Transformations to Thrive

Throughout the book, Life of Pi, the main character Pi is placed in an extremely precarious situation which requires tremendous ingenuity, intuitiveness and responsive to higher guidance. This in turn, requires the growth of his person and faith. Pi undergoes a marked transformation in maturity, discernment and faith, all of which procure his survival. As time and situations continue to present themselves, it is in the becoming of Pi’s highest self which inevitability secures his existence.
Pi undergoes a tremendous development and maturity of his character. Pi learns to fully accept and overcome his situation. The death of Pi’s family has a huge impact on how his character develops acceptance. “…It was not only the day that died and the poor zebra, but my family as well. With that second sunset, disbelief gave way to pain and grief. They were dead; I could no longer deny it”(Martel 160). Pi’s overwhelming grief leads him to a place of being striped of all external support. He must first accept how he will respond and grow through it. Without this situation thrust upon him, he would not have been forced or “gifted” with the opportunity to develop into full maturity as an individual separate from his family. Pi is placed in a horrific situation, which actually “gifts” him with the opportunity to grow in the midst of challenge, choose for himself who he will become and how he will respond, and subsequently experience transformation. Pi moves beyond his grief so that he may focus upon his own life and bring all of his being to the task of survival. Near the end of the story, Pi is in a horrendous thunderstorm, which reveals his growing maturity within. “There was an explosion of hot air and hot water… ten thousand trumpets and twenty thousand drums could have made as much noise as that bolt of lightning; it was positively deafening I was dazed, thunder struck-nearly in the true sense of the word. But not afraid” (Martel 294). Pi comes to realize through this particular storm in his life that he has arrived at a calm within his being which protects him from being afraid. Thus his character has matured in strength as he has developed the quiet confidence necessary to survive and overcome any stormy situation in life.
Remarkably, Pi is able to rise to every occasion and circumstance placed upon him and makes the decision to accept responsibility for his best life. Although, it appears that a most devastating and desperate situation is thrust upon Pi, which could understandably lead him in to a state of sheer hopelessness, as the story progresses, we see that these extraordinary circumstances are actually a saving grace in his life. “Pi had to be away from other human beings and away from institutional religions that claim ownership of God in order to sight the unity of that God and to be a “suffering servant” of that God, as true love requires. (Isaiah 53:3-7 RSV)” (Stephens 44). Pi is forced into solitude and granted the gifts that go with it: the freedom to think his own thoughts and to cherish his relationship with God. He is drawn to surrender his will and life to God in appreciation for God. Thus, Pi ultimately accepts responsibility for his best life by desiring to honour God with his life. His love for and commitment to God fuels his intentional effort to appreciate, sustain and prolong his life. The transformation that is created within Pi’s heart directly effects the development of his character’s maturity and leads him to ultimate earthly, physical survival and eternal survival as well. One of the most poignant yet challenging “gifts” given to Pi, comes in the form of a 450-pound Bengal Tiger. “It was Richard Parker who calmed me down. It is the irony of this story that the one who scared me witless to start with was the very same who brought me peace, purpose, I dare to say even wholeness”(Martel 204). The challenge of accepting and overcoming how to cohabitate with Richard Parker invites Pi to become the best version of him self. As Pi spends more time in the company of his companion, he grows to appreciate him and eventually views Richard Parker’s life to be as precious as his very own. Thus, he learns to love another as he loves himself. As Pi continues to work through his relationship with Richard Parker, he is actually working through the relationship with himself. Pi learns to accept not only his situation, but also himself and Richard Parker in the situation. He methodically and diligently trains the tiger working through each and every situation to make this relationship work and thrive to be mutually beneficial. This leads Pi to the further development of his character’s maturity and wisdom, which eventually secures both his survival and Richard Parker’s as well.
Pi’s cognitive behavior continues to progress through Life of Pi. Pi makes the decision to overcome his fear of isolation, death and pain. There are two necessary components in the process of Pi’s decision to overcome his fear. First, he must acknowledge fear and second, he requires a clear understanding of the potential power that fear can hold in the destroying of his life. “I must say a word about fear. It is life’s only true opponent. Only fear can defeat life” (Martel 203). Pi recognizes the potential poison of fear and threat upon his life. Armed with both acknowledgment and understanding, Pi is then able to make an essential choice: to succumb to that fear or to do whatever it takes to overcome it. By overcoming his fear he enhances the possibility of his survival. Pi faces his fears head on by being with and accepting his excruciating pain of loss and aloneness as he works through it day by day. He further confronts his fear of death as he is tackled with life threatening situations. Pi is driven by his faith within to be victorious over his fear and compassionately intentional about the welfare of Richard Parker; which sets him apart from his striped companion. “…There is one major difference between Pi and a wild animal. It is a difference that keeps him human in the direst moments, his faith. It keeps his inner animal in check and prevents him from completely succumbing to it. His faith is also his fuel in the fight to survive, it brings hope. A Pi without hope would not withstand the 227 days on the ocean” (Sandgren 8). Throughout the novel the reader is granted the privileged position of witnessing Pi’s thought progression. This progression unveils a deep faith, which ultimately brings him emancipating hope. This hope, in turn, leads to his eventual survival. This hope also continually inspires Pi to carry on through all adversity and to be open to observing all beauty, in and amongst it. It is this indomitable hope that procures Pi’s survival in the end.
