Yann Martel’s novel Life of Pi focused on the life of an Indian boy named Piscine Molitor Patel, also known as Pi, deals with a different way in that language was misused. The main plotline in this novel is that Pi’s family lives in Pondicherry, India and his father is a director of the zoo, but a political problem in India forces them to sell their animals and move to Canada. On the way the cargo ship they were on sank, everyone in the Patel family, except for Pi, are lost at sea. Pi, on a lifeboat with a tiger named Richard Parker, finds himself sharing water, rations, and freshly caught sea life with the tiger, whom he later trains and masters. The two later have a confrontation with another blind castaway which Richard Parker then eats
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The book based on how it was viewed, show the religious belief of Pi as metaphorical, or can show Pi’s beliefs as an example that God exists outside the boundaries of practiced religion. (Stephens 1) Pi is trained in and planned to conquer Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam as religions, and throughout the novel references all three religions and their deities for help “Vishnu preserve me, Allah protect me, Christ save me” (Martel 108). Along with this Pi had to use a scientific thinking and logic as well to fix his problems such as feeding Richard Parker, and training him to obey Pi. (Stephens 6) This comparison between the different thoughts of religion, and the shift into scientific thinking, which was common throughout the book, created new discussion on the idea of religion, and what belief is. In Pi’s interviews with the Japanese investigators, believing for them was purely objective, and what they had evidence for was what happened, which was not the case in the novel, saying “No scientist would believe you” (Martel 326). Pi’s beliefs were that it’s not just about believing in your deity, but also taking learnings from science as well and using a fluid mix of the two to solve problems and progress forward in life. (Stephens 7) This is what Martel makes as a resounding theme throughout the novel, and this type of thinking is reinforced throughout the novel as to make it a change that is seen in the reader’s minds as they read the
The book based on how it was viewed, show the religious belief of Pi as metaphorical, or can show Pi’s beliefs as an example that God exists outside the boundaries of practiced religion. (Stephens 1) Pi is trained in and planned to conquer Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam as religions, and throughout the novel references all three religions and their deities for help “Vishnu preserve me, Allah protect me, Christ save me” (Martel 108). Along with this Pi had to use a scientific thinking and logic as well to fix his problems such as feeding Richard Parker, and training him to obey Pi. (Stephens 6) This comparison between the different thoughts of religion, and the shift into scientific thinking, which was common throughout the book, created new discussion on the idea of religion, and what belief is. In Pi’s interviews with the Japanese investigators, believing for them was purely objective, and what they had evidence for was what happened, which was not the case in the novel, saying “No scientist would believe you” (Martel 326). Pi’s beliefs were that it’s not just about believing in your deity, but also taking learnings from science as well and using a fluid mix of the two to solve problems and progress forward in life. (Stephens 7) This is what Martel makes as a resounding theme throughout the novel, and this type of thinking is reinforced throughout the novel as to make it a change that is seen in the reader’s minds as they read the