Life of Pi

Having Faith Life of Pi explores human experience, society, religion and nature through the eyes of Pi Patel, an Indian boy growing up in an emerging global society. Thrown into chaos a tragic accident, Pi finds spirituality and the meaning of life through his quest for survival. Amongst extreme adversity, Pi keeps his sanity, refuses to dwell on the depravity of his situation, and looks within himself for guidance. Throughout the book we are reminded of our emerging global society, where religions, cultures and values simultaneously meld and conflict with one another. Raised in a secular household with modern values, Pi is still influenced by the Hindu society in which he lives. He faces conflicts regarding his spirituality and religious views, while in the midst of surviving in the ocean. Patel, the protagonist from Yann Martel's "Life of Pi" overcomes many challenges spanning from his spiritual learning to his basic instinct and survival throughout his horrific adventures at sea. He explores the different issues of religion and spirituality from an early age and survives two hundred and twenty two days shipwrecked in the Pacific Ocean. Pi practices Hinduism, Christianity and Islam, having seen good things in all three religions. He says "I just want to love God" (Martel 69). His knowledge about religion and God helps him survive the multiple obstacles he faces on the lifeboat. His study about all three religions, 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. Pi maintains his religious beliefs while on the life boat through his daily ritual prayers, which helps sustain him. He is faced with physical difficulty, ranging from salt-water boils, to the threat of death by a tiger, to cold, to starvation, to dehydration and other difficulties. However, he continues to pray regularly, and must plead to God in order to