They are the author's memories and impressions with the man he based Life of Pi off of. If you read the introduction(which is all in italics) he talks about how he came to write the book, and one thing the author mentions is the first meeting of real-life Piscine. So while the story is going on, the author adds in his thoughts on the main character.
a b c d is blank(Write at least 20 characters to explain it well.)
Answer:
tldr: a goodyear is a blimp company, possibly size reference
Explanation:
hi there!
i've not read the book but:
goodyear is a company known for having advertising blimps. possibly it could be a reference to her size?
a quick search shows a quizlet that says the answer is
"Katie was so big, like the blimp. pg. 15"
hope this helps!