In difficult times, it seems that many people turn to their faith. In times of weakness, when it seems all is lost, many people find that there remains some hope in God. Others look to God to know “why”; a reason why circumstances are the way they are, or why God puts them in such a difficult situation. In the novels Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolpho Anaya and Life of Pi by Yann Martel, the protagonists Tony and Pi both have beliefs that give them something to turn to in difficult times. Pi and Tony's religious journeys are similar in that each boy finds mentors from all three faiths with which he identifies; However, the main characters differ in how they understand the concept of one person having multiple faiths and how they apply their faith to the obstacles they face in their lives. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay These teenagers are impressionable and malleable, and they both find mentors for their beliefs who help shape them and guide them in their beliefs. Pi, for example, identifies with Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Growing up in India, where Hinduism is predominant, Pi was influenced by Hinduism from a young age. That's why he feels Hindu. He explains that he has always felt a "Presence", and this seems to explain how he entered Hinduism: "I am aware of the Presence, not personal as we usually feel presence, but of something more big” (Martel, 28 years old). Just as Pi grew up Hindu, Tony grew up Catholic. Tony follows the model given to him by his mother, and she is a mentor to him in this faith; his mother encourages him to practice catechism and wants him to grow up to become a priest. Pi's second religion is Christianity, and Father Martin introduced him to this faith in his youth. Father Martin encourages him in this faith and helps him understand the basic idea of ​​History. Tony's second faith comes from Ultima, the ways of "la cuaranderas". Just as Pi feels a Presence, Tony also feels his own presence: "I was aware of the horrible presence of the river, which was the soul of the river, but through it I learned that my spirit shared the spirit of the river. of all things” (Anaya, 15 years old). Bringing up the idea of ​​a spirit in the river, Ultima taught him about the spirits in plants. She tells Tony to talk to the plants before digging them up and explain to them why they are being dug up. Finally, Pi's mentor for his third religion, Islam, is Mr. Kumar, a Muslim baker. He introduces Pi to Islam after Pi watches him pray in his bakery. Tony's third faith is the Golden Carp, a pagan god. His mentor who teaches him about the golden carp is his friend Samuel (partnered with Cico), a boy who teaches Tony the legends and ways of the golden carp. These different mentors help teach these two young boys about the religions they encounter. One difference that is clearly evident between these two boys' journeys is how Tony and Pi interpret faith and how they accept the practice of multiple faiths. Pi sees different religions simply as different channels leading to the same God, but Tony discovers that the contradictions between the religions he practices inhibit his ability to accept them all at once. To begin with, Pi sees his three religions differently than the others. He only has oneintention: to love God. When the imam, pandit, and priest all visit Pi's house to inquire about his faith, Pi simply tells them, "Bapu Gandhi said, 'All religions are true.' I just want to love God” (Martel, 39 years old). Pi argues that the three religions have distinct characteristics but all lead to the same God. Contrary to how Pi sees things, for the majority of the novel Tony is confused by religion, as he strongly believes in all three religions but does not see how they can coexist. Cico further confuses Tony by telling him that there cannot be more than one God, because the Catholic God is a jealous God. By the end of the novel, Tony seems to have a better understanding of religion; “Take the llano and the river valley, the moon and the sea, God and the golden carp – and make it something new” (Anaya, 247). Although it is difficult for him to see the three religions coming together, he sees that they all point to the same thing, namely a higher power. Tony eventually realizes that he can worship however he wants and that he doesn't need to conform to society. He realizes that he can create his own religion. This realization differs from Pi's beliefs, however, in that Tony believes that if he wants to possess multiple times, it requires the creation of an entirely new religion. Pi believes that multiple religions can remain separate and distinct, while still leading to the same God. Another difference between Pi and Tony's religious journeys can be seen in how Pi and Tony apply their unique religious beliefs to the challenges they face in their lives. lives. They each face very different obstacles; Pi must survive and Tony must mature. Yet they both use their faith as a resource as they go through difficult times, in different ways. As Pi goes through his ordeal in his lifeboat, his goal is to survive and his faith is what keeps him alive, even during his darkest days. At times his hope falters, as evidenced by the fading orange (a color of Hinduism) on the lifeboat and the dead, rotting lamb. But in the end, it's Pi's faith that brings him to shore, and without it, he would have died on the lifeboat. As for Tony, his obstacles accompany his growth journey. He is trying to understand his destiny, what the purpose of his life is, and his faith plays an important role in this understanding. Some of the situations he goes through challenge his understanding of his purpose, such as the deaths of Florence, Narciso, and Lupito. These deaths cause Tony to question the differences between good and evil, and where the line lies between God's forgiveness and condemnation. In a dream, he asks for forgiveness for Narciso, but not for Tenorio. God laughed and said to him: “You would have a God who forgives everything, but when it comes to your personal whims, you seek punishment for your revenge” (Anaya, 173). Additionally, the problems presented by Tenorio and his daughters continue to raise questions for Tony. His beliefs are a resource for him to the extent that he turns to them to understand all these problems. However, Tony discovers that the many questions he asks himself don't always receive the answer he expects. In fact, he is faced with even more questions after his first communion, when he thought he would suddenly receive all the answers he was looking for. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. Get Custom Essay The novels Bless Me, Ultima, and Life of Pi are ostensibly similar, but actually differ in several ways. First of all,..