Study Guide

Life of Pi Part 1, Chapter 17

By Yann Martel

Part 1, Chapter 17

In this chapter, Pi becomes a Christian. Keep track, now. Pi is already Hindu. Now he adds Christianity at fourteen.
Pi and his family take a vacation in the hill station (a city at a higher elevation) of Munnar.
Pi wanders up to a Catholic church. He enters the church and meets one Father Martin. They have tea and biscuits.
Over the course of a few sessions, Father Martin tells Pi about Jesus Christ: Christ died for humankind's sins and not only that, it wasn't a pretty death.
Pi voices a few concerns: Why would a god suffer? Why would a god taint himself with death? Why doesn't Jesus do much other than tell stories and perform some rather small miracles? Why is Christ so human?
Father Martin answers pretty much all of these questions with one word: Love.
Pi becomes a Christian.