Brief Thoughts After Watching Life of Pi
Warning: Spoilers ahead
Over the weekend, I watched the movie, Life of Pi. I liked it, though it was very sad. I really hadn't known much about the story beforehand, so I didn't realize that there would be so much discussion of religion. Honestly, I didn't think there was anything truly profound about the religious discussions - I thought it was just a part of the story. Perhaps the book was different, or perhaps I missed it, but apparently, the religious aspect was a big part of the story. One critic, Brian Bethune, called the book a "head-scratching combination of dense religious allegory, zoological lore and enthralling adventure tale, written with warmth and grace". Even President Obama said, "It is a lovely book -- an elegant proof of God, and the power of storytelling."
Now, I'm not completely blind to the religious themes in the movie. In fact, I think it nailed one aspect of religion particularly well, if not necessarily intentionally. [Warning - here come the spoilers]. Pi told two different stories of how he survived on the lifeboat. The first was the fantastic tale that took up most of the movie, where Pi had to share the lifeboat with the Tiger, Richard Parker, and had many improbable experiences. The second was a harsh story of survival, where the ship's cook killed two other people on the lifeboat, and Pi killed him in revenge to be the sole survivor of the ship's sinking. After telling the writer these two different stories, Pi asked him which story he preferred, and the writer chose the story with the tiger. Pi replied, "And so it is with God."
Accepting one story means embracing reality for what it is, no matter what the consequences or how it makes you feel. Accepting the other story means closing your mind to reality, and picking the story that makes you feel better. "And so it is with God" indeed.
To tell the truth, I'm not sure I'm taking away the same message as what was intended. I think the story was supposed to be more ambiguous, and seen in an almost post-modernist light. That is, how can we tell what's true exactly, so why not pick the story that we prefer? Obviously, I disagree with that mindset. Of course, there are limitations to our knowledge - things we don't or even can't know for certain. But there is only one reality. We can't pretend that our limitations in discerning reality mean that we can pretend reality is whatever we want it to be. Our goal should be to narrow those limitations as far as we can, to get our understanding as close to reality as possible.
Comments
buy atorvastatin generic buy lipitor generic atorvastatin 80mg sale
Posted by: Welwle | March 12, 2024 1:34 PM
where to buy baycip without a prescription - myambutol 600mg pill buy clavulanate for sale
Posted by: Nmqxnb | March 14, 2024 1:59 AM
buy ciprofloxacin 1000mg online cheap - order augmentin 1000mg without prescription buy cheap clavulanate
Posted by: Nszify | March 14, 2024 12:59 PM
buy ciprofloxacin 500 mg online - chloromycetin for sale erythromycin price
Posted by: Dvrgtg | March 17, 2024 6:00 AM
metronidazole brand - terramycin 250 mg for sale zithromax over the counter
Posted by: Rdqghi | March 17, 2024 8:20 AM
ivermectin for sale online - buy tetracycline tablets tetracycline 250mg cheap
Posted by: Hkbqhh | March 19, 2024 9:50 AM
order valacyclovir - order nemasole online cheap acyclovir 800mg brand
Posted by: Mrpbxc | March 19, 2024 1:21 PM
ampicillin buy online penicillin tablet buy amoxil pills
Posted by: Vcghme | March 21, 2024 10:55 AM
order metronidazole 400mg - buy cleocin without a prescription zithromax 500mg sale
Posted by: Olarmo | March 21, 2024 12:41 PM
cost furosemide - prazosin usa how to buy capoten
Posted by: Jzjnts | March 23, 2024 5:54 AM
glucophage 1000mg brand - order septra generic lincomycin 500 mg brand
Posted by: Tgjlod | March 25, 2024 6:15 AM
zidovudine 300mg pills - buy avapro 300mg online buy allopurinol 100mg generic
Posted by: Eklevf | March 26, 2024 12:11 PM
oral clozaril 100mg - buy altace 10mg pepcid canada
Posted by: Zmavlx | March 27, 2024 3:29 PM
buy seroquel 100mg pills - geodon cost buy eskalith online cheap
Posted by: Uwwale | March 29, 2024 2:06 PM
anafranil tablet - order cymbalta pills order sinequan pills
Posted by: Yffvin | March 30, 2024 7:30 AM
order hydroxyzine 25mg - purchase buspirone without prescription amitriptyline 10mg generic
Posted by: Bnjddy | March 31, 2024 12:08 PM
buy clavulanate pill - purchase baycip pills cipro 1000mg pills
Posted by: Jsyleo | April 3, 2024 9:49 AM
amoxicillin over the counter - cost cefadroxil 250mg purchase ciprofloxacin
Posted by: Cimzgx | April 4, 2024 2:38 AM
order azithromycin 250mg online cheap - order metronidazole 400mg purchase ciplox generic
Posted by: Hiiptn | April 9, 2024 8:29 AM
cleocin 150mg ca - clindamycin brand buy generic chloramphenicol online
Posted by: Csvhcd | April 9, 2024 12:38 PM
ivermectin order - how to buy aczone cefaclor oral
Posted by: Zwoxiv | April 12, 2024 1:20 AM
cheap albuterol 2mg - fluticasone online purchase theo-24 Cr generic
Posted by: Xjynqj | April 13, 2024 3:58 AM
buy medrol without prescription - montelukast 5mg ca purchase astelin without prescription
Posted by: Ierkzi | April 15, 2024 1:23 AM
cheap desloratadine 5mg - order ventolin without prescription buy albuterol sale
Posted by: Awsbde | April 15, 2024 1:37 PM
buy glycomet 500mg online cheap - cozaar over the counter order acarbose 50mg generic
Posted by: Lvyfdh | April 19, 2024 3:36 AM
where can i buy prandin - order empagliflozin without prescription order jardiance 10mg generic
Posted by: Psejtz | April 19, 2024 1:31 PM
buy semaglutide online - buy rybelsus generic purchase DDAVP for sale
Posted by: Cudnsc | April 22, 2024 4:29 AM
terbinafine canada - order griseofulvin 250mg generic buy griseofulvin cheap
Posted by: Xxsizf | April 22, 2024 6:43 AM
buy ketoconazole 200 mg sale - buy itraconazole 100 mg pill order itraconazole 100mg sale
Posted by: Qkhath | April 24, 2024 10:09 AM
buy famciclovir 250mg online - purchase valcivir for sale valaciclovir uk
Posted by: Fnweda | April 25, 2024 6:03 AM
digoxin 250mg for sale - order labetalol 100mg sale oral furosemide 100mg
Posted by: Mqcdyp | April 26, 2024 12:48 PM