Essays On Life Of Pi

Life Of Pi Identity Essay
In part 1 of the novel "Life of Pi" the reader learns about many different components of Pi Patel's
identity; however there are 3 specific branches of his identity that help him during his shipwreck.
The main 3 that aid him are his knowledge of animals, his religious beliefs, and his ability to think
logically. Each of these factors contribute to Pi's survival on the ocean and this is why.
In the beginning of the novel we learn that Pi's studied zoology in college because of this Pi has
vast knowledge on animal behavior and actions. This is shown on page 3 when the author states
"My majors were religious studies and zoology." This gives Pi vast schooling about the different
creatures of the world. This information comes in handy later on in the story when Pi is faced with
a Bengal tiger...show more content...
When Pi first broads the ship he forgets that Richard Parker, the tiger, is present; however when the
tiger appears and kills the hyena Pi is given a surprise about exactly how dangerous his predicament
is. Although Pi is faced with a 450–pound carnivore, he is able to train it and they coexist peacefully.
This is only one of Pi's characteristics that assist him in his problem.
Throughout the 1st part of the novel we see Pi grow up and adopt many contrasting religious
beliefs. Pi was born Hindu, which is shown on page 66 when the 3rd religious men are arguing
about Pi's belief, "Nonsense!" cried the pandit. "Piscine was born a Hindu, lives a Hindu and will
die a Hindu!" This quote presents that Pi follows the Hindu religion, he however also follows both
Islamic and Christian faiths as well. These are both shown on two different page, for Christianity
this is displayed on page 57 when the text states, " I booted up that hill. Though Father Martin was
no IN– alas, his block was slid over– thank God he was in. Short of breath I said,
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Life of Pi Essay
Life of Pi Analytical Essay In the novel Life of Pi, Yann Martel uses the protagonist Pi to
demonstrate how faith, ritual and one's will to live save one from the barbaric and carnivorous
reality. Pi Patel, lover of faith and various gods and their beliefs loses his family after a shipwreck
and drifts on the Pacific Ocean with a zebra, hyena, orangutan and a tiger, Richard Parker each
struggling in their own way to survive. Yann Martel uses the protagonist Pi to claim that one retains
his or her survival will through writing. Martel includes the fact that Pi writes, "I die" as his pen
runs dry because it symbolizes the break of his daily ritual. Pi unconsciously makes a ritual for
himself daily to follow in order keep himself busy...show more content...
The journal keeps Pi from cannibalism and alleviates his loneliness but as journal entries stopped,
Pi gradually began to lose his sense of humanity. Pi's last entry in his journal, "I die" signified as
the death of his humanity and "driven by the extremity of my [Pi's] need and the madness to which
it pushed me, I ate some of his flesh" (322). Due to Pi's religion, he is a vegetarian and refuses to eat
meat yet to survive, he abandons humanity. Being at sea gradually forces Pi to lose memories of
his life in society. Pi admits to his "madness" when he decides to eat human flesh. From the
perspective of society, eating human flesh is judged as cannibalism and when Pi begins to accept
the fact of eating human flesh, he has already begun to lose a part of his humanity. Writing in the
journal allows Pi to retain the thinking of society including its norms such as the consuming of the
same species is unjust and mentally insane. When Pi's ink starts to run out, he is unable to
continue writing and that ends his last form of connection to his previous life living on land. At
this point of the novel, Pi acknowledges his decline of humanity and with it, degrades himself and
his will to live when he eats human flesh. Judging himself with the eyes of society, Pi begins to
waver in his faith to survive. If Pi were able to continue his journal, Pi would not have mentally
been driven to its end forcing Pi to give

Life Of Pi Research Paper
The story "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel has various themes. This story is about a boy who struggles
with three religions; therefore religion becomes the theme of the book. This boy who has been
stranded at sea on a lifeboat with a bengal tiger named Richard Parker, for two hundred and twenty
seven days, near death, gets through his journey through religion. Pi's experiences influence the way
he acts, what he believes in, and what kind of person he has become. Pi was raised Hindu, but he
has a longing to love God in every way he can. At the age fourteen, Pi investigates two more
religions: Christianity and Islamic. He decides to become adherent in all three. His parents do not
agree but he follows through with it anyway. These religions are a part of how Pi deals with his
situation on the lifeboat.
Pi's parents did not know about him practicing three religions at first. A priest told his parents that
he had seen him in a temple and an Imam told them he was in a church crossing himself. "But fate
decided that my parents and I and the three wise men, as I shall call them, should meet one day on
the Goubert Salai seaside esplanade and that my secret should be outed" (Martel). They met all
three wise men at one time. Everyone seemed puzzled to be there all at the same time. The priest,
the Imam, and the Pandit all argued whether Pi was a...show more content...
"I know zoos are in no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain
illusions about freedom plague them both" (Martel). Pi studied zoology and religion at the
University of Toronto, and this quote demonstrates just how closely related religion and zoos are
to him. He's quick to turn a conversation of animal freedom into a metaphor for people's religious
beliefs. In the book it explains how people misunderstood the nature between the wild and the zoo.
People also misunderstood what it means for a person to be free of any religious system of

