God?: How Life of Pi Balances the Greatest Question
This essay contains major spoilers for the novel.
God?: How Life of Pi Balances the Greatest Question
Religion is a topic that is usually limited to the most serious of conversations, as viewpoints on the existence or non-existence of God/gods are often an integral part of peoples' identities. This “taboo” status of religion in everyday conversation coincides with the increasing diversity of belief in many parts of the world. European nations are experiencing a wave of secularization, while areas in Africa, Latin America, and East Asia are experiencing a wave of evangelization (Emerson 128). It is no wonder that the “taboo” status of religion, the demographic shift regarding belief/non-belief of recent times, and increasing access to instant communication over the Internet have led to the rise of hardliners in the (a)theist debate. These hardliners, most prominently Islamic and Christian fundamentalists and the New Atheist movement, espouse their views to wide numbers of the like-minded. A prominent reaction to these developments is the novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel. This book is unique because it claims to “make you believe in God” (Martel X) and has a main character who is a devout follower of three religions, but is written by an author with a nonreligious background (Stephens 1). Yann Martel's Life of Pi is a novel that should be read by both anti-theists and religious fundamentalists, as the novel's message and narrative structure intelligently criticize extremism, show that people should be free to choose their beliefs about God/gods, and defend religion as a largely positive cultural institution and emotional backbone for people who believe.
Religious fundamentalists often stringently promote their faith as the only true belief system, and are therefore hostile to both more liberal believers and those who lack faith (“Religious Fundamentalism” 1). In fact, some fundamentalists frame themselves as in “a battle between the good, true, and right versus the bad, false and wrong” that they hope results in “religion [being] restored to its position at the center of public consciousness” (Emerson 137). This troubling mindset has resulted in violent acts, especially by organized Muslim groups and Christian lone wolf attackers, in Syria, Iraq, Nigeria, Afghanistan, and the USA (“Religious Fundamentalism” 3-4 and Emerson 136). Not all fundamentalists are violent, but nonviolent fundamentalism often has harmful effects on society. The Jewish fundamentalist group Gush Emunim founded settlements in traditionally Palestinian areas, and the Christian fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church rallies against gay people (“Religious Fundamentalism” 2-3).
Martel discomforts those who stringently and literally follow one belief system by depicting his novel's protagonist as a freethinking and devout follower of three religions that are traditionally in conflict. He exposes intolerant fundamentalist worldviews by portraying a reaction to Pi's joint practice of Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. When Pi's priest, pandit, and imam have a chance meeting, they begin to mock each other: "'Hindus and Christians are idolators. They have many gods'...'there is salvation only in Jesus'...'What kind of religion is [Islam], without miracles?'...'[Islam] isn't a circus with dead people hopping out of tombs all the time, that's what'...'Hindus enslave people and worship dressed-up dolls'...'[Christians] are the nightmare of all non-white people'" (Martel 67). Pi responds with “Bapu Gandhi said, 'All religions are true.' I just want to love God” (Martel 69). Through these heartfelt words he stops the quarreling: they represent Martel's belief that fundamentalists should put aside petty disagreements about theology and focus on their shared wonder of God “outside the confines of institutional religion” (Stephens 42). Fundamentalist literalism, exclusivity, and violence seen in modern times stems from the attitudes of Pi's religious leaders, but Pi himself challenges their viewpoint through his simple and open words.
As much of the world has rapidly secularized in the past few decades, some scientists and intellectuals have argued that religion is outdated. The most outspoken members of this movement, the New Atheists, have gained notoriety for their conviction that the supernatural is a human construct and the natural sciences answer all of humanity's questions. They also state that “unethical behavior under the banner of religion...presents the greatest threat to the future survival of civilization itself” and “religious education of children is 'child abuse'” (Simon 2-4). These public figures also seek to “turn [other] atheists into...fellow fire-breathing preachers of the anti-gospel” and “make it not just uncool to believe, but cool to ridicule believers.” Many New Atheists also have sympathy towards the interventionist actions of Western powers in the Middle East (Wright).
