A course theme is about two human modes of thinking: reason and belief. Pi definitely uses both to help him survive, but which is more important in his struggle?
Life of Pi By Yan Martel is an interesting story with full of challenges ,courage and survival of a young boy called Pi Patel. He and his family decide to move their zoo from India to Canada and on the way he wakes up by a loud noise noticing him in this horrific sea. This is where his basic instinct, spiritual learning and ways of surviving comes into action. One of the most interesting thing about this Indian boy from Pondicherry, explores the different issues of religion and spirituality from an early age and survives 227 days shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean. And on the ship he is with a huge 400-pound Bengal tiger. Pi practices Hinduism, Christianity and Islam as he sees something really fascinating and good things about all three religion. He says “I just want to love God” (Martel 69).
His knowledge and his deep beliefs about all the three religion helps him survive multiple obstacles and difficulties he faces on the boat. Serves as a great defensive safeguard from the difficult harsh situations of life. It is a long journey filled with danger, loneliness and doubt, but most of all an exploration of faith.At first fear is the only th ing Pi feels as he is on a boat with a 400-pound tiger and he has lost his family. Thinking that Richard Paker might attact him gets him all scared. He is afraid of never finding his family again, last but not the least the fear of dieing. Pi realizes that before it’s too late he needs to do something to survive and his religious beliefs helps him overcome many problems. Pi maintains his religious beliefs while he is on the boat by performing his daily prayers which helps him to control and sustain his fears and other problems. He faces physical difficulties,ranging from salt-water boils, cold, fear of the tiger on the boat with him, starvation, dehydration and other major difficulties. But instead of all those problems Pi still continues to pray and his beliefs are strong and deep inside he knows that there is God somewhere that will help him to survive as he continues praying regularly and cries and pleads to God In order to survive and get through all the difficulties he is facing at the moment. He remembers the misery he felt after such a long time away from God, saying, “It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God” (Martel 315).
The Term Paper on Selfish Gain God Belief Pascal
In the gambling world bets are made based on odds, the probability or likelihood that something would happen. In the court law, cases are decided upon by the weight evidence presented by the respective parties. The common link between these general scenarios is that decisions are made based on some outside evidential factor. The more probable something is likely to happen, or the more evidence ...
His beliefs slowly showed him the right path and gave him the hopes to survive with danger just alongside him in the same boat.
And also on the other hand it’s not just the religion that help Pi to overcome his problems but also science. This theme Religion versus Science is really been focused on this Novel as the Authur utilizes Piscine also known as Pi Molitor Patels to show that human beings need both science and religion to fulfill their capability. Even before Pi was stuck on the boat he was so much into Religion and Science and developed and got more knowledge about science and he really Liked both Mr.Kumars as they gave both gave him full knowledge about both Science and Religion. Pi says this after he accedes Islam. This is the opinion he gives out to his two special teachers saying “Mr. and Mr. Kumar were the prophets of my Indian Youth” (Martle, 61) showing how important those teachers were in his childhood age. One Mr.Kumar was his Biology teacher who was an atheist and said that everything in this world happens because of science. He expressed logical science thus he is so important because he ignites the flame of reason within Pi. And this science helps Pi to solve many of his problem accruing during his time in the sea. But however the light of science never cancelled out the light of religion.
The Essay on Religion Vs Science 2
Religion Vs Science Religion Vs Science “Science vs Religion” The question as to whether or not religion belongs in a science classroom is a very complex and difficult question. Religion can be looked at from different angles, starting from its validity. Despite the lack of evidence to support the idea of creationism, that in itself is not enough to warrant its exclusion from schools. ...
Pi’s education Included both science and Religion. He actually obeyed both these disciplines But agnosticism the suspension of belief e.g ‘ I don’t have enough evidence to believe in God so I won’t commit one way or the other But for Pi Belief is one of the most amazing beautiful action of human life. Pi met Mr.Kumar and he was some standing of Islam and explained Pi that Islam believes in one god and everything you see around this world is created by him and much more. This made Green Pi’s favorite colour as Green represents Islam. Religion is a set of beliefs,values and practices and is based on the teaching of a leader. It is an illusion of freedom. Most of born in religion and some stick to it because of family aspect but Pi had All the chances to explore and decide which religion was best for him. Though he was born as A hindu and Faith is one word Pi relates to Hinduism ‘It’s my heart that commands me so. I feel like at home in Hindi Temples’ (pg.622).
Pi talks about Brahman? How the divine in human seeks the divine in the world? This belief shows a connection when the fish scale, in a kind of silver blue flame, draw out the divine in PI.
Most of the incidence relates back to the beliefs Pi had from the start and that actually helped him to survive in most of the occasions. This shows how strong the beliefs of Pi are and this made him pass all the difficulties he faced. In this case Belief lead to freedom and freedom lead to Survival from all the problems.
Pi’s mom was trying to show Pi and tell him to choose one religion when he asked her for the praying mat(Chapter 26,27).
This shows how deep his beliefs were. Another belief that Pi saw was meeting Jesus and Virgin Mary, He says he saw them and he could communicate with them or other things. All these only happens when someone is in real religious belief and this is what was happening to Pi which eventually saved him from a horrific 227 days of miserable life.
Pi Patel was extremely brave throughout the story. Although at times he was scared and was down losing hopes to survive but He has the courage to get up and talk to Richard Parker and his ability to catch a fish. He made through some extreme loneliness and depression because he lost his family and was all alone. He used his knowledge of his study zoology and specially religious studies and kept faith in it and followed what was taught to survive which he did. Physiological reactions happens to anyone that goes through this situations. Sometimes the person can overcome and at times they cannot. Pi’s bravery and following the religion helped him. How can someone survive 227 with a tiger? It’s a miracle of god.
The Term Paper on True Religion God Love Reason
Gail Anselm 11. 23. 04 Fr. Cassidy What sense can I make out of the word religion? Life has a purpose; its intent is to lead a religious life. One can ask the question" how can we lead a religious life" Ever since antiquity many philosophers have expressed their views on the issues on leading a good life. After being exposed to these different thoughts I came up with the conclusion that leading a ...
Everything that happens, happens from the will of god whether it’s a reason. Reasons happens because god wants it to happen and if you believe in god this is the main religious aspect. Believing in god. This book has many interesting topics but the most interesting thing that revolves around Pi is religion and he is so much into this that this became the strongest reason and weapon for surviving. He never stopped his prayers though he was with a tiger and in the middle of nowhere in the sea but the trust in god that he will save him lead to this amazing battle of survival. It’s always beliefs that comes before reason and the reason always has something to do with religion. So eventually it was the true deep belief that lead Pi to this amazing Survival.
Works Cited
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Canongate, 2008. print
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_of_Pi
http://www.enotes.com/life-pi/q-and-a/how-does-pis-faith-contribute-his-survival-54159
