'The Life of Pi' (continued)

Let me tell you what's so special about 'The Life of Pi'.

Piscine Molitar Patel, the main character of this novel, is telling a very remarkable story about one's journey of the extraordinary. There is much to discuss about: themes, character development, and much talked about literary forms if one is to analyze it in a literature class, or even compare it to other similar 'Castaway' genre books such as 'Robinson Crusoe' and 'Lord of the Flies'. What struck me, leisurely and attentively in the lulling enjoyment of 'Reading for Pleasure', is the structure. This book is divided into three parts; the first in which Pi (no irrevocably nicknamed so, but nevertheless symbolically representative of the divine human being) narrates his childhood, a tone that of an innocent and curious young boy. The second part is his 227 days at sea, with a Bengal tiger in tow. The third is a written transcript of his conversation with two Japanese shipwreck investigators on the fate of the cargo carrier which sunk and consequently led to Pi's castaway life. It is in the second part of this novel which Pi narrates, in simple and eloquent language, of his maturation and understanding of humanity, and human's relationship with nature. The fact that he is able to survive a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger is testimony to his ability to discern how animals communicate and behave with the human race, which more often than not mistreats and misunderstood these vital communicative signs at a fatal cost (note that in Part I Pi explains the anatomy of zoos, and debunks self-proclaim nature lovers who do not really understand freedom in the wild on the animal's behalf with regards to the supposedly rigid confinements of a zoo). In the last part of the book Pi is shown to irritate his impatient investigators, and through this the reader once again is given an allegorical portrayal of his testimony at sea.

Below is my favorite part of the book; Pi has followed three religion, and this excerpt shows what is so baffling and so simple of practicing three religions altogether. Please start from the previous post.

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Ravi had a field day of it when he found out.

"So, Swami Jesus, will you go on te hajj this year?" he said, bringing the palms of his hands together in front of his face in a reverent namaskar. "Does Mecca beckon?" He crossed himself. "Or will it be to Rome for your coronation as the next Pope Pius?" He drew in the air a Greek letter, making clear the spelling of his mockery. "Have you found time yet to get the end of your pecker cut off and become a Jew? At the rate you're going, if you go to temple on Thursday, mosque on Firday, synagogue on Saturday and church on Sunday, you only need to convert to three more religions to be on holiday for the rest of your life."

And other lampoonery of such kind.