By describing the unique traditions and/or universally relevant beliefs and practices of multiple religions, Martel shows how religion is still valuable. He backs up the statement that “All the great religions have shown time and again that they're capable of tolerance and civility when their adherents don't feel threatened or disrespected” as well as the argument that the promotion of injustice, inequality, and corruption, not religious practice, causes society's greatest problems (Wright) through Pi's peaceful and largely joyful youth in India. Descriptions of Pi freely choosing to practice three faiths show that some children do enjoy religious education. His appreciation for Indian culture, world inter-connectedness, and nature all stem from his devotion to Hinduism. He explains: "I am Hindu because of the sculptured cones of red kumkum powder and baskets of yellow turmeric nuggets...because of flames of arati lamps circling around in the darkness, because of bhajans being sweetly sung, because of elephants standing around to bless, because of colorful murals telling colorful stories, because of foreheads carrying, variously signified, the same word—faith...There is Brahman, the world soul, the sustaining frame upon which is woven...Brahman expressed not only in gods but in humans, animals, trees, in a handful of earth, for everything has a trace of divine in it" (Martel 47-48). Pi later explains how Christianity's powerful message of sacrifice and love deeply and quickly affected him (Martel 54-57) and how he found his favorite prayer practice, place to worship, and religious mentor through Islam (Martel 60-61). Pi's experience of finding inner peace and worthwhile activities in religion refutes the anti-theist argument that religion cannot be beneficial.
Pi's journey across the ocean parallels the true nature of reality, and its ambiguity reflects Martel's viewpoint that no one truly knows if God/gods exist, but a belief in a Universe with God/gods is a more hopeful view. The last part of the novel is “a meditation on the problematical nature of believability itself” as “Pi's dialogue with the Japanese investigators defamiliarizes the notion that “believable” is in fact an objective quality” (Stephens 50). Pi describes his story of crossing the sea in the company of a tiger to the investigators, and they reply with “we don't believe your story” (Martel 292). He then describes an alternate story of his journey, which involves murder and cannibalism. The investigators, when given a choice, say that “The story with the animals is the better story”: Pi responds with the most crucial line of the novel, which is “Thank you. And so it goes with God” (Martel 317). There are many ways in which the two stories reflect Martel's worldview, which is well-thought out and is in stark contrast to the views of dogmatic thinkers both religious and nonreligious. By making “what really happened” unclear, Martel presents his belief that there is not enough evidence to support or deny claims of the supernatural. The investigators are similar to modern skeptics who need “publicly available and repeatable evidence” (Simon 4), so they miss the amazement that results from miraculous tellings. Pi's first story represents a wondrous view of God, while the alternate story represents a viewpoint without God that highlights humanity's darkest impulses. However, Pi's question regarding which story to believe conveys that Martel is decisively in favor of personal choice in forming religious belief/lack thereof: he therefore refutes religious indoctrination while separating it from belief itself. By placing animals in the story that represents religion, the author “revision[s] God” (Stephens 42) through connecting religion more to a sense of mystery and wonder than a strict set of rules.
By criticizing a strictly rational and scientific worldview and promoting a balance between science and religion, Martel disquiets the religiously literalist and scientifically materialist readers of his novel. Pi values science to a great degree, as he gains a college degree in zoology (Martel 3) and uses scientific principles to help him survive his journey. The idea of biology being valuable is foreign to religious fundamentalists, who largely reject “the idea that more than one perspective on what is true and valuable can be valid” (“Religious Fundamentalism” 2) and only think science is useful when it does not contradict their “truth”, such as when it is used in communications technology (Emerson 134). Pi balances his reliance on science with regular praying and gaining a degree in religious studies, as he believes that science does not hold authority on all matters. His namesake of Pi, a mystifyingly irrational number used much in science, reflects this balanced viewpoint (Martel 23). Balance between rationality and faith is a great asset in Pi's ocean-crossing, as “His prayer practice clearly plays a role in helping [him] achieve a sort of Zen-like attention to being in the moment that enables him to go on with the science-informed rituals (cleaning, fishing, etc.) that are necessary for survival” (Stephens 49). The idea that balancing religion and science can prove an asset to survival directly contradicts the New Atheist idea that religion is “the root of evil” (Wright) that threatens human society and the fundamentalist insistence that only one perspective is valuable: Pi's story serves as a lesson about human society just as the “truth” of it serves as a lesson about God. Martel proves that both religion and science are great tools for humanity through portraying Pi's usage of both to survive and succeed.
