Plot Overview(Slumdog Millionaire)

Slumdog Millionaire is a story of Jamal Malik , an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India’s “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”

However, when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating. Jamal is desperate to his innocence. Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum, where he and his brother grew up in the slums and on the streets of vicious encounters with local gangs and of Latika,the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to an answer to one of the game show’s questions.

Each chapter of Jamal’s layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show’s seemingly impossible questions. The main question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show?

-Emma

Slumdog Millionaire questions

1) Slumdog Millionaire’s setting is exotic. Did you find that made the film hard to identify with? Or did its exotic location enhance the experience?

2) Did you disapprove of the brothers stealing to survive? Do you believe some things are forgivable during desperate circumstances?

3)What does the film say about poverty? Is it easy to fall into it? Is it difficult to escape?

4)How are Jamal and Salim different?

5)What was the symbolism of the scene at the public bathroom where Jamal jumps in the sewage? What does this tell us about his character? Is he likely to give up easily?

-Emma

Faith

In both the novel and the film the two main characters Pi Patel and Jamal Malik both have a great amount of faith.

Jamal has a lot of faith, as he decides to answer the final question of the gameshow, without knowing an answer to the question. Although Jamal has a lot of faith, it does not mean he is religious.Jamal is never seen praying to God, which tells us he is not a religious person.

Pi has alot of faith during his journey out at sea, as he has to remain positive and strong in order to survive out on the pacific ocean. Pi is extremely religious and follows set rules of the three religions he practises including Islam, Hinduism and Christianity.

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Antagonists

In Slumdog Millionaire Salim was a gang member for one of the Mumbai gangs aswell as a killer. His personality is perceived to be evil and selfish. Salim is the antagonist in the film Slumdog millionaire. Salim’s personality then turns around towards the end of the film, where he gives up his life for Latika by shooting himself, as he realizes he has wronged and sinned, as he raped Latika as a teenager.

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The host of the Indian version ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’ is also seen as the antagonist of the film, as he does not want Pi to win and he is extremely sinister and evil.

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In Life of Pi Richard Parker is seen as the antagonist of the novel, however he is not the antagonist, as he is an animal. Although he may attempt to kill Pi, it is only caused by his natural instinct, which is why he is not evil and scaniving.

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Plot Overview (Life of Pi)

Pi Patel was brought up as a Hindu, but as he grows up he discovers Christianity and Islam and decides to practice all 3 religions simultaneously. As a result of Political unrest in India, Pi’s father decides to move the family to Canada, where he plans on selling his animals from the Pondicherry Zoo. On June 21, 1977, they set sail in a cargo ship, named the Tsimtsum, along with a crew and many cages full of zoo creatures.

The ship sinks as a result of a heavy thunderstorm , and Pi is thrown on a lifeboat, where he is accompanied by a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a tiger, who’s name is Richard Parker. Pi is the only human survivor from the ship wreck. The hyena kills the Zebra and the Orangutan and soon after Richard Parker kills the hyena. Pi survives on canned water, emergency rations and freshly caught sea life. Pi also provides for Richard Parker, whom he eventually trains and masters.

Many days go by when Pi’s lifeboat pulls up to an island with trees and vegetation. They stay at this island for some time but Pi discovers the island is carnivorous, as he finds human teeth in the flower of a tree. They head back out to sea, where they eventually wash up ashore on mexican soil. Richard Parker abandons Pi. Pi is rushed to hospital by mexican villagers.

Japanese officials interview Pi and ask him about his time at sea. Pi tells them the story as above, but the officials do not believe him. Pi then retells the story replacing the animals with people; a cook instead of a hyena, a sailor instead of a zebra, his mom instead of the orangutan and himself instead of Richard Parker. The officials believe Pi’s second story and in their final report praise Pi for living so long with an adult tiger.

-Emma