How Does Life Of Pi Relate To Society
Society is what deems what is true or not. It's the entire human race summed into a single word
which constitutes criticism. In the novel Life of Pi, The last few chapters share the discussion
between Pi and two Japanese officials who come to inquire about the tsimtsum, a cargo ship which
sunk, leaving Pi adrift at sea. Though the conversation between the 3 doesn't seem important to the
storyline, it actually sums it up entirely. The two men symbolize society and Pi is trying to convince
society of his stories truth. What society does, and what it believes is governed by facts or strong
beliefs. Pi's story contradicts what society can perceive as plausible. After hearing Pi's story, society
immediately replies with doubt: "We find it extremely

The Better Story in Life of Pi by Yann Martel
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...show more content...
He starts out with a zebra, hyena, an orangutan, and a tiger, but the animals slowly diminish leaving
only Pi and Richard Parker. Pi works to tame and care for Richard Parker, and the two survive for
two hundred twenty–seven days. Pi encounters a fellow French castaway who is eaten by Richard
Parker (Martel 311–320). Pi also comes across a man–eating island (Martel 322–358). The events
that take place are fairly far–fetched, and the probability of all of them occurring to the same person
in the period of time given is even less believable. The second story, on the other hand, is a
perhaps more believable retelling of the original story. Pi relates the second tale upon the request
of his interviewers for "'a story without animals'" (Martel 381). In this story the animals are
replaced with human representatives including an injured Chinese sailor, a French cook, Pi's
mother, and Pi himself. The second story, like the first, begins with many passengers on the boat,
but in the end it leaves only Pi to survive by himself after brutally murdering and eating the cook
who killed both the sailor and Pi's own mother (Martel 381–391). Unlike Pi's first story, this account
is dark, desperate, and harshly realistic, without any sense of hope to counter it all. After relating
both of these stories to his interviewers, Pi asks them which story they think is better (Martel 398).
Although the

What Is The Importance Of Life In Life Of Pi
Life of Pi Essay Stranded and lost, deep in the Pacific ocean, with no direction or path to follow,
with only a crazed hyena, a wounded zebra, a worried orangutan, and a fierce tiger for company.
This is the situation that Pi finds himself in during the novel, Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. The
protagonist, Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi), goes through many struggles and challenges throughout his
journey in the lifeboat. There are some major beliefs that he learned during his childhood in India
that helps him persevere through these struggles and survive to tell the tale. Three beliefs Pi learns
in India that enabled him to survive on the lifeboat are that all animals are dangerous, that humans
are the most dangerous animal, and to have faith in God.
First of all, Pi learns in India that all animals are dangerous. In Pondicherry, Pi's father, Santosh
Patel, ran a zoo. This means Pi would have gained at least some knowledge of animals and how
they act simply by being around his father, but he also went through experiences and learned
lessons that would reinforce the knowledge that animals are dangerous. While Santosh's profession
meant he obviously had some degree of affection for animals, it did not mean he was not aware of
the harm that they could inflict. He wasted no time in teaching Pi and his brother, Ravi, about this
fact either. When Pi was still at the young age of eight, his father taught him and his brother this
lesson, and in a way they would never forget. He led them

