANCHO M. BOLANOS JR.
5. FREDDIE B. BOTIAL
6. JOVITO A. BRIONES JR.
7. MARIA ALPHA B. CAUAN
8. IRENE A. MARQUEZ
9. CLAUDINE L. REGILME
10. AZOR B. VALENZUELA
11. MA. CHRISTINA LUCENA
Editors:
1. SALOME L. ALTAVANO
2. MARIA JOVITA O. MARISCOTES
3. AMALIA ROS

Reviewer: MAI ANNE D. RONDOLA

Illustrator: N/A
Layout Artists:
1. SANCHO M. BOLAÑOS JR.
2. CHEENEE H. BUAL
3. LYRA B. BEDIS
CONTENT GUIDE
These are the different parts of the module and what you need to know about
them.

Rationale
It provides you with a brief introduction regarding what you will learn and discover in the module.

Try-Out
This is a short quiz that will test if you already have an idea about the skills you will learn in the
module.

Look Back
This provides you with an activity that will strengthen the skill you learned from the previous
module.

Building Your Vocabulary

This part unlocks the meaning of difficult words you will encounter in the texts or discussions that
follow.

Study These
It provides you with mini lessons or inputs about a concept or content.
These provide you with questions, activities, and exercises that will help you discover and
understand the lessons presented.

Enrichment Activities
It contains additional activities and exercises for the different lessons discussed in the module.

Generalization
This can be a question, fill in the blank sentence/paragraph to process what you learned from the
lessons

Application
An activity that will transfer your skills/knowledge gained or learned into real-life
concerns/situations

Assessment
A ten-item test will evaluate if you were able to master all the skills discussed in the module.

Enrichment / Additional Task

An activity in any form that can increase/strengthen your response and tends to let you repeat
actions/learning.

Key to Correction
These lists all the correct answers and help you check your answers. Remember to only look on this
page if the module tells you to do so.
 English 10 Module

WHAT LIES BEHIND

MELC 3 Q1. Appraise the unity of plot, setting and characterization

in a material viewed to achieve the writer’s purpose

First Quarter, Module 3

1
 I. Introduction

Rationale

You have been in a world where it demands an inquisitive mind trained in a

critical print-rich environment. You should have already learned reading on the
lowest level and fully attain its development in the latter years.

Understanding a piece of literature requires this skill. Reading does not stop
you from understanding what is found in the text; you have to delve deeper on the
purpose as to why a text begins to blossom in the writer’s mind. By the help of the
elements of a short story, it fully encompasses the meaning of the text to fully
understand it.

This module provides you the tenets of author’s purpose and how the
elements contribute to the meaning of the text. This provides activities that develop
critical thinking and judgment based on issues that concern survival, religion, belief
and principles in life. This module provides challenging activities that aims to:
 Analyze a story using the elements (setting, characters, plot, and theme);
 Identify the author’s purpose;
 Evaluate how the elements of a short story contribute to the development
of the author’s purpose.

Get ready for a new adventure of learning!

I. Pre-Test

Try-out

Activity 1A. MULTIPLE CHOICES

Hi! Your adventure of learning begins here. You are about to unlock challenging
tasks ahead. Good luck!

Directions: Read the description of each text and identify the MAIN purpose of
the author. Choose the letter of the correct answer and write it on the blank provided
at the right side of the test paper.
A. Entertain B. Inform C. Persuade
______1. A reflection paper where a student argues that people should
recycle and not litter.
______2. An encyclopedia entry about the wonders of the world.
______3. A map of the world, showing all continents, countries, and oceans.
______4. A comic strip showing the value of friendship.
______5. A travelogue showing the beauty of Bicol Region.

2
Activity 1B. True or False
Write True if the statement is correct and False if not. Write your answer on
the space provided.

1. The story has always a purpose. __________

2. Elements of a story do not contribute to the purpose of the author.
__________
3. A story may inform, entertain and persuade readers. __________
4. Information and facts do not educate a reader. _____________
5. An author may move or call a reader to action through his words.
______________

Score: 8-10-Amazing! You studied very well!!

