short discussion (100-150word) Life of Pi

On p. 93, the chapter ends with the line, "This story has a happy ending." 

Pick one or more of these questions to answer:

(1) In postmodern philosophy and literary theory, the idea of an "ending" or even of a "happy ending" is questioned: what does it mean when a story ends?  What does it mean to have a "happy ending?"  Do we use Shakespeare's definition of comedy:  where everyone is paired off romantically and things are wrapped up?  Here's The Sundays' somewhat vague song, "Here's Where the Story Ends:" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHsip5xOenQ

http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/47081/

(2) How does the "knowledge" that the story ends happily affect our reading of it at this point?  How do we interpret the events of the book, as tragic or disastrous as they are after this point in the text? (Part II and following)  Are the events to be interpreted as tests, as character-building, as things to be survived, meaningful, meaningless, etc.?  

(3) How could you interpret the line above using a religious lens--one of the religions Pi believes in, or another?