Noah Remmert

Truth vs. Reality (Life of Pi)

Per. 5 ELA

Truth vs. Reality

&
The Better Story

Mrs. Webster

Martel writes, thats what fiction is about isnt it, the selective
transforming of reality? The twisting of it to bring out its essence? I
agree with Yann Martels statement here, and he demonstrates how
this is done in his book Life of Pi. He uses fiction to twist reality and
bring out truths, or messages, in his work. Not only does he create a
fictitious novel to demonstrate themes, or truths, but also in his book,
Pi does the same thing, though for different reasons.
We as a people find our own truths in this world through our own
experiences and beliefs. A person of strong religion finds truth in their
belief in god. An atheist finds truth in their decision to not believe in
religion. All people, regardless of their beliefs, find their own truths and
live in their own realities. Pi is a lover of religion and god, and yet,
atheists are not the people that bother him, but agnostics get stuck in
[his] craw. This is the case because atheists believe in something.
They find their truths in places other that religion. It is the lack of belief
that agnostics call a lifestyle that Pi hates. Pi believes that in the face
of death, an atheist could take the deathbed leap of faith(64)
because they have an ability to believe, to have faith in something.
Agnostics, on their deathbed will stay true to their dry, yeastless
factuality(63) and due to a lack of imaginationmiss the better
story(63). They have a lack of ability to believe and therefore find
their own truths.
We live in a reality in which an author can take a story and twist
its factuality to display his own messages, themes, or truths. Yann
Martel displays one of his themes (survival) by writing this book of
fiction in the first place. When Pi talks about the better story, that
relates to how we as the reader can either just be told these truths of
reality, some of which are good, and some that can be disturbing, or
you can learn them through a story that is told, and that is not always
totally factual. This is where religion comes into play in Life of Pi.
Yann Martel is an atheist. Atheists generally believe in science. One of
the big points he is trying to make with this book is that there are
always truths, and they can be learned different ways. A great example
of this is the bible. An atheist would say that people should not kill
others based on personal morals. Followers of the bible believe that
sins such as killing will affect you in the afterlife, and that based on
how you live your life, you could go to heaven or hell. Both explain that
you shouldnt kill other people, but in different ways. Yann Martel would
have us believe that religion is a way to explain these truths with a

Word count: 699

Noah Remmert
Truth vs. Reality (Life of Pi)

Per. 5 ELA

Mrs. Webster
better story. Just as Life of Pi is a better story to relay the basic
themes in the book, there is a deeper message coming through.
When Pi tells his story with the animals, it displays what
messages of survival he is trying to get across, but at the end of the
book, we are left with two different stories to choose from, and choose
which to believe. The story without the animals displays the same
truths of survival as the one with animals, but with humans in the
place of animals, it shows the truth of how ruthless and savage
humans can become In the face of death. One story may be more
believable, have more truth in a factual manner, but the story with the
animals has truth in that its reality is twisted to bring out the thematic
truths that it holds, and in Pis case, the better story is the one that
allows him to escape the horrors of the afore mentioned. Mr. Okamoto
decides to write in his report about the story with the animals, because
it is the better story, the bible story, the story that allows him to
swallow the truths of how brutal it can become in this reality.

Word count: 699