Thesis Statement For Life Of Pi
Lit Essay conflict , character, symbolism
Theme : Religion and Survival.
Theme exploration :
Pi is a very religious person, he is a Christian, a Hindu, and a Muslim at the same time.
Pi is on a lifeboat in the pacific for 227 days with a 450 – pound Bengal tiger.
Thesis statement :
Staying true to yourself can be a very difficult thing, most people can't do it, and so they lose some
of the values which were taught to them by their families. Especially under pressure.
Peer discussion with Jemuel Bunnykid
How does the thesis statement relate to the two themes that I chose
The order of themes, with religion being first and survival being second.
Using symbolism to prove his first two themes, and explaining the symbols...show more content...
He's a god–loving boy, and also has a very soft spot for animals. He later on lives to survive on the
Pacific for 227 days. While his time at sea, he's faces with many challenges which question his
values taught to him by his families. Staying true to yourself can be a very difficult thing, most
people can't do it, especially under pressure. After the journey is over, Pi's barely the same person
he once was.
Religion is a major theme in the life of Pi. Pi becomes a Christian, and a Muslim throughout his
childhood, and was born a Hindu. Being able to love thee rather different religions at once shows
the immense love he has for god. However, Pi's strong faith in god becomes much less prominent
when he's on the lifeboat with the animals. In other words, his physical needs take over and
dominate over his religious ones. He still worships his gods, however is occasionally. Whenever
he finds a fish or any source of food, he thanks his gods. For example when he reached the
carnivorous island, he thanked god like crazy(page 233). However, he later discovered that it was
a man eating island. I think the author included this to show that Pi is continuing to lose his faith
in god, and after this discovery he has lost even more confidence in god. This shows signs of
doubt in Pi's mind, he doesn't understand what he should thank god for. Does this mean he
completely lost his faith in god, not necessarily. He could still have a little bit of faith left in god,
but we can be sure that it's not as strong as it once

Life Of Pi Survival Essay
In life it is essential to have a companion to rely on, spend time with, and experience the world
with. Without this extraordinary person, it makes it much more difficult to thrive and survive in
life. Throughout the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the main character, Pi Patel, shares a very
special and inexplicable relationship with his only companion on a lifeboat for 227 days. This
450–pound bengal tiger, Richard Parker, proves to be Pi's only comrade on his small boat in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean. Through his relationship with Richard Parker, Pi learns that the most
critical aspect of survival is having a companion to distract him from his traumatic experience and
provide him with a reason to live. After the sinking of the Tsimtsum, Pi...show more content...
Early in part two of Life of Pi, Pi undoubtedly loses the most important people in his life: his
mother, father, and brother. This is an incredibly tragic event for Pi who has completely devoted
his younger years to those who he loves, including his family. For the first few days on the
lifeboat, Pi can not stop thinking about the tragic sinking of the Tsimtsum and questioning why it
happened to him. To make it worse, Pi has to worry about a 450 pound carnivore salivating while
considering him for his next meal. Although anyone else in Pi's position would be completely
terrified, he calmly says, "I looked at Richard Parker. My panic was gone. My fear was
dominated. Survival was at hand" (Martel 165). The turning point in Pi's ordeal is when he
realizes that Richard Parker is not a burden to have on his lifeboat, but a gift. The presence of
Richard Parker serves as a distraction to Pi and allows him to forget about his current situation for
a while. Later in the chapter Pi decides that if he is not going to kill Richard Parker, it is necessary
to prove that he is the most powerful by

Life Of Pi
The final product was a graphical representation based on the novel Life of Pi, by Yann Martel.
The assignment, which was representing Pi's life at sea, had a superior outcome than expected. I
originally believed that the final image would be mediocre and that my group and I would be
struggling to complete it in the last minute. However, the project was finished well in advance and
the ultimate result was a pleasant surprise. The whole group worked together and used our
strengths to create the graphic text. The work process sheet provided a great deal of assistance in
our project. As we had to record all our work on the sheet, no member became abated during our
time working on the assignment. Everyone wanted their worksheet filled, so...show more content...
If I was not part of the group, the image could have been different as I was the one that suggested
it. Furthermore, the drawing, painting of the canvas and the symbols would have had another
look. If Reilly was not a member of the group we would not have gotten the sand or the seashells
that are visible in the final product. That sand colour and seashells were what was exactly needed
to enhance the project, and as it is expensive, those resources would have been unavailable to us.
If Josh was not a member of this group, we would have missed some of the fundamental activities
that Pi does on the boat such as writing in his journal. Moreover, he constructed the 3d boat using
paper mache. As I have no former experience creating art using paper mache, I would have unable
to create and design the boat. Finally, the project could not have been completed in time without the
time and effort of all the members. The assignment initially gave the impression of an extremely
heavy workload, and I was anxious that we would not be able to complete it in time. All the
members helping assured that the project could be finished efficiently. Everyone in the group
contributed in different ways to the design

