I think God is everywhere in this novel. Pi believes in one God and that there is only one God but isn’t quite sure which religion is the right one or if they all are in their own way. God plays an important part in Pi's life as he goes throughout the novel studying multiple of them. I don’t think Pi believes in three religions I think that he believes in one. None of which is only Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism; it’s his own religion that has beliefs in all three.
This was a good post. I liked how you said that Pi doesn't believe in the three different religions but in one unique religion that is his own. This thought answered the question for me as to whether it is possible for Pi to truly be a Christian, Muslim, and Hindu all at the same time, which I believe the answer to is no. I agree with what you said; he is combining all three religions into his own blend of religions that holds God at its center. However, I think there is an even deeper meaning. Pi believes his one God is the same throughout all three religions which is a different take than one is used to seeing. To me, it shows that Pi holds God above religion itself because it's as if Pi is "violating" principles of each of the three religions to prove that God is the most important thing. For example, just by worshipping the other two, Pi violates the principles of the third religion which proves that he doesn't mind how he goes about loving God as long as he is worshipping him in some way. This is an idea that I feel much of our world could learn from because most religious people seem much too concerned with their method of worshipping rather than focusing on what they are worshipping.
This is great post. I agree with you and Evan, I do think that Pi is combining all three religions into one unique religion. The religion he believes in is Hindu, Christianity, and Muslim. He knows that each religion has a different gods and different names for the gods they believe. Christianity name for God is Christ, Hindu is Vishnu and the God for Muslims is Allah. He believes that the different religious gods are the same God. He indicates this in the book. “Vishnu preserve me, Allah protect me, Christ save me,” (Life of Pi pg. 98). In this quote he separate each God but believe in all three gods. I think that he does because he doesn’t not want to commit to one god but to all of them.
I found it very interesting that Pi included God in his lifeboat supply list, and not just as “God” but “1 God.” That list is a list of essentials, a list of what one needs to survive. By including God in Pi’s list of essentials, Martel is foreshadowing Pi’s faith in God will be a key part to his survival on the boat. The presence of God and the presence of the tiger is again exploring the theme of irrational and rational coexisting. Pi will have to learn to live with a mesh both in order to survive.
One of the major themes of this book is God. By listing "1 God" (Martel 146), we are told Pi still has a very strong religious belief. All items listed before God were these rational items for Pi's survival. However, the last and what I believe is the most important item is irrational but still a key to survival. During Pi's story, he explains to us how most people in his situation die. It is a moment when "fear, which is an impression, has triumphed over you" (Martel 162). He also states it is when "you dismiss your allies: hope and trust" (Martel 162). This hope and trust represents God. Once you have lost your faith in God and let your fear of death take over, you have lost your battle.
I think God is an important figure in this book to Pi. That is why he put him in his survival list because he also realizes that he needs God to survive. I also agree with you that he doesn’t say that there is more than one God he will need because he only believes in one God. Even though he believes in multiple religions he thinks that all these religions are true so he only needs one God for all three religions. Since he believes in this one God but practices three religions I think this means he only really believes in one unique religion of his own. I like the quote Cole used that shows his need in God "you dismiss your allies: hope and trust" (Martel 162). Both hope and trust represent faith in God. It could also be said that hope and trust are needed for his survival because you need these things for his religion.
Pi compares his feeling of thirst to the same feeling God felt on the cross. He refers to himself as a "regular human", this supports his thinking of God as almighty. "Look: Christ on the Cross died of suffocation, but His only complaint was of thirst" (135). Pi states that "a tiger was nothing" (135). Christ and Pi have the similar view of thirst being worse than death. Pi's similarity to God and his ability to remember His story even during the worst time shows God is always with Pi.
This post has some great points. Speaking about how God is always with Pi and the argument between thirst being worse than death, in my opinion, is one of the biggest arguments in the story. I really like how you gave key examples as to how God is always with Pi durin his journey in the story. Even in the worst times Pi kept his faith and always kept God with him and I really like how you explained that in your post.
I think the that life of pi is trying to show that God is not everyone but it is in everything. In chapter 52 Pi include God in his lifeboat list, I think Pi see God as something is always with him, like if God was part of him, regardless of his religion, as Martel wrote in chapter 23 ."'Bapu Gandhi said, ' All religions are true'. I just want to love God'".
