Religion and Science in Life of Pi

The literary masterclass, Life of Pi by Yann Martel, is a work of literature worthy of intensive study due to its exploration of the human capacity for survival and incredible exploration of religious themes. These aspects of the novel give it a great deal of literary merit and would make it a grave mistake to not fully address examine this work due to the significance of these motifs. Most importantly, the novel demonstrates the ability of religion and science to coexist, and indeed the spiritual and practical necessity of such interplay, through the story of Pi Molitor Patel, the protagonist of the novel who survives being adrift at sea in a lifeboat for 227 days. The reconciliation of religion and science is one of the most important issues of our times, and the manner in which the novel addresses the issue makes it an extremely important work of literature.

Religious and scientific study are presented as equally important aspects of the character of Pi, as is evident from the start of the novel. It is no coincidence that one of the first statements Pi makes, at the very beginning of the first chapter, is that “Academic study and the steady, mindful practice of religion slowly wrought me back to life. I have kept up with what some people would consider my strange religious practices. After one year of high school, I attended the University of Toronto and took a double-major Bachelor's degree. My majors were religious studies and zoology” (3). The dualistic focus on both scientific and religious study and Pi’s failure to find any contradiction between the two makes the importance of this aspect of the novel strikingly clear. In addition, the fact that the first aspect of Pi’s character discussed in the novel is his love for both fields of study further underscores the importance of this issue within the book. The importance of such lofty themes to the story makes the literary significance of the novel unmistakably apparent.

Furthermore, the novel does not merely present these themes but rather illustrates their importance by showing how they help Pi survive seemingly unimaginable circumstances. As the very last lines of the novel state, “As an aside, story of sole survivor, Mr. Piscine Molitor Patel, Indian citizen, is an astounding story of courage and endurance in the face of extraordinarily difficult and tragic circumstances. In the experience of this investigator, his story is unparalleled in the history of shipwrecks” (354). Clearly, Pi’s scientific knowledge and deep religious faith combined to give him both the intellectual and spiritual tools necessary to survive such an extreme hardship. By emphasizing the severe nature of the misfortune endured by the character the novel demonstrates that to thrive in such extreme circumstances one must both be scientifically adept and religiously grounded. By examining the psychological makeup of a character capable of surviving such extreme circumstances the novel exhibits a great deal of literary value.

Life of Pi is a serious work of literature worthy of study and consideration due to Martel’s impressive portrayal of the possible interplay between religion and science, and how these extremely different academic disciplines combine to create a character capable of outlasting unimaginably nightmarish circumstances. This theme clearly indicates the literary value of the work, given that it grapples with some of the most important philosophical and intellectual issues faced by humanity at this time. The incredible exploration of Pi’s spiritual and scholarly discoveries in the novel makes it one of the most powerful literary discussions of the importance of the disparate aspects of a well-rounded intellect in history.

Work Cited

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.