Life of Pi essay

     The main character, Pi, in Life of Pi seems to show madness when he tells the Japanese men his survival story involving life on a raft with animals, and later changing the animals to humans in a second story when the Japanese men do not believe him. However, while many would see the two stories as delusional or mad, the way Pi originally recalls his time on the raft goes along with the theme that it is up to you to choose what you believe. Pi also reflects this theme through his choice in practicing three different religions- Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity. Again, many people would see that the practicing of three different religions as contradicting and view Pi as delusional.
     My favorite line of Life of Pi is when Pi has been confronted by the three men guiding him through his faith. While the three men are arguing and criticizing the other for their chosen belief, Pi calmly states "Bapu Gandhi said, 'All religions are true.' I just want to love God." (87). Even with the three men pressuring him to choose one single religion, Pi chooses to stay with all three becuase they all are centered around loving God, which is all he simply wants to do.
     The strongest case of madness and choosing what one wants to believe is through the second and final sections of the book. Pi is a young boy on his way to a new unknown country when the Tsimtsum sinks. With the way Pi tells the story through the chaos of the sinking boat, we are left to believe his family has perished, and he is the lone survivor left with a raft and a few dangerous zoo animals. Through his time spent on the raft, Pi accounts for his day with the animals, and how he is surviving. It is not until Pi is eventually rescued, admitted into a hospital, and interviewed by two Japanese men that Pi's time on the raft is questioned. But like his answer to when his faith was questioned, Pi told the men the story was true, but he would go on to tell them another story with people instead of animals. Even with the new gruesome tale, we are still left to choose which story is real. Do I choose the human story becuase Pi was delusional and in a state of shock, so he replaced humans with animals as a coping method, or do I choose to believe the tale about the animals because Pi grew up in a zoo and the animals were also on the boat to go to a new country? There is no right or wrong answer. The reader is left to choose which story to believe, which reflects on the theme.
     Pi's two stories and practicing of three faiths seems crazy to the average person. However, it is what Pi chooses to believe. Pi sees both stories as actual accounts of what happened during his time of the raft, and practices three religions because they lead him to love God. Pi also uses the variety of stories and religions to back up his idea of how do we know what is right, if we cannot prove it wrong? While reading through Life of Pi is at times difficult, the book is very thought provoking and an interesting read.