Alice has a good point. I liked how she said that God is in everything. If this case is true, than I believe that Pi could believe in all three religions. I'm starting to believe that Pi thinks that all three of his religions' Gods are one. Throughout the book, I have realized that Pi never takes sides with any one God of the three religions which makes me even further believe that he thinks they are all one. Not only that but as Alice quoted about just wanting to love God, I believe that Pi is looking for a deeper meaning than just three Gods of different religions, he's trying to connect them into one.
Like Shawn said, Alice has a good point, but I have to disagree a little. It's true, God can be in everything, it just takes a certain person to see it. If you are not a believer of faith, then "God" is a symbol, a celebrity if you will, as unimportant to atheists or people not believing in faith as Snooki is to our cultured society. You could see God in everything, but only I think if you believe in Him and His divine powers. I love the quote Alice uses by Gandhi. It shows one side of faith in which god can be anything. He could be a mighty, faceless power, or a single leaf in which a believer sees power in. Yes, it takes a certain person to see a divine power, but not even they choose to.
I think that god is within Pi's journey in this book. I think that this is true because his interpretation of what happens to him is based on religion and his faith in god. "I repeatedly mumbled, ‘Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" (145). In this quote he is thanking someone for these supplies that will save his life. Pi is most likely thanking god for this because he has been thirsty and hungry for a couple of days.
After reading through chapter 52 in the book, I think I have a good idea about the position of God. It seems like he plays a major part in Pi's life influencing not only his decisions, but also his thinking process. One example of how God influences Pi's decisions is after his family encounters the three wise men. Pi confronts his father and says "I would like to be baptized and I would like a prayer rug". On the next page, he is arguing with his father, trying to convince his father to get him the items. "But I want to pray to Allah. I want to be a Christian" (71, 72). These two quotes are significant because they show that Pi's family is against his worship of three religions, but Pi makes his own decision to get a prayer rug and a baptism. An example of how Pi's thinking process is altered after choosing to accept multiple Gods happens after his father sends him to talk to his mother about his interest in the three different religions. It begins "I don't see why I can't be all three. Mamaji has two passports. He's Indian and French. Why can't I be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim?" Pi has obviously been thinking about this matter for quite some time and feels very strongly about his faith. There is just one question I have about God in this book. On page 146, Pi lists his possessions on the lifeboat. The list includes everything he found inside the survival kit on the boat, the animals, himself, and God. Nothing surprising. But he doesn't just list God, he lists "1 God" (146). The fact that he chose to write God as singular as opposed to counting off the different Gods he worshiped confuses me. Is Martel implying something about the way Pi observes his religion (could Pi be combining the three Gods into one and worshiping the combination)?
I agree with your statement of how God plays a major part in Pi's life, but I think you have left out a big part of the story. God influences Pi’s decisions and thought processes, but God is more to Pi than a mystic being that sees all and judges your decisions. Pi is influenced by God as if God is there standing right being Pi, giving Pi advise and help Pi make tough decisions. Pi is influenced by God’s presence, not the thought of God’s punishments or rewards. God’s closeness with Pi can be easily seen in the quote you had a question with, “1 God" (146). Pi included God in a list of Pi’s surrounding object, such as the supplies on board with Pi, and the animals left alive. God is with Pi on that life raft, in the middle of the ocean. To answer your question, yes, Pi has combined these three religions to create a his own “super” religion. Pi has taken the three religions and, not so much as pick and choose the parts he liked, but Pi took the practices, rules, and good qualities of all three religions to create a religion that Pi completely believes in. This complete belief and devotion to his religion allows Pi to feel so close to god, even when everything else in his life is lost. God does not influence as an almighty judge who decides your fate, but influences as a friend or older sibling who you look up to for guidance and support.
