SSC Stenographer 2026 PYQ — Question 198

SSC Stenographer - 09 Sep 2026 - Shift 2 • English • Q198

Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:
Yann Martel's Life of Pi explores deep ideas concerning survival, faith, and how we construct the realities we tell ourselves. At its core, the story examines how people handle raw, natural struggles for survival, such as when Pi shares a lifeboat with the fearsome Richard Parker after their voyage goes horribly wrong. This experience shows Pi's split self—the sophisticated part of him and his raw survival instincts clashing while he fights to stay alive. Moreover, Martel questions what someone can believe during desperate times. Pi takes comfort by exploring three religions—Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam—to shield himself from hopelessness. In the end, though, Pi plays with the definition of truth. He ends up telling two entirely different versions of his tale and urges the reader to ponder which is more truthful. So, Martel asserts that we shape our truths based on the accounts we latch onto rather than on cold, hard facts. Such stories help us find purpose in our lives and make sense of everything that happens to us.
What does the passage suggest about the nature of "truth" in Life of Pi?

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

Correct Answer: Truth is a malleable concept shaped by the narratives we choose to believe.
Explanation
• According to the passage, the novel explores how truth is not solely tied to hard evidence; instead, Martel highlights that "we shape our truths based on the accounts we latch onto rather than on cold, hard facts."
• Pi presents two completely different versions of his survival story, showing that truth is flexible and depends on the narrative a person chooses to embrace to find meaning and purpose.