5-7- You’re doing well!
4-below- Oh no! You need to revisit your previous lesson.

Awesome!! You’re now done with the Pre-Test! Are you now ready for an exciting
learning adventure? Let us now discover our lesson.

II. Lesson Proper

Look Back

You have learned from the previous module the different graphic organizers
and the elements of a short story. This time, we will be checking whether you
remembered all those things.

Activity 2. Let’s Go Back!

Match the words from Column A to their definitions in Column B. Write only
the letter of your answer.

A. Elements of a Short Story

A B
A. The place, time, weather conditions, social
1. Setting _____ conditions, mood and atmosphere
B. The angle from which the story is told
2. Character _____ C. The sequence of events happened in the
story
3. Conflict _____ D. A person or animal who takes part in the
action of short story
4. Plot _____ E. The opposition of forces which ties one
incident to another and makes the plot move
5. Point of View _____ F. The ending of a story

3
 B. Graphic Organizers
A B
1. Venn Diagram ____
2. Sequence Chart ____
3. Concept Map _____
4. Cause and Effect
Diagram _____
5. Plot Diagram ______
A. Shows central idea with its corresponding
characteristics
B. Used to show the series of events
happened in the story
C. A chart that shows series of events
D. Used to identify similarities and
differences
E. Highlights the direct relationships between
different events or concepts

Score: 8-10-Amazing! You studied very well!!

5-7- You’re doing well!
4-below- Oh no! You need to revisit your previous lesson.

Awesome!! You have remembered a lot in the previous module. It’s time to meet
new words!

Building Your Vocabulary

Activity 3. Let’s Find the Meaning

The sentences contain words that you will encounter in the book summary
that you are going to read. Identify the meaning of the underlined word and encircle
the letter of the correct answer.

1. A young man survived a harrowing shipwreck and months in a lifeboat

with a large Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.
A. enjoyable B. emulating C. distressing D. best
2. His father is emphatic about being aware of the wildness and true nature
of animals.
A. weak B. caring C. assertive D. rude
3. Pi remains a devout follower of all his religious paths for his entire life.
A. coward B. devoted C. kind D. powerful
4. Hiding out of sight, beneath the canvas of the lifeboat, is the tiger Richard
Parker.
A. image B. tent C. back D. shipyard
5. Pi realizes he must survive the elements while adrift in the lifeboat—and
that Richard Parker will almost certainly eat him.
A. without anchor B. safe C. dangerous D. gigantic

Score: 3-5 - Amazing! You are excellent at decoding the meaning of words.
2-below- Oh no! You need to read more.

4
 Study These

Activity 4A. A Memory Gem

How is the adventure going? Was it too

serious? This time, your work gets
personal. You are going to share
something from your experiences!

Share an event in your life wherein

you were able to face your fear and
achieve your goal in the end. Supply the
following diagram.

Your goal is like a star. It shines so

bright that you want to reach it. What is your goal in life? Write it inside the star.

Greatest Fear in Achieving the Goal

Goals are hard to achieve. There are setbacks that come along the way. What
hinders your ways to achieve your goals?

Steps You Took to Overcome your Fear

When did it happen? What made it difficult to
achieve?

What lesson did you learn How did you handle the
from the experience? situation?

5
Activity 4B. Polishing the Gem

Thank you for sharing your experiences. Now, let us analyze the content of your
task. Write your answer on the space provided.

1. What specific information did you share about your goal?

______________________________________________________________
2. Why is there a need to become specific when presenting facts and details?
______________________________________________________________
3. What makes your story entertaining?
______________________________________________________________
4. What advice would you want to share to the reader in reaching their goals in life?
__________________________________________________________

Thank you for sharing your experiences. It always pays to be goal-oriented no matter
how hard life is! Congratulations for making it through!

Activity 5. Let’s Explore It

You are going to read a story about someone who was able to survive by
facing his fear. Read the synopsis of the novel, “The Life of Pi”.

