Parables In Life Of Pi, By Yann Martel

“So it is that we should not be jealous with God.”16 As Pi dives deeper into the meaning of religion, a good understanding of parables is necessary to get the full meaning out of the novel’s themes. Without this key understanding, Yann Martel’s Life of Pi would mean nothing more than useless rambling. Such key ideas in the novel would not as clearly been explained without the use of religious references. The use of parables is the most effective way to completely develop themes and characters. The theme of the Life of Pi would seem much undeveloped without the key knowledge of parables. Take this parable for example, “Every night he (Lord Krishna) invites the milkmaids to dance with him in the forest. But the moment the girls become possessive…he vanishes.” 16 Someone without a solid grasp on this tale might completely miss the true purpose and significance to the words. On the other hand, those who have a good background with religion will recognize why Martel included the passage. The piece precisely demonstrates Pi’s complex

It has never stopped growing since that day.”16 Another parable yet again necessary for a proper understanding of the novel, Martel inserts this seemingly throwaway comment into the story. A parable in the bible states that with faith as big as a mustard seed, you can move mountains. Readers might question the possibility of living of on a lifeboat with a tiger, but with Pi’s expansive religious beliefs, nothings too big to overcome. Some passages are so discreet, that the reader could have easily missed the purpose. “During those days of plenty, I laid hands on so many fish that my body began to glitter…”66 This text comes from the story in the Bible where Jesus preforms a miracle. He takes a couple of fish and some loaves of bread and provides for five thousand followers. Pi is provided form just as the hungry followers of Jesus