Religious Beliefs in Life of Pi

Religious Beliefs in "Life of Pi"

The theme that has really engrossed my attention in "Life of Pi" is the subject of religious belief. This theme has been a main component much throughout the very beginning of the novel. Author Yann Martel shows how religious storytelling and principle are two closely related ideas. Pi touches on many different experiences he has found within three different religions, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam and engages the reader in stories that reflect the overall concepts of the religions in which he is discussing.

Pi comes up with his own set of tales and fables that help capture and demonstrate both the beliefs and teachings for each religion. In an odd rundown he explains the religions as he sees them, "Christianity is a religion in a rush," "Islam is nothing but an easy exercise" and Hinduism in a nutshell is when you "born and die... and die again, and again and again until it manages to shed the sheaths that imprisons it here below" (Martel 49-60). With his ideas of what these three religions are about he is able to find a shared association amongst them, "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"(50). It is with the help of Father Martin that Pi unearths the notion that all these stories are simply part of a greater, more universal story about love.

Another very fascinating element of Pi's exploration of religion is his ability to accept and listen to other peoples varying views on faith. Even though it is apparent that he is a very religious boy, he does not stray away or disregard that Agnostic is also a faith that some people have. In fact, Pi admires an atheist's ability to believe in the absence of God. Mr. Kumar shared with Pi that he too when he was young believed in religion, "I asked myself every day, 'Where is God? Where is God? Where is God?' God never came" (28). After his conversation with his Agnostic teacher he agrees that "Doubt is usefully for a while" and accepts that everyone is allowed to experience doubt but however there must come a time where "we must move on" (28).Rather than being offended by a view that he finds so different then his own, he learns to accept it, "atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith" (28).