Final answer:
Pi's first four attempts to tame Richard Parker involve establishing territory with a whistle and lifebuoys, creating a rudimentary communication system, and providing food and water. These attempts are a mix of successes and setbacks, reflecting the complexity of their cohabitating relationship.
Step-by-step explanation:
The first four times that Pi attempts to tame Richard Parker, his efforts are met with varying degrees of success and failure. In Yann Martel's novel 'Life of Pi', the protagonist, Pi, finds himself stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. To establish dominance and ensure his own survival, Pi realizes he must assert himself as the alpha of their shared territory.
Initially, Pi uses a whistle and lifebuoys to create boundaries and train Richard Parker to stay at one end of the boat. Despite his fear, he manages to condition the tiger using these tools and by blowing the whistle loudly whenever Richard Parker acts aggressively, thereby establishing territory and a rudimentary communication system between man and beast.
Gradually, Pi provides Richard Parker with food and water, further solidifying his role as the tiger's provider and superior. This dangerous and delicate form of training reflects Pi's ingenuity and the inherent risks of being in such close proximity to a wild animal.
Unfortunately, not all attempts are successful, and there are moments when Richard Parker asserts his own power, reminding Pi of the constant danger he is in. Throughout these events, the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker evolves into a complex bond of cohabitation and mutual dependence, serving as a central theme in the narrative.