Life Of Pi Religion Essay

1. Firstly, part three of the novel presents the reader with a change in the form of the narrative. Up until chapter ninety-six, as we’ve seen, the novel has consisted of two types of narrative: first person from the point of view of the author, and Pi’s first-person account, which is constructed by the author. Now, the exchanges between Pi, Mr. Okamoto, and Mr. Chiba are entirely dialogue. The new form of narrative is a third-person transcription, which lacks rich detail, potential illusion, and over exaggeration. As an audience, we perceive this as solid, factual information. But, Pi is also preparing to retell another version of his survival story. We now have to decide what story—one, both, or none, is the true story.

Before the ship sank, even before they went on the ship, Pi says that religion will save him. I think this statement is very true because it has saved him throughout his journey. He survived because of his religion. He says it himself that religion will save him, and it did save him.

Pi's story of survival is one based on and very similar to two stories in the bible. The first is David and Goliath, a story of overcoming overwhelming odds. David, just like Pi ,was a young teenager at the time and managed to kill a powerfully known giant, Goliath. What are the chances? Same goes for Pi, a youth who survived 227 days with a tiger. He too overcame the odds, so much so, it was unbelievable. Even the investigators said, "In an lifeboat? Come on, Mr. Patel it's just too hard to believe!...We just don't believe there was a tiger on your lifeboat" (Martel, 163). Jonah and the whale is another biblical story that illustrates similar motives in Pi. Jonah refused to let his life "end" and get eaten by the whale. The same case with Pi, but instead of a whale, it was a tiger he refused to get eaten by. He set out a plan to tame Richard Parker until one day "...the lifeboat was resembling a zoo enclosure more and more: Richard Parker had his sheltered area for sleeping and resting, his food stash, his lookout, and now his water hole" (Mantel,101). From the beginning of the story, Pi spent a significant amount of time studying religion. One in particular was Christianity, a religion that teaches both these stories. If one overcame the odds and the other managed not to get swallowed by the whale, what were the chances he would merit to be just like them?

In Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi, he wants the reader to decipher whether his first story or his second story is real. The first story consists of the protagonist, Piscine Patel, being trapped on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, and many other animals from his father’s zoo after they were lost together at sea. In the second story, Piscine re-tells a different story with a chef, his mother, and a sailor, this was to give the Japanese investigators “a story that wont surprise them (you)” (Martel 302). Martel clearly wishes the reader to understand why “Pi” might

Once Pi has finished telling both of his stories, he asks which one the men prefer to believe, since neither of them make a difference (317). They both reply that the story with the animals makes for a much more interesting story (317) and then reference that story in their official report (319). Each person decides what they believe and that decides what becomes truth to them. To every individual what is true can be completely different based on their thoughts and

The connection between the two stories is evident as “his [Pi’s] stories match.” The fact that Pi is able to connect both stories in such a manner prompts the inference of the first story being a mask over the tragic reality of the second story. Piscine is still just a young adult and his reaction to the traumatic experience at sea is to craft a story with animals in order to justify the “savagery I [Pi] never imagined possible.” Moreover, the lack of credibility within the first story is further justified through Pi’s insistence on “which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?" Pi’s defence when criticized on his stories “believability”, differs the question and he attempts to convince Mr. Okamoto that the first story is true as “it's an incredible story.

The effect of religion on Pi is very significant throughout his journey. Pi overcomes depression, hunger, thirst, and fear, on the boat with the unique help of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Pi is nourished during his journey when he encounters the algae island, a symbol of faith. Pi encounters the algae island after traveling long and far. At this point, Pi is feeling desperate

During Pi’s interview with two Japanese men, he told them a different story, two stories to be exact. He told his journey we all know and another version, a human version. In the human version of P’s story Orange Juice was his mom, the zebra was the sailor, the hyena was the cook, and the adult Bengal tiger was none other than Pi. Pi’s second story could be real or made up, but that

In Part Three, two officials from the Japanese Ministry of Transport interview Pi about his time at sea, hoping to shed light on the fate of the doomed ship. Pi tells the story, but it does not fully satisfy the skeptical men. So he tells it again, this time replacing the animals with humans: a ravenous cook instead of a hyena, a sailor instead of a zebra,

Theme of Religion After the start of this novel we see Pi's devotion to his three religions: Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. Pi trusts that through a higher force he has possessed the capacity to survive falling forty feet onto a lifeboat. His confidence increases and makes him and the theme of religion more grounded all in all starting here on. Pi now trusts that it is this higher force that is keeping him alive.

Religion not only incorporates into Pi's daily life, but also determines his life or death. Religion helps Pi to survive the storm. When Pi's ship sank, his family was buried in the sea; religion became the only faith that supported him to survive. 227 days after he was drifting, only one bengal tiger accompanied him. But faith in religion keep him persisted and alive. At the end of the 227 days of rafting with a bengal tiger, he always said to others: "I have a story that will convince you of God," God helped. He, as if by chance, was God's arrangement, as if from the very beginning. Among all, he is the only one who believes in three regions. From immigrating to Canada with all families, to the sinking of the boat, he became the only one who is alive.

Furthermore, his vast knowledge of animals, having grown up at a zoo, helps him to tame Richard Parker. Pi knows tigers’ psychological thinking and exploits this by classically conditioning Richard Parker. Likewise, Pi’s experience of watching a tiger kill a goat in his early childhood taught him the fundamental lesson that ‘an animal is an animal’, enabling him to strategically and mentally survive his long and testing time at sea. In addition to that, during the early parts of Part 2, Pi comes across a survival manual, a crucial object for his continued existence. The book gives him critical information on the do’s and don’ts of survival at sea and it is hard to imagine that Pi could have survived without this book which also gave him the opportunity to write down his words which were “all he has left’’.

Pi is ridiculed in the film by his father for believing in too many religions, the two main religions of India is hinduism and buddhism however Pi being the precocious boy he is develops an understanding for a couple of religions and practices the faith of christianity, hinduism, and islam. Being stranded on

In The Life of Pi by Yann Martel, Pi's compelling struggle to survive in the vast Pacific Ocean tests his faith and devotion. Religion is one of the main themes in the book. Pi Patel was involved in three religions: Catholicism, Hinduism, and Islam. Catholicism seems to be the religion that Pi really connects with. Pi’s love for God is shown throughout the book.

First, Pi tells them the story about his survival with wild animals while drifting at sea. However, the officials disbelieve it as it is rather far-fetched in their views. Noticing this reaction, Pi tells them another version of his story, which replaces animals with humans. They notice some similarities between the two stories, which increases their confusion. Such a deceitful behavior of distorting a story represents the human nature to exaggerate and alter the truth to avoid being judged and punished. The reason why he gives a second version to his story is to satisfy the two confused officials, but in fact, his second story confuses them even more, which shows that deceit does not help to clarify a difficult situation and it only complicates communication. In other words, deceit is a trait that humans succumb to more often than they should, which explains why the human society is not