A Critique of The Hungry Tide By Amitav Ghosh through the Lens of Anthropocene

Abstract

The Hungry Tide By Amitav Ghosh is set against the background of a large mangrove forest, the Sundarbans in the Bay of Bengal. Ghosh addresses the ecological, economic, and political challenges faced by the marginalised people of the archipelago called the Sundarbans. The novel explores the implications of living and dying in the contemporary moment. Piya’s warm interaction with Orcaella, and Fokir’s knowledge of the struggles with the tides showcase how humans interact with nature on different planes, making sustainable coexistence possible and impossible at the same time. The objective of this paper is to explore the conflicting relation of man and nature as projected in the novel. An attempt would be made to locate how culture and nature are entangled in the lives of the inhabitants of the tide country. It will also examine the ecological issues in the Anthropocene raised in the novel through the presentation of the conflicting coexistence of humanity and nature. Ghosh hints at how human-induced climate change has impacted the region as well as the lives of its inhabitants.