Storytelling and Religion in Yann Martel’s Life of Pi

Looking back at childhood, children sat down in circles around their teacher to hear stories, fables, and fairytales. These narratives removed children from reality and hid them from the ugliness that is man-kind, whilst teaching morals and values. Also, many of these stories disguised true human nature subtly in characters with such innocence that the children were never aware of man-kind’s capabilities. These stories provided direction for the children with dreams for the future. They provided meaning and one of the most important feelings; hope. Lastly, the stories provided faith and good teachings for them to carry throughout life and perhaps even teach to their own children. In similar ways, storytelling was put in conjunction with religion as stories are one of the most important parts in the understanding and practising of a religion. These aspects of storytelling and religion are explored in a novel written by Yann Martel, Life of Pi.

Life of Pi is a story about an adolescent Indian boy named Piscine, or Pi, who becomes stranded on a lifeboat in the Pacific Ocean after a shipwreck. As he unbelievably manages to survive against unruly forces of nature and the loneliness he feels, Pi experiences growth as a person, from a child into a young adult. Besides exploring the true nature of man-kind, Life of Pi explores the deeper meanings of fiction and narratives as well as the conceptual components of truth within it. Religion and the act of storytelling both play a fundamental role in Life of Pi as they give the protagonist meaning, direction, purpose and other virtues which are essential in life. Storytelling essentially fulfills the same purpose in the novel as religion by giving these virtues.

Many people in society wors...

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... not have survived without him.

As children, our parents and teachers read us stories, tell us fairytales and other fables. This is done to teach children about morals of human behaviour. There is always a lesson in a story that is why stories are told. There is always something to be taken away from that story. In religion, it is much the same. Stories are told to answer questions which were previously unanswered and to fulfill spiritually. Both, the act of storytelling and religion provide, so to speak, food for imagination. They also provide people with meaning, direction, purpose, hope, faith and guidance, as showcased in Life of Pi. Storytelling and religion enable one to use his imagination and believe in something better, something other than reality, and give faith and hope.

Works Cited

Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.