Sitaram
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Flower's first post on Life of PiI have just finished reading the book and is trying to get my head around
it. I have read all your comments and here is what I have come up with
so far as far as understanding the book.
I believe the story is about a man/boys struggle and understanding of
what life and what religion is, what to believe in, how to live etc etc.
His descriptions about the animals in the zoo and how humans tend to
transfer human behaviour/emotions on animals, shows us the difference
between animal and human. More importantly the difference between
living like animals and becoming a human. Jesus talks about this in the
bible, that we should not live like animals, we are spiritual human beings
and we need to wake up and develope. So some animals on earth doesnt
seem to have this ability but the human animal does. In case of us being
the most dangerous animal on earth, then I think he is talking about us
having a conscious, a skill to think, to choose, and therefor we are not to
be trusted, where animals are very simple, his father knows whats wrong
with the animals if they behave in a strange way etc. You dont always
know whats wrong with a person or what their intentions are.
I like the idea of the ship being God leaving. Actually throwing Pi into the
world and find his own way. Dont we always say, you have a free will?
That you can decide on your own if you want to believe in God, he will
always be there and its up to you to open up your heart and believe.
At one point Pi is struggling with God. In my book its on page 216. He
talks about how hard it is to believe and trust in God. My translation:"
Trust in God is equell with opening up, let go, en deep trust, a free
declaration of love - but sometimes its so hard to love"
This is something he has to figure out on his own. Its very exsistential. No
one can do it for him. When leaving the ship, he talks about what it means
to miss his family. His brother=vitness, father=guidance, mother=sun
over his head.
I believe that the 3 animals on the boat represent the 3 religons.
Muslims=the fighter, Christianity=the heart/mother/Maria,
Hinduism=exotic, non-violent, Ghandi.
The tiger for me is the subconscious. Its beautifull, strong, takes úp a lot
of space, and has to be tamed. At first he does not notice it=he has no
connection/hasnt opened up yet. During his trip he has to find a way to
live with the animal, fight for his own room. The tiger is an
animal=instinct=subconscious, big, strong and not to be trusted, but can
be tamed.
The small island, I think, is a place where you go when there is only
dispair left, nothing to believe in. Then you tend to grap whatever comes
by. At first he thinks he is in heaven with food and trees etc. But the fish
dies=fish=Jesus. There are no other animals on the place than the small
(cant remember their names). No birds, no fruit, no flowers. To live like
this and to have no solid ground, a base to stand upon and live from, will
eat you up from the inside. What you think is good is only a veil, a
temptension which is only a passing good.
I am not so sure about the episode where he goes blind. I think it may
have to do with something, he does not want to face/to see.
When he comes to Mexico, he is sad that the tiger just runs out of his life.
I think, his journey is done and he therefor doesnt need to have this close
connection with the subconscious. It will live somewhere, it doesnt die.
At the hospital he has reached a state in what I believe is something they
talk about in buddhism. He realizes that the world is objective. Your mind
and your feelings makes the world a subjective place to live, and thats
what life is about. Man cannot live objectively. He needs to believe, come
to turns with himself, what his mind and his feelings is doing and
understand that what he believes is ONLY his subjective truth. It is his way
of interpretating the world. There are many other truths. This is the
reason why the story begins with "this story will make you believe in
God".
By the way, 3 is a magical number. It has appeared in the bible and is
often used in fairytales.
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