LIFE OF PI
June 09, 2020POST LECTIO : A Thought Provoking Philosophy
Title : Life of Pi
Author : Yann Martel
Year : 2001
Genre : Philosophy/ Fiction
Summary: “Pi”scine Molitor Patel, a young Tamil boy, tries to balance survival and sanity while being stranded on a lifeboat along with a 300 pound Royal Bengal Tiger, in the Pacific Ocean.
Before the actual plot begins, a character claims that the story of Pi Patel will make the narrator/reader believe in god. This is a very bold claim, but as the story unravels, you can begin to understand the subtle spiritual and philosophical undertones present throughout the book.
“To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.”
The premise may seem simple, but it is a heavily packed novel. The research that has gone into the writing of this story is immense and it shows. There are some parts where the explanation is very detailed. The biggest advantage of the book is its setting, a zoo in Pondicherry. (The family lives in a house inside the zoo). I won’t be mistaken in saying that, owing to India’s rich cultural tradition and history, it provides an apt background for the religious philosophies of the novel.
“Hindus, in their capacity for love, are indeed hairless Christians, just as Muslims, in the way they see God in everything, are bearded Hindus, and Christians, in their devotion to God, are hat wearing Muslims.”
The story flows naturally, it does not stagnate anywhere. The narration is so vivid that you start to look for animals around you. Once the Pacific Ocean part begins, it gets real interesting. You become so invested in the plight of “Pi” and the tiger, that you can taste the salt in the air.
“All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive.”
The core of the novel is revealed only in the last few pages. After the revelation, it will definitely make you go back to the beginning of the story, and it will make you ponder over every little thing that has happened in the story so far. And I think that is what a true philosophy should do to us, make us go back Ito our past and make us think about every single thing that has happened so far.
Written By: Gautham Selvarajan
Post Lectio is a series where we present a spoiler-free review of the books we read.
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