Surroundings influence a person's life as much as fate or destiny. In Yann Martel’s novel, Life of Pi, fate throws Pi into the Pacific Ocean, although fate threw Pi, the ocean and the sky influences Pi’s life. The water shapes Pi’s moral and psychological traits through teaching him the will to live. Pi’s surroundings showed the extremes living organisms willinging go to in order to save themselves, sometimes changing their true nature. During Pi’s struggle to survive, his moral traits change. Pi grew up in a Hindu family. Hindus believe eating meat will hurt other life forms. Pi’s religion and his love for animals lead him to the vegetarian lifestyle. While out at sea, Pi adapted carnivorism. Pi needed to feed himself and more importantly Richard Parker. A school of flying fish fly over the lifeboat. Pi attempts to kill one but struggles between morality and survival, “A lifetime of peaceful vegetarianism stood …show more content…
The water brings Pi to his ultimate questioning of God. God helps Pi find a reason to stay alive but when Pi feels hopeless he struggles to keep his faith in check. In chapter seventy-four, Pi explains the religious rituals he practices. Although the rituals bring Pi comfort, he struggles to understand why God put him in his situation, “Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love - but sometimes it was so hard to love” (208). Pi wants to love God but finds the task difficult. During times when Pi feels distant from God, he attempts to bring himself back by recognizing God’s creations and how he fits into them. Pi starts feeling desperate and views each of God’s creations negatively. The final line solidifies Pi’s psychological view of God, “God’s ear didn’t seem to be listening” (209). Pi begins to question God’s plan. Pi’s psychological trait of faithfulness undergoes a transition when Pi feels hopeless drifting through the Pacific, attempting to find a reason to