The Faith Motif in Life of Pi Throughout history, innumerable lives have been lost at the hands of religion. Religion and faith have always been integral factors of society dating back to earlier civilizations. Religious believers operate on the inherent basis that their chosen belief is superior to all other religions creating tears in the fabric of the human race which is shown throughout the novel, Life of Pi. Throughout his endeavor, the main character, Pi Patel discovers unifying elements from Hinduism, Islam and Christianity to survive for 227 days at sea.Yann Martel, a French-Canadian author, received criticism for Life of Pi due to some believing his “heavy-headedness about faith in God served to underestimate both religion and literature”
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The color orange serves to put him at ease both mentally and physically due to saffron in the Hindu religion representing safety and security. After the unfortunate sinking of the Tsimtsum, Pi associates the color orange with survival and hope. Pi thinks of Orange Juice, the orangutan, fondly recalling “Orange Juice had not only cheered me up; she had also taken on both our feelings of seasickness. I was feeling fine now” (153). To Pi, Orange Juice represents a protective motherly figure and he associates her with safety and survival. To an extent, Orange Juice symbolizes the potential reincarnation of Pi’s mother serving as a renewal of hope for Pi and strengthening his will to survive. Reincarnation and the cycle of rebirth, a foundational belief of Hinduism, also known as samsara, is a strong feature in Pi’s life; he even attempts to associate the orange hue of the animals with people in past his life. The intense Hindu presence on the lifeboat and in Pi’s everyday life aid Pi in his survival on the lifeboat and remind Pi of the safety and security that Hinduism, represented symbolically through the color orange, …show more content…
Pi is flooded with beauty in every shade of green, representing the color of Islam and the enveloping influence it has on him. Pi is reminded of the refreshing effect of green in everyday life. All of a sudden Pi discovers it, a lush green oasis; “‘Look for green,’ said the survival manual. Well, this was green. In fact, this was chlorophyll heaven” (324). The idea that Islam is fresh and new and that it represents the will and ability to thrive help restore Pi’s faith. Pi’s hope in survival is renewed when he comes upon the vibrant hues of green, symbolizing the strong presence of Islam in his surroundings. One of the foundational beliefs of Islam, the idea of putting faith in as a guarantee to one’s healthy state of mind, helps Pi remain steadfast in his religious beliefs and find motivation to survive. Martel’s use of colors to correlate with certain religions and in this example, green correlating with Islam, serves to show the continuities between everyday symbols such as colors with overarching ideas such as religious faiths. Additionally, this shows that religion is always present in people’s lives and and religion symbolizes more than simply a mere silhouette of its
The color orange serves to put him at ease both mentally and physically due to saffron in the Hindu religion representing safety and security. After the unfortunate sinking of the Tsimtsum, Pi associates the color orange with survival and hope. Pi thinks of Orange Juice, the orangutan, fondly recalling “Orange Juice had not only cheered me up; she had also taken on both our feelings of seasickness. I was feeling fine now” (153). To Pi, Orange Juice represents a protective motherly figure and he associates her with safety and survival. To an extent, Orange Juice symbolizes the potential reincarnation of Pi’s mother serving as a renewal of hope for Pi and strengthening his will to survive. Reincarnation and the cycle of rebirth, a foundational belief of Hinduism, also known as samsara, is a strong feature in Pi’s life; he even attempts to associate the orange hue of the animals with people in past his life. The intense Hindu presence on the lifeboat and in Pi’s everyday life aid Pi in his survival on the lifeboat and remind Pi of the safety and security that Hinduism, represented symbolically through the color orange, …show more content…
Pi is flooded with beauty in every shade of green, representing the color of Islam and the enveloping influence it has on him. Pi is reminded of the refreshing effect of green in everyday life. All of a sudden Pi discovers it, a lush green oasis; “‘Look for green,’ said the survival manual. Well, this was green. In fact, this was chlorophyll heaven” (324). The idea that Islam is fresh and new and that it represents the will and ability to thrive help restore Pi’s faith. Pi’s hope in survival is renewed when he comes upon the vibrant hues of green, symbolizing the strong presence of Islam in his surroundings. One of the foundational beliefs of Islam, the idea of putting faith in as a guarantee to one’s healthy state of mind, helps Pi remain steadfast in his religious beliefs and find motivation to survive. Martel’s use of colors to correlate with certain religions and in this example, green correlating with Islam, serves to show the continuities between everyday symbols such as colors with overarching ideas such as religious faiths. Additionally, this shows that religion is always present in people’s lives and and religion symbolizes more than simply a mere silhouette of its