What is the setting like throughout the novel?

I would say that this novel has two main and very distinct setting locations. The story begins in Pondicherry, India during the 1960's and moves into the 1970's as Pi Patel grows up. The India setting is a mixed bag of experiences for Pi. In general, he has a great time there because of his involvement with the zoo. His family loves him, he is supported and well taken care of, and he has a wide variety of religious experiences that help make Pi an incredibly diverse and round character. The downside to Pondicherry is that India's government is a mess. It's a political war zone because of Indira Gandhi's rule, and Pi's family decides to leave India for a safer Canada. Unfortunately, the ship doesn't make it, and the rest of the story's setting is almost completely confined to a 26 foot long life boat that holds Pi and a tiger named Richard Parker. That is a very contained setting, and readers come to intimately know about the solar stills, the benches, the tarps, the anchor, etc. This is the setting that most people remember about the book, and they often fail to remember that Pi's time in Pondicherry is integral to his survival on the lifeboat. Without his zoo knowledge and spiritual strength that he gained in Pondicherry, it isn't likely that Pi would have survived the lifeboat. The book's final setting is very minimal. Pi reaches land in Mexico and is treated at a hospital.