Topic > Life of Pi, by Yann Martel - 1511

According to Arthur Tugman, "The moral of a story is better guessed than expressed falsely." The moral of Life of Pi by Yann Martel is to help people believe in things bigger, higher, and different from real things. The author tries to achieve this with exceptional narration, which becomes the most important aspect of the novel because the reader is given the choice between two stories. Speaking of those who rely completely on reason, Pi, the protagonist, charges that they “lack imagination and miss the best story” (70). This statement warns the reader not to dismiss an unlikely story as impossible. It is not only a “better” story, but it is also the true story because it shows that faith is the ultimate savior; can be linked to Pi's life in India and Pi was forced to invent human history in front of Japanese officials. To begin with, the story of the animals is the true story because it shows how Pi's faith in religions and God helped him survive difficult circumstances on the lifeboat. Martel skillfully prepares the reader for the seafaring section in the first part of the book, which describes Pi's sunny childhood in the Pondicherry zoo and his triple conversion to Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. Pi's faith in God helped him survive on the boat. Pi began to become animalistic to the point where he had to abandon his vegetarianism and learn to fish. The encounter with the vast sea can be read as an encounter with the numinous. Pi sees the immensity of the sea and the sky as divine. He calls the lightning a “miracle” and “an explosion of divinity,” praising Allah. In moments of desolation, he seeks solace in the divinity of his surroundings,” I pointed to the lifeboat and said aloud, “THIS IS THE ARK OF GOD!”… in the center of the card… … yes. You never need time to tell a true story, it just comes to mind, the first story borders on religious allegory, strange, beautiful and uplifting; further or differently,” as Pi notes, and smacks of the “dry, unleavened factuality” so often sought in the sciences. Readers come to the author's grand message and the conclusion of Mr. Adirubasamy's claim that the tale would lead the reader to believe in God. Is the "best story" the one that expands your mind, heart, and spirit (think religion) or the one that simply confirms what you've already guessed (think science)? Both require the same amount of faith though. The true story will still be the animal one because it relates more to Pi, establishes the importance of faith and clearly that human history was a forced action..