The Novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Life of Pi is a novel with many deep messages and complex ideas expressed throughout. The book which mainly centers around Pi Patel, an Indian teenage boy is about Pi’s early life and his journey on a life boat through the Pacific Ocean after a boat carrying his family himself and their zoo animals tragically sinks. Even though the book does center around a massive tragedy, Pi does survive, mainly because of his strong religious beliefs. In the book it’s stated that over time Pi becomes not only a believer in his birth religion of Hinduism but also the religions of Islam and Christianity.

In the book Pi’s faith is brought up constantly, whether it has to do with how he became religious. how constantly he shows his beliefs. or his interesting opinions on faith thus making the book almost centered around this important element. Ultimately Pi’s faith becomes not only a marvel of sorts but at one setter for the whole plot of the novel.

Near the beginning of the novel, Pi reveals himself to be not only religious. but also open to almost any and all religious views even ones that completely contradict his own. On pages 27-28. Pi begins to engage in a conversation with his former biology teacher Mr. Kumar. This conversation begins to expose Pi to atheism but this conversation reveals more than just a new concept foreign to Pi it also reveals Pi‘s willingness to accept all religious views. During the conversation.

Get quality help now

WriterBelle

Verified

Proficient in: Belief

4.7 (657)

“ Really polite, and a great writer! Task done as described and better, responded to all my questions promptly too! ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

Mr. Kumar states that he does not believe in God and later explains that he doesn‘t because as a small child he came down with polio a disease that often affects skeleton growth. He credits surviving this disease not to God but to the medicine he received while being treated. After hearing Mr. Kumar‘s remarks Pi goes on to state, “It was my first clue that atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith and every word they speak speaks faith.

Like me they go as far as the legs of reason will carry them-and then they leap.” From this. Pi shows he’s open to all opinions pertaining to religion but later there‘s something revealed that Pi can’t stand agnostics. During the book Life of Pi. Pi Patel exemplifies immaculate respect toward all religious beliefs. With this said there is one thing that Pi just completely disagrees with, agnostics. Agnostics are people who don’t believe there is or is not a God, and Pi can’t stand this as he believes even though all people must play with doubt, to choose doubt as a full belief is like choosing to stand still instead of moving forward. This is best expressed in paragraph five of page twenty-eight, where Pi says. “To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.” This statement could be translated in many ways but can be summoned up simply by saying to be agnostic, is like standing still. while everything else is moving. you are stiff as a brick lost in a confused state of thought.

Now with all this said about Pi’s respect for religion and strong disregard toward agnostics there‘s even more to be said about how Pi enumerates his religious beliefs. As you read Life of Pi religion constantly is brought up. mainly pertaining to how Pi uses it in his day-to-day life. Born a Hindu. Pi later becomes affiliated with not only his native religion but also as with being a believer of the Islamic and Christianity faiths. Besides believing in many religions Pi also never sways from being a heavily religious person. even in times of complete hardship. While Pi is on the life boat after the sinking of the ship carrying his family he reveals his daily schedule for life on the boat. This schedule showed that even in times when many would sway away from their beliefs he stayed straight to his beliefs showing his everlasting love for God.

This is proven because in the schedule Pi unveils he prayed five times a day while stranded on the boat. Through this. he confides his love for God and shows that even in times of complete distress he found ways to keep his faith Pi demonstrates that religion was not just a part of his life. but really how he lived his life. All in all the novel Life of Pi is not just an incredible work of literature filled with many deep messages and complex ideas but a novel about how one boy‘s faith helped him accomplish an almost impossible goal. While being a man of three faiths, and a constant worshiper to his belief he also shows a more powerful trait: the ability to accept any belief system even ones that involve the belief in no God at all. Pi shows constantly that the belief in religion is not just something you sayjust to show you’re a part of it, but something you live out in your every day life. Ultimately Pi‘s faith turns out to not only be a marvel, but a tone setter for the whole novel of Life of Pi.