When writing, authors must think about their audience and include an element of surprise. Authors use twists in their writing to help them surprise the audience, allowing them to keep the audience's interest. Not only do plot twists help keep the audience's attention, but they also make the audience question their beliefs about what they think of the story. Authors can use this tool to advance their topics. Yann Martel uses a crazy plot twist in his book, Life of Pi, to suggest to readers that truth is relative. Early in Life of Pi, Yann Martel establishes his theme of relative truth through the main character, Pi. When Pi was confronted about worshiping three different religions, he said, “Bapu Gandhi said, 'All religions are true.' I just want to love God” (69). By stating this, the audience is given a brief glimpse of Pi's worldview. Furthermore, when Pi explains how atheists have their own view of truth, he says, “Atheists are my brothers and sisters of a different faith, and every word they say speaks of faith” (28). He believes that atheists are also religious because they believe that God does not exist. Yann Martel is demonstrating, through Pi's words, that truth depends on a person's beliefs. Later in the story, Pi asks his mother for an Islamic prayer rug and a Christian baptism. His mother tells him that if he wants to become religious he can only practice one religion, not three. In response to his mother Pi asks her, "If there is only one nation in the sky, shouldn't all passports for that be valid?" (74). Pi's response once again shows Pi's worldview; what religion people practice does not matter, but who they worship is more important. The religion that people believe is... middle of paper... the same thing, that is their truth. Truth is relative; this means that the truth is what people want to believe. Yann Martel built this idea throughout the story, from the beginning of Pi's life to his rescue. When Pi asks interviewers what the best story is, Yann Martel allows his audience to choose their own truths and which story they think is best. Pi's truth is that he experienced the shipwreck; how he survived is not important, just factual differences. The same can be said of religion. It doesn't matter what religions people practice, just factual differences, but the most important thing is who people worship. Yann Martel is pushing people to think about what their truth is and decide for themselves what they want to believe is true. Works Cited Martel, Yann. Life of Pi. New York: Harcourt, Inc., 2001.