Life Of Pi Expository Essay
To discover is to progress, experience and to transform. As one encounters discovery, an individual
may encounter a transformative experience that most certainly can lead to new perceptions of
others and ourselves. These ideas portrayed about how discoveries are transformative, is effectively
exemplified in the poem " The Road not taken" by Robert Frost. Which conveys how discoveries
can push one into a wider world full of possibilities, which may transform one immensely introducing
new perceptions of them selves and others. This concept is also shown in Ang lee's film 'Life of Pi'.
Through the main protagonist of Pi Patel and the experiences he is faced with which transformed
him significantly in a way that brought about new perceptions of...show more content...
This concept is portrayed in the scene where Pi discovers carnivorous island. 'Don't you see, the
island was carnivorous'? The extreme close up of the tooth symbolically represents the island itself.
The appealing nature of the bud represents the luscious life–giving Island during the day, however
the rotten tooth symbolises the carnivorous nature of the island during the nighttime. The toxicness
of the island, forces Pi to continue his discovery for salvation in order to live with humanity, due to
the fatal repercussions of a life lived without humanity. Which conveys how through discoveries
ramifications most certainly arise which as a result alters ones perceptions of themselves and their
surroundings in order to survive which aims to transform one for the better.
Likewise this concept is significantly portrayed in the road not taken, demonstrated in 'the lines " I
shall be telling this with a sigh" the first person narration indicates a change in tone, displaying a
sense of regret in which discoveries can introduce as a result of ones choices in embarking a
discovery in which shifts ones perceptions on themselves and the wider world hence transforming
them. Therefore how through discoveries individuals encounter impacts, which may transform one
shifting their perceptions on themselves and

Dialectical Journal Of Life Of Pi
The Life of Pi is a novel written by Yann Martel, that involves a young teen named Pi in survival
after suffering a tragic ship accident. The novel starts out with mostly the author's thoughts and
ideas. The first part of the book excluding the author's page mainly describes Pi's thoughts, beliefs,
life, and the events that take place before the tragic accident he is involved in. Pi has a brother named
Ravi and an uncle called Francis. Pi is remarkably connected and interested in religion and zoology.
Pi and his family soon move to Pondicherry in India, where they buy a zoo. Soon as they move, Pi
discusses his feelings on living in a zoo. After moving to the zoo, Pi starts to get involved in a lot of
religion. Talks about religion are...show more content...
Eventually, things get better for Pi as his parents allow him to get baptised and explore religion
more. Big news strikes Pi when his parents announce that they are moving to Canada. As a result,
most of the animals at Pi's zoo are sold to other zoos, while only a couple of animals head with the
family to Canada such as a tiger, orangutan, and more. The Life of Pi (Part 2) The second part of the
book starts off quite dreadful. Previously in part one of Life of Pi, the family takes off from India
and onto Canada. Part two begins with the words, "The ship sank". As of yet, it is not really
possible to know what has happened to Pi and his family. Pi is in a lifeboat with Richard Parker, a
tiger the Pi family took to Canada. Pi eventually tells the reader events right before the sinking of
the ship. As the ship sails smoothly for a couple of days, a engine failure causes the ship to
explode. Pi escapes onto a lifeboat, unluckily Ravi and his parents are still asleep. Eventually,
couple of other animals and Pi survive, including Richard, a Orangutan named Orange Juice, and a
hyena. Sadly, Orange Juice dies very quickly as he

Life Of Pi Conflict Essay
Life of Pi uses conflicts in the novel with Pi wrestling with beliefs, nature, and his own strong will
to mold himself into an existentialist who learns about himself and becomes spiritually one. In the
beginning of the novel we focus on Pi struggling with his beliefs as he tries to find his path
throughout his religious journey. He faces many options and worldviews but as he progresses he
begins to accept himself and what he truly believes. He grows in spiritual knowledge by questioning
a Christian priest wondering if "this son...who goes hungry, who suffers from thirst, who gets tired,
who is sad, who is anxious, who is heckled and harassed... – what kind of god is that? It's a god on
too human a scale, that's what"(17). Through questions...show more content...
Each of these self conflicts shaped him into a stronger version of the old self he was back in
India. With each of the obstacles he's faced with he's never once let fear take control as fear is
"life's only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life" (56). Fear concealed as doubt can take control
over disbelief and reason, but through a firmly grounded foundation of light which in Pi's case was
his religion helped him stay grounded. In such dire situations with no other human contact you
have nowhere else to turn but to God because "the lower you are, the higher your mind will want
to soar. It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I
should turn to God" (93). The inner battles he faced while on the lifeboat helped him draw closer to
God and lead himself to find himself as well. When people are in positions of weakness they reach
for something greater than what's around them. Tragedy brings on faith and faith untested isn't true
faith. When everything pointed against his faith he was still able to "fight no matter the cost of
battle, the losses we take, the improbability of success. We fight to the very end. It's not a question of
courage. It's something constitutional, an inability to let go. It may be nothing more than life
hungry stupidity" (53).

