Pi-religion

How did religious allusions and references help you to create meaning in the story?

It was comforting that Pi found a symbol for one of his gods everywhere. The color orange was a constant reminder of his faith in God,Allah, etc. I am not a very religious person myself but, I know that if I was in the same boat as Pi literally I would have lost faith even more. I would think that if God really loved me then he wouldn't have let me go through all of the things that Pi did. But Pi just used it as a way of being closer to god.-Dominique

The strong religious influences on Pi's life help to reveal that he has an extremely strong sense of faith. This helps to create the sense that Pi is not to give up despite all the adversities. -Ethan

The religious allusions and references in the story helped show me meaning by revealing how much relevance religion and the belief in God can will a person to continue to live, despite not knowing how ones future can turn out. It also opened up my on thoughts because I myself am not normally a religious person and I always see people argue over which religion is better or more prominent in the world. This story showed me how some people, like Pi, can just simply be not only tolerant, but also understanding of many religions and respect various aspects of each one. -Jenna

If you were to take all of the religious citations and allusions out of the story, you would just have a story about a man, stranded, holding onto life by an arm hair. The religious references add many extra levels. It shows the power that religion can do to a person and how much of an impact it holds on their life. I think it is very courageous to be able to experience that all and just pray and not complain or resort to drastic measures. -Dave

The religious allusions help you to create meaning in the story by helping you to understand Pi and get in his head. Most everywhere he found God: in colors, compainions, and survival equiment. To him God was in the things that saved him: His raft, lifeboat, the tiger that was his comrade, the island that was refuge, the whistle to train with, the life jacket, even the green turtles. The religious connection with the colors (green and orange) help us know what is important to him. -Diana

The explanations about the three religions he takes on helps understand the color references throughout the trip on the boat. For example, the orange life jackets represent how religion will save him from insanity. The most important part of the book regarding religion, however, is during the investigation. The Japanese tell Pi that they like the first story better, though it is hard to believe. Pi replies, “And so it is with God.” This statement is very true. Just because something seems impossible doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. Many people have trouble believing some of the things that religion brings to the table, and this story shows how impossible things can happen. |Nicolette

Pi constantly saw reminders of the faiths that he believed. The orange all over the lifeboat reminded him of his one God being his shelter and protector. He saw green in the turtles and the island full of algae that he found. The green helped him to survive by giving him food. I am a Christian and I believe that God can help us in hard situations, but I don't know if I would be able to keep as much faith as Pi did given his situation. I probably would have lost all hope when I lost my family and everything I had ever known. This story really shows that faith can help you to continue living your life even when things are really hard. ~Megan