'Charlotte Innes describes the Life of Pi as "a religious book that makes sense to a non-religious person"' (Stephens, "Feeding Tiger"). Pi is about the animation of Piscine Molitor Patel (Pi), a young Indian who grows up in Pondicherry in the 1970s. Pi's father is the owner of the zoo of the Pondicherry Botanical Garden, and the family lives in the blissful and conservative peace of the zoo grounds until finally, in 1977, the political situation in India forces them to sell their animals and their land and move to Canada, on their ship - a Japanese cargo ship that was carrying things and animals, from the Pondicherry zoo. sinkhole and all the members of the Patel family, except Pi, are condemned to the sea (Floating 1) uses faith to decide which story of Pi's survival on the lifeboat to believe is true. The Life of Pi makes the reader want to believe.) in Dio Martel offers the reader the parliamentary option; the desire to believe rather than the belief itself (Stephens, “Feeding Tiger”) So, ultimately, which story is better? which story do you prefer? Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?' Mr. Okamoto: 'Is that an interesting question?' Mr. Chiba: 'The story with animals.' Mr. Okamoto: 'Yes. The story with animals is the best story.' Pi Patel: 'Thank you. And so it is with God'” (Martel 317). This quote is essential to the story: at its core, Life of Pi is a religious novel. “Specifically, it explores faith and the love of God through the lens of a physical world depicted as wondrous, brutal, and deeply mysterious” (Cooper). Piscine “Pi” Patel here ...... middle of paper ...... I feel resentful of agnostic Japanese officials, and I'm clinging to the prevailing story - without even realizing it. I believe this is how his story makes you believe in God, if he does. It is in the perception of the human need for the best story. The religion of Pi won't explain how we came to live as we are, and it won't make any factual difference in our interpretation of life and the universe - it's certainly not just any religion, but I like it. The purpose of the book was not to get into advanced theological details about God. It was about whether "history" is better with or without God. This was the simple message of the book, and nothing more. Just as Pi's survival story was better with the tiger, his life story is better with God. Works Cited Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.