One of the most unexpected phrases in Life of Pi was used to describe Pi’s house in chapter 15. Once Yann Martel mentions that “[Pi’s] house is a temple” (Martel 45), a logical assumption is that Pi is a man of religion, who had devoted himself to one God that he cherishes. However, as the chapter goes on, it becomes clear that Pi follows multiple religions. There is the obvious presence of three major religions in the world - Christian, Muslim, and Hindu. All three tend to fight in the world, incapable of reaching compromise and coexisting in peace. With a child’s naivete, Pi tries to understand every religion he encounters and does not feel pressured to select one to guide him, but allows all thee to exist. When the priests of the three religions realize that their religion …show more content…
What seems to be the result of the evolved brain, calling for more experiences is just “a measure of madness that moves [all living things] in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways” (41). Pi also mentions the laws of adaptation - how an animal would not see the escape necessary if everything is to its satisfaction. The same is true about human nature - as long as one is convinced that they are comfortable and have everything they need, they would not attempt an escape. This correlates with Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s saying that “the best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he's in prison”. This seems to be true for both humans and animals, as they strive for comfort, yet sometimes even comfort cannot provide the peace that one’s soul looks for. He repeats the same thought in chapter 29, stating that “people move in the hope of a better life” (77). This faith is the one motor that makes the living things take off and look for a new home, and it is the one similarity between human and animal world that people tend to