Agnosticism In Yann Martel's Life Of Pi

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In Yann Martel’s Life Of Pi it is illustrated that doubt leads to failure of accomplishment. Although Pi frowns upon agnostics because of their doubt, lack of imagination, reasoning, and lack of interest for answers Pi also shares these characteristics with them throughout the novel. Through Pi’s time on the ocean it is shown that these traits are what endanger him. Therefore, Yann Martel shows one that doubt is what makes Pi suffer. Pi looks down upon agnostics because “[they don’t] know which way is up” (Martel, 5) However, this is ironic because Pi himself is confused about his own religion. He believes in God but he can’t choose between which religion he wants to worship: “I was practising Hindu, Christian, and Muslim.” (Martel, 71) Pi’s religion is very important to him. However, he is not against Atheists, because they have a set belief. “Whereas the agnostic[s], if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality… to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story.” (Martel, 70) This shows that Pi is angered by the lack of imagine and how agnostics are content without finding answers and they look for reason. Therefore he believes that doubt should exist, but should be momentary, to be replaced by a decision. Although Pi seems to be so against agnostics in part one, it is shown that Pi, has the characteristics of an agnostic. In part one his hatred for agnostics is heavily stressed upon. However, in the rest of the book there is little mention of agnostics again. This is because Pi not intentionally has the values of an agnostic when he is confronted with his dramatic experience of the ship sinking. He questions “Why can’t reason give greater answers? Why can we throw a question further than we can pull an answer?” (Martel, 108) which are exactly the same questions he looks down upon agnostics for

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