Life Of Pi Religion Research Paper

The role religion in Pi’s devastating ordeal carries one of great importance however, it’s importance becomes quite diminished as Pi struggles to survive emotionally, physically and mentally “I began to wait. My thoughts swung wildly. I was either fixed on practical details of immediate survival or transfixed by pain, weeping silently, my mouth open and my hands at my head” (Martel 122). One could argue that this detracts from Martel’s claim to make one believe in God, but upon careful observation, it is glaring that Martel includes religion constantly throughout Pi’s ordeal through the use of symbolism and imagery. Firstly, the presence of God is introduced through the symbolic appearance of Orange Juice. The orangutan is introduced “… on

The author aims to impart the importance of religion in one’s life and does so by highlighting the beneficial results of faith in God by taking readers on an adventurous voyage with a sixteen-year-old Indian castaway. Martel’s writing is contradicted by the great role survival plays in this book, it becomes merely a biological story in which God’s role is not certain and instead useful as an aesthetic consolation (Prankaj M, 2005). Believing Pi is a big question that poses a leap of faith imposed upon readers, this leap of faith is hindered by the readers view of religion and if they are accepting of Pi’s trinity of religions (Boyagoda R, 2005). Unfortunately, Martel fails to capture the true reality of what religion is like in India as he is focused mainly on our protagonist who leads a quite privileged life (Boyagoda R, 2005). Nevertheless, Martel’s portrayal of God is one that is unique and willing to help man in discovering happiness and self-worth (Prankaj M, 2005), save for that his call to belief is rather personalized and too unreasonable. The use of fiction to find God or to help others find God, is a huge claim that Martel implies in the beginning of Life of Pi, this claim is however perturbed by the fact that fiction cannot create truth and hence shows the lack of understanding Martel has towards

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi, Vintage Canada, 2002.

2. Boyagoda, Randy. "Faith, Fiction, Flotsam." Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Tom Burns and Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 192, Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1100059009/LitRC?u=edmo91404&sid=LitRC&xid=9f8a8934. Accessed 25 Nov. 2017. Originally published in First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, May 2003, pp. 69-72.

3. Mishra, Pankaj. "The Man, or the Tiger?" Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Tom Burns and Jeffrey W. Hunter, vol. 192, Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/H1100059006/LitRC?u=edmo91404&sid=LitRC&xid=7101cd5c. Accessed 28 Nov. 2017. Originally published in New York Review of Books, vol. 50, no. 5, 27 Mar. 2003, pp.