Life of Pi on Human Spirit

1251 Words6 Pages
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world.” Anonymous. Without imagination in the world, it would be very simple and by the book. Some of the greatest names in history -- such as Galileo and Aristotle – are the ones who are not afraid to think outside the box. The author of this quote speaks of the importance of imagination and the impact that, in turn it has on the surrounding world. As a person becomes more imaginative and creative in their lives, it also has great impact on their spirit and personality. In the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the main character follows many different religions and by doing so has developed the imagination to believe that they are all true. Throughout the novel there are cases of people who fail to use their imagination, this gives them a life of disbelief and simplicity. The main character develops an alter ego in an animal form to justify his actions, which shows how people use their imagination to comfort their spirit. Through having imagination and creativity, people are able to create the life in which they desire. This can lead to the creation of ideas and concepts to help the spirit understand the world around it. Throughout the novel there are many cases which show how religion has helped Pi through times. By having the imagination to create three religions into a unique belief of his own, Pi is able to find comfort for his spirit. There are many times through the novel where it would be very easy for Pi just to give up and forget about the idea of religion, but he never does. By choosing to never give up on this when times get tough and it seems as if no god really does exist, it teaches Pi that perseverance is critical in everything that he does. With everything Pi proceeds to kill while on the boat, he always feels terrible and prays to the
Open Document