Life of Pi
The path from naivety to maturity is what helps sustain survival.
The naivety of Pi's character when he was treating Richard Parker like a human being has almost cost his life, preventing survival.
"In a few seconds, you'll be aboard and we'll be together. Wait a second. Together? we'll be together? Have I gone mad? (99)."
Throughout Pi's childhood, the zoo and its animals have played a large role in his life, to the point where he has mistakenly treated them like humans. He has naively grouped animals and humans together, resulting in him almost losing his life. He has ironically ignored the important lesson that his father has given him about treating animals like they are pets and not treat them like they're your friends. Once he finally realized he was talking to a dangerous animal, he questions his sanity and if has gone "mad", showing that he is mature enough to realize that mixing the line between animals and humans is crazy. This proves how not only how his maturity has helped him survive, but how his father’s lesson has played a big part in his maturity and survival.
Maintaining a balance of faith and reality helps one get through hardships.
Pi has unknowingly balanced out both faith and reality to maintain his survival through this hardship.
"Only if I tamed him could I possible trick him into dying first, if we had to come to that sorry business. But there's more to it. I will come clean. I will tell you a secret: a part of me was glad about Richard Parker(164)."
Throughout this hardship, Pi has always looked to god as assurance that he will be protected. At the end of the day, it is important to still have a sense of reality to ensure that there is a solution for this hardship. A part of Pi was "glad" about Richard Parker because he had faith that he was no longer alone and that they will both get through this hardship. However, the other part of himself was scared of Richard Parker because he is a dangerous wild animal. He then resorted to taming Richard Parker so that he would survive, maintaining that sense of reality. Once he gets that sense of reality and gaining that control over the hardship, due to him balancing out faith and reality, he was able to survive this situation.
To figure out how he was going to survive through this hardship, Pi has managed to find a way by balancing out his faith and reality collectively and using his knowledge from the zoo.
"He might last for weeks without food, but no animal, however mighty, can do without water for any extended period of time(159)".
Pi finally figures a way to survive this hardship by focusing his thoughts on reality. He mentions that no animal can survive without water. While this part is something that balances the reality of the situation, the water also symbolizes faith and how no one can survive without it. Instead of praying the situation to be fixed, he took action by figuring out a plan to maintain his survival from Richard Parker. He maintains that sense of reality when he realizes that Richard Parker can only "last for weeks without food", so he makes up a plan to maintain his survival from Richard Parker. Pi's intelligence of these animals comes from growing up in the zoo and his unstoppable cursiosity. This proves how the setting has played an important role in Pi's life to sustain his survival. He has managed to balance out his faith and reality altogether and has given him a solution for this hardship in which he will get through.
CONNECTION: In our current society, we have an issue with terrorism and hate crime in general. While some people resort to faith and religion to pray for these situations to go away, it doesn't necessarily help the situation in total. It helps bring self-hope and encourage to stay strong, however in order to find a solution where things actually get done, we need to maintain that sense of reality. We need to take real action and realize that there need to be major changes that need to get done in order to find a solution and get through these hardships.
Religion and Science have the same concept and is thus the solution of discrimination.
Pi’s respect towards atheists has proved that religion and science are the same thing, as they both come from faith.
“It was my first clue that atheists are my brother and sisters of a different faith, and every word they speak speaks of faith (28).”
Pi acknowledges the fact that people who don’t necessarily believe in god and rather rely on science, have faith. Pi says that every word that an atheist "speak speaks of faith". This is because they worship and have faith in science as that is their reason for everything. As a person that follows a religion, he realizes that the root of religion is faith and being able to believe in something strong enough that it is their reason for everything. If society as a whole realizes this concept of how faith is the root of these complex ideologies and that they’re really all the same, we can promote acceptance within our communities. Focusing on the similarities of these concepts can help people be more understanding and acceptable towards each other.
CONNECTION: A teacher once told me about a student that was forced to take a world religion class, however, she was a student that wanted to go into medicine. She was completely against the idea of taking a course that goes against her own religion. However, once she finally became a doctor, she realized that religion gave her a deeper connection with various people. She was able to connect with people that other people are not accustomed to. She created these interpersonal relationships with people and prevented judgment based on religion from existing. I think that once people have a deeper understanding of religion and find a balance between it and science, we can prevent discrimination.
Pi choosing both religion and zoology as his majors has left him thinking that they’re really the same as he mixes them up.
“Sometimes I got my majors mixed up. A number of my fellow religious-studies students...reminded me of the three-toed sloth; and the three toed sloth, such a beautiful example of the miracle of life, reminded me of God(5)”.
Religion and Science and have the same root, which is faith. Pi has recognized that at a very young age and has used that as a methodology to maintain his beliefs in both. Once he recognized these similarities, he has become more accepting of these two concepts to the point where he gets them "mixed up". He doesn’t let the differences between science and religion turn into conflict because he does not discriminate each concept because they don't correlate. Instead, recognizing these similarities has led to acceptance and can further promote acceptance within our society. When he talks about the "three-toed sloth" he is taking a grasp of science and learning about its wonders. Pi is special because he connects this scientific creature to "god". This proves how he maintains that balance of religion and science, using both of them as his reason, and how it can be the solution of discrimination.
Sacrifice is crucial in order to persevere
Growing up as a vegetarian, Pi has never considered eating an animal as that contradicts his religious beliefs. However in order to sustain his survival, he needed to make sacrifices.
“Lord, to think that I'm a strict vegetarian. To think that when I was a child I always shuddered when I snapped open a banana because it sounded to me like the breaking of an animal's neck. I descended to a level of savagery I never imagined possible(197)."
Pi’s character has sacrificed something incredibly important to him in order to persevere. Throughout the beginning of the novel, it was demonstrated that Pi was strict of his religious beliefs and the rules that they follow, so him having to sacrifices a part of that has clearly affected him deeply as he has “never imagined possible”. It also makes the readers believe that it was a big deal, as this change in character is something that actually helped Pi survive.
CONNECTION: When I was in the sixth grade, I decided to attend an extended french program in order to heighten my academics. However, in order to persevere in this situation, I needed to sacrifice my friendships that I had at my old school. This was an incredibly tough time for me, but it helped me persevere and this sacrifice has made me learn that we need to let things go in order to excel.
A Bengal tiger is known to be the leader of the jungle, however Richard Parker needed to sacrifice that title in order to sustain his survival through this situation.
“I bent down, picked up the fish and threw it towards him. This was the way to tame him!...Richard Parker turned his head and and snapped his mouth, jowls flapping, but the fish was too quick for him. He looked astonished and displeased. He turned to me again. ‘Where’s my treat?’ his face seemed tin inquire (181).”
Richard Parker had to sacrifice an important role that has been maintained in his species. When Richard Parker "turned" back to Pi for more food, he is interacting with a human, which is not considered normal behaviour for a wild animal like himself. He is a hunter and when he is subjecting to Pi for more food, it makes us believe that he is letting go of his natural behaviour. He had to change his nature in order to make sure he would receive food, which proves how sacrifice and change are crucial for perseverance and survival. It also proves how critical and intense this situation must’ve been for both Pi and Richard Parker.