3.14

Pi (3.14) is an irrational number; religion can also be somewhat irrational since your faith never stops unless you do. This relates to Piscine because of his faith in other religions is never-ending, since he kept learning about other religions.

The motif found throughout Life of Pi is regarding religion. Martel emphasizes the message of believing in a higher power, since that is basically what religion is. Religion gives people meaning to be living their lives and a reason to keep believing in their higher power. The paradox of this story is regarding humans and animals, as in how they are similar and different. Martel emphasizes his message by showing that humans and animals both live to satisfy themselves and establish their own reasons to be living. The symbolism of 3.14 can represent the many religions Pi practices (3), and the numbers after the decimals show its irrationality. This is emphasizing the message of Piscine having faith in those religions, even if it may not be real, yet his beliefs make them real. 

The final sentence of the book states, "Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals? This quote is also tied to the message of the book. It all depends on which you believe the better story is, which also refers to the motif of the story: religion and faith depend on the people who believe in it.