The War on Terrorism

In late 2002, America, only one year removed from the September 11 attacks, had just defeated the Taliban in Afghanistan but was deeply divided over the impending war in Iraq. At a time of continued anxiety over possible attacks from al Qaeda and other Muslim terrorists, Americans were increasingly curious about Islam. Many struggled to understand why many Muslims hated America and why the al Qaeda airplane hijackers were driven to kill otherwise innocent Americans. Many Americans saw the need to deal with, and perhaps make peace with, Muslims after the carnage that al Qaeda had wrought on the United States. However, books such as Samuel Huntington's The Clash of Civilizations (1996, Simon & Schuster) asserted Christian and Islamic cultures were absolutely opposed and could not peacefully coexist. As an earnest practitioner of Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism who saw no conflict between these three beliefs, Pi became a symbol of how the major religions of the world could coexist and that they in fact shared many common features. Pi’s reconciliation of three different faiths stood in sharp contrast to the violence between Christian and Muslim peoples that was evident both in America and in the Middle East.

In the decades before the issue of a possible clash between Muslim and Christian cultures arose, growing numbers of Americans had also become less attached to specific churches while still affirming a belief in God and seeking to pursue a religious path. In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph (London) shortly after receiving the Man Booker Prize, Martel said his novel “will make you believe in God or ask yourself why you don’t.” Pi, a believer who does not choose between the various visions of God offered by the world’s different religions, offered American readers a way to explore faith and spirituality without having to follow any specific creed or tradition.

Indian History and Culture

India has a long history of hostility between Muslims and Hindus. Soon after the country gained independence from Great Britain in 1947, it embarked on a civil war, which resulted in the partitioning of Pakistan from India as a homeland for the nation’s Muslims. However, clashes over Kashmir, a land in northern India claimed by both India and Pakistan, continued to haunt the region throughout the rest of the 1900s. The conflict led both countries to test nuclear weapons in 1998, and skirmishes on the border nearly brought the countries to war in 1999. Murderous riots and persecution by Muslims and Hindus have also plagued India for decades, including, in February and March 2002, riots in the Hindu nationalist state of Gujarat. In those riots, Hindus were angered over a fire that killed roughly sixty Hindu pilgrims on a train, and they responded by accusing Muslims of setting the fire. Hundreds of Muslims were killed by angry Hindu rioters. Pi is a native of Pondicherry, India, but he displays none of the hatred that had inspired thousands of Indian Muslims and Hindus to kill each other in the fifty-five years between India’s independence and the US publication of Martel’s book.

Yann Martel's Life of Pi is a testament to the audacious exploration of belief and inventiveness, a quality that made it a standout choice for the 2002 Man Booker Prize. Facing stiff competition from well-respected authors such as Sarah Waters and William Trevor, as well as fellow Canadian writers, Martel's novel captivated reviewers like Margaret Atwood, who described it as "a terrific book . . . fresh, original, smart, devious, and crammed with absorbing lore." Despite accusations of borrowing from Moacyr Scliar’s Max and the Cats, Martel's work survived such criticisms, possibly due to its compelling narrative and the acknowledgment of its inspirations in the "Author’s Note."

Origins and Inspirations

The "Author’s Note" in Life of Pi blurs the lines between fact and fiction, suggesting an autobiographical context for the story. Martel, a globe-trotter thanks to his diplomat father, studied philosophy before publishing initially unsuccessful literary works. His journey to India was pivotal; there, he gathered experiences and visions that transformed into the novel's rich tapestry. Martel's research included visits to Indian zoos and deep dives into religious and scientific texts, reflecting his protagonist Pi’s dual love for science and spirituality.

The Tale of Pi

Piscine Molitor Patel, or Pi, hails from Pondicherry, a city with colonial roots. Named after a Parisian pool, Pi faces ridicule until he redefines himself, finding solace in the mathematical symbol ‘Pi’. His exploration of multiple religions places him at odds with religious leaders, much like his discussions with secularist science teachers. Political upheaval leads his family to emigrate from India to Canada, a journey that ends in shipwreck.

Survival and Spirituality

Pi’s survival story on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker is both harrowing and fantastical. While other animals aboard fall prey to the tiger, Pi creates a symbiotic relationship with it. His expertise as a zookeeper’s son aids in this improbable partnership. This relationship, while spiritual, challenges him to balance his survival instincts with the companionship of a creature that could easily end his life.

Narrative Richness

Martel fills the novel with vivid imagery and scenes that evoke humor and pathos, such as Pi's ironic efforts to save and then flee from Richard Parker. The narrative alternates soul-searching philosophical reflections with absurdly comic scenes, inviting comparisons to literary giants like Salman Rushdie. Pi's encounters, including the surreal meeting with a blind French cannibal and the carnivorous island episode, highlight the novel’s blend of reality and fantasy.

Thematic Depth

Martel’s work is layered with allegorical meanings, yet it remains accessible and engaging. The novel’s intertextuality is an invitation rather than a challenge, referencing works from Gulliver’s Travels to Moby Dick. Martel’s inclusive storytelling blends realism with fabulation, echoing Pi’s educational pursuits that combine zoology with religious studies. This synthesis of disciplines underscores a broader message against exclusivity, advocating for a harmonious coexistence of diverse perspectives.

