Life Of Pi Religious Allegory

Life of Pi written by Yann Martel uses many literary devices to present the different themes in the novel; and allegory, along with its many examples, is prevalent in this novel as the number one mechanism to demonstrate the character and theme growth. Through religious allegory, symbolism, and imagery, Yann Martel uses Pi and his voice to make readers question the real meaning behind Life of Pi.

When he sees the orangutan, he is overjoyed. He compares her to the 'Virgin Mary.' Pi cries, “Oh blessed Great Mother, Pondicherry fertility goddess, provider of milk and love, wondrous arm spread of comfort, terror of ticks, picker-up of crying ones, are you to witness this tragedy too?” (Martel, 139) The orangutan is not only a metaphor for a religious

Pi muses, “A tiger aboard and I had waited three days and three nights to save my life.” (Martel, 102) Three days is Biblically significant as Jesus Christ rose from the dead after three days and three nights. It is important to note that Pi also studied 3 religions: Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Now, Pi finds an island made of algae floating in the middle of the sea. It seems so unbelievable that Pi tries to dismiss it as an illusion. Even when he says “I put the full weight of my foot. Still I did not sink. Still I did not believe.” (Martel, 92) which was an excerpt from his first words on the Algae Island. Faith is based on believing what can't be seen, it is the act of trusting and believing something even when it is not physically shown to you. Pi has gotten to the point that he can't even believe what he sees; this may be a reference to the Apostle Thomas who does not believe that Jesus has been resurrected until he sees it for himself. He is forever nicknamed 'Doubting Thomas' as a result. The island is real and offers plenty of food and

The colour symbolizes survival and hope. Pi himself holds hope when he is all alone on his lifeboat. He wants to survive no matter what happens. When the Tsimtsum sinks, the Chinese crewman help him by giving Pi a lifejacket with an orange whistle; the lifeboat which was essential for his survival was also orange. In a flash forward at the end of part one before the ships sinks, the narrator describes visiting adult Pi and his family at Pi's home in Canada. Usha (Pi's daughter) holds an orange cat. This gives the reader a sense of relief that Pi will survive the catastrophe. The orange cat also symbolizes Richard Parker, the Bengal tiger, who helps Pi to survive during his 227 days at sea. The tiger, the lifeboat and the whistle all contribute to the survival of Pi and give support during emotional and grim times. Orange Juice the Orangutan, reminds Pi of the importance of laughter; being stranded is a lot easier with a friend. “Orange Juice lay next to it, against the dead zebra. Her arms were spread wide open and her short legs were folded together and slightly turned to one side. She looked like a simian Christ on the Cross. Except for her head. She was beheaded. The neck wound was still bleeding. It was a horrible sight to the eyes and killing to the spirit” (Martel, 146) this description from Pi not only shows the correlation between Christ and suffering on earth, but also just how much Pi cared for Orange