Life Of Pi by Yann Martel Essay
Pi's journey to his faith (Start with some general sentence) In Yann Martel's novel, 'Life Of Pi',
the main character, Pi goes through some harsh struggles as he manages himself to survive in the
middle of the Pacific Ocean with his skills and knowledge he has. His whole life is a journey. He
learns various different skills that are used usefully in his survival. When Pi becomes an adult, he is
left alone in the middle of the Pacific Ocean with a 450 pounded Bengal tiger. Although the fact that
he has lost everything gives him a deep depression and makes him feel hopeless, he eventually uses
his skills that he has learned when he is young to make himself endure through his painful faith. The
skills that Pi learned when he is in India...show more content...
However, with his skills that he has learned, he is able to deal with them. At first, when Pi finds
Richard Parker, Richard Parker goes aggressive to Pi, and tries to attack him; however, he manages
to use his swimming skills to temporary save himself. "(He makes a raft connected to the life boat
and swims on it to be safe from the threat, Richard Parker)" (about chapter 40 to 43). Pi is able to
save himself thanks to the skills he has learned from Mamaji. When he is greatly depressed with
hopelessness, he deals with it with his religious beliefs he has gained when he is young. "(He
mentions God, and he finds the warm of flying fish. Then he is no longer hopeless, but starts to
cooperate with Richard Parker)" (about chapter 42~46). Although Pi is still lonely, he grants some
courage and from this point, he actually believes that Gods do exist, and this event makes Pi to be
even more religious and he does pray more often after he gets survived. He faces Richard Parker
and bravely deal with him, which is another big threat to him. "(He
Lee 3 makes the noise that tigers do not like, and shows that he is dominant, therefore he shows
Richard Parker that he is the one who has to be in charge in the life boat)" (around chapter
45~50). This event is significant because it does not only becomes an incident for Richard Parker
and Pi to start be friendly to each other, but also courage Pi not to be afraid of

Life of Pi Essay
A Bildungsroman is a type of novel that tells the story of the spiritual, moral, psychological, or
social development of the protagonist either from childhood to maturity or as the result of an
extraordinary experience. An example of this is the novel, "Life of Pi" because Pi grows from boy
to man. He had to mature very quickly by having to take care of himself in order to survive. Pi
protects himself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Pi believed in faith throughout the book to
get through the situation that he was in. Pi uses an allegory of himself in the form of Richard Parker
throughout the novel. Pi protects himself physically by scavenging. An example of this is,
"It was the source of food and water....show more content...
Pi's faith interacts at times. An example of this would be that Pi's faith does not allow you to kill
things. In order to survive, Pi has to kill the fish. Pi believed that since he had turned to God, he got
the reward of surviving. An example of this is when Pi said, "Solitude began. I turned to
God. I survived(311)." Pi shows how he matures from a boy to a man very quickly by learning to
take care of himself. Pi uses an allegory of himself in the form of Richard Parker throughout the
novel. He protects himself physically, mentally, and emotionally. He is able to do all of this because
he believes in faith. Also, Pi's imagination plays a huge part in helping him

