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Argument: This article discusses Yann Martel's narrative. Stephens' analyzes its effectiveness and religious appeal. He also juxtaposes the usage of science and religion through their "counteractive" purposes. Stephens' entire article discusses Pi's conclusion of a "better story". Claim: Stephens labels Life of Pi as an allegorical castaway story. He stated the idea of the novel being able to "make you believe in God" was untrue. Instead of making one believe in God, it instead gave them the choice to believe. Religion provides one half of the frame of the novel, the second half is science. Stephens suggests the incompatibility of the two. He claims Martel uses the novel to connect the relationships between human and animals through the main character's religious faith and choices. The nonreligious gain a desire to believe. Evidence: "Martel gives the reader the democratic choice: the desire to believe rather than the belief itself" (Stephens). "The theme of this novel can be summarized in three lines. Life is a story. You can choose your story. And a story with an imaginative overlay is the better story" (Martel qtd. in Stephens). "In what ways would this be seen by the nonreligious as a religious book...what ways might this text actually give secular readers a desire to believe...what ways might this text lead religious readers who already believe in God to re-envision that deity, or to worship him, her, or it in a new way?" (Stephens).

The main argument of this article is that ultimately, our faith affects our perceptions of other religions, and increases conflicts. He argues that religions have trouble accepting the validity of other religions due to the exclusivity of their belief system, and that exclusivity makes peaceful negotiation much harder. -"All inter-religious relationships and dialogue, particularly among members of the monotheistic faiths, are ultimately based on conflict because of their mutual and seemingly exclusive truth claims" Hames goes on to claim that the conviction that they are right makes fundamentalists very difficult to argue and compromise with. -"It is very difficult to speak to religious fundamentalists of any persuasion because they are not prepared to question, or to admit uncertainty"

The main argument of this passage is that coexistence is an idea that rarely crosses people's minds when religion is involved. Conflict is very rarely a simple thing. He argues this and goes on to say that insisting on associating religion and conflict oversimplifies the matter. -"The relentless association of religion and conflict compresses the complexity of human lives into one narrow band" Karabell also mentions that both the conflicts, and the solutions to those conflicts, tend to be viewed through the lenses of religion. -"Part of the problem may be the tendency to view both the current conflicts and their solutions in strictly religious terms"

Argument: This article simply gives background to Martel's influences and mindset behind the writing of the novel. Written by Martel himself, he describes the mix of three elements in which books come from: influence, inspiration, and hard work. Claims: Martel writes that most books come from the same mix of three elements:influence, inspiration, and hard work. His influence for this novel was an interest in a novel after reading a somewhat skeptical review over it. Seemingly, Martel became enveloped in the critic's reasonings for such a harsh review. He was disappointed that such "a brilliant premise [was] ruined by a lesser writer", therefore suggesting he could have done better. While in India, the remembrance of this review he read came to him, and while observing Indian ways, all aspects of the story flowed to him. In a place with many animals and various religions, Martel created Life of Pi. All aspects didn't come easily though; he found himself spending over a year doing extensive research and observations in order to create the memorable novel Life of Pi became today. Evidence: "most books come from the same mix of three elements: influence, inspiration, and hard work" "brilliant premise ruined by a lesser writer" "the novel emerged fully formed: the lifeboat, the animals, the intermingling of the religious and the zoological, the parallel stories" "theme that reality is a story and we can choose our story and so why not pick 'the better story'?"

Argument: The author explains that though Camus was labeled as an existentialist, he rejected the title and called himself an absurdist. Claims: Camus believed that life was devoid of meaning and purpose and rejected any idea that attempted to apply meaning to life beyond physical existence and human connection. What was most important was living in consciousness of the absurdity; he criticized existentialists for merely recognizing the absurdity of life and often taking a pathetic leap of faith to apply meaning. Camus disagrees with the idea that life is not worth living simply because it has no meaning. Sysiphus is Camus's depiction of a man of full consciousness, aware of his reality. Such a life may seem torturous and worthless to many, but Camus was a staunch believer in the value of life. Evidence: "Absurdism is an off-shoot of Existentialism and shares many of its characteristics. Camus himself was labeled as an 'Existentialist' in his own life, but he rejected this title. He was not the first to present the concept of Absurd but it was owing to him that this idea gained popularity and influence, and it transformed into a proper philosophical movement of Absurdism" (Aftab). "Kierkegaard describes the Absurd as a situation in life which all thee rational and thinking abilities of a person are unable to tell him which course of action to adopt in life, but in this very uncertainty he is forced to act or make a decision. He has to do something but his reason offers him no help. He writes in one of his journals: "What is the Absurd? It is, as may quite easily be seen, that I, a rational being, must act in a case where my reason, my powers of reflection, tell me: you can just as well do the one thing as the other, that is to say where my reason and reflection say: you cannot act and yet here is where I have to act"" (Kierkegaard qtd. in Aftab) "Even in the latter case, the question arises: what is the purpose of God? And it is this question which a

