Symbols and Religion in the Life of Pi

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In The Life of Pi, the protagonist, Pi Patel, develops his own belief system based on the religious elements of Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. Accordingly, his beliefs played a critical part in the course of his life, especially during his survival after the shipwreck at sea. The Life of Pi exhibits a number of different themes and conceptual symbols throughout the novel. Of these, the most prevalent themes and symbols directly relate to Pi’s personal religion, as well as the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker. Accordingly, Richard Parker exhibited symbolic relationships with Pi’s unique beliefs, and these relationships are extensively seen in Pi’s journey on the Pacific. In the novel, Pi’s distinct combination of religious beliefs may have had a direct relationship with the animals that were seen on his journey at sea. For instance, the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, can be seen as a symbol of Pi’s religion that he holds on to so dearly. This can be seen in the way Richard Parker and Pi relate to one another. Similar to the way Pi prayed and gave thanks to his god everyday at sea, Pi fed and sustained a positive and respectful relationship with Richard Parker. In addition, Pi demonstrated his psychological dependance on prayer and companionship with Richard Parker, exhibiting another similarity between Pi’s religion and the tiger. Without his religious beliefs or Richard Parker, Pi’s morale would suffer greatly and he would likely lose his will to live, in the midst of all the struggles. Thus, it is evident that Richard Parker can be seen as a physical symbol of Pi’s god, as he revered and treated both entities in a similar sacred manner. In another light, one may see Richard Parker as not solely a symbolic representation of Pi’s unique religion, but as a physical manifestation of his god on the lifeboat. In this way, Richard Parker can be viewed as Pi’s god on

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