Life of Pi
Book Summary

Yann Martel’s Life of Pi is the story of a young man who survives a harrowing
shipwreck and months in a lifeboat with a large Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

The beginning of the novel covers Pi’s childhood and youth. His family owns and
runs a zoo in their hometown in India, and his father is emphatic about being aware of
the wildness and true nature of animals, namely that they are not meant to be treated
like or thought of as people. Early in Pi’s life, his father realizes that his son’s naiveté
about the tiger in their care may put Pi in danger. To illustrate how true and real the
threat is, he forces the children to watch the tiger kill and eat a goat.

Pi goes through a significant religious awakening in his formative years,

eventually subscribing to a variety of religions: Hinduism, Catholicism, and finally Islam.
Although the religious leaders don’t accept Pi’s plural religions, his family gradually
does, and he remains a devout follower of all his religious paths for his entire life.

When Pi is a teenager, his family decides to sell the animals and immigrate to
Canada on a cargo ship named Tsimtsum. A terrible storm occurs during the voyage,
and when Pi, excited to see the storm, goes onto the ship’s deck, he is tossed
overboard and into a lifeboat by the crew. The next morning, he finds himself in the
company of a badly injured zebra, a vicious hyena, and a matronly orangutan named
Orange Juice. Hiding out of sight, beneath the canvas of the lifeboat, is the tiger Richard
Parker. The hyena wounds and eats the zebra, then goes after Orange Juice. The
orangutan puts up a good fight, but the hyena ultimately kills her. Richard Parker finally
makes himself known by killing and eating the hyena. Now only Pi and Richard Parker
survive on the lifeboat.

6
 How Pi and Richard Parker survive in the Pacific Ocean makes up the rest of
the novel. Pi realizes he must survive the elements while adrift in the lifeboat—and that
Richard Parker will almost certainly eat him. He quickly sees that thirst will kill him
sooner than hunger or the tiger, so he sets about finding a way to get water. He
discovers provisions stored in the lifeboat, including biscuits, water, water purifiers, a
whistle, and a handbook for surviving at sea. With the tools of survival in hand, Pi builds
a second watercraft—a raft made of oars and lifejackets—and attaches it to the boat.
With this second watercraft, he can remain out of both the shark-infested waters and
Richard Parker’s immediate reach. He considers a variety of survival options and
concludes that he must tame the tiger. Although he is unable to fully train and
domesticate Richard Parker, by blowing a whistle and rocking the lifeboat enough to
make the tiger seasick, Pi is able to subdue him and secure his own territory on the
lifeboat.

Pi goes temporarily blind and loses his mind. He begins having a conversation
with Richard Parker in which they mutually fantasize about the kinds of foods they
would like to eat. Pi fixates on vegetarian delicacies, and Richard Parker continues to
revise the recipes with meat as the main ingredient. At first Pi is morally outraged at
the idea of eating meat, but then he realizes that it is Richard Parker’s preference.
During this fantastical exchange, another castaway in a lifeboat appears, also blind and
also very hungry. Pi allows the man, who speaks with a French accent, on the lifeboat,
believing him to be a true companion. The man attacks Pi, saying that he intends to eat
him; Richard Parker attacks and consumes the man.

Richard Parker and Pi eventually find an island, which is made entirely of trees,
roots, leaves, fresh water, and plants. However, Pi makes a horrible discovery that
causes them to leave the island: Believing he has found a fruit-bearing tree, Pi peels
back the layers of a piece of fruit to find that it contains a human tooth. The island is a
carnivorous being, consuming everything that lives on it. Pi and Richard Parker return
to the lifeboat and the ocean.

