Life Of Pi Nature Vs Nurture Analysis

The question of "nurture or nature?" is a frequent visitor in the thoughts of parents, philosophers, and scientists alike. What is it that shapes the human brain? Is each child molded by the culture of their family and the surrounding area (nurture) or are they simply born with a set of beliefs and values firmly established in their minds (nature)? For Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi) in Yann Martel's Life of Pi, it is a little bit of both nurture and nature that shapes him. Some of the beliefs Pi holds dear are so different from those of his family that the only logical conclusion I can draw is that he was born with them. On the other hand, Pi's childhood in Pondicherry, India also left him with a few lasting ideas that he later made his own. Pi’s

But survival is not simply oriented around physically continuing to live: it is also about staying mentally sane. Physical survival depends on mental survival--how can you possibly make good decisions about rationing supplies or even remember to feed yourself if you don’t have your wits about you? And mental survival, in turn, depends on faith of some sort. As a result of the teachings of Father Martin and the two Mr. Kumars, Pi had faith in religion and in science. As for religion, Pi demonstrated this belief quite obviously when he said, “So long as God is with me, I will not die” (148). Pi also demonstrated his belief in religion when he described his daily schedule, which involved prayer five times a day. And, as for science, Pi essentially put his life into the hands of science when he relied on the knowledge he had of animal behavior to tame Richard Parker, a large, extremely dangerous tiger. Faith in multiple belief systems gave Pi hope that someday he would be saved, and this shaped him into a fighter, into someone determined to live no matter his situation. Pi remarks, “I discovered at that moment that I have a fierce will to live… Some of us give up on life with only a resigned sigh. Others fight a little, then lose hope. Still others--and I am one of those--never give up” (148). Overall, it would be difficult to understand how exactly Pi survived 277 days on a lifeboat with a tiger without knowing Pi’s strong belief in religion and its power to help him find hope in the face of adversity--it may even deter you from believing in Pi’s story in the first