Both stories Pi tells to the Japanese Ministry of Transport have some element of truth in them. Whether Richard Parker was real or not, he kept Pi alive, either as a companion or as Pi’s survival instinct, and that is the reality of the situation. The truth about which story is real might not be known, but either way Pi was able to survive.

The author develops the motif of faith throughout the novel first by mentioning that Pi follows three religions and has a respect for atheists in their ability to believe without proof. The author continues with the idea of faith by having Pi continue to believe in religion through his time in the life boat, and finishes the idea of faith off with the two stories and which story people will chose to have