Analytical Essay: Pi's Conversation With Father Martin

In the book coming up short, Jennifer Silva passionately speaks to 100 people in-depth, about why young adults are having such a hard time transitioning to adulthood in the society that we live in today. The interviews vary from men to women, white to black, and are ranged within the ages of twenty-four to thirty-four. Silva compares the different generations, and how they have different ways of growing into adulthood, and how they have to re-imagine adulthood. Highlighted is the fact that economic insecurity is affecting the ability to connect with others, get an education, make certain choices, and follow certain dreams. Silva writes: "experiences of powerlessness, confusion, and betrayal within the labour market, institutions such as education and the government, and the family teach young working-class men and women that they are completely alone, responsible for their own fates and dependent on outside help at their peril. They are learning the hard way that being an adult means trusting no one by yourself." Silva states that young working-class are going through many more struggles, and going through those struggles in a more difficult way than previous generations did to simply become an adult. “Whatever happens next, happens, and I will deal with it when it happens.” are one of the ways an interviewee is dealing with this problem, and quite frankly it is also my perspective.

In his novel, Life of Pi, Yann Martel (2001) conveys a complex story of religious encounters that takes place within Pi’s unconscious mind. Faith is especially vital to Pi during the worst of times, as the three religions he has learned, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity, give Pi guidance during his traumatic journey. Throughout the course of the narrative, Pi is stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. An essential portion of the novel is revealed to us when Pi finds himself yelling at the ocean, which represents God. This passage is significant because Pi begins to lose hope in surviving until he comes upon a free-floating island the next day.

When was the last time you were exposed to propaganda? If you think it was more than a day ago, you are probably unaware of what propaganda really is. According to Donna Woolfolk Cross in “Propaganda: How not to be Bamboozled,” propaganda is “simply a means of persuasion” (149). She further notes that we are subjected daily to propaganda in one form or another as advertisers, politicians, and even our friends attempt to persuade us to use their product, vote for them, or adopt their point of view. Propaganda is usually considered in a negative sense. However, when viewing propaganda as mere persuasion, one can readily appreicate that it is

Pi knows that science and research cannot fully explain the spiritual beauties he discovers throughout his life. He also knows that religion cannot substantiate scientific truth. Pi must understand the two subjects together in order to comprehend the complexity of the world.

Yann Martel establishes in the beginning of Life of Pi in the author’s note that the claim to the heart of the novel in this story will “make you believe in God.” Since God is an identity that exists in a fiction or non-fiction realm, the audience is led to believe that the story to be told is true, opening the reader to the idea that belief in anything can be belief in God. Pi makes sense of his life through the expressions of Hinduism, Christianity and Muslim, “That which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us and struggles for expression.” (Pg.68) This emphasizes Pi’s dedication and devotion to his religions and God. Martel is opening up to Pi’s story to convince the reader to find faith in Pi’s words.

As a young adult Pi learns that he did not find religion but instead religion was brought to him when he tells the narrator as that “Nobody knows God until somebody introduces us” (12). This sets up three different times of identity crises for

Throughout the novel, Pi’s thoughts reveal and internal struggle between his desire to live and his own beliefs to what is morally right. Pi grows up on varying religious viewpoints because he studies different religions. His religious diversity forms a moral standard of “dignity not …depravity” (Martel 71). He values dignity and character over corruption of morals initially because he sees

Throughout the story of Pi, there are often many references to his views on religion, which are thoroughly explored in the first chapters of the book. Whether it is through how different colors are described in a scene or through Pi directly stating his religious views, faith is a recurring theme and motif that is revisited throughout the book and is also represented in this passage. These ideas can be pieced together, interpreted, and used to form different questions about the story and its message about Pi’s struggle to survive while also struggling with his internal self and his ultimate journey to survival and peace.

The way Pi acts throughout his journey suggests that having faith is one of the most important practises to learn as it can give an individual hope. Pi has a strong connection to all his practising faiths: Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Society is set to have many unspoken rules that we must abide by to

identical to the one he saw after his first headache at the origin of his

Life of Pi is an incredible survival story written by Yann Martel. It follows a young protagonist named Piscine Patel, Pi, and his journey of hope and courage. His strength is grounded in his faith and religion, as well as his admiration for the startling world of science, and teaches that both science and religion can offer a unique perspective on the world around us. Pi has the simple yet extraordinary notion that even scientists can take a “leap of faith” (1), which enables them to be viewed in the religious community as “brothers” (4), rather than viewed as enemies of faith. The agnostics, however, are unable to conform to this way of society and are left in an indefinable moratorium. Life of Pi offers the unique perspective that science and religion can be balanced and gives one a greater appreciation of life. This idea is exemplified by Pi’s struggle for survival that ultimately is achieved through his concrete faith in religion and foundation in science.

Pi’s use of metaphorical language to describe his faith as a ‘house, which has many rooms.’ establishes how the protagonist’s experience to new beliefs and new perspectives has greatly influenced his interpretation of religion. This lets adherents understand that both the perspectives of Pi’s mother and father, combined with his own values and experiences of new belief systems have influenced his altered outlook. Equally the Poem ‘Invictus’ composed by William Ernst hill explores acceptance, spiritual dominance and the physical and emotional trauma endured by the composer Hill.

The evident motif of religion plays a major factor in Pi’s life; however the author chooses not to focus on one religion specifically but instead enforces a glorification of more religions. Martel creates a main character who is a curious young boy who decides to learn about Christianity, Hinduism and Islam all at once. Even though Pi is primarily

Pi gets introduced to Christianity when his family went on a vacation to Munnar and he saw that one of the hills had a Christian church on it. Pi went up to the church and walked around the building, upon seeing that the doors were open, he let himself in. Inside the church he meets Father Martin, who tells him a story about Jesus Christ. Pi is left in disbelief asking himself “what? Humanity sins but it’s God Son who pays the price?” (53). Even though Pi finds it strange he is fascinated by a God who gives up power and glory and tells us “…Jesus of Nazareth, whose humanity I found so compelling” (58) is the reason that Pi decides he wants to become Christian. Pi’s interest of Christianity shows that he

The adoption of national healthcare in America is having a profound effect on several American institutions such as government, workplace, and hospitals. This paper will explicate contrasting citizens’ social contract with the government before the passing of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and the social contract they had with American citizens after the ACA was put into effect. Additionally, the paper will demonstrate the roles of zealots, disciples and the congregation for and against the new national healthcare movement. Lastly, this paper will parallel alternative options to national healthcare plan.