PI's Lesson about Lions

Pi's father takes him and his older brother into their zoo. The father shows the boys all the animals there. He starts with the lions. He tells Pi,"Never put your hands through the bars and try to touch the lion". Pi replies with, "I understand". He shows Pi what would happen if he did put his hands through the bars. The father has not fed the lion in a while just to teach his sons. He brought a goat and fed it to the lions. Pi was devistated.

I don't think that was necessary because Pi will eventually learn that lions are not animals to be played with. Pi and his brother didn't have to learn the danger of lions the way he did. The father could have just told him, not make Pi witness the lion feeding on a goat. There are more influencial and understandable ways to teach somebody something without seeing something die. Therefore that method of teaching is unecessary.

If I had heard that or seen that for the first time I would be scared as well as Pi. I wouldn't want someone showing me death just to prove a point.