An undetermined amount of time passes, and Pi and Richard Parker arrive in

Mexico. Richard Parker runs into the wild and is never seen again. Pi is brought into
custody, given food, and questioned for some time by two officials from the Maritime
Department in the Japanese Ministry of Transport. The officials’ transcript of the
conversation reveals that they do not believe Pi’s story in its entirety, and they tell him
so. Initially Pi sticks to his story, but then he offers them another, somewhat similar
story in which he shares the lifeboat with a crew member of the sunken ship, his own
mother, and a foul-tempered French cook who eventually kills both Pi’s mother and the
crewman. Pi tells of how he then stabbed the French cook in the throat and watched
him die. This second account seems to satisfy the skepticism of the questioners, but
they admit to Pi that his account of surviving with the tiger aboard the lifeboat is a better
story.
Source: Abigail Wheetley, Life of Pi, https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/l/life-of-pi/booksummary. © 2020
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

7
Enrichment Activities

Activity 6. Mapping out the Story

You have learned from the previous lesson about the elements of a
short story. Based on the story read, supply the elements of a short
story using the organizer below.

Time_________________________________________
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
Place_________________________________________
______________________________________________
Setting ______________________________________________

Characters

8
 Plot

Climax

Falling Action

Rising Action

Exposition

Denouement

Activity 7. Discussion
Read carefully the following lines taken from the story. Then answer the
questions that follow. Use the spaces provided for your answers.

I. A terrible storm occurs during the voyage, and when Pi, excited to see the storm,
goes onto the ship’s deck, he is tossed overboard and into a lifeboat by the crew.
The next morning, he finds himself in the company of a badly injured zebra, a vicious
hyena, and a matronly orangutan named Orange Juice.
1. What element of short story could be drawn from the above passage?
______________________________________________________________
2. What was the image formed in your mind after reading the passage?
______________________________________________________________
3. After reading the passage, what did you feel? Were you entertained?
informed? or moved to
action?______________________________________
4. What words did the author used to come up with your feeling?
______________________________________________________________

II. How Pi and Richard Parker survive in the Pacific Ocean makes up the rest of the
novel. Pi realizes he must survive the elements while adrift in the lifeboat—and that
Richard Parker will almost certainly eat him. He quickly sees that thirst will kill him
sooner than hunger or the tiger, so he sets about finding a way to get water. He
discovers provisions stored in the lifeboat, including biscuits, water, water purifiers, a
whistle, and a handbook for surviving at sea.
1. How can you describe Pi as the main character based on the passage?
______________________________________________________________

9
 2. If you were Pi, how will you survived with the tiger?
______________________________________________________________
3. Were you moved to follow the steps taken by Pi? Why or why not?
______________________________________________________________
4. Do you feel the author is trying to get you to believe something or take a
specific action? What action was it? _________________________________

III. Pi goes through a significant religious awakening in his formative years,

eventually subscribing to a variety of religions: Hinduism, Catholicism, and finally
Islam. Although the religious leaders don’t accept Pi’s plural religions, his family
gradually does, and he remains a devout follower of all his religious paths for his
entire life.
1. What particular information does the author wish to educate you about Pi?
______________________________________________________________
2. What can you say about Pi as a child? As a devotee?
______________________________________________________________

Let’s Connect It
The elements of a story contribute to the reason as to what the author wants
to impart on the reader.

Setting is the context in which a story occurs. Just as a photograph has a

foreground and a background, so does a story. The main characters and their
actions form the foreground. The time and place of the events, and the social
environment surrounding them, form the background. People exist in a particular
time and place. Where your characters live may contribute to their personalities,
values, attitudes, and even their problems. Your story’s setting can have great
impact on the people in your story, how they react, and what they do.

Source: Nancy L. Erickson, The Importance of Setting in Your Story,

https://blog.bookbaby.com/2018/02/importance-of-setting-in-your-story/. ©2018 BookBay Blog.

An author’s purpose is his reason for or intent in writing. An

author writes with one of four general purposes in mind:

1. To relate a story or to recount events, an author uses narrative writing.

2. To tell what something looks like, sounds like, or feels like, the author uses
descriptive writing
3. To convince a reader to believe an idea or to take a course of action, the
author uses persuasive writing.
4. To inform or teach the reader, the author uses expository writing. An
author’s purpose is reflected in the way he writes about a topic. For instance,
if his purpose is to amuse, he will use jokes or anecdotes in his writing.

