In the beginning of Life of Pi, the author opens up with a detailed description of the sloth, the different types, the speed, and the wittiness. It survives by being slow and because of its slowness; it allows algae to grow on its body that acts like a camouflage with the surrounding moss and foliage. The book starts out in first person with the main character, Piscine Patel, talking about his name which means "pool" in numerous languages. He found it weird that his parents named him Piscine but neither of them ever took to the water. It was Pi's uncle, Mamaji, who was the enthusiast of water. Mamaji had taught Pi how to swim. "I lay on the bench and fluttered my legs and scratched away at the sand with my hands, turning my head at every stroke to breathe. I must have looked like a child...