Chapter 14

Pi describes how the lower the social standing of an animal, the easier it is to train them. It will be loyal and loving with a trainer because the trainer offers it protection and food, something all creatures seek in nature. It serves to display how an animal clearly stronger than a human might submit to a human being which it could easily kill. The animal most agreeable to the wishes of the trainer is the one with the lowest social standing of the group—the omega. The omega animal sees that it can gain the most by maintaining closeness to the alpha male. So generally, it is the omega animals that are asked to do the most difficult tricks because they are the most eager.