This entire story seems to be a game of Survivor ordered by God. God arranged for this entire story by setting up a series of events up the time when Pi's stranded in that life boat. Of course, He prepared Pi in advance. By having Pi take up three different religions, He's giving Pi some type of faith that he can hold onto in order to keep his sanity and bring him hope while under conditions that could push anyone to the point of insanity. The animals may or may not have been placed in the boat intentionally, but it was God who got rid of them by having the hyena kill the zebra and orangoutang, and then the tiger would kill the hyena (Note: I am not sure how the hyena disappears. I'm only assuming the tiger eats him) so that there would only be the tiger and the hyena there. God 'gave' Pi the emergency supplies kit, and Pi continuously says "Thank you" after finding every item. It's as thought God set up this arena for Pi to compete in to win, and the prize for surviving is his life and a wondrous story. The life boat and the sea is their arena, the emergency supply kit and the ocean are his tools, the tiger is his partner, and God is the proctor.
There is also the possibility that God himself is the tiger. He's there to teach Pi a life lesson, and he expects Pi to teach himself to survive, or else 'God' will kill him. The final question is why would God go through all this trouble? The reason will probably never be known. Perhaps it could be to teach Pi that with intelligence, courage, and faith, he can survive such a dangerous adventure.
If most people were stranded in a lifeboat, they would give up on the god of their religion, asking the question that many people are debating: Where is God in all of this? However, I think that God is exactly what is pushing Pi to survive. "'No! No! No! My suffering does matter. I want to live!'... I mumbled words of Muslim prayer and went back to sleep" (177). I remember for the Multi-genre research paper in 9th grade English that there are many documents from intelligence agencies that showed that if someone believed in a greater being, that they were the hardest people to break down in an interrogation. I believe that this is what is going on here with Pi. Being stranded on the lifeboat is like the interrogation, and all Pi can do is stay strong and not break under the pressure, but instead of taking all the pressure on himself, he believes that God is always with him, and even though Pi doesn't always pray or talk to God like he did in the first part, his faith never falters. Pi knows that He is there to help him through his struggle. God has not abandoned Pi, but as Yann Martel suggested by the name of the ship, Tsimtsum that God may not have been with the ship for some unknown reason, but His influence on Pi helps Pi continue his survival at sea.
I think God is everywhere in this novel. Pi believes in one God and that there is only one God but isn’t quite sure which religion is the right one or if they all are in their own way. God plays an important part in Pi's life as he goes throughout the novel studying multiple of them. I don’t think Pi believes in three religions I think that he believes in one. None of which is only Christianity, Islam, or Hinduism; it’s his own religion that has beliefs in all three.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good post. I liked how you said that Pi doesn't believe in the three different religions but in one unique religion that is his own. This thought answered the question for me as to whether it is possible for Pi to truly be a Christian, Muslim, and Hindu all at the same time, which I believe the answer to is no. I agree with what you said; he is combining all three religions into his own blend of religions that holds God at its center. However, I think there is an even deeper meaning. Pi believes his one God is the same throughout all three religions which is a different take than one is used to seeing. To me, it shows that Pi holds God above religion itself because it's as if Pi is "violating" principles of each of the three religions to prove that God is the most important thing. For example, just by worshipping the other two, Pi violates the principles of the third religion which proves that he doesn't mind how he goes about loving God as long as he is worshipping him in some way. This is an idea that I feel much of our world could learn from because most religious people seem much too concerned with their method of worshipping rather than focusing on what they are worshipping.
DeleteThis is great post. I agree with you and Evan, I do think that Pi is combining all three religions into one unique religion. The religion he believes in is Hindu, Christianity, and Muslim. He knows that each religion has a different gods and different names for the gods they believe. Christianity name for God is Christ, Hindu is Vishnu and the God for Muslims is Allah. He believes that the different religious gods are the same God. He indicates this in the book. “Vishnu preserve me, Allah protect me, Christ save me,” (Life of Pi pg. 98). In this quote he separate each God but believe in all three gods. I think that he does because he doesn’t not want to commit to one god but to all of them.
DeleteI found it very interesting that Pi included God in his lifeboat supply list, and not just as “God” but “1 God.” That list is a list of essentials, a list of what one needs to survive. By including God in Pi’s list of essentials, Martel is foreshadowing Pi’s faith in God will be a key part to his survival on the boat. The presence of God and the presence of the tiger is again exploring the theme of irrational and rational coexisting. Pi will have to learn to live with a mesh both in order to survive.
