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Study Guide

Life of Pi Part 1, Chapter 13

By Yann Martel

Part 1, Chapter 13

Pi tells us the essentials of lion taming: when a lion mauls his trainer, it's not because the lion is bloodthirsty, but because the trainer violated its space.
Pi says that basically the trainer has to show the animal who's boss. Which doesn't mean punching a lion in the face. It's about social rank and manipulation. "It's a question of brain over brawn," Pi says (1.13.4).