Through Pi's successful completion of a trying journey, Martel shows how religion can be a force of personal strength for those who believe. Pi has to lose some of the ritual of his beliefs as a matter of survival in his journey. He can no longer pray towards Mecca (Martel 208), and his vegetarianism cannot be maintained when fish and turtles are the only available sustenance (Martel 185-186). However, Pi's suffering causes him to be more passionate in his conviction to God. His faith is tested by the killings of animals, terrible storms, and an island refuge turning into a nightmarish horror; yet he soldiers on in his beliefs. When lightning strikes, awe replaces fear as he mutters: “Praise to Allah, Lord of All Worlds, the Compassionate, the Merciful, Ruler of Judgement Day!” (Martel 233). The continuation of Pi's prayers in trying times stands in contrast to both the shift away from “tradition and experience” (Simon 5) of religious fundamentalism and, when taking Pi's experience as a metaphor for humanity's, the atheist call for the downfall of religion at times when religious conflict and modernization lead to worldwide problems (Emerson 127-128, Wright). Pi's journey shows that religion will remain a force of fortitude in hard times for individuals who believe.
Religion's most ardent supporters and detractors should read Yann Martel's Life of Pi, a novel which makes a convincing argument in its theme and plot against the New Atheist and religious fundamentalist movements gaining ground in the modern world. Martel clearly explains his message of tolerance, balance, and hope through designing his story to discourage religious rigidity, a purely scientific worldview, intolerance, and the belief that religion cannot reconcile with science and modern times. All people should have their views challenged because ideological polarization that causes disharmony should be kept in check, especially in regards to the contentious issue of the existence of God/gods. Life of Pi is therefore an essential read for all people who are passionate about belief/non-belief, especially the Four Horsemen of New Atheism (Simon 3) and the leaders of religious fundamentalist groups. Although Martel's main message correlates with the views of moderates in the (a)theist debate, the novel does challenge the view of many of Martel's allies that being agnostic is better than being atheist. Pi “can well imagine an atheist's last words: 'White, white! L-L-Love! My God!'–and the deathbed leap of faith. Whereas the agnostic, if he stays true to his reasonable self, if he stays beholden to dry, yeastless factuality, might try to explain the warm light bathing him by saying, 'Possibly a f-f-failing oxygenation of the b-b-brain,' and, to the very end, lack imagination and miss the better story” (Martel 64). Many moderates have this question: Why would an agnostic necessarily stay more scientifically materialist than an atheist, when an agnostic is more open to belief in God? Life of Pi is a novel that challenges a reader's views by presenting the usefulness of wondrous belief.
Works Cited
Emerson, Michael O., and David Hartman. “The Rise of Religious Fundamentalism.” Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 32, 2006, pp. 127–144. JSTOR, JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/29737734. Accessed 4 Apr. 2018.
Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. New York, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2001.
"Religious Fundamentalism." Global Issues in Context Online Collection, Gale, 2018. Global Issues In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CP3208520091/GIC? u=mlin_n_bevlhs&sid=GIC&xid=ea224137. Accessed 4 Apr. 2018.
Simon, Dein. “The New Atheism and Religious Fundamentalism: Are They a Mirror Image of Each Other?” Science, Religion, and Culture, vol. 3, no. 2, 10 Dec. 2016, pp. 86-95, http://researcherslinks.com/current-issues/The-New-Atheism-and-Religious-Fundamentalism- Are-They-a-Mirror-Image-of-Each-Other/9/5/334/html. Accessed 4 Apr. 2018.
Stephens, Gregory. "Feeding tiger, finding God: science, religion, and 'the better story' in Life of Pi." Intertexts, vol. 14, no. 1, 2010, pp. 41+. Literature Resource Center, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A243361283/LitRC? u=mlin_n_bevlhs&sid=LitRC&xid=44f702af. Accessed 4 Apr. 2018.
Wright, Robert. "The anti-God squad." Foreign Policy, 15 Dec. 2009, pp. 54. Global Issues In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A214710953/GIC? u=mlin_n_bevlhs&sid=GIC&xid=2ffceea9. Accessed 4 Apr. 2018.