ReplyDeleteOne of the major themes of this book is God. By listing "1 God" (Martel 146), we are told Pi still has a very strong religious belief. All items listed before God were these rational items for Pi's survival. However, the last and what I believe is the most important item is irrational but still a key to survival. During Pi's story, he explains to us how most people in his situation die. It is a moment when "fear, which is an impression, has triumphed over you" (Martel 162). He also states it is when "you dismiss your allies: hope and trust" (Martel 162). This hope and trust represents God. Once you have lost your faith in God and let your fear of death take over, you have lost your battle.
DeleteI think God is an important figure in this book to Pi. That is why he put him in his survival list because he also realizes that he needs God to survive. I also agree with you that he doesn’t say that there is more than one God he will need because he only believes in one God. Even though he believes in multiple religions he thinks that all these religions are true so he only needs one God for all three religions. Since he believes in this one God but practices three religions I think this means he only really believes in one unique religion of his own. I like the quote Cole used that shows his need in God "you dismiss your allies: hope and trust" (Martel 162). Both hope and trust represent faith in God. It could also be said that hope and trust are needed for his survival because you need these things for his religion.
DeletePi compares his feeling of thirst to the same feeling God felt on the cross. He refers to himself as a "regular human", this supports his thinking of God as almighty. "Look: Christ on the Cross died of suffocation, but His only complaint was of thirst" (135). Pi states that "a tiger was nothing" (135). Christ and Pi have the similar view of thirst being worse than death. Pi's similarity to God and his ability to remember His story even during the worst time shows God is always with Pi.
ReplyDeleteThis post has some great points. Speaking about how God is always with Pi and the argument between thirst being worse than death, in my opinion, is one of the biggest arguments in the story. I really like how you gave key examples as to how God is always with Pi durin his journey in the story. Even in the worst times Pi kept his faith and always kept God with him and I really like how you explained that in your post.
DeleteI think the that life of pi is trying to show that God is not everyone but it is in everything. In chapter 52 Pi include God in his lifeboat list, I think Pi see God as something is always with him, like if God was part of him, regardless of his religion, as Martel wrote in chapter 23 ."'Bapu Gandhi said, ' All religions are true'. I just want to love God'".
ReplyDeleteAlice has a good point. I liked how she said that God is in everything. If this case is true, than I believe that Pi could believe in all three religions. I'm starting to believe that Pi thinks that all three of his religions' Gods are one. Throughout the book, I have realized that Pi never takes sides with any one God of the three religions which makes me even further believe that he thinks they are all one. Not only that but as Alice quoted about just wanting to love God, I believe that Pi is looking for a deeper meaning than just three Gods of different religions, he's trying to connect them into one.
DeleteLike Shawn said, Alice has a good point, but I have to disagree a little. It's true, God can be in everything, it just takes a certain person to see it. If you are not a believer of faith, then "God" is a symbol, a celebrity if you will, as unimportant to atheists or people not believing in faith as Snooki is to our cultured society. You could see God in everything, but only I think if you believe in Him and His divine powers. I love the quote Alice uses by Gandhi. It shows one side of faith in which god can be anything. He could be a mighty, faceless power, or a single leaf in which a believer sees power in. Yes, it takes a certain person to see a divine power, but not even they choose to.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think that god is within Pi's journey in this book. I think that this is true because his interpretation of what happens to him is based on religion and his faith in god. "I repeatedly mumbled, ‘Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" (145). In this quote he is thanking someone for these supplies that will save his life. Pi is most likely thanking god for this because he has been thirsty and hungry for a couple of days.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading through chapter 52 in the book, I think I have a good idea about the position of God. It seems like he plays a major part in Pi's life influencing not only his decisions, but also his thinking process.
ReplyDeleteOne example of how God influences Pi's decisions is after his family encounters the three wise men. Pi confronts his father and says "I would like to be baptized and I would like a prayer rug". On the next page, he is arguing with his father, trying to convince his father to get him the items. "But I want to pray to Allah. I want to be a Christian" (71, 72). These two quotes are significant because they show that Pi's family is against his worship of three religions, but Pi makes his own decision to get a prayer rug and a baptism.