Pi decides to befriend and ultimately save Richard Parker. Pi’s evolving relationship with God directly effects his desiring to honour Richard Parker ultimately. In his intension to help Richard Parker, “Pi gets a new vision of God, a new faith, precisely by having to worship outside of institutional contexts during the process of trying to stay alive for 227 days on a lifeboat also inhabited by a Bengal tiger. I argue that Pi comes to see God in a new way by becoming not only a companion but a servant to the tiger named Richard Parker” (Stephens 42). As Pi grows in more intimate relationship and experience with God, both his impression of and desiring for Richard Parker change. When Pi first discovers that the tiger is on the boat with him, he muses over all the ways that he could potentially get rid of the tiger. But before long, Pi is drawn to find a way to exist with his tiger companion. Thus, developing a relationship, which eventually encourages Pi in his will to live. “I had to tame him. It was at that moment that I realized this necessity. It was not a question of him or me, but of him and me. We were, literally and figuratively, in the same boat. We would live - or we would die – together”(Martel 208). As Pi’s appreciation for Richard Parker and the companionship he provides increases, Pi struggles to find ways to sustain the tiger, as well as to discover how they two can best cohabitate in such a confined space together in order to ensure mutual survival. Ironically, as Pi endeavors to create unity with Richard Parker and ensure his boat mate’s survival, he is blessed with an increase of inspiration and conviction to be victorious in his own survival and to honor his companion and God in the process. Thus Richard Parker proves to be invaluable to Pi’s maturing thought and heart process, which proves essential to Pi’s cognitive, emotional and physical survival.
Pi’s spiritual maturity evolves significantly throughout the book Life of Pi. Pi continually experiences the testing of his faith. In order for Pi to fully reach spiritual maturity, he must evolve into it through the testing of his faith. “Every single thing I value in life has been destroyed”(Martel 122). He is stripped of everything and everyone that he once held dear, causing him to rebuild his faith, to the point of purposeful determination to survive. “I was alone and orphaned, in the middle of the Pacific, hanging on to an oar, an adult tiger in front of me, sharks beneath me, a storm raging about me””(Martel 133). Pi is divinely guided throughout the story to trust in and depend upon God in order to start a new life; A life that leads him to the emancipation of his spiritual survival, which then leads him to survive physically as well. As pi is privileged to experience the solitude necessary to develop his intimate relationship with God he becomes more spiritually free to love without fear which further encourages him in his desiring to survive and live his life and destiny to the full as God has provided and planed for it. During a bout of despair, Pi describes his deepening and evolving faith, “Despair was a heavy blackness that let no light in or out. It was a hell beyond expression… I thought of my family of how they were spared this terrible agony. The blackness would stir and eventually go away and God would remain, a shining point of light in my heart. I would go on loving” (Martel 264). Pi then procures his soul’s survival by opening his heart to God in recognition of his infinite light and glory shining in his heart. Pi decides in the fullness of his will that he will continue to on love. This growing love opens his heart to the full appreciation of all of life and the preciousness of it. This God instilled gratitude for love and life leads him to discover the wisdom and passion to survive physically.
During Life of Pi, Pi is presented with countless opportunities to expand and reinforce his ever-growing faith. Pi expresses his intrigue and challenge in the growing of his faith with astute honesty and authenticity. “They brought me comfort, that is certain. But it was hard, oh, it was hard. Faith in God is an opening up, a letting go, a deep trust, a free act of love-but sometimes it was so hard to love” (Martel 263). Although Pi is quick to reach out to God in relationship and to ask Him for provision openly and expectantly on numerous occasions, the process of trusting and loving fully is an ongoing and challenging one. As Pi learn to love God, himself and Richard Parker fully he enhances the chance of his success to survive ultimately. With out love as the prime motivation and source of encouragement Pi would be destined to live out the remainder of his days in hopeless desperation. Pi eventually learns to believe in and trust in God to the point of ultimately surrendering his life to the God of love, which he has so passionately come to love. “And now I leave matters in the hands of God, who is love and whom I love” (Martel 306). As Pi fully surrenders his will, his heart and life to the God of hope he allows God the opportunity to alter him spiritually changing him from glory to glory. As Pi matures spiritually and emotionally he is strengthened to survive and go on to thrive in the spiritual, emotional and physical dimensions of his being.
Throughout the entire evolving adventure of Pi, the reader journeys with Pi through the maturation and transformation of his character, cognitive behavior and his spiritual faith. This inspired and miraculous alteration within Pi’s every dimension of being, certainly procures his physical survival. The witnessing of this exquisite example of miraculous transformation and newness of life leaves the reader both inspired and challenged to discover for themselves the ultimate freedom of faith and life journeying by responding to the gracious invitation of freedom extended to every man and woman.

Works Cited

Primary Source

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

Secondary Sources

Sandgren, Gustav. "Dualities in the Mind of Pi Molitor Patel” A Philosophical
Approach to Truth in" Life of Pi". GÖTEBOGS UNIVERSITET (2013). 1-26. Print.

Stephens, Gregory. "Feeding Tiger, Finding God: Science, Religion, and" the Better
Story" in Life of Pi." Intertexts 14.1 (2010): 41-59. Print.

Stratton, Florence. "“Hollow at the Core”: Deconstructing Yann Martel’s Life of Pi."
Studies in Canadian Literature/Études en littérature canadienne 29.2 (2004). 1-17. Print.