Life Of Pi Research Paper
All individuals must complete their journey from adolescence to adulthood. Life of Pi is an
adventure novel written by Yann Martel. Life of Pi explores the development of Pi Mortel Patel
from an eager and outgoing child who is dependent on his family for care in Pondicherry to a shy
adult who has to be self–sufficient and rise to meet the challenges he faces. His journey through
religious and human faith in God,willingness to survive and an attempt at acceptance.
Pi's religious and human faith in god has guided him through his journey from childhood into
adulthood. Pi Molitor Patel is a pious follower of three different religions. He believes that all three
religions are essentially the same. All three religions:,Hinduism,Islam, and Christianity,...show more
content...
First, there is an essential need for "physical survival" as he must keep his body
alive(Sparknotes). The most basic needs being food and water. He knows how to protect himself
from imminent danger such as Richard Parker. As well as other threats that come when being
stranded at sea such as dehydration,sharks, and drowning. Pi's creativity to build an adjoining raft
to keep a safe distance from aggressive dangers such as sharks and the tiger enable him to sustain
physical safety. Secondly, Pi's necessity for "spiritual survival"(Sparksnotes). Pi must keep his
hopes up and not yield to hopelessness. He says that Richard Parker kept him sane in the
presence of a companion. Pi's mental toughness for taming the tiger prevented him from thinking
about his deserted future. from a shipwreck. Lastly Pi has Biological survival as he is the sole
member of the Patel family. He would have a desire to live a long and healthy life, raise a family
and pass his genes on to the next generation. He is able to survive for 227 days at sea. As he
inherited powerful swimming ability from his Uncle Mamaji. At the end of the novel, the readers
learn that Pi is a father,"So his story does have a happy ending"(Martel). Ultimately,Pi's willingness
to survive shows his character as an

Life Of Pi
Life of Pi, written by Yann Martel, is a story of a boy named Pi Patel. In the beginning of the
story, Pi tells us how he is named after a swimming pool named the Piscine Molitor. His parent's
friend whom he calls "Mamaji" was a swimmer and tells Pi's parents how that was the most
elegant pool he has ever swam in therefore becoming his namesake. Piscine's family was Hindu but
as he explores more religions, he says he wants to practice two more, such as Christianity and
Islam. Throughout the book, he is a very religious person. Pi goes on to tell us that his father owns
the Pondicherry Zoo in his hometown in India. When India's economy lowers, the Patel family
attempts to move the zoo across the ocean. In the beginning of part two of the story,

Life of Pi Essay
Trevor Smith Ms. Favro ENG4U–01 April 13th, 2013 Life of Pi: Quest or Enlightenment Over the
course of this unit, I have read the so called "life changing" novel "The Life of Pi" by Yann
Martel. This work of art happens to be a national best seller and has collected many literature
awards. Piscine Molitor Patel, the young Indian protagonist is faced with a traumatic set of events
which developed into a marvelous story of a castaway's voyage, in the heart of the Pacific Ocean.
This essay will discuss the essential factors which enabled Pi to overcome the extreme
circumstances and survive, to fulfill the archetypal quest hero pattern. The three main factors that
saved Pi's life are his religion, sanity, and will power. Pi Patel, a native of...show more content...
Due to the horrid, gruesome events that occurred on the lifeboat, it would definitely test Pi's
mental strength. On the life boat, there were four people all together; the crazy cook, the
Taiwanese sailor, Pi, and his mother. However, when Pi tells his story to the two Japanese men
for the transportation ministry, he retells his story only with animals instead of the people. Pi
tells the men how there was first a zebra on the boat with a broken leg, a nasty hyena, orange juice
the orangutan, and Richard Parker the Bengal tiger. In his story, the zebra broke his leg and then
the hyena ripped it off and killed it. The orangutan had enough of the hyena, so he attacked it out
of courage. Not surprisingly the hyena killed it as well. So there were three left; with the hyena
about to attack Pi, Richard Parker killed the hyena. And from that point on, Pi tamed the tiger and
became companions throughout the rest of his story. When the two men did not believe his animal
story, he told the story only with people. The hyena being the revolting cook, the zebra as the
Taiwanese man, orange juice as his mother. The two Japanese men confirm the two stories as they
state, "So the Taiwanese sailor is the zebra, his mother is the orang–utan, the cook is ... the hyena –
which means he's the tiger!" (Martel 346). But wait, what about Richard Parker? Metaphorically, Pi
must've been the tiger. The tiger symbolized strength, power, and bravery, which Pi had all of