Source: Miami Dade College, Author’s Purpose,

https://www.mdc.edu/kendall/collegeprep/documents2/author's%20purposerev818.pdf. ©2020 InCommon RSA
Server CA.

10
Activity 8. Let’s Do It
Below is a set of reading passages. Identify the writer’s purpose in each item
using the diagram below. Write only the number of the corresponding passage under
each purpose.

Source: Lakeshore Learning, Author’ s Purpose PIE,

https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/assets/media/images/free_resources/teachers_corner/lesson_plans/1_2/less
onAuthorsPurposePIEFull.pdf. GeoTrust RSA CA 2018.

11
 Generalization

Important Points
1. Is the text a poem, play, or story?
If the text is a poem, play, or story, then it’s safe to say that the author’s
main purpose is to entertain readers. If the text is not a poem, play, or
story, ask yourself the next question.
2. Does the text provide a lot of facts and information?
If the text is primarily providing readers with facts and information, then
we can conclude that the author’s main purpose in writing the text is to
inform readers. If the text does not contain an abundance of what
appears to be factual information, then go to the next question.
3. Is the text attempting to get the reader to do something?
If the text contains many arguments and claims, or a call where the
reader is urged to take action, then the author’s main purpose is to
persuade. If the text does not appear to be persuasive, reanalyze the
text and repeat the process.

Source:E-Reading Worksheets, https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-worksheets/authors-purpose-

worksheets/authors-purpose/. CloudFlare Inc. ECC CA-2.

Application

Activity 9. Put it in Words

You are going to write a 5-point essay applying the three author’s purpose
given the following situations. Write your answers on the spaces provided.

A. COVID-19

1. What do you tell someone who still won't stay home?

___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________.

2. What is Covid-19?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.

3. Ways to entertain yourself in the time of COVID-19.

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___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.

B. BUDDY CONFERENCE: COVID-19. Choose a partner who will help you answer
and facilitate Q and A experiences. Here are your guided questions.

1. What did you like best and why?

___________________________
___________________
2. What good feeling did you get
from the writing?
___________________________
___________________
3. Is there a part that was
confusing? Why?
___________________________
________
4. Did the answer catch your
interest? Why and why not?
_______________
5. Did the conclusion make sense?
Did it leave you hanging?
_______________________________
6. Is there something you think
should have been added?
_______________________________
_______________________________

III. Assessment

Test Yourself

Activity 10. What’s Behind It?

Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow. Write your
answer on the blank provided.

Passage A
The moment I stepped out of the parlor, I knew something was amiss. I had
my hair done because I was one of my best friend’s bridesmaids and the wedding
was a few hours. To my horror, my hairdo was horrible.

Trying not to panic, I showed my problem to my younger sister. My sister

carefully evaluated the emergency with the intensity of the chess grandmaster,
added some chips, tried something more hairspray and after weighing the whole
situation, she called “a spade a spade” and proclaimed that it was hopeless. I
screamed, slammed doors, threw chips around and thought about not showing my
face in the wedding.

13
 Thankfully, my other sister arrived and transformed the disaster into
something more presentable and offered this piece of wisdom – “Your hair is fine,
forget about it and do you job as a friend. She’s counting on you”.

I am ashamed to think that I almost let a superficial thing distract me from a

more significant event.

The cares of this world are nothing compared to some real

biggies…commitment, responsibility and friendship.

1. What was the setting of the story?

___________________________________________________________________
2. Who are the characters in the story?
___________________________________________________________________
3. What emotion was present in the first paragraph? (Encircle the letter of your
answer.)
A. Happy B. Amazed C. Surprised D. Hopeless
4. My sister carefully evaluated the emergency with the intensity of the chess
grandmaster, added some chips, tried something more hairspray and after weighing
the whole situation, she called “a spade a spade” and proclaimed that it was
hopeless.
A. Inform B. Entertain C. Persuade
5. I screamed, slammed doors, threw chips around and thought about not showing
my face in the wedding.
A. Inform B. Entertain C. Persuade
6. What made the character convinced that her hair was fine?
______________________________________________________________
7. What lesson did you learn from the story?
A. Having sisters can be a big advantage.
B. Preparing for a wedding requires a lot of time.
C. One’s appearance is important in occasions like wedding.
D. Friendship is more significance than appearance.

