Contemporary Literatures in English
Contemporary Literatures in English
Paper no : 207
∆ Personal Information:
Name : Maya Batiya
Roll no : 18
Enrollment no :5108230003
Course : M.A.sem-4
Paper no :207
Paper code :22406
Paper name : Contemporary Literatures in English
Topic : Climate Change and Environmental Derangement in Gun Island – Analyzing the Novel’s Depiction of Climate Change and Its Impact on Human Lives
Submitted : Smt.S.B.Gardi, Department of English MKBU.
Email: mayajbatiya2003@gmail.com
Q. Climate Change and Environmental Derangement in Gun Island – Analyzing the Novel’s Depiction of Climate Change and Its Impact on Human Lives.
∆ Introduction :
Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island is a novel that intricately weaves climate change into its narrative, presenting it not just as a backdrop but as an active force shaping human destinies. Through a blend of mythology, migration, and ecological crises, Ghosh explores how environmental derangement disrupts both natural and human systems. The novel follows Deen Datta, a rare book dealer, whose journey from Kolkata to Venice unravels the deep connections between climate change, forced displacement, and historical narratives. Ghosh challenges the traditional boundaries between fiction and reality, emphasizing how climate change is no longer a distant catastrophe but an immediate and lived experience. By depicting extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and the struggles of climate refugees, Gun Island highlights the profound and often overlooked human cost of environmental destruction. This analysis examines how the novel portrays climate change as an existential crisis, influencing migration patterns, altering landscapes, and reshaping cultural and personal identities.
∆ About Amitav Ghosh :
Amitav Ghosh (born July 11, 1956, Calcutta [now Kolkata], India) is an Indian-born writer whose ambitious novels use complex narrative strategies to probe the nature of national and personal identity, particularly of the people of India and Southeast Asia. He received the Jnanpith Award in 2018.
As a child, Ghosh, whose father was a diplomat, lived in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Iran. He received a B.A. in 1976 and an M.A. in 1978 from the University of Delhi; at about the same time, he also worked as a newspaper reporter and editor. He subsequently attended the University of Oxford, where in 1982 he received a Ph.D. in social anthropology.
∆ overview of The Gun Island :
Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island (2019) is a novel that intricately weaves together themes of climate change, migration, and mythology, creating a narrative that transcends borders and time periods. Through its protagonist, Deen Datta, a rare book dealer, the novel explores environmental crises, human displacement, and the power of ancient myths in contemporary reality.
1. Climate Change: A Crisis Beyond Borders
Ghosh portrays climate change as a central force shaping human and ecological destinies. The novel highlights extreme weather patterns, rising sea levels, and environmental degradation, particularly in the Sundarbans, a region highly vulnerable to climate change. The narrative suggests that climate change is not just an environmental issue but a humanitarian crisis, affecting the lives of both humans and animals.
2. Migration: The Unavoidable Consequence
The novel reflects on the global refugee crisis by drawing parallels between historical and contemporary migrations. It follows the journeys of undocumented migrants from Bengal to Europe, showing how climate disasters, economic hardships, and political instability push people toward uncertain futures. The struggles of these migrants mirror past voyages of displacement, reinforcing the idea that forced migration has always been a part of human history.
3. Mythology: Bridging Past and Present
The novel integrates the legend of the Bonduki Sadagar (the Gun Merchant), a Bengali folktale, with contemporary themes. As Deen traces the myth’s origins, he realizes that ancient stories often contain warnings about human hubris and environmental destruction. By blending folklore with modern science, Ghosh suggests that mythology holds insights into humanity’s long-standing relationship with nature and migration.
∆ The Concept of Environmental Derangement
1 ) Amitav Ghosh’s Idea of Environmental Derangement
Amitav Ghosh uses the term “environmental derangement” to describe the ways in which human activities have disrupted natural systems, leading to chaotic and unpredictable consequences. In his works, particularly in The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable, he critiques modern narratives that fail to adequately address climate change as a serious existential crisis. Ghosh argues that contemporary literature, which often prioritizes individual stories and realism, struggles to represent the vast, interconnected, and unpredictable nature of climate change.
• Explanation of the term “environmental derangement” from Ghosh’s works
Ghosh defines environmental derangement as the failure of political, economic, and literary systems to recognize and respond to the ecological crises caused by human intervention. He highlights how colonialism, capitalism, and industrialization have not only altered the physical environment but have also shaped cultural narratives that normalize environmental destruction. In Gun Island, for example, he integrates mythology, history, and contemporary environmental disasters to depict how climate change disrupts human lives in unexpected ways.
• How modern literature struggles to address the unpredictability of climate change
Ghosh criticizes modern literary fiction for focusing too much on individual experiences while ignoring large-scale environmental crises. He points out that traditional realism, which dominates contemporary fiction, fails to capture the unpredictability of climate events like floods, wildfires, and rising sea levels. Instead, he calls for a new form of storytelling that incorporates climate consciousness, showing the deep interconnections between humans and the environment.
2) Symbolism of Climate Change in Gun Island
Amitav Ghosh uses Gun Island to symbolize the urgent crisis of climate change through various narrative elements. The novel weaves environmental disasters into the protagonist Deen Datta’s journey, linking mythology with real-world ecological disturbances. The recurring floods, cyclones, and wildfires in the novel act as metaphors for the escalating climate crisis, highlighting how humanity is deeply connected to environmental shifts.
