Religion by Pi
In chapter 23, Pi sparks a lively debate when all three of his spiritual advisors try to claim him. At the heart of this confrontation is Pi's insistence that he cannot accept an exclusively Hindu, Christian, or Muslim faith; he can only be content with all three. What is Pi seeking that can solely be attained by this apparent contradiction?
Labels: Life of Pi, question
posted by MamaChristy at
6:12 PM
3 Comments:
This was actually one of my favorite scenes. I can imagine this on screen in one of those old black and white screwball comedies from the 1930s.
I'm not sure what Pi's seeking. Is anyone else? I think he may have just liked the rituals and mores of each faith and thought, "well, why not?" Sort of a labor-intensive cosmic insurance policy.
I do think that more and more Americans (and others, but particularly us) are embarking on buffet-style religions, where we pick and choose components of different faiths, though we're mostly choosing from Protestant systems. Is this an affront to God? Or the creation of a spirituality that will work within today's society? Is all religion just a combination of past ones?
Does anyone out there know enough about the three faiths to know if they're "compatible," as it were?
By
JenniNapa, at 12:05 PM
I had always thought they weren't really compatible, and that in fact contradicted each other in certain areas. Do you think he was just trying to cover all his bases? Like Ravi said, get a holy day every day of the week and never have to go to school? Or was there really more to it?
By
mamashine, at 1:11 PM
Okay, I'm going to admit it - these questions, and possibly this book, are just too deep for me. My brain hurts!
By
PCOSMama, at 9:42 PM
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