Plot

Other theme

Beyond the themes relating to art, religion, and science, Life of Pi also focuses a great amount of attention on Pi’s struggle to survive, and this creates another theme. Life threatening situations force people to push themselves to the limits of their physical and mental ability, and invite contemplation on philosophical subjects. Pi’s hostile environment, with Richard Parker, harsh sun, and limited food and drink, causes this conflict between Pi and nature, and as a result, Pi must give up vegetarianism, must learn to catch and prepare sea creatures with limited equipment, and must train Richard Parker, all feats which he has never done before. All this time alone on the boat also allows Pi to think about many philosophical topics, such as the meaning of life, the nature of God, and more.

Thoughts on Other Themes

Pi has conversations with the reader about the behavior of animals in captivity, which brings up a discussion of freedom in the natural world. Pi asserts that an animal in the zoo is as "free" as an animal in the wild, because it treats its artificial habitat the same way that it treats its natural one. In either situation it creates a territory that it calls home, and it's fine unless the new conditions are too foreign for it to process. It doesn't have a desire to explore or wander if it has a stable home. In arguing this, Pi cites numerous cases of animals escaping from the zoo and not really going anywhere, or staying when allowed to escape. In fact, he says, animals are more free in zoos, because they can do what they want without fear of predators.

Pi also discusses how animals are narrowly "programmed" for survival, so that they cannot handle situations drastically different from their usual surroundings. The hyena, for example, upon realizing it's on a lifeboat in the middle of the ocean, goes haywire and starts running around madly in circles. This is why zookeepers have to create a familiar habitat for animals--so they can comprehend what's going on around them.

Do these laws of nature apply to humans too? Are we really happy if we're confined in a comfortable environment? Pi presents one example, where he argues that evicting people from their houses and telling them to leave town does not make them happy. However, people certainly have a desire to explore things and make choices--and they're much more adaptable than other animals, as evidenced by Pi's survival on the life raft.

Setting

Sonnet for Richard Parker

What blazing fur, what wind-blown charcoal stripes--

You merely need to stand to earn my awe!

No need to move towards me--angry swipes

Would dirty up your pearly teeth and claws.

Though nobly sculpted your attack would be,

At a touch my bones would break or bend.

Such power is a waste on one like me--

You see me as a goat, but I'm your friend.

Look out at yonder gauntlet! Sharks and weather,

Tempestuous prison, satin walls of blue.

You see the Gods conspire to bring us together--

This wat'ry disk is meant for me and you.

But like the Earth and fiery tiger Sun,

You shouldn't swallow me to make us One.

Science and Religion

Life of Pi's protagonist has college degrees in both religious studies and zoology, which makes the novel well suited for a discussion of science and religion. Pi Patel embraces both of them to the fullest--he considers himself a full-fledged Christian, Muslim, and Hindu (much to the dismay of all three religions), and he is an expert on countless animals, having grown up in his father's zoo. Rather than seeing science and religion as being in conflict, Pi considers the natural world to be an expression of God's will. He voices this thought at the very beginning of the novel, when he describes how the three-toed sloth reminds him of God.

In the introduction to the novel, Martel scripts a conversation with a man in India, who says "I have a story that will make you believe in God" (x). No God actually appears in the story, no matter how delirious Pi gets on the lifeboat. Science seems to play the dominant role throughout the adventure. However, the sheer beauty of Pi's experience, coupled with the miraculous fact that he survived it, are evidence that God had a hand in things.

Setting Haiku

Long boat in the ocean
Tiger, dead bodies, young boy
Don't want to be next

Locker of treasures
Solar stills, life jacket, food
Life-giving supplies

Calm ocean surface
Flying fish, sharks, turtles too
Source of food and death

Gently swaying boat
Richard Parker gets seasick
Avast, landlubber