Life Of Pi Essay
Faith was a problem that people have been concerned about, and the loss of faith in contemporary
era had become a social problem. The film Life of Pi not only used innovative ways and styles of
narration, but also dug and showed the deep cultural connotation. The most prominent aspect was to
elaborate the value of faith from the perspective of multiple perspectives. To a certain extent the
Life of Pi was a film about faith. All of the narrative ways and technology were closely related to
the faith. Novelists and filmmakers had faith, including the characters and the plot in the work.
From the film, we can see that Ang Lee very skillfully discussed humanity faith and the power of
faith in the film . The film also showed the variety and the ageless...show more content...
In addition, faith also needs rational guide of people, this is the permanent charm of faith too. From
the film life of Pi, it sets up a dialogue between middle–aged Pi and a worker, whose purpose is to
bring the faith to reality, but also ensure that the perceptual features of faith." (Sun, 2013: 8). After
that experiences the middle–aged Pi was more and more mature and had a better understanding of
faith. He stood in the perspective of "comer" and review the past his own unique experience. He
abandoned the mysterious features of faith and ensured the religious attitude towards faith. The
writer listened the legend of Young Pi with a good curiosity. As the story's listener and questioner,
the writer sign like this: "The story is too big, I do not catch the meaning." The Middle–aged Pi
made a very important answer:"After experience, please do not say what meaning of experience."
Audience could explain it from different perspectives and could also put forward different
opinions and meaning from the film to make the choice. The choice of this film's main idea was to
study the theory of faith and faith crisis, and also hope the theory can be applied to practice. "
Everyone needs faith. With scientific and social progress development. In modern society, we need
to choose a rational faith very much as our spiritual prop." (Zhang, 2001:

Life Of Pi
There are many people who believe in God and there are those who believe in science. People
who believe in God turn a deaf ear to the voice of reason. People who believe in science lack the
ability to believe something on faith. Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a story of a young man named
Pi shipwrecked at sea for seven months where his life is changed forever. After escaping the sea,
Pi tells two stories of what happened during those seven months. Regardless which story is more
believable or interesting, do the details of the story really matter if the outcomes are the same?
Similarly both stories include Pi being shipwrecked with hungry individuals who must fight to
survive. First story he is with animals and the second story he is with members of the ship's crew.
Both stories include conflict and violence in order to survive. The line between humanity and what
is animalistic becomes blurred. When survival is threatened, people and animals will do anything to
survive. The animal story is more fictional and...show more content...
Like with any adaption certain details cannot be properly portrayed on the big screen. For instance,
Pi is nude for the majority of the shipwreck in the novel and in the movie he is wearing cleaned
white pants. The novel is more realistic but the movie is more PG–friendly. On the other hand, in the
novel Pi is intellectually curious about the animals and in the movie he instigates mischief making
him appear more of a brat than a scholar. The religion aspect of Pi's early life before the event is
more explained in the novel, but is not crucial to the overall story and is condensed in the movie.
However a bad example of condensing source material would be the conflict between the animals,
instead of days it seemed like mere hours in the film. To that end, the film does a brilliant job taking
the source material and enhancing it will spectacular visual

Essay on Life of Pi Storytelling and Religion
| Life of Pi Storytelling and Religion| |
Monday, November 01, 2009|
In Yann Martel's Life of Pi, the theme of storytelling is implemented from the very beginning of the
novel with the Author's Note. It also foreshadows that there is a close link between storytelling and
religion when Adriubasamy says "I have a story that will make you believe in God." (VIII). Stories
and symbols of Hinduism, Christianity and Islam are prominent throughout the novel and religion is
what ends up saving Pi. By tying in storytelling and religion, Martel has created a book that is hard
to believe and realistic at the same time.
In Life of Pi, there is a story within a story. Yann Martel has written the Author's Note to lead the
...show more content...
Religion with its many orders and rules may also be seen as intrusions on personal freedom. But
Pi defends religion the same way he defends zoos. In his point of view, the cages and restrictions
of religion provide a cozy and comfortable life and people prefer not to leave because life outside is
miserable by comparison. Religion is a method humans have developed of making their lives more
pleasurable, more meaningful, and more understandable.
In the novel the priest, pundit and imam are referred to as the "three wise men" many times. "We
were to meet not just one wise man but all three, and not one after another but at the same time."
(71). this quote refers to a story of the Bible in the Gospel of Matthew. Three Wise Men or Kings
from the East are said to have visited Jesus after his birth and they came bearing gifts for him.
The priest, pundit and imam all also came bearing gifts which were their religions and they wanted
Pi to pick only one, but he wanted to accept all three. Pi believed that all the religions are true and
couldn't pick one, "I just want to love God," (76). Pi is resembles Jesus in this chapter and this story
illustrates Christianity.
Since storytelling and religion are so closely related, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam all have
different stories and symbols that are used to illustrate the beliefs of the religion. The most obvious
symbol of Hinduism in the novel is the colour orange. It symbolizes

Essays On Life Of Pi

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Essays On Life Of Pi