Enduring Impact

Released amidst the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Life of Pi resonates as a work of earnestness and upliftment. It reaches beyond religious boundaries, restoring faith in literature's ability to provide solace and insight. Through its engaging narrative, Martel captures the essence of loss and recovery, much like his contributions to palliative care, offering comfort and understanding in times of distress.

Sources for Further Study

Booklist 98 (May 15, 2002): 1576.

Library Journal 127 (June 15, 2002): 95.

The Nation 275 (August 19, 2002): 25.

The New York Times Book Review 107 (July 7, 2002): 5.

Publishers Weekly 249 (April 8, 2002): 200.

Parable

Life of Pi can be read as a parable. A parable is a story told in such way that it parallels a particular lesson that the storyteller is trying to teach the audience. The most famous parables in Western culture are those told by Jesus in the New Testament Gospels of the Bible. In Life of Pi, Pi himself is the storyteller, and he relates two very different stories: a fantastic yet hopeful and encouraging story about being stranded on a lifeboat with animals, and a more realistic yet bleak story about being stranded on a lifeboat with human beings. The choice Pi offers between the two stories is a parable for the choice between having faith in God that cannot be proven or atheism. The parallel is explicitly drawn when the Japanese businessmen, to whom Pi offers the choice, choose the story with animals as “the better story.” When they make their choice, Pi concludes, “And so it goes with God.”

Narrative Structure and Point of View

In Life of Pi, Martel utilizes three distinct narrative voices. The first is the voice of the author, which narrates both the opening Author’s Note as well as parts of part 1 in the first person. The first-person point of view, in which the narrator speaks as “I” and is a participant in the story, relates the narrative exclusively from the subjective, biased, and therefore limited point of view of that character. The Author’s Note, which describes how the author came upon Pi’s fantastic story, has the effect of grounding the novel in reality: the author sees Pi’s story as biography, not fiction. The author also points out that although Pi’s story will be told “in [Pi’s] voice and through his eyes,” it is written by the hand of the author, and “any inaccuracies or mistakes” are his. This note introduces one of many levels of doubt experienced in the reading of this tale.

Parts 1 and 2 are narrated in the first person by Pi himself. The first-person point of view is fitting for the account of a solitary character surviving in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but it also is limited to Pi’s particular and subjective perspective. The increasing incredulity of Pi’s story—from being trapped on a lifeboat with a tiger, to meeting a blind man on the open sea, to finally landing on an island made entirely of carnivorous algae—gives the reader cause to doubt the veracity of Pi’s subjective narrative, begging the question of what is fact and what is Pi’s imagination. But since his story is told strictly from his point of view, the reader is deliberately deprived of an objective evaluation of Pi’s story.

Part 3 provides the most objective narrative structure of the novel. It is a transcript of a conversation between Pi and the two Japanese businessmen who try to determine why his cargo ship sank. There is no narrator to filter the proceedings of the conversation, and thus it is presented in an entirely objective manner. It is during this conversation that Pi’s second version of his survival surfaces: one which does not involve any animals, but rather involves him committing murder and cannibalism. However, no matter what the narrative voice—be it Pi’s subjective account or the factual transcript—the novel does not give any clues as to which of Pi’s stories, if any, is the accurate version of his life. Just as the Japanese businessmen are left to decide which story they will believe, the reader, too, is left to choose.

Foreshadowing as a Structural and Thematic Device

To foreshadow means to use symbolic or plot devices within the narrative to prefigure, or give clues, as to what will arise later in the story. Martel uses part 1—the account of Pi’s childhood and his formative influences—to foreshadow the trials and tribulations he will face in part 2. The most obvious example of foreshadowing is the lesson that Pi’s father gives his sons on the danger of wild animals by feeding a goat to a tiger in front of their eyes. This lesson in the potentially brutal behavior of the wild tiger foreshadows Pi’s future challenge in surviving Richard Parker.

The themes introduced in part 1 also foreshadow the challenges that Pi faces in part 2. For example, his discussion of zoomorphism among different species of animals foreshadows his own strange cohabitation with Richard Parker. Part 1 details the origins of Pi’s fervent devotion to a number of different religions. The equality of divine inspiration that Pi finds in Hinduism, Catholicism, and Islam seem to infer the universality of humanity’s quest for divinity and uniquely spiritual drive. At the same time, Pi discusses at great length the instinctual and particular behaviors of different animals. Pi’s detailed discussions of both the higher calling of spirituality and religion and the overpowering instinctual drive of wild animals in part 1 foreshadow Pi’s own inner struggle in part 2, in which he finds himself trying to reconcile his animal instinct to survive and his aspirations to seek the divine.

• The audiotape version of Life of Pi was issued in January 2003 by Highbridge Audio, with Jeff Woodman narrating.
• A movie adaptation of the book iwas released in 2012 from 20th Century Fox, with Ang Lee directing and David Magee writing the screenplay. The film won four Academy Awards, including Best Director.