An example of how Pi's thinking process is altered after choosing to accept multiple Gods happens after his father sends him to talk to his mother about his interest in the three different religions. It begins "I don't see why I can't be all three. Mamaji has two passports. He's Indian and French. Why can't I be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim?" Pi has obviously been thinking about this matter for quite some time and feels very strongly about his faith.
There is just one question I have about God in this book. On page 146, Pi lists his possessions on the lifeboat. The list includes everything he found inside the survival kit on the boat, the animals, himself, and God. Nothing surprising. But he doesn't just list God, he lists "1 God" (146). The fact that he chose to write God as singular as opposed to counting off the different Gods he worshiped confuses me. Is Martel implying something about the way Pi observes his religion (could Pi be combining the three Gods into one and worshiping the combination)?
I agree with your statement of how God plays a major part in Pi's life, but I think you have left out a big part of the story. God influences Pi’s decisions and thought processes, but God is more to Pi than a mystic being that sees all and judges your decisions. Pi is influenced by God as if God is there standing right being Pi, giving Pi advise and help Pi make tough decisions. Pi is influenced by God’s presence, not the thought of God’s punishments or rewards. God’s closeness with Pi can be easily seen in the quote you had a question with, “1 God" (146). Pi included God in a list of Pi’s surrounding object, such as the supplies on board with Pi, and the animals left alive. God is with Pi on that life raft, in the middle of the ocean. To answer your question, yes, Pi has combined these three religions to create a his own “super” religion. Pi has taken the three religions and, not so much as pick and choose the parts he liked, but Pi took the practices, rules, and good qualities of all three religions to create a religion that Pi completely believes in. This complete belief and devotion to his religion allows Pi to feel so close to god, even when everything else in his life is lost. God does not influence as an almighty judge who decides your fate, but influences as a friend or older sibling who you look up to for guidance and support.
DeleteThis entire story seems to be a game of Survivor ordered by God. God arranged for this entire story by setting up a series of events up the time when Pi's stranded in that life boat. Of course, He prepared Pi in advance. By having Pi take up three different religions, He's giving Pi some type of faith that he can hold onto in order to keep his sanity and bring him hope while under conditions that could push anyone to the point of insanity. The animals may or may not have been placed in the boat intentionally, but it was God who got rid of them by having the hyena kill the zebra and orangoutang, and then the tiger would kill the hyena (Note: I am not sure how the hyena disappears. I'm only assuming the tiger eats him) so that there would only be the tiger and the hyena there. God 'gave' Pi the emergency supplies kit, and Pi continuously says "Thank you" after finding every item. It's as thought God set up this arena for Pi to compete in to win, and the prize for surviving is his life and a wondrous story. The life boat and the sea is their arena, the emergency supply kit and the ocean are his tools, the tiger is his partner, and God is the proctor.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the possibility that God himself is the tiger. He's there to teach Pi a life lesson, and he expects Pi to teach himself to survive, or else 'God' will kill him. The final question is why would God go through all this trouble? The reason will probably never be known. Perhaps it could be to teach Pi that with intelligence, courage, and faith, he can survive such a dangerous adventure.
If most people were stranded in a lifeboat, they would give up on the god of their religion, asking the question that many people are debating: Where is God in all of this? However, I think that God is exactly what is pushing Pi to survive. "'No! No! No! My suffering does matter. I want to live!'... I mumbled words of Muslim prayer and went back to sleep" (177). I remember for the Multi-genre research paper in 9th grade English that there are many documents from intelligence agencies that showed that if someone believed in a greater being, that they were the hardest people to break down in an interrogation. I believe that this is what is going on here with Pi. Being stranded on the lifeboat is like the interrogation, and all Pi can do is stay strong and not break under the pressure, but instead of taking all the pressure on himself, he believes that God is always with him, and even though Pi doesn't always pray or talk to God like he did in the first part, his faith never falters. Pi knows that He is there to help him through his struggle. God has not abandoned Pi, but as Yann Martel suggested by the name of the ship, Tsimtsum that God may not have been with the ship for some unknown reason, but His influence on Pi helps Pi continue his survival at sea.
ReplyDelete