An Analysis of Piscine’s Religious Beliefs in Relation to His Life
Life of Pi, written by Yann Martel explores the relation between religion and interpretation. The author creates an open door for the reader to digest the story in a number of manners causing it to be diverse. Not only is the audience compelled to be empathetic towards Piscine, but they ought to be altered spiritually and mentally due to this author’s agenda, and desired plan. This holistic route of understanding this story is purely a way of interpreting the world we live in. In this essay, I argue Yann Martel opened the door of interpretation when he used Piscine Patel’s story to encapsulate a plot that in turn would provoke readers to a state of transformation in
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This had to first be done through the acceptance of the story. Secondly, Martel wrote the story to then be interpreted by the readers. This is successfully done through leaving loose ends on particular areas in the story and forcing the audience to choose and decide what to believe.
The Life of Pi is situated on a fragile surface that is reliant on its reader to pick up the pieces through interpretation. The story is a puzzle, but if solved it changes everything. Furthermore, the main intent of Yann Martel is to cause some form of interpretation. What makes this difficult is the fact there is not one correct way to interpret this novel. Where does one start? To see the world of Piscine, one starting point is at the very beginning. The theme of life principles seems to carry throughout the entire story and this is what seems to guide his decisions. This includes his life principles, religious principles, and moral principles. As I said, it’s how you interpret it. However in this interpretation, the fundamental principle to focus on is his religious principles.
Religion as a Lifestyle
The author implemented every interesting detail concerning Piscine to further draw out the reading into Piscine’s life. Piscine’s first encounter with religious principles began with the statement: “we are all born like Catholics” (Martel 47). As an infant his mother took him to a temple and this is a possible reason for his deeply ignited
At the beginning of the novel, Pi’s story is described as “a story that will make you believe in God.” Writer himself Yann Martel was going thru his writers crisis, traveling world looking for a good story to write something about. Martel found a man who told his story. His man named Piscine Molitor Patel who is a practicing follower of three religions: Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. For this reason, extremely mature boy must constantly fight the lack of tolerance and understanding in his surroundings. While in the case of adult people the lack of a specific decision on the faith can be perceived as humiliating, but Pi is fully justified because of his young age. His desire is to find the road to the creator will be seriously tested during
He came from a household who only followed the religion of Hinduism. Pi was really interested in Religions and desired in to finding out who god was in order to strengthen his relationship with him. In order to fulfill his desires, he chose to learn about Christianity and Islam. It takes lots of time and determination to follow just one religion, but Piscine’s devotion let him follow all three religions at the same time. While practicing the other two religions, Pi’s parents found out and were not pleased. His parents tried to bait him into “refusing the call” and to remain faithful to only one religion, Hinduism. Pi’s parents decided to take their son to meet mentors. They met with a pundit, a priest and an imam to talk about Pi’s faith. “He can’t be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim. It’s impossible. He must choose” the Pundit explained. Regardless of the negativity everywhere, he still insisted in following what he believed in. Pi mentioned all that he really wanted to do is become closer to god. He used a very fascinating way when regarding those three religions, where he took the ups from each and used them in his daily life. This really shows Piscine’s dedication on what he believes
The Life of Pi is a book filled with many fantasy adventures that will have an excellent impact on what you may or not believe in. This novel was published in 2001 by author Yann Martel. Yann Martel is a writer who is trying to make sense of life, just like any other human being trying to deal with everyday obstacles. In this book we see that the protagonist, Piscine Molitor also known as Pi takes us through an adventure that will question our faith in religion. Pi is not pleased by only following his ancestors’ beliefs; he believes that there is much more to religion. In The life of Pi we see that Pi argues amongst his family in what he wants to believe in. His father is not at all religious and Pi has taken up religion as a hobby. Now Pi is a Hindu, Muslim and a Christian and he undergoes a tragedy, a shipwreck with his family on voyage to Canada from India. As he goes through this process it puts his faith to the test. At the time of this voyage he is a teenager exploring different beliefs and he sees nothing wrong with believing in three different religions. We can argue that there is a war between religion and science. Pi on the other hand does not argue with those of other beliefs, he calls the atheists his brethrens as well. “It was my first clue that atheist are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith. Like me, they go as far as the legs of reason will carry
Yann Martel establishes in the beginning of Life of Pi in the author’s note that the claim to the heart of the novel in this story will “make you believe in God.” Since God is an identity that exists in a fiction or non-fiction realm, the audience is led to believe that the story to be told is true, opening the reader to the idea that belief in anything can be belief in God. Pi makes sense of his life through the expressions of Hinduism, Christianity and Muslim, “That which sustains the universe beyond thought and language, and that which is at the core of us and struggles for expression.” (Pg.68) This emphasizes Pi’s dedication and devotion to his religions and God. Martel is opening up to Pi’s story to convince the reader to find faith in Pi’s words.
