Different World, Same Planet: Nature Moulding Mankind in Amitav Ghosh's The Hungry Tide

Abstract

Amitav Ghosh's The Hungry Tide explores the complex relationships between human lives and the wild natural environment of the Sundarbans through the varied perspectives of its characters. Sundarbans becomes more than just a background; it acts as an active participant and a force that can moulds the characters. Piya Roy sees the Sundarbans as a site of scientific study and a sanctuary for endangered Irrawaddy dolphins. Kanai Dutt’s intellectual detachment is shattered by nature’s raw, unpredictable power. For Fokir, the illiterate fisherman, nature embodies spirituality, survival, and ancestral wisdom, while Marxist scholar Nirmal romanticizes the Sundarbans as a stage for revolutionary ideals. Through these contrasting perspectives, Amitav Ghosh explores the tension between ecological balance and human agency, underscoring the precariousness of life in a landscape ruled by cyclonic storms and relentless tides, where nature’s dominance challenges human understanding and aspirations. Amitav Ghosh explores in great detail how societal, cultural, and individual history influence how people interact with their surroundings. Ghosh shows how the natural world reshapes human identities and priorities, inviting a deeper reflection on the interdependence between humanity and the natural world.