Argument: This article's main purpose is to deconstruct Yann Martel's Life of Pi. The author, Florence Stratton argues various points, depicting the novel by reasoning Martel's choices. Stratton also discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the novel's claims. Claim: Stratton proposes Martel's treatment of religion in the novel reigns unpersuasive in the essence that the story would not make others believe in God, but justify the belief in Him. He also argues Life of Pi structures around various philosophical debates such as favoring reason over imagination, science over religion, materialism over idealism and fact over fiction or story; these debates are symbolized through the various characters of the novel. Stratton discusses Martel's elaborative plot and characters, discussing their symbolism. Evidence: "This wonderful book did not make me believe in God but it did reinforce my faith in the considerable redemptive powers of fiction" (Whittaker). "Mr. Chiba, on the other hand, represents the viewpoint of Romanticism, and, in particular, its emphasis on spontaneity, subjectivity, imaginative creativity, and emotion" (Stratton). "The dazzling display of colours and patters suggests that Richard Parker's primary signification is the incantatory or transcendent power of art: the imaginative truths or realities that great art encompasses" (Stratton). "..the heroic struggle of a religiously devout man to overcome the impediments of material reality" (Stratton).

Argument- Author observes a connection between Charles Dicken's, "A Christmas Carol" and Dante's "Inferno". Claims- Both stories revolve around Christian holidays (Dante's story takes place between Black Friday and Easter and Dicken's story from Christmas Eve to Christmas). In addition, both have 3 main parts and have characters that are guided by ghosts/spirits. The main character of both stories struggle with overcoming internal selfishness to receive personal salvation. Evidence- "Deliberately dedicated to religious themes, both stories encourage us to rise above selfishness in order that we may lead a Christian life and thereby attain personal salvation. Though The Divine Comedy is crowded with a multitude of sinners, its plot tracks the spiritual trajectory of a single flawed human being, Dante himself. Similarly, the narrative line of A Christmas Carol follows the spiritual progression of another flawed individual, Ebenezer Scrooge" (Bertman 167). "Each "traveler," Dante and Scrooge, finally arises from his dream-like state to a new vision of life's glorious possibilities" (Bertman 167).

Arguement: Dragging out religious beliefs, Stephanie Meyers subtly implies own morals into her novels to avoid typical media that encourages sensuality. Claim: "'It doesn't matter where you're stuck in life or what you think you have to do; you can always choose something else. There's always a different path.'" Meyers choices the theme of choosing a different path through abstinence to portray the protagonists' relationship, and abstinence is a similar belief in Meyer's religion Mormonism. Evidence: "'Just because I'm resisting the wine doesn't mean I can't appreciate the bouquet'".

In Brynie's critical analysis of Steinbeck's book, Tortilla Flat, she stated that Tortilla Flat has similar ideas found in Mice and Me. Yet, in this book Steinbeck establishes a frame that later George and Lenny are built upon. George and Lenny don't have a home or security, yet their dream involves what they do not have currently. Also Brynie comments on how Steinbeck favors the poor or natural man in his book and that Steinbeck closely ties his books to religion. From Brynie's critical analysis, the two books, Tortilla Flat and Of Mice and Men display many similar aspects but they are told in different ways to diversify the way of the American Dream. Usable Quotes: "Steinbeck exalts the natural man, untainted by civilization, unspoiled by either conventional wisdom or conventional morality," (Brynie). "It was the first of Steinbeck's novels to look at life through the eyes of those without homes, possessions, or security, and Danny and his friends foreshadow others of their kind who appear powerfully and poignantly," (Brynie).

Argument: Asimov uses character motivation to progress the story by having the purpose behind the characters shift in reaction to events in the plot. Claims: He changes his characters from rational to reactionary and impulsive to indicate the climax and the rising anxiety of action. Evidence: Highlighted