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Living Section of the San Bernardino SUN February 22, 2004 Issue 
Life of Pi By Yann Martel 
The Mystery of Pi The Greek letter pi (p) represents the number by which a circle's diameter is multiplied in order to obtain the circle's circumference. But pi does not have an exact value, only an approximation. The Chinese assigned the number 3 as the value of pi. Later the astronomer Ptolemy calculated it as 3.14. Today mathematicians know that it is impossible to assign an exact decimal value to pi. Starting with the very title and continuing through the entire book to the very last sentence, "Life of Pi," the best-selling novel by Yann Martel, is loaded with symbolism and depth of meaning. Pi is the main protagonist of the book. He is an Indian boy from Pondicherry, the former capital of French India, with the unlikely name of Piscine Molitor Patel. After years of enduring being called "Pissing Patel," he introduces himself as Pi at the beginning of a new school year at a new school. It is the 1970s and Pi's family appears to be modern, educated, agnostic and moderately affluent. Pi's father owns Pondicherry's zoo. His mother, dreamy, lovely and loving if somewhat remote, spends a great deal of time reading novels and Pi and his brother attend private French schools. By accident Pi meets a Catholic priest and a humble Muslim and from each learns about Christianity and Islam. In no time he becomes a fervent Hindu, Christian and Muslim. But didn't Gandhi say, "all religions are true," Pi cries out in desperation during an awkward moment when he is confronted with having to make a religious choice. He manages to get the best of the three faiths, entwine them and use them as the anchor in his life. In 1976 Indira Gandhi usurped all governmental power compelling the Patel family to leave India. "A zoo is a cultural institution," Pi tells us. "Like a public library, like a museum, it is at the service of popular education and science. And by this token, not much of a money-making venture, for the Greater Good and the Greater Profit are not compatible aims." There are riveting descriptions of zoo animals and their characteristics. There is a compelling argument in favor of zoos and there are fascinating descriptions of running a zoo and closing a zoo. Who knew that dismantling a zoo and "repatriating" animals is such a complicated ordeal! "Moving a zoo is like moving a city," Pi says. "The paperwork was colossal. Shipping the animals to the moon couldn't possibly have been more complicated." After innumerable physical exams and checks, the animals receive their "working papers as future Yankees" to be placed in various American zoos. Sometime towards the end of June 1977 the Patel family leaves on a Japanese cargo ship for Canada, "by definition a place permanently far away." The ship sinks. After the shipwreck Pi, an orangutan, a giraffe, a hyena and a Bengal tiger find themselves in a lifeboat. Eventually the hyena devours all the animals only to be devoured by the tiger. At that moment Pi's voyage and struggle for survival begin. It seems that everything happening in his life preceding the shipwreck had been in preparation for this rite of passage. Pi's story of surviving for 227 days on the open seas in a lifeboat with a tiger is fantastic and unbelievable but at the same time curiously, it is also very credible. Like the mathematical pi, Pi's life and story are endless, circular and inexact. "I have a story that will make you believe in God," an old man tells the narrator in search of a story to tell. Pi himself clings to his belief in God throughout his voyage. "I practiced religious rituals that I adapted to the circumstances," he tells the narrator, "solitary Masses without priests or consecrated Communion hosts, darshans without murtis, acts of devotion to Allah not knowing where Mecca was." "Life of Pi" was the February reading choice of the Library's High Noon Literary Salon. Our hour-and-a-half long discussion barely touched the tip of the iceberg of the meaning of this mysterious, mystical and humane book. Many questions remain unanswered or have several answers. Throughout the entire book science and religion, two diametrically opposed areas of study, seem to coexist side-by-side and even complement each other and pi - an inexact mathematical number - represents both. Pi himself also receives a degree in both - zoology and theology; once again religion and science are juxtaposed and united in the number pi and the person Pi. Perhaps ultimately, "Life of Pi" is about the mystery and godliness of all life. It certainly is a book that would stay with me for long, would haunt my future decisions in tough situations and would make me wonder about the role we play in our fate. Ophelia Georgiev Roop Library Director San Bernardino Public Library |
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