Which Is the Truth?

At the end of the novel the main character, Pi reveals what happened to him on the life boat while at sea. At first he tells the two officials about what happened with the wounded zebra, the hyena, the orangutan Orange Juice, and Richard Parker the Bengal tiger. Although the two officials disbelieved the tale that they just heard, Pi had to tell them the truth.
At this time Pi repeated the story replacing each animal with the truth. In place of the zebra was a sailor, the hyena a cook, the orangutan Pi’s mother, and Richard Parker as Pi. This story seemed more realistic and believable to the two men. It should seem more realistic considering it was supposed to be the truth.
I believe that the story that included the humans was the truth opposed to the improbable story of animals. The story with the animals was so far-fetched of a young boy surviving the wrath of a hyena and a 450 lb. tiger. Not saying impossible but doubtful. The tale that he first told was just a coping method used because otherwise he may have gone into shock or have been devastated for life considering the cannibalized cook cut Pi’s mother’s head off and threw it at Pi.
If Pi wouldn’t have made his reality into a more pleasant fantasy then it would’ve been the down fall for his survival. He had to be strong though and try to survive this arduous and lengthy journey across the ocean. After many days of water and food deprivation one could start to hallucinate which also could attribute in the creativity of the invention of the story with the animals.
The story with the animals just doesn’t seem as realistic compared to the very gruesome yet very probable story. For the amount of time he was at sea gave him the opportunity to go crazy after seeing what he saw, but he thought why go crazy? Why not just believe something else happen? (I can be strong because I can pray. I have something to believe in.) It seemed much easier for him to live his life thinking that just animals were on the boat, and the circle of life just continued while at sea. He only would ever have to speak of the tragedy once, and he did to the two officials. Now it is over and he can live his life believing or disbelieving what really happened.