There exist numerous connections between Yann Martel’s Life of Pi and T.S. Eliot’s “The Journey of the Magi,” but most importantly these two 
works are centered around religion. As I read through Life of Pi, I came to realize that Pi survived as a castaway on his journey partly because the faith he placed in God. From the beginning of the book, the narrator expresses how Pi’s journey of survival would make you a believer in God. In times of trouble or hopelessness, Pi utilized his faith in God to elevate his spirits to new heights.
“The Journey of the Magi,” also centered around religion and a rough journey, but with a more negative perspective: “And the cites hostile and the towns unfriendly / And the villages dirty, and charging high prices” (lines 14-15). This poem portrays the rough journey to witness the birth of Christ which indeed parallels Pi’s harsh journey of survival. Though they contrast in the way religion is portrayed, both works are focused an
d built upon the foundation of religion. Pi states that in the midst of his suffering as a castaway the importance of faith: “The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar. It was natural that, bereft and desperate as I was, in the throes of unremitting suffering, I should turn to God” (284). Indeed Martel’s portrayal of religion is in a positive light, whereas Eliot’s is solely depicted in a negative manner. Though they differ in their representations and viewpoints of religion, the character’s journeys in both works are driven by religion, successfully enduring unimaginable struggles.
Indeed in both “The Journey of the Magi” and Life of Pi, companionship is portrayed as an element that helps the characters both survive and reach their destination. Pi finds Richard Parker to be the most important reason why he was able to survive and tell us his story. The three wise men have each other when they must endure the harshest of conditions and toughest of times to see the birth of Christ. Indeed I found these two interesting works to parallel one another in their representations of religion as the dominant theme.
