Stewart-Burgoyne Jules Stewart-Burgoyne Garner-Pringle ENG4U1-06 June 6th The Life of Pi Having Richard Parker as a companion and also using his religious beliefs as a spiritual form of companionship has a major influence on Pi's survival. Throughout the novel we see how important the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker is and how he is also able to use his religious beliefs as a sort of companionship to help himself survive. Pi is able to use his religious beliefs to help him have hope and help him keep peace of mind. Having Richard Parker with him also means that he is not alone. Richard Parker gives Pi something to talk to, to care for, and to be responsible for, having him around although he is a tiger it gives him a sense of purpose. Having Richard Parker as his companion also gives him the drive to keep pushing to survive and to keep going. Without that drive to keep going Pi would have a difficult time on his own trying to survive. Before the shipwreck Pi had been very invested with religion and found himself identifying with multiple religions. He was born Hindu and then later found himself committing to Islam and Christianity as well. While at sea after the shipwreck on his lifeboat Pi continued to use his religious practices, “I practised religious rituals that I adapted to the circumstances- [...] They brought me comfort, that is certain. [...] Sometimes my heart was sinking so fast with anger, desolation and weariness, I was afraid it would sink to the very bottom of the Pacific and I would not be able to lift it back up.” (231). When Pi would start to lose hope he turned to religion to boost himself back up, he would touch the turban he made and yell, “THIS IS GOD’S HAT!” or he would touch his pants and yell, “THIS IS GOD’S ATTIRE!” and he would also point over at Richard Parker and yell, “THIS IS GOD’S CAT!”. Religion gives Pi a sense of hope and a sense of belonging and without hope he would lose the will to survive and religion keeps that will to survive within himself. In William Shakespeare'sHamlet, althoughit is in very different
