Use of Ritual in Life of Pi

            There are many clear religious themes in the movie the Life of Pi, but the one that I found the most interesting was the use of ritual in our daily lives. This was introduced in the beginning of the movie when Pi’s mother was preparing for their boat trip. One thing that she stressed before leaving was how important it was that she stocks up on her favorite cigarette brand in case they weren’t sold at their destination. She knew that there would be cigarettes available that she could buy, but she took comfort in knowing that she would have her preferred brand with her. When lost at sea, Pi had a schedule that he stuck to ritualistically. He maintained his raft, studied the tiger, and prayed constantly. This form of ritual likely helped him stay sane while trapped out at sea for all that time.

            I can think of a few daily rituals that I do myself that in a way help keep balance in my life. I notice that when I leave my room I often check my pockets to make sure that I have my ID, chap stick, and my pocket knife. The ID has a clear purpose here at school but the chap stick and pocket knife don’t get used often at all here but it makes me feel better to know that they are with me. I used to work on a farm and it was important that I kept both of these items with me and when I left that job and started going without those items in my pocket I found myself constantly checking to see if they were there. Returning to the daily ritual of putting these items in my pockets in a way returned balance to my life as I was no longer feeling as if I had lost something when I noticed my pockets were empty.