The story of Pi is a recurring motif throughout the book. Early narrates the story translated from what he sees in the digits of the number pi. The number symbolizes the quest in the book, as the boys’ math teacher, Mr. Blane, presents it as the Holy Grail of mathematics. He likens Dr. Stanton’s quest to prove its end, to historians’ search for the magical object.

Early’s narration of Pi’s story is interspersed throughout the main narrative, and there are constant parallels between Pi’s experiences and the boys’ journey. In addition, some of the feelings and emotional challenges Pi grapples with correlate to the heartache experienced by different characters across the story. Thus, it points to the theme of Navigating Grief and Loss.

There are also unexpected connections between characters within and outside the story: MacScott, who parallels Darius, the pirate captain in Pi’s story, is connected to Eustasia, who parallels the “Ancient One” from Pi’s story. Gunnar, whom Jack mistakes to be a white whale that saves him, is connected to Miss B., the librarian at Morton Hill Academy. Pi’s story relates to the theme of Parallels and Connections With Pi’s Story, which underlines the book’s message of how things are interconnected in more ways than one knows.