Yann Martel, in his novel Life of Pi (2001) argues that fear is the only enemy of life because it paralyzes the body from acting and inhibits the ability to act and defend oneself. The action of Martel's novel is set in 1977 in the middle of the ocean, where Pi Patel is stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger for 227 days before being rescued. The purpose in writing Life of Pi was to put one man's incredible journey on paper to imply that hope, trust, and faith will grant someone the will to live. The fear against life throughout the novel is analyzed through archetypal, psychological, Marxist and deconstruction critical lenses. Pi Patel's parents are afraid of water, which is ironic because he is named after a swimming pool. His full name, Piscine Molitor Patel, was given to him by his uncle who is an amazing swimmer. Pi is the first in his family to learn to swim at the age of seven. Pi grows up to become very religiously curious and embraces multiple faiths, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam. “'It seems to attract religions like a dog attracts fleas,' he continued. «I don't understand it. We are a modern Indian family;'” (p. 74) This quote is said by his father regarding Pi's many religious beliefs, as if they were a bad thing or as if religion in general was obsolete. Her many wedding rings represent passion and openness and a way to let her purity shine through. The pool is a body of water, which symbolically represents life, rebirth and baptism in a religious sense. A reader may imply that Pi's family is not religious, but it is unknown whether they are atheists. Pi believes that being agnostic, not knowing whether there is a God or not, is worse than being religious or atheist because when you are agnostic... middle of paper... you risk death by drowning. This is also shown through the psychological lens and Id versus Ego. If you are afraid to follow your instincts and always follow society's expectations, you will end up in danger. You must always follow your instincts to survive. The fear that leads to death is also shown through the Marxist lens and domesticates Richard Parker. If one has total control of the situation and is courageous, one will survive. Finally, this concept is shown through the lens of deconstruction and its transformation through the hero's journey in reverse. If someone who is prim and proper gets stuck in a situation like Pi's, he cannot be afraid to return to old primitive practices like hunting and gathering. If one fears to do so in such a situation, he will not live. This is the fear against life in the life of Pi.Works CitedMartel, Yann. Life of Pi: A Novel. New York: Harcourt, 2001. Print.