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Yann Martel’s bildungsroman novel Life of Pi confronts and explores the contrasting and conflicting nature of both faith and science and their coexistence in this universe. Martel’s unconventional approach makes the novel appear to a broad audience as, like Pi, we all know what it is like to suffer. The suffering of Pi is essential to his survival out in the Pacific Ocean as it shows the reader how faith and science are significant in living a life that is full of trials and tribulations. The confronting revelation that Martel presents close to the conclusion of the novel allows the reader to choose which version of Pi’s story they would rather see — which is symbolic of the perspectives of faith and science. Thus Pi, choosing to retell his suffering through the lens of faith, is implying that living life through the perspective of faith is more inspiring and motivating compared to the lens of reason. However, in Pi’s story of survival, he needs both faith and science which motivate and support his purpose to live. Through this understanding of perspectives, Martel may be encouraging the reader to ultimately care and love for one another. Hence, through the suspension of disbelief, the structure of the novel, and symbolism, Martel demonstrates how the two perspectives of life that seem opposing collaborate in the face of adversity to help Pi endure and persist through times of suffering.
Martel achieves a fine and delicate balance between faith and science in Life of Pi but the suffering of Pi is what allows the reader to see why many people are attracted to faith. Faith in Pi’s life was what helped him persevere and endure through suffering and loss, it kept him motivated and fed his spirit to “never give up” (148). Without faith, Pi would have surrendered his life amidst all the suffering as he could not find a purpose to go on living. It already seemed impossible to survive after losing everything he once knew and now to share a lifeboat with a hungry adult Bengal tiger, a zebra, a hyena and an orangutan out in the Pacific Ocean gave absolutely no reassurance that he could ever reach rescue before being devoured by hungry animals. However, through this suspension of disbelief, faith gives hope to the impossible and shines light even on the darkest holes, “Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust” (208) that if one falls, they trust that there will be something there that will protect them, but sometimes, it seems that nothing is there and one simply has to get back up. At these times, it feels as though one has been misled and abandoned however this is part of God’s test, and Pi’s suffering is testing his strength of faith. “It is trusting beyond all reason and evidence that you have not been abandoned” (Martin, HuffPost) and continue to trust in God which is why Pi acknowledges that “sometimes it was so hard to love” (208). Thus, through the role of faith in Pi’s suffering, the reader can understand why Pi was so intrigued with the notion of faith and how faith saved him from death.
As Martel’s revelation of the two perspectives concludes, the reader is able to also see how the role of faith serves in Pi’s survival but more importantly, Martel also demonstrates the role of science and how it contributed to saving Pi’s life in the Pacific Ocean. These seemingly opposing perspectives somehow collaborated in Pi’s survival which first of all, demonstrates Martel’s incredible writing ability but secondly, broadens the reader’s perspective on how and why many people trust the perspective of science thus reason. In Pi’s survival, “Reason is excellent for getting food, clothing and shelter” (98) so that he could sustain his mortal needs. Thus in this sense, without reason from science, Pi would not have survived. Reason provides knowledge and helps our senses navigate this world thus we learn how to survive. One cannot survive simply on the basis of faith and visa versa as “Be excessively reasonable and you risk throwing out the universe with the bathwater” (298). Therefore, Pi’s survival gives a reason why we cannot sustain our mortal needs in this world if we choose to neglect science and live only on the basis of faith hence Jordan perceives the relationship between faith and science as a “fine, delicate balance” as Martel demonstrates how the two seemingly opposing perspectives coexist in the human world of trials and tribulations.
Interestingly, as Jordan perceives this novel to display the parity of faith and science, Martel spends 94 chapters of Pi retelling his suffering through the perspective of faith which may in fact, imply an underlying message suggesting otherwise: live life through the miracles of faith. Reason helps us navigate the world with our senses but faith helps us explore the wider possibilities that “our limited senses” (48) cannot fathom. Thus, the notion of trusting something that our senses cannot depict is fearsome for many: it is why many are adamant about reason as it satisfies everything that their senses can depict. Having faith in something that our human senses cannot depict is even more fearful which is why many do not believe in faith as reason has already provided all the answers to their questions. But as Pi explores his belief in science, when “Everything I value in life has been destroyed. And I am allowed no explanation? I am to suffer hell without any account from heaven? In that case what is the purpose of reason?” (98) When reason fails, who else can answer life’s questions? If God does not help, then is this the limit of reason? When one does not have faith, “then fear, disguised in the garb of mild-mannered doubt, slips into your mind like a spy” (161). Perhaps Pi’s story of survival is a testament to the importance of faith in our lives. Perhaps this is what Martel is conveying to the readers. “A God” that Pi explores is “too human a scale” and shows “The finite within the infinite, the infinite within the finite” (49). Evidently, faith is a rather confusing concept for the reader to understand which may also be another reason for Martel’s approach to the structure of the story; cleverly symbolized through the characterization of Pi’s name, an irrational and infinite number. Thus if we lived life on the foundation of facts and reason, we may in the end, lose our sense of purpose and imagination through the “dry, yeastless factuality” (64) of reason’s perspective and ultimately “miss the better story” (64).
However Martel intends to convey the novel to the reader, he has created an incredibly marvelous novel about the coexistence of faith and science in this universe. Both perspectives provide answers in this world thus it is unreasonable to neglect one and choose the other. They provide two different perspectives that Martel demonstrates to save Pi. This balance or approach that Martel achieves creates a sense of equity to show the marvelous things that these perspectives provide. To understand more perspectives enhances our nature to be better human beings. Understanding different perspectives makes us as human beings more unified especially in today’s global community where many political, social, economic, and environmental issues seem to disconnect our sense to ultimately care and love another. Perhaps Martel is implying in our times of suffering, seek to understand others, seek to understand and explore both perspectives of faith and science as that was how Pi survived what seemed to be impossible. Maybe, Martel is encouraging the reader to even have an element of faith in their life, to be able to see another perspective. It once seemed impossible that these two perspectives would even have the slightest correlation to one another but cleverly does so through the suspension of disbelief, the structure of the novel, and symbolism, Martel shows the importance of each of these perspectives in a person’s life. Life of Pi is truly a marveling piece of writing that evidently transcends time and place and deservingly earns its spot as one of the greatest works of English Literature.
Works Cited
- Comaniuk, Sherry Lynne. Life of Pi: Can a Story Make You Believe in God? Wix.com, 18
- March. 2016, sheakes19.wixsite.com/scomaniuk/single-post/2016/03/17/Life-of-Pi-Can-a-Story-Make-You-Believe-in-God
- Jordan, Justine. Review of Life of Pi, by Yann Martel. The Guardian, 25 May 2002, www.theguardian.com/books/2002/may/25/fiction.reviews1
- “Life of Pi Quotes.” Life of Pi Quotes: Faith, SparkNotes www.sparknotes.com/lit/lifeofpi/quotes/theme/faith/. Accessed 7 Oct. 2019.
- Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. Canongate, 2012.
- Martin, Rea Nolan. Faith and Belief Are Not the Same. HuffPost, 28 Oct. 2013, www.huffpost.com/entry/faith-and-belief_b_4166117
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