# What exactly is the point of Life Of Pi? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 23, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757 "2013-03-23T18:44:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/1 "2013-03-23T18:44:44Z")
I’ve seen bits of the movie that alternately make it look like a disaster survival movie and some kind of fantasy scifi flick(weird floating meercat island). What is the point of the story? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/2 "2013-03-23T18:51:26Z")
It’s a guy on a small boat with a tiger. What more do you want? ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/3 "2013-03-23T18:52:18Z")
That you might as well believe in god because it is a better story. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/4 "2013-03-23T22:43:46Z")
Not just a better story, but an important coping mechanism. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/5 "2013-03-23T22:46:17Z")
I read the book and was no better informed at the end than I was at the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/6 "2013-03-23T23:29:56Z")
> [@obfusciatrist](#): > > That you might as well believe in god because it is a better story. > [@pancakes3](#): > > Not just a better story, but an important coping mechanism. This is my justification for believing the Harry Potter series is a documentary. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/7 "2013-03-23T23:56:26Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I read the book and was no better informed at the end than I was at the beginning. Thank you! I thought I was the only one. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/8 "2013-03-24T00:08:36Z")
I’ve come to realise that movies that get Oscar recognition generally don’t adhere to storytelling rules. Both _The Descendants_ and _Midnight In Paris_ left me feeling unsatisfied, like huge chunks of story were completely absent. It doesn’t surprise me to hear _Life Of Pi_ is similarly bereft. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/9 "2013-03-24T00:25:06Z")
I think everyone will get different messages out of Life of Pi, but for me, the big message was related to the coping mechanism Pi created in his mind to get through the tragedy. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/10 "2013-03-24T00:38:28Z")
On the most basic level, it’s a fable. It’s an allegorical tale about living in a precarious world. It draws heavily on the “magical realism” literary genre, which tells fantastical but grounded folktale-like stories that evoke strong emotions while, underneath it all, telling a story about the real world. On a larger level, it’s a story about how one man discovered that human need to use narrative to make sense of the world. On an even larger level, it’s making a statement about the role of religion and spirituality in individual world views and society as a whole. Whether or not it’s particularly deep is up to debate. But it is certainly using well-established storytelling techniques to make a pretty straightforward point. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/11 "2013-03-24T01:29:35Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > On the most basic level, it’s a fable. It’s an allegorical tale about living in a precarious world. It draws heavily on the “magical realism” literary genre, which tells fantastical but grounded folktale-like stories that evoke strong emotions while, underneath it all, telling a story about the real world. > > On a larger level, it’s a story about how one man discovered that human need to use narrative to make sense of the world. > > On an even larger level, it’s making a statement about the role of religion and spirituality in individual world views and society as a whole. > > Whether or not it’s particularly deep is up to debate. But it is certainly using well-established storytelling techniques to make a pretty straightforward point. That’s too cryptic for me. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/12 "2013-03-24T01:36:57Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > On the most basic level, it’s a fable. It’s an allegorical tale about living in a precarious world. It draws heavily on the “magical realism” literary genre, which tells fantastical but grounded folktale-like stories that evoke strong emotions while, underneath it all, telling a story about the real world. > > On a larger level, it’s a story about how one man discovered that human need to use narrative to make sense of the world. > > On an even larger level, it’s making a statement about the role of religion and spirituality in individual world views and society as a whole. > > Whether or not it’s particularly deep is up to debate. But it is certainly using well-established storytelling techniques to make a pretty straightforward point. I think this is quite an eloquent and accurate take on this story. Well done. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/13 "2013-03-24T02:48:12Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I think this is quite an eloquent and accurate take on this story. Well done. I agree. I loved _Life of Pi_, and I usually don’t care for that sort of movie. So it must have done something right. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/14 "2013-03-24T03:06:45Z")
I got all the different levels that **sven** detailed and yet, I still didn’t care for it. By about half way through, I was rooting for the damn tiger. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/15 "2013-03-24T03:11:39Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#): > > I think this is quite an eloquent and accurate take on this story. Well done. It is indeed. I didn’t love the story other than the visuals, but that’s a great summation. ---
**Author:** ![Infovore](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/infovore/32/420_2.png) [@Infovore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Infovore)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/16 "2013-03-24T03:19:30Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > I got all the different levels that **sven** detailed and yet, I still didn’t care for it. By about half way through, I was rooting for the damn tiger. I was rooting for the tiger the whole time! He was a large part of what I liked about the movie. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/17 "2013-03-24T03:24:08Z")
It’s about a tiger, and a boy, and the power of the imagination, and… oops, wait, that was _Calvin & Hobbes_ I was thinking of. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/18 "2013-03-24T03:55:25Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I read the book and was no better informed at the end than I was at the beginning. OK, thanks. I didn’t get much out of the movie and wondered if the book delivered. Guess I can skip it. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/19 "2013-03-24T04:58:36Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > On the most basic level, it’s a fable. It’s an allegorical tale about living in a precarious world. It draws heavily on the “magical realism” literary genre, which tells fantastical but grounded folktale-like stories that evoke strong emotions while, underneath it all, telling a story about the real world. > > On a larger level, it’s a story about how one man discovered that human need to use narrative to make sense of the world. > > On an even larger level, it’s making a statement about the role of religion and spirituality in individual world views and society as a whole. > > Whether or not it’s particularly deep is up to debate. But it is certainly using well-established storytelling techniques to make a pretty straightforward point. Excellent summary! It is also interesting how the view of the story differs among believers in God (such as myself) and non-believers (ie, the “truth” of the narrative & the limits of rationality and trusting the reasonable explanation vs. a coping mechanism & people creating stories to make the world seem better). ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757/20 "2013-03-24T15:12:55Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > It’s a guy on a small boat with a tiger. What more do you want? There’s too many MFing Tigers on this MFing boat! Originally posted by Thudlow Boink It’s about a tiger, and a boy, and the power of the imagination, and… oops, wait, that was Calvin & Hobbes I was thinking of. The Life of Calvin [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-exactly-is-the-point-of-life-of-pi/653757.md?page=2)