Life of Pi Essay Example for Free

Life of Pi Essay There is a time in each person’s life when they feel like the world is coming to an end and no one can help them overcome the problem that there in, but all of a sudden they get a feeling that everything is going to be all right, that somehow they’re going to be able to overcome the crises they’ve fallen into. That spark that lights up there world again, and gives them hope, is belief. Not everyone knows they have the ability to believe in what is unseen but when they fall into a situation where nothing can help them, their human instincts push them into believing that somewhere out there a greater force is going to rescue them. In the story â€Å"Life of Pi† the author Yann Martel takes the readers on a journey to explore the mystery of belief. Pi shows the readers that not everything needs to be seen in order to believe in. Pi is a sixteen year-old boy who has seen nothing of the world, he had nothing more to his life but his family and friend. On that stormy night, cruising on a ship in the middle of the ocean, he lost everything, everything that meant something to him, his family, his friend, his protection, the feeling of safety and love, every single thing that could give him a hint of hope had just vanished in a matter of seconds. He was left with fierce beasts that could tear him to shreds simply. Even though he had no way of being sure that he would be saved, he still pushed himself to believing that somehow he will be able to overcome the crises he’d fallen in. He prayed to God even though he had no proof he was there but he believed. He believed because he had no other choice, he needed a miracle. Pi started using every breathing moment to ask for Gods help. THIS IS GODS HAT! I would pat my pants and say aloud, THIS IS GODS ATTIRE! I would point to Richard Parker and say aloud, THIS IS GODS CAT! I would point to the lifeboat and say aloud, THIS IS GODS ARK! I would spread my hands wide and say aloud, THESE ARE GODS WIDE ACRES! I would point at the sky and say aloud, THIS IS GODS EAR! And in this way I would remind myself of creation and of my place in it. (Martel, 263). Pi starts to lose faith but he refuses to give up easily, he pushes his self to unveil this black curtain that is keeping any type of light out and is determined to hold on to his belief so he starts yelling aloud that everything belongs to God so that he reminds himself that God created everything so he is there whether we see him or not. In Pi’s opinion believing in God is almost like a life opportunity that opens a peosons eyes to the world. He sometimes finds it difficult to have faith in god and feels like he can’t take anymore, but in the end he goes back to believing and loving his lord. Pi says: â€Å"I was giving up. I would have given up – if a voice hadn’t made itself heard in my heart. The voice said â€Å"I will not die. I refuse it. I will make it through this nightmare. I will beat the odds, as great as they are. I have survived so far miraculously. Now I will turn miracle into routine. The amazing will be seen every day. I will put it all the hard work necessary. Yes, so long as God is with me, I will not die Amen†Ã¢â‚¬ (186). He refuses to give up, even though there is nothing factual which may give him any type of hope he still tries to hold on and have faith in god powers. Pi shows that believing in God has given him strength and hope to get through his situation. It has pushed him to believe that no matter what happens he will be alright because God is with him. So, even though God can’t be seen, he is still there and when stuck and in need of help he will be the one to rescue his people. Pi as a young boy doesn’t really know what to do in the situation he’s in; he’s scared but tries not to show it, he wants to remain strong. Pi trying to maintain an optimistic point of view continuously forced his belief to grow; taking his age into consideration we are able to see that he is pushing himself to be the man he has to be in order to get through this problem. He says, â€Å"Only fear can defeat life. It is a clever, treacherous adversary, how well I know. It has weakest spot, which it finds with unerring ease. It begins in your mind† (178) . Pi as a young man understands that belief and faith is the key to his survival, he determines that in order to survive through his wild and dangerous journey he must throw his fears aside and believe. Love is something very rare felt from with in. Not everyone experiences this amazing feeling which makes It very difficult to believe and understand. Pi shows us his strong belief in love through the following quote â€Å"I just want to love God† (87). Thinking deeply into this simple quote you can see that pi is expressing his true love for God. He shows that he is prepared to love with all of his heart even if he gets nothing in return. Also another quote that shows Pi’s love in is â€Å"He’s a shy man. Life has taught him not to show off what is most precious to him†(101). This shows that Pi has learned to hide the things he truly loves in order to keep them safe, to keep them out of sight and unharmed. Considering he lost his family that would be the least he could do. So, it’s is proven that not everything needs to be seen in order for one to believe in. A quote from the book that supports is â€Å"We believe what we see†¦ what do you do when you’re in the dark?† So this shows that not everything needs to be seen in order for people to believe in.