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The quest to find ones path and beliefs is a very convoluted journey. Whether or not one chooses to believe in something or not is solely up to them. In the novel, The Life of Pi believability is a key idea as the protagonist sixteen-year-old Pi Patel survives 227 days at sea on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. At the beginning of the novel, in the authors note, the author stumbles across a man named Francis Adirubasamy who tells him I have a story that will make you believe in God ”. This quote and the belief in God come into context at the end of the novel when Pi is questioned by two Japanese men about his ordeal at sea. Pi tells them stories after they do not believe the first one. After they continue to not believe the first story Pi states that they don’t believe it simply because they hadn’t seen what I had seen. In Life of Pi believing in something is based solely on how you want to depict it, ultimately it is your perspective on things. This is shown through the characters of the Japanese investigators when they think the first story isn’t possible however they choose to believe it because it is the better of the two stories.
Early in the novel, Pi tries to find his own beliefs and spirituality when he is introduced to three religions. He was born Hindu however he became curious about Islam and Christianity. Pi says that Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat-wearing Muslims (Martel, 54-55). Pi believes that each one of these religions with their different beliefs are all similar, and were just different forms of showing devotion to God. Each religion gave Pis spirituality something unique therefore he never felt compelled to choose a single religion. Pi says The presence of God is the finest of rewards ‘(Martel, 63). When Pi fully accepted God he realized that the belief and presence of God is the finest reward. During Pis adolescence, his curiosity and desire for knowledge about religion led him to have this spirituality that will certainly help him later in his life.
After Pi reaches the shore of Mexico he is taken to the hospital and then questioned by the two Japanese men. He tells them the story of the animals and all the miraculous events that happened in it. However, the Japanese men did not believe him and they were disappointed when they didn’t get the information they wanted. Pi tries to convince them that his story is true and he is wondering why they are finding his story hard to believe. Pi says to them Love is hard to believe, ask any lover. Life is hard to believe, ask any scientist. God is hard to believe, ask any believer (Martel, 330). He describes that humans choose to believe something or not, even if they are reluctant. Pi himself knows what happened at sea and he believes that God helped him throughout his ordeal. He explains to the men that just because you don’t see something with your very eyes doesn’t mean it’s not real, and one may choose if they want to believe in the impossible.
After a thorough discussion, both Pi and the Japanese men start to get frustrated. They tell Pi that they want to know what really happened in a story with rational truth. Pi says I know what you want. You want a story that wont surprise you. That will confirm what you already know. That won’t make you see higher or further or differently. You want a flat story. An immobile story. You want dry, yeastless factuality (Martel, 336). Pi knew that they wanted a story that was backed up by science a story they could believe. Before the men leave Pi asks them which story they prefer and they say the animal story is the better of the two. The Japanese men choose the story with the miracles because that’s what they would want to believe.
In Life of Pi believing in a story is solely based on how you want to perceive it. Pi says The world isnt just the way it is. It is how we understand it, no? (Martel, 335). Some people may choose to understand something one way while others will choose something else. Pis whole argument is that if one prefers the story with animals they choose to believe in the unbelievable, in the impossible, they choose faith. These three things are what we do when we believe in God. When the officials tell Pi that they believe in the story with animals he says Thank you. And so it goes with God ” (Martel, 352). Life of Pi depicts that one must choose oneself if one would rather believe in factuality or take a leap of faith and believe in the impossible, therefore believing in God.
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