The Relativity of Truth
Truth, traditionally defined, is that which is “in accord with fact or reality” (Merriam-Webster). Although our personal definitions of the word itself may vary slightly from this interpretation, truth remains integral to our understanding of reality. But, what if reevaluating the traditional definition of truth, could change our perception of reality? In Life of Pi, author Yann Martel challenges the conventional definition of truth with a more abstract interpretation: truth is shaped by the stories we choose to tell. Through Martel’s impactful use of an unreliable narrator and frame story to describe Pi’s survival on the Pacific Ocean and his challenge to the mainstream understanding of truth, I reexamined and strengthened my belief in the significance of storytelling and its influence on the way we discern truth and grasp reality.
Martel chronicles Pi’s life on the Pacific Ocean through …show more content…
Emily Esfahani Smith suggests that we tell stories in order to create a cohesive unified whole, making sense of the pieces, the constantly changing experiences and emotions of life. Martel’s framing of Pi as an unreliable narrator in the first story, reveals that in Pi’s attempt to make meaning of his trauma, he makes a significant narrative choice, erasing the line between fact and fiction. Despite the restriction to fact, just as Pi makes narrative choices to positively shape his story, so can each of us. Stories are a way to grasp and make sense of reality, and reshaping our stories to redemptive narratives can lead us to live more purposefully. Martel’s challenge of the mainstream understanding of truth led me to reevaluate my belief in the significance of storytelling and its influence on the way we discern truth and grasp
Truth, traditionally defined, is that which is “in accord with fact or reality” (Merriam-Webster). Although our personal definitions of the word itself may vary slightly from this interpretation, truth remains integral to our understanding of reality. But, what if reevaluating the traditional definition of truth, could change our perception of reality? In Life of Pi, author Yann Martel challenges the conventional definition of truth with a more abstract interpretation: truth is shaped by the stories we choose to tell. Through Martel’s impactful use of an unreliable narrator and frame story to describe Pi’s survival on the Pacific Ocean and his challenge to the mainstream understanding of truth, I reexamined and strengthened my belief in the significance of storytelling and its influence on the way we discern truth and grasp reality.
Martel chronicles Pi’s life on the Pacific Ocean through …show more content…
Emily Esfahani Smith suggests that we tell stories in order to create a cohesive unified whole, making sense of the pieces, the constantly changing experiences and emotions of life. Martel’s framing of Pi as an unreliable narrator in the first story, reveals that in Pi’s attempt to make meaning of his trauma, he makes a significant narrative choice, erasing the line between fact and fiction. Despite the restriction to fact, just as Pi makes narrative choices to positively shape his story, so can each of us. Stories are a way to grasp and make sense of reality, and reshaping our stories to redemptive narratives can lead us to live more purposefully. Martel’s challenge of the mainstream understanding of truth led me to reevaluate my belief in the significance of storytelling and its influence on the way we discern truth and grasp