Life of Pi Passage Reflection: AP Literature and Composition I

“Things didn’t turn out the way they were supposed to, but what can you do? You must take life the way it comes at you and make the best of it” (91)

This passage is important to the novel because it puts Pi’s life into a bigger perspective. He has just learned that he is moving from Pondicherry, India to Canada. Pi feels anxious and concerned about this new change in his life. To cope with this change, he falls back to his religious beliefs, influenced by his religious background that includes elements of Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity to help him view the move in a broader context. This passage highlights Pi’s trust in God and where his faith will take him in life.  For all his life, Pi has known Pondicherry to be his sweet and beloved home. The zoo animals were his family because he had watched them and befriended them for years of his childhood. Once his family decided to move to Canada, his whole life changed in an instant. This passage introduces the readers to Pi’s ability to adapt and be flexible. Pi has a strong belief in God and God’s influence on events. If something were to happen, Pi views it as directly part of God’s will. Pi accepts God’s will and does not try to question the reasons for it. Rather, he focuses on how he will adapt to the changes. When something goes awry, Pi learns to make the best of a bad situation. Pi’s love for religion has helped him persevere through uncomfortable life situations, teaching him how to formulate a flexible response. His family is leaving India for political reasons, forcing him to re-adapt to a new place. However, instead of being sour about the relocation, he becomes adaptable. An aspect of Hinduism is Dharma, which embodies ethics and duties. It is Pi’s duty to use this move to Canada as a sign from God that moving to Canada is part of Pi’s life plan.  Hinduism also focuses on the traditional idea of the Brahman, highlighting the importance of power and a soul. This passage ties together most of what Pi has stated throughout the novel regarding religion. It incorporates his religious beliefs into his day to day life. This new chapter in Pi’s life illuminates the faith that he puts into God, believing that it is his duty to go through with it. The question, “but what can you do” emphasizes that there is no other choice. He must get on this boat and travel until he reaches Canada, which is this unknown and unfamiliar place.  Rather than feeling pity, he looks at leaving Pondicherry as a good thing. Pi’s passion for religion has taught him the significance in moving with the flow of things and looking for an element of good. He does not have to panic. Instead, he must embody aspects of his religious background and use that to begin his new life adventure with a positive mindset.

This passage resonated with me because of how relatable I found it to be to my own circumstances. I have moved four times and have lived in five different places, which is like Pi moving this one time.  It is upsetting to leave your friendships, but it is exciting to embark on a new adventure. Moving to other places has taught me how to maintain relationships and hold on to certain passions of mine, despite having to be in a different place. I have had no choice other than to move and readjust every time I encountered this situation. I have had to take every day as its own and live as best as I could. The universe has a plan, so it is only right to try and face that plan with as much bravery and determination as you possibly can. It is challenging to leave what you know behind and adjust to new surroundings because of its unfamiliarity, but it can end up being a good thing. Moving to Kansas seemed like a horrible thing at first, but it ended up being one of the best things that could ever happen to me. Pi and I both learned how to take negative a situation and spin it into something positive based on our beliefs.

-Stephanie Sandra