Passage B
The rain was starting to fall as I hurried my way to school. The dark clouds
were like a big threat that reminded me of the running time. I gave bigger steps
because I would be late in my first class in my first year of teaching. Reaching the
school gate, I noticed that there were no students. The rooms were closed and the
only present was a deafening silence.

8. Why was the speaker in the selection hurrying?

A. He was afraid of the rain.
B. He was afraid of the clouds.
C. He may be late in school.
D. He’s excited to see his classmates.
9. What is the job of the speaker?
A. Student
B. Doctor
C. Teacher
D. Engineer

14
10. What is the author’s purpose of the selection?
A. Inform
B. Entertain
C. Persuade

IV. Enrichment/ Additional Tasks

Enrich Yourself

Assume that you are a Youth Ambassador. You are going to deliver a short
speech about the “Role of Online Education in the Modern Era” that discusses the
importance of technology in the modern times. You are going to write your speech in
the template provided. The purpose should be present in your speech. Below is a
rubric for your assessment.

15
 RUBRIC 5 4 3 2 1
The Introduction Introduction The Writing the
introduction captivated is not introduction is introduction
was well audience. particularly boring and was
INTRODUCTION throughout, inviting, but does not attempted,
PARAGRAPH previewed provides preview but is
events, and some pull. events. insufficient.
captivated
audiences.
Student Student Student Student Student only
followed the followed followed missed turned in a
Writing Writing Some Writing significant draft.
THE WRITING Process Process, but Process. steps in the
PROCESS precisely and omitted a Writing
turned in step. Process.
evidence to
prove it.
GRAMMAR, Writer makes Writer makes Writer makes Writer makes Writer makes
PUNCTUATION, absolutely no minimal several numerous significant
SENTENCE grammatical, errors. errors. and errors.
STRUCTURE, spelling, or consistent
AND SPELLING syntax errors. errors.
Student put Student Student Student Student did
significant attempted to composed attempted to not meet
effort into create an work, put just write their expectations.
their activity, engaging enough activity, but
creatively activity, put effort, and little effort
EFFORT AND captivated considerable made it was put into
CREATIVITY their effort into somewhat it, and did not
audience and their work, engaging, met
had a good made it but barely expectations.
“flow”. interesting, met
Student and met expectations
exceeded expectations.
expectations.
Student Student Student Student Student
provided a provided a provided a provided a provided
clear goal, or goal, or goal, or goal, but no none.
goals, and goals, and goals, but details were
writes about used main didn’t provide provided to
clear, well ideas and much describe.
focused experiences detailed
GOAL event or to support. information.
experiences.
Main ideas
stand out and
supported by
detailed
information.

Congratulations for reaching this stage! You have been so patient and critical
in doing the tasks. Brace yourself because there are more challenging activities
ahead of this!

