Different Views on Life

Life works in mysterious ways, subtle and conspicuous at the same time – it just depends on how you look at it. "Time became distance for me in the way it is for all mortals – I travelled down the road of life – and I did other things with my fingers than try to measure latitude." (194) We are so caught up in the strain of our daily lives that sometimes we focus too much on the route and destination rather than the events along the journey. Enduring this grueling journey has given Pi more patience to pay attention to these small miracles – from the city of fish, to the stars in the sky. Finally noticing and pondering these intriguing parts of life has given him a new aspect on his situation; life became bearable again. If Pi never paid attention to the miraculous happenings on the lifeboat – but instead tried to figure out where he was going – would he have ever gotten there?

Best Friends

To pledge, "Together to the end",
Is a common thing among many a friend.
Promising to prevail through and through:
Despair and hope, yellow and blue.
Menacing monsters will come along,
To challenge this pair's diligent song.
But this luminous triumph will inspire
Much strength in order to keep the choir.

Changes in Religion

From the time that Pi entered a temple, he was a Hindu – born a Hindu, always a Hindu – and he knew nothing but the ways of the Hindu religion. His beliefs shaped conventions for his life; everything he saw was through a Hindu’s eyes. "The were there all along, but I hadn't seen them because I wasn't looking for them." (80) Before Pi started pondering all the different beliefs of the world, he had only seen it through one pair of eyes; once he started meandering down a different path, though, he began to observe things he never would have noticed unless he changed his ways and looked into his life from a different view.

Along with the acceptance of new religion came the acceptance of new customs for Pi. Soon, his life no longer revolved around the conventions and ways of Hinduism, but also Christianity and Muslim. In the mindset of only one religion, Pi would walk by a mosque and look on with disgust, but now he feels a sense of peace and serenity. Talk about Christ’s death and rise would send him into rage about God and how weak he was making himself, but now he just appreciates the love Christ and God have for us humans. "Ordinary in quality though it was, it glowed with beauty in my eyes."(76)Changes in religion have opened up his eyes to the world, and all it took was one small step into a church; all it took to change his conventions was one small step; all it took to change his vision of the world was one small step.