Religion is “the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods” (Dictionary). In society, many people follow the ethics of certain religions in order to make decisions about their life. The author Yann Martel uses Piscine Molitor Patel in the novel Life of Pi to send a message to readers about using ambiguity to create a theme about morality through the use of religion as spiritual beliefs can stabilize and nourish one in times of hardship. The use of religion, story-telling and science compared to religion resulted in ambiguity and therefore illustrated the theme of the importance of morality.
“I have a story to make you believe in God” (Martel ix). However, the interpretation of “God” is very fluid. There are hundreds of religions throughout the world, each of which has thousands of followers. The four main ones however, are Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. All but one, Buddhism, focus on one or more God(s). In Yann Martel’s book, Life of Pi, Pi breaks the social norm and follows all four religions as opposed to one. Throughout the novel, Pi follows Christianity, Hinduism and Islam, while subconsciously practicing Buddhism.
The Life of Pi is a book filled with many fantasy adventures that will have an excellent impact on what you may or not believe in. This novel was published in 2001 by author Yann Martel. Yann Martel is a writer who is trying to make sense of life, just like any other human being trying to deal with everyday obstacles. In this book we see that the protagonist, Piscine Molitor also known as Pi takes us through an adventure that will question our faith in religion. Pi is not pleased by only following his ancestors’ beliefs; he believes that there is much more to religion. In The life of Pi we see that Pi argues amongst his family in what he wants to believe in. His father is not at all religious and Pi has taken up religion as a hobby. Now Pi is a Hindu, Muslim and a Christian and he undergoes a tragedy, a shipwreck with his family on voyage to Canada from India. As he goes through this process it puts his faith to the test. At the time of this voyage he is a teenager exploring different beliefs and he sees nothing wrong with believing in three different religions. We can argue that there is a war between religion and science. Pi on the other hand does not argue with those of other beliefs, he calls the atheists his brethrens as well. “It was my first clue that atheist are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry
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.
In “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”, a mysterious old man with wings is found in a village. The family that has found him place him in a chicken coop, where crowds soon flock to so that they may pay a fee to see him. In the Life of Pi, Piscine recounts to a writer the story about his childhood experience of being stranded in the ocean. He claims to have been accompanied on a lifeboat by zoo animals, most notably a tiger named Richard Parker. In “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings” and in Life of Pi religion takes the role of a fantasy invented to satisfy the desire for a more satisfying reality.
Beliefs are the things in life that create us as humans. They shape our opinions and how we react to situations. In the book Life of Pi, Piscine Patel must face a long and treacherous journey on a lifeboat with a Bengal Tiger, Hyena, orangutan, and a zebra after a shipping boat he and his family were on sank. There are many beliefs Pi developed in India that influenced his actions taken on the boat. The three beliefs that are revealed on the lifeboat were Pi’s ideas that god influences situations, his belief that all life is sacred and his knowledge that animals are dangerous creatures.
Throughout Martel’s book, he explores different themes, such as religion and faith, suffering, and survival. Pi discovers hope in religion by keeping faith to God throughout the whole book and worshipping him in three different religions. “‘Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’ I just want to love God’” (Martel 69). Pi has
The movie "Life of Pi" (2012) is a fantasy adventure movie. It was about an Indian guy saying his adventure to a novelist. Main character Pi, is an Indian boy whom lost his family while moving to Canada. He was alone at sea with a tiger. Trapped at sea in a lifeboat with a hungry tiger, he survived despite many disadvantages and difficulties. He eventually reached the coast of Mexico and the tiger left toward a jungle nearby.
In the story “Life of Pi” By Yann Martel in the year 2001 the novel talks about a character called pisco Molitar, Pi a sixteen-year-old South Indian boy who survives at sea with a tiger for 227 days and how he debates on what religion would be right for himself and what his parents think of it. However, the novel pointedly refrains from advocating any single religious faith over another,it would either have been Christianity,Islam or Hinduism of choice he would arrange with when he gets to know about each religion. Pi has studied and memorized the stories of all the various incarnations of the Hindu gods, maintaining shrines in his home to many of them. This is one way how Pi has been interested in becoming one region in favor of the way it can treat human life or his cultural movement. He also possesses a crucifix and a rosary, going to church on Sundays and praying to Jesus. He owns and proudly uses a prayer rug,to pray and not play around with the
A person’s life is an accumulation of experiences; however these experiences solely do not define life without specific meanings behind them. In Yann Martel’s 2001 novel Life of Pi, the author chooses to reveal an alternative story at the end of the novel. This alternative option allows the readers to choose which story to believe. Thus, Martel effectively uses the better story as; a metaphor for religion, to expand the readers’ imagination, and to imply its significant effects. Through these concepts he demonstrates the true meaning behind dry yeastless facts, which requires a leap of faith from the reader.
In Yann Martel's novel Life of Pi, Pi goes through an evolving journey, in this venture over sea Pi entrusts Gods of three separate religions to protect him against the treacherous terrors he overcome on the sea; however, not one of his cultures are perfect. In fact, he hardly worships each of them in whole; he always praises the Gods that he recognizes to help him in his interminable perpetual journey.
Religion is an important part of human life. For some it is a collection of myths that can lead to madness, but for many it is a source of comfort, protection, and hope. In Life of Pi, written by Yann Martel, the main character is so enamored with religion that he decides to follow three vastly different religions, claiming that they all focus on his deep love for God. However, many people disagree with the idea that religion is meant to share love. Many people also believe that religion is dangerous, and that it causes discrimination, violence, and oppression.
I think that faith plays a significant role in shaping Pi´s personality of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. Pi was born in Hindu and at the age of 14 Pi met Jesus Christ. When Pi met Jesus Christ he became a christian and began attending church. A year later Pi decided to change his religion and become a Muslim. He became a Muslim because he met a baker and the baker told him all about his religion and Pi decided he wanted to be a Muslim. Pi continues with his three religions Hinduism, Catholic and Muslim. He attends certain events when they have then for each religion. When everyone found out the Pi was in three different religions they didnt seem to like it but they couldnt stop him from believing.
A Bildungsroman is a type of novel that tells the story of the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development of the protagonist either from childhood to maturity or as the result of an extraordinary experience. An example of this is the novel, “Life of Pi” because Pi grows from boy to man. He had to mature very quickly by having to take care of himself in order to survive.
In the words of Gandhi, “The essence of all religions is one. Only their approaches are different”. In the story Life of Pi, Pi Patel personally experiences different aspects of four religions including Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam. The author, Yann Martel promotes the concept of believing in more than one religion by exemplifying the diversities within each faith.