Last month, a teacher at NorthPointe Christian High School was asked to resign after he appeared as a host of a Discovery Channel documentary that explored questions related to Christianity. He didn't offer his opinion in the film, but rather asked questions of biblical experts. Apparently, that was a sign of too much doubt on his part.
Pi asks the same questions throughout the novel and, as a result, we readers wrestle with them as well. I'd like you to frame the question in terms of analyzing literature: How much crystal clear content must an author provide before we take a leap of faith and buy into the premise of a story?
Take, for example, the meerkat-filled island. It's uncharted, it floats, and it's made of algae. Unlikely? Yes, but it is plausible. Consider this poem by Emily Dickinson:
I never saw a Moor -
I never saw the Sea -
Yet know I how the Heather looks
And what a Billow be.
I never spoke with God
Nor visited in Heaven -
Yet certain am I of the spot
As if the Checks were given -
No comments:
Post a Comment