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Life Of Pi And Savagery Essay

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In 2002 The New York Times wrote an article about the controversy over the similarities between Yann Martel's Life of Pi and "Max and the Cats". "Max and the Cats", published 20 years prior to Life of Pi has a similar story with a man being lost at sea with a jaguar. In the novel Max, the main character, clashes with the jaguar, who represents his animalistic shadow. This clash between man and animal is also a central point in Life of Pi. While on his journey, Pi gains the characteristics of his shadow, savagery and a strong will to live, however, in the end, he still maintains and gains religious and faithful qualities. Pi spends his time in India learning about the ideas of science and religion, his faith in God still untested. In his annotative article Gregory Stephens, a professor, says, "Pi's belief in God is framed within the context of having to balance science and religion" (Stephens). This balance is evident in Pi's admiration of Mr. …show more content…

When he lands on the beach Pi says, "I thought, of God. Of course, I wasn't. This beach, so soft, firm and vast, was like the cheek of God, and somewhere two eyes were glittering with pleasure and a mouth was smiling at having me there" (Patel 285). Abandoned by even his shadow, Pi shifts his focus back to God. The way he speaks is much less vivid than before and quite simpler. When talking to the Japanese men Pi says, "Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer. What is your problem with hard to believe" (Patel 297). Pi reflects that "God is hard to believe", something he struggles with while on the boat with Richard Parker. Now that Pi has returned to civilization he realizes how strangely he acted. After returning to civilization Pi regains his humanity and also gains a faith deeper than just practices and

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Pi’s mentor on the journey was a God. He exercised three religions at once. These religions include Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. “We are all born without religion, until some figure introduces us to God” (58). Pi navigated the threshold when the ship he was traveling on, Tsimtsum, sank in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

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As he says in the book, "They didn't know that I practiced Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam" (Martel 64). He says that these religions can coexist together and accommodate each other, with awesome consolation in their teachings. However Pi travels further, he faces troublesome challenges, and his confidence is tried. He realizes that his convictions may not be sufficient to secure him from the cruel substances of the world, and he starts to think about if his religions are truly sufficient. As stated in the book, "Bapu Gandhi said, 'All religions are true', and I just want to love God.".

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Very much like an archetypal hero, Pi leaves his familiar world and crosses the threshold into a foreign world as he prepares for his strength of will to be tested. This forces Pi to embrace ordeal upon ordeal in the middle of the Pacific ocean through physical pain and mental suffering. One such ordeal is fighting the awareness of certain death and the mental torment associated with

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Pi emphasizes the importance of choosing the better story, believing that imagination is far greater than cold hard facts. Pi embraces many religions as a child, and their rich narratives provide great meaning and dimension to his life. In his interviews with the Japanese investigators after his

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Early on in the book, it was very apparent that Pi took religion very seriously. His childhood, however, was about trying to find that perfect religion for him. Pi said, “I am a Hindu because of a sculptured cones of red kumkum powder and baskets of yellow turmeric nuggets, because of garlands of flowers and pieces of broken coconut, because of the clanging of bells to announce one’s arrival to God” (47). Through Pi’s childhood, he was brought up at a Hindu mostly because of his parents. As a child, one does not usually get to decide what religion he/she is.

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In part one we are introduced to Pi’s polytheistic perspective, where he believes in Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. After building up enough courage Pi asks his parents for a prayer rug and to be baptised. Pi declares, “I would like to pray outside without getting my pants dirty. And I’m attending a Christian school without having received the proper baptism of Christ” (Martel 79). After much consideration, Pi’s parents agree to both requests.

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Life Of Pi - Quotation Analysis “I can well imagine an atheist’s last words… and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, “Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,” and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story” (Martel 64). 1. In this quotation, Pi Patel describes the difference between agnostics and atheist. There have been certain times in my life when I believe there could be a god, and times when I don’t.

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In the American Civil War the advancement of weaponry caused many injuries and deaths. This led to infection and the advancement of surgical procedures and amputation. The most common Civil War surgery was amputation. Anesthesia was used in 95% of Civil War surgeries. By the Civil War anesthetic qualities of chloroform and ether were well known (Reimer).

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Pi’s firm belief in his faith keeps him alive by testing his spiritual and physical strength. Even during his weakest days Pi fought for his life against Richard Parker and the elements, his faith pushed him to have hope and to fight against his fear to survive. During his time on the life boat Pi states that he worries that his “faith will sink to the bottom of the pacific and he wouldn’t be able to lift it back up” (263). In Pi’s childhood he took on 3 religions Islam, Hinduism and Christianity.

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The Quest of Pi The Life of Pi a quest with an strong influence of religion that is apparent throughout the story. “We are all born like Catholics, aren't we--in limbo without religion, until some figure introduces us to god” (Martel 58). Piscine Molitor Patel a young Indian teen has a unique infatuation with religion. Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi, Gave Pi or Piscine an interesting life that is different from others.

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With the combination of magical realistic events and Pi’s religious beliefs, Pi along with the reader a contemplates life’s concepts. From the very beginning, Pi makes his love and yearning for religion clear. As Life of Pi progresses, the protagonist picks up multiple religions as he travels through the novel. With the addition of first Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, Pi gains attention from leaders and priests of these faiths. Conflict commences with the religious leaders of these individual faiths.

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He is unable to understand why the Lord isn’t listening to his prayers and why everything is detrimental to him. Keeping his religious beliefs at sea is very challenging for Pi, this leads him to experience feelings of disbelief towards God. Despite his doubts, Pi continues to pray and practice his religions. He eventually comes to the conclusion that once everything is taken away from him and he is in complete darkness, he will always have his faith. He admits that loving God is difficult, but it’s something he must do if he is to survive his journey across the ocean.

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The Age of Enlightenment, which is also known as the Age of Reason, had sparked many new ideas for individuals all across Europe, during the seventeenth century. The Enlightenment Movement, which would eventually make its way towards the West, had brought forth a new way of thinking for all and went against traditional ways and order. With the magnificent rise of scientific and intellectual progress, many believed that this would be a time in which humanity could flourish and the fate of their future lied within their hands. Although these ideas provided a sense of self-confidence and desire for improvement within individuals, it did not last long until the occurrence of dreadful World War I. The time period following this war would leave those who once

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