Throughout the novel, Pi’s thoughts reveal and internal struggle between his desire to live and his own beliefs to what is morally right. Pi grows up on varying religious viewpoints because he studies different religions. His religious diversity forms a moral standard of “dignity not …depravity” (Martel 71). He values dignity and character over corruption of morals initially because he sees
Throughout time, humans have written books based on various genres in an effort to tell a story, whether it is fact or fiction. Storytelling is one of the most beautiful ways to express ideas, and creative thoughts, involving characters, settings, to create a plot. Life of Pi, by Yann Martel, cleverly incorporates ambiguity from the omission of information, and lack of resolution. These aspects in turn, create the ambiguity, which leaves the reader to interpret the text in anyway. The ambiguity formed develops the significance of Pi’s storytelling, to the author and the readers. The post-modern aspects in Life of Pi, leave many things open to interpretation based on Pi’s storytelling ability.
Due to Pi’s devotion to all of his faiths, particularly Hinduism, not only changed how he thought about his current situation, but also changed how he would think about every single situation after in Martel’s Life of Pi.
“It is true that those we meet can change us, sometimes so profoundly that we are not the same afterwards, even unto our names.” This mighty quote, plummets out of the novel Life of Pi. Its idea of the story that Yann Martel tells in this novel is of a journey that makes the story sound realistic. It’s undoubtful that only a master storyteller, like Yann Martel himself, could write such dominant and lifting quotes. Martel gives us the novel Life of Pi, which is a coming of age story about a young boy who reaches maturity through tragic, but uplifting loss and miraculous survival. The story, Life of Pi, is reflected apron on a wild journey that comes with many adventures, tragics, some laughs, and also survival.
Some schools all over North America do not allow the teaching of world religions because it causes arguments in classrooms, it is unnecessary and it should not be taught under government-funded education.
The evident motif of religion plays a major factor in Pi’s life; however the author chooses not to focus on one religion specifically but instead enforces a glorification of more religions. Martel creates a main character who is a curious young boy who decides to learn about Christianity, Hinduism and Islam all at once. Even though Pi is primarily
In Shakespeare’s, “The Tragedy of Hamlet”, the protagonist, Hamlet, is a highly intelligent and perceptive man. His life turns awry after the death of his father and Hamlet faces his greatest moral dilemma. Likewise, Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” chronicles the life of a young Indian boy stranded on a boat with a Bengal tiger for 227 days with only his faith to keep him going. Both Piscine Patel and Prince Hamlet were deeply religious, however, their outlooks and philosophies on life were vastly different. Hamlet struggled to trust others, having only a true confidant in Horatio. Whilst Pi on the other hand, befriends everyone, even those who have opposing beliefs to him.
Everybody; no matter your religion, skin colour, or gender possess a combination of morals based on the things internally believed are right or wrong. These can be established through many influences including, social constructs, personal experiences, and upbringing. Yann Martel is constantly challenging the reader’s morals throughout Life of Pi, after Pi is on the lifeboat, he has to make the extremely hard decision between his own religious morals, and survival. In all of Pi’s dilemmas, survival always outweighs the “needs” of mankind 's culture, making these constructs no longer a priority. Utilitarianism, consequential versus categorical moral
Women make up just slightly over half the U.S population (US Census Bureau, 2010) and should not be even considered a part of a minority group. The female population should acquire the same equal research attention as men do, especially when it comes to health issues. The unavoidable, yet quite simple realities of breastfeeding, menstruation, menopause, along with pregnancy require special scrutiny from medical experts. Those medical specialties are generally referred as gynecologists or obstetrics, who focus on the exclusive needs of a female’s reproductive health throughout their lifespan. Historically, the health needs of women have been disregarded as well as their fundamental rights. However, over the past few decades, it has grabbed the media and the government’s attention causing some major changes in support of women’s rights and health care.
On its surface, Martel’s Life of Pi proceeds as a far-fetched yet not completely unbelievable tale about a young Indian boy named Pi who survives after two hundred twenty-seven days on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. It is an uplifting and entertaining story, with a few themes about companionship and survival sprinkled throughout. The ending, however, reveals a second story – a more realistic and dark account replacing the animals from the beginning with crude human counterparts. Suddenly, Life of Pi becomes more than an inspiring tale and transforms into a point to be made about rationality, faith, and how storytelling correlates the two. The point of the book is not for the reader to decide which
I was always troubled by the trash humans produce. I learned of this going on a scuba trip to florida, that allowed us to go down to a couple ships wrecks. Down there were the ships and coral reefs, which didn't surprise me. What did surprise me was the how oily the water was, how different it felt from salt water from New York. It made me realize how much humans affect our world. It was a life changing experience that made me want to tackle pollution wherever it is in the world. I wanted to protect the beautiful creatures i saw on land and in the ocean.