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Life Of Pi Quotes Courage

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As depicted in Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi acts of courage not only affect, but develop and nurture personal integrity. Contradicting his beliefs, Pi required great mental strength to finally “bring the hatchet down [...] and complete the action”(Pg 230) beheading a fish. Driven by Pi’s hunger to survive when “life is threatened” he carryouts acts that blunt his “sense of empathy”(Pg 151). With his acceptance of the courageous acts committed, Pi eventually becomes the same boy he was in India with an amazing story that will “make you believe in god”(Pg ix). After a complete paradigm shift of the world he knew. Although Pi has taken part in many faiths he must break his beliefs in order to survive. A task that had gotten easier through repetition was fishing and killing many sea animals (fish, turtles) in order to eat. Although this was difficult the first time, when he saw “the thing was gasping for water”(Pg230) he could not kill it. Pi …show more content…

With that part gone he no longer feared death, but rather he embraced it. Pi is able to carry on in complete knowledge of his inevitable fate perking up with nothing to lose. Salvation threatens Pi’s life when he makes it to the island. Realizing it was carnivorous and could kill him was not the only threat to his life. More important than physically dying on the island would have been emotionally dying there. There is a difference between surviving and living, had he chosen to stay Pi would have only been surviving. Pi would rather “perish in search of his own kind” rather than living a “lonely half life”(Pg 357). Showing that he still had faith that he would find true salvation in the arms of society, Pi leaves the island. This is all important to nurturing his his personal integrity; even though Pi had a lack of empathy when living on the boat he regains it. Regaining it when he made it to the mexican shore, with new insights on why animals kill to live, and just how much he needs other

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