Faith is defined by the acquisition of substantial confidence in something that cannot be explained using definitive physical evidence. Although faith is often mentioned when talking about religion, you can have faith in anything. In Life of Pi by Yann Martel and A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving, both authors recognize the importance of faith in family, friends and oneself; however, the faith in both novels is primarily centered around religion. Both novels emphasize that strong faith is fundamental to overcoming emotional and physical obstacles. In the novels Life of Pi and A Prayer for Owen Meany, this is expressed through symbolism, characterization, and plot. Martel introduces multiple implicit symbols throughout his novel which, although they can be interpreted in several ways depending on one's point of view, highlight the importance of religion. Faced with the ferocity of the tiger aboard his lifeboat, Pi must flee to his hand-crafted raft with the remains of life jackets and oars salvaged from the boat. This raft can be interpreted symbolically as a representation of his faith throughout his journey. After an intrepid attempt at training Richard Parker to "carve out" his territory, Pi is thrown from the lifeboat into shark-infested waters with one big thump: "I swam back to the raft with frantic strokes." .. I reached the raft, let go of all the rope, and sat with my arms wrapped around my knees and my head down, trying to put out the fire of fear that was blazing inside me. I stayed on the raft the rest of the day and all night” (Martel 228). Like the raft, Pi's faith, constructed from parts of three distinct religions, diligently follows his needs and survival instincts - symbolized by Richard Parker and the...... middle of paper ...... g him... With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked as armless as Watahantowet... in the dazzling patterns of the sun pouring through the attic window, he looked like a descending angel, sent to to judge the errors of our ways (Irving 72). Once again Owen is symbolically presented as being more than human. The armless motif symbolizes Owen's denial that he is "God's instrument" and that the choices he makes are God's. In his belief that "God has taken my hands", represented by armless figures, he is able to justify and overcome his actions which killed John's mother; similarly to Pi, Owen projects unwanted events onto another in order to move on. In Life of Pi and A Prayer for Owen Meany, symbols are used to draw attention to themes centered on religious faith and its importance in surviving psychological and physical obstacles..