16
17
Pre-Test
Activity 1A Activity 1B
1. C 1. True
2. B 2. True
3. B 3. True
4. A 4. False
5. A 5. True
Look Back
Activity 2
A. Elements of a Short Story B. Graphic Organizers
1. A 1. D
2. D 2. B
3. E 3.A
4. C 4. E
5. B 5. C
Building your Vocabulary
Activity 3
1. C
2. C
3. B
4. B
5. A
Study These
Activity 4A
Memory Gem – answers may vary
Greatest Fear in Achieving the Goal- answers may vary
Steps You Took to Overcome your Fear- answers may vary
Activity 4B
Polishing the Gem- answers may vary
Enrichment Activities
Activity 6
Mapping out the Story
 Setting
The story is initially set in India in the late 1990’s. The author has traveled to Pondicherry, a coastal town
in the former French territory of India, which joined Independent India in 1954. The territory of Pondicherry
still has many French citizens, as well as an unusually wide variety of churches/places of worship. The
author then travels to Canada to interview Pi Patel, the narrator of the story, but little of the actual story is
set there, save the author’s observations of the adult Pi’s home. Pi grew up in Pondicherry in the mid-
1970’s, but the setting for the greater part of his story is the Pacific Ocean, specifically along the equatorial
counter-current which runs east to west along the equator. The last pages are set in Mexico where Pi
recovers from his 227 day ordeal at sea.
 Characters
Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi)
Pi is the main character/protagonist of the story. He is a teenage Indian boy, son of a zookeeper. He
practices three religions, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. His faith and knowledge of animal psychology
help him survive 227 days at sea in a lifeboat with a 450 pound Bengal tiger.
Richard Parker
He is the Bengal tiger that becomes Pi’s nemesis as well as his reason for living. The tiger ended up with
a human name as the result of a clerical error where the name of the tiger, Thirsty, and the name of his
captor, Richard Parker, were accidentally reversed.
Francis Adirubasamy
Key V.
18
He is a close friend of the Patel family and a former competitive swimmer. He teaches Pi to swim. Pi
refers to him as Mamaji, mama meaning uncle and ji indicating respect and affection. He is also the man who
refers the author to Pi for the “story that will make you believe in God.”
Father (Santosh Patel)
Pi’s father is the owner/keeper of the Pondicherry Zoo. He teaches Pi the finer points of animal care
and control, along with respect for the animals’ strength. He dies in the shipwreck.
Mother (Gita Patel)
Pi’s mother is loving and nurturing, especially in the area of education. She reads widely and shares
her books with Pi. She dies in the shipwreck, or, she may have had the role of the orangutan in Pi’s second
story.
Ravi
He is Pi’s older brother who loves to tease Pi. Unlike Pi, he is popular and athletic. Nonetheless, the
brothers are close. He dies in the shipwreck.
 Plot-answers may vary
Activity 7. Discussion
I. 1. setting
2. answers may vary
3. entertained
4. terrible storm, tossed,
II. 1. answers may vary
2. I would also do what Pi did
3. I was moved because he was able to survive
4. To be alert and conquer our fear
III. 1. The different religions Pi had
2. He was a very religious child and an inquisitive devotee
Activity 8. Let’s Do it
Persuade- Text 2 and Text 5
Inform- Text 3 and Text 4
Entertain- Text 1 and Text 6
Application- Answers may vary
IV. Assessment
1. at the bridesmaid’s house, hours before the wedding
2. the bridesmaid, two other sisters
3. C
4. A
5. B
6. Her responsibility to her bestfriend
7. D
8. C
9. C
10. B
V. Enrichment - answers may vary
REFERENCES:

Mohammed Hassan.brain-education-environmental-growth-
2204620.https://www.pexels.com/photo/brain-education-environmental-growth-
2204620/Free to use.No attribution required.
Abigail Wheetley, Life of Pi, https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/l/life-of-
pi/booksummary. © 2020 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.

Nancy L. Erickson, The Importance of Setting in Your Story,

https://blog.bookbaby.com/2018/02/importance-of-setting-in-your-story/. © 2018
BookBay Blog.

Miami Dade College, Author’s Purpose,

https://www.mdc.edu/kendall/collegeprep/documents2/author's%20purposerev818.p
df. ©2020 InCommon RSA Server CA.

E-Reading Worksheets, https://www.ereadingworksheets.com/free-reading-

worksheets/authors-purpose-worksheets/authors-purpose/. CloudFlare Inc. ECC CA-
2.
Lakeshore Learning, Author’s Purpose PIE,
https://www.lakeshorelearning.com/assets/media/images/free_resources/teachers_c
orner/lesson_plans/1_2/lessonAuthorsPurposePIEFull.pdf. ©2018 GeoTrust RSA
CA.

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