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Watching the tiger feeding was a lesson Pi needed to learn in order to survive the boat journey with Richard Parker. Mr. Patel could not have known Pi would need this valuable lesson, but he taught it to his sons to teach them how dangerous wild animals are. They, after all, lived and helped their father around the zoo. Pi needed this lesson in order to be able to survive the journey on the Pacific Ocean.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0fcoRk8R_Y
Pi does not try to get close to Richard Parker in the book, but he does in the movie. This ends up being the reason Mr. Patel shows his boys just how dangerous tigers are.

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"I learned the lesson that an animal is an animal, essentially and practically removed from us, twice: once with Father and once with Richard Parker." (31)
Without Mr. Patel showing Pi the tiger feeding, he could not have known just how wary to be of Richard Parker. Pi knew that Richard Parker would do anything to keep himself alive, so Pi quickly took action while in the boat. Big cats are territorial, so when Pi was stuck in the boat, he established his territory to Richard Parker.

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Boats and boating--Equipment and supplies

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"Life will defend itself no matter how small it is." (38)
The animals are dangerous because they are fighting to keep their life. If that means killing something or someone to keep their life, the animal will win.

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"Tigers are very dangerous," Father shouted. "I want you to understand that you are never - under any circumstances - to touch a tiger, to pet a tiger, to put your hands through the bars of a cage, even to get close to a cage. Is that clear?" (34)
Pi remembered this lesson and carried it with him to the boat. He only ever touch Richard Parker once, but Richard Parker was also very drained of energy like Pi. Richard Parker did not notice he was being touched.

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"Babu stepped up to the trapdoor between the cages and started pulling it open. In anticipation of satisfaction, Mahisha fell silent. I heard two things at that moment: Father saying 'Never forget this lesson' as he looked on grimly; and the bleating of the goat. It must have been bleating all along, only we couldn't hear it before." (35)
It was important for Mr. Patel to do this in order to show just how vicious and dangerous tigers are. He started with the tiger to get his point across, that way they would take him seriously when he told him how dangerous the other animals can be too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghxNSQpj6pM

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"I don't know if I saw blood before turning into Mother's arms or if I daubed it on later, in memory, with a. big brush.. But I heard it. It was enough to scare the living vegetarian daylights out of me. mother bundled us out. We were in hysterics. She we was incense." (36)
This is a gruesome way to teach his children that animals  are dangerous. They would not, however, have lost their curiosity of how dangerous animals are unless Mr. Patel had shown them the feeding. Showing his kids the tiger feeding also helped Pi understand that he needed to establish authority quickly why on the boat.

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"I looked Richard Parker dead in the eyes. Suddenly his brute strength meant only moral weakness. It was nothing compared to the strength in my mind. I stared into his eyes, wide-eyed and defiant, and we faced off. Any zookeeper will tell you that a tiger, indeed any cat,  will not attack in the face of a direct stare but will until the deer or antelope or wild ox has turned...Richard Parker licked his nose, groaned and turned away." (222)

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The other animals on the boat showed Pi just how much life defends itself. Each animal was after the other, but only the most cunning and ferocious animal won: Richard Parker.

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Pi understood from the start that the tiger needed food, and would do anything to survive. He took action and claimed one part of the boat for himself, while Richard Parker had the other part. Pi was aware of the tiger's habits and what Richard Parker would be like if he had complete freedom to roam around the boat. Pi was keen to quickly show he was the dominant one, and his survival was the reason for this. When the time came to test who was dominant, Pi did not back down because he knew if he wanted to live, he would need Richard Parker to turn first. This is interesting because Mr. Patel says "life will defend itself no matter how small it is", at the time he was talking about animals in the zoo, but Pi showed that even human life will defend itself.