I don’t really like talking about faith and religion because everyone has those sneaking and uncomfortable suspicions that they’d rather not think about, but I’ll just write the DB Mr. Okamoto would have liked to read, something more straightforward.
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I’m not sure if Life of Pi is a book that will make you believe in God. Faith surely, but not God. Pi needed to find some sort of greater power: it kept him alive. The power of having faith in something, anything, or even three religions, was hugely apparent as I was reading the last third of Life of Pi. Whether you draw strength from God, love or nature, we all need something to have complete faith and trust in. Lauren described one such faith as faith in a better tomorrow. While I know that I have always tried to have faith in God or the saints—and have always held a certain affinity for Mary—it doesn’t always, or usually, fall through. One thing that I am certain of, however, is a faith in nature, something that I noticed throughout the book.
Throughout Pi’s ordeal, I noticed that nature served a similar—if not the same—purpose as religion or at least could answer the same questions. Pi himself even explains the power the green algae had by relating it to Islam: “Green is a lovely color. It is the color of Islam. It is my favorite color.” (Martel 257) He also describes the beach that he lands on in Mexico as a, “beach like the cheek of God.” (Martel 285) By comparing religion to nature, Martel seems to underline the pervasiveness and innate nature of “religion,” a sense of something greater out there.
Religion, or at least the idea of it, seems to exist in nature itself. The sparse physical elements of the lifeboat—and of the story itself—pare down the issue of faith and existence to its elements. Pi lived as an animal, as we were perhaps intended to live, and survived. He received enjoyment and hope through natural elements alone—the schools of fish, lightening, the algae island—and was strengthened by them. He could have survived by an appreciation of nature as it is, had he had greater faith in it. But Pi chose to survive by faith in God.
The green algae island, a "natural" occurence, had a profound effect on Pi.
The point—which I have been circling around for enough time now—is that Pi didn’t need faith in God to survive but faith in something. It doesn’t matter whether Pi’s trust in God was unfounded or just in his head. The importance of his faith is that it got him out alive.
Although Pi could have survived by a trust and understanding of nature alone, he needed to hold onto something, to believe in wonder, in something, like love, which is “hard to believe.” (Martel 297). Dillard also expresses an unspoken need for wonder and shies away from familiarity when she talks about fecundity, writing "Fecundity is an ugly word for an ugly subject. It is ugly at least, in the eggy animal world. I don't think it is for plants." (Dillard 27) Dillard is disgusted by the reproduction of animals, organisms which she can understand (as she is one), but can still appreciate the reproduction of plants--an element of wonder. When Mr. Okomoto questions him about his seemingly-unbelievable story, Pi replies, “isn’t just looking into the world already an invention?” (Martel 302) In some way, we all need to invent part of the world, interpret it, and not just see it. We have to see the world in such a way that it creates our “better story.” So for Pi it’s religion. And for me I hope it’s some sort of optimism and a trust and appreciation of nature. To some religion is an invention, something that others use to see their world. To others it is the world and governs how it functions. And all others fall in between. The notion of religion is inescapable. It is within us.
The situation of religion and faith is hazy, but its function is clear. Religion, in a sort of paradox, is natural. The need for some sort of presence or understanding of the world with greater complexity is necessary. Pi found his faith through religion, but there are many other paths. This book underlined the ever-present force of faith.
Faith is naturally present and necessary thing.
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