Additionally, the migration of both humans and animals in the novel reflects the consequences of climate change, where rising sea levels and environmental degradation force displacement. The shifting landscapes and the presence of supernatural omens further reinforce the idea that nature itself is reacting to human-induced changes. Ghosh employs these symbolic elements to critique human negligence and emphasize the urgency of addressing climate change.
∆ Climate Change and Its Impact on Human Lives in Gun Island
Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island explores climate change as a key force shaping human lives, particularly through its influence on migration, natural disasters, and environmental crises. The novel intertwines myth with reality, demonstrating how ecological changes disrupt both human and non-human life.
One major aspect of climate change in the novel is the increasing frequency of natural disasters, such as cyclones and rising sea levels, which force communities to leave their homelands. Ghosh connects this to contemporary issues of displacement, showing how climate refugees are becoming a global phenomenon.
Additionally, the novel portrays how changing ecosystems affect wildlife, leading to unexpected animal migrations and interactions with human societies. This blurring of boundaries between species serves as a metaphor for the unpredictability of climate change and its far-reaching consequences.
Ghosh also critiques human negligence and economic exploitation, emphasizing how unchecked industrialization and environmental destruction contribute to the worsening climate crisis. Through its narrative, Gun Island urges readers to acknowledge climate change as a pressing reality that demands urgent action.
∆ Mythology, History, and Climate Change in Gun Island
1. Mythology as a Narrative Framework
Gun Island intertwines Bengali folklore, particularly the legend of Manasa Devi, the snake goddess, with the protagonist's journey.
The myth of Bonduki Sadagar (the Gun Merchant) serves as an allegory for migration, human resilience, and environmental disruption.
2. Historical Perspectives on Migration
The novel links past and present migration patterns, showing how environmental and economic pressures force people to move.
It references the historical trade routes, colonial impact, and contemporary refugee crises, particularly the displacement of Bangladeshis due to climate change.
3. Climate Change as a Driving Force
The novel portrays climate change as a reality affecting lives through rising sea levels, storms, and biodiversity loss.
Ghosh connects mythology with ecological crises, showing how ancient stories reflect contemporary environmental concerns.
The character Cinta emphasizes the Anthropocene, arguing that human activities have dangerously altered the planet.
4. Interconnectedness of Past, Present, and Future
The novel blurs the boundaries between history, mythology, and science, suggesting that human struggles repeat across time.
The past informs the present, and mythology offers wisdom for understanding contemporary challenges.
∆ Final Reflection
Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island challenges readers to rethink the ways in which mythology, history, and climate change are interconnected. By weaving together folklore and contemporary crises, Ghosh highlights how ancient narratives can offer insights into modern challenges. The novel urges us to view climate change not merely as an environmental or political issue but as a force that shapes human history, identity, and migration. Ultimately, Gun Island calls for a deeper understanding of our relationship with the planet, reminding us that the stories we tell—and the histories we inherit—hold the key to our collective future.
∆∆ Conclusion
Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island presents climate change as more than just an environmental crisis—it is a deeply human phenomenon that shapes migration, history, and cultural identity. By intertwining mythology with contemporary issues, the novel underscores how ancient stories still resonate in today’s world, offering a lens through which we can understand modern challenges. The narrative demonstrates that climate change is not an isolated event but a force that disrupts lives, economies, and traditions, pushing people across borders in search of survival.
Through the journey of Deen Dutta and his encounters with characters like Cinta and Tipu, Gun Island suggests that the past, present, and future are deeply interconnected. The novel urges readers to recognize the urgency of the climate crisis and reflect on humanity’s role in shaping its own destiny. Ultimately, Ghosh’s work serves as both a warning and a call for action—reminding us that addressing climate change requires not only scientific solutions but also a shift in how we understand history, myth, and our place in the natural world.
Words :1832
Images : 3
Work cited :
Ahmed, Iftakhar. "Analysing Amitav Ghosh's Gun Island as a Climate Fiction: Transgressing 'Borders' and 'Orders' by the Humans and Nonhumans." ResearchGate, Oct. 2024, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385382994_Analysing_Amitav_Ghosh's_Gun_Island_as_a_Climate_Fiction_Transgressing_'Borders'and'Orders'_by_the_Humans_and_Nonhumans. DOI:10.69728/jst.v10.44. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
"Amitav Ghosh." Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Amitav-Ghosh. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Bose, Trina, and Amrita Satapathy. “The Crisis of Climate and Immigration in Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island.” Litera: Journal of Language, Literature and Culture Studies, vol. 31, no. 2, 2021, pp. 473–489, https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/1546620.
Karthik, Deep Shikha. "Exploring Environmental Degradation and Climate Change in Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island." International Journal of Advanced Research in Multidisciplinary Sciences (IJARMS), vol. 7, special issue 2, Oct. 2024, pp. 92. IJARMS, https://journal.ijarms.org/index.php/ijarms/article/download/645/569/582. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.
Khandelwal, Astha, and Deepika Dhand. "Role of Literature in Addressing the Climate Crisis in Amitav Ghosh’s Novel The Gun Island." ShodhKosh: Journal of Visual and Performing Arts, vol. 5, no. 1, 2024, pp. 2634–2639, https://www.granthaalayahpublication.org/Arts-Journal/ShodhKosh/article/view/2790/2519.
