Amitav Ghosh's novel - 'Gun Island'

 Welcome readers! This blog is written in response to the task assigned by Dr.Dilip Barad sir from Department of English, MKBU. This blog deals with Amitav Ghosh's 2019 Novel 'Gun Island'. As a Part of thinking activity, sir assigned few questions related to this novel and In this Particular blog I will try to give answers.

 Gun Island

Amitav Ghosh 

Amitav Ghosh’s latest novel, Gun Island, traces familiar cross cultural patterns evident in his earlier novels. There are journeys by land and water, diaspora and migration, experiences aboard ships, the world of animals and sea-creatures. Ghosh foregrounds environmental issues like climate change and the danger to fish from chemical waste dumped into rivers by factories, concerns that carry over from earlier books like The Hungry Tide and The Great Derangement. 

Gun Island describes the quest of Deen, a scholar and collector of rare books, who returns from New York, his city of domicile, to the Sunderbans in West Bengal to unravel the mystery and legend of a seventeenth-century merchant, Bonduki Sada-gar, translated “The Gun Merchant,” and his persecution by Manasa Devi, mythical goddess of snakes. In a talk held in New Delhi after the release of the novel, Ghosh stated that the merchant “was a trope for trade.” The merchant and the goddess dramatize “the conflict between profit and the world.” In the novel, the goddess pursues the merchant to make him aware of other realities like the animal world: “Humans—driven, as was the Merchant, by the quest of profit—would recognize no restraint in relation to other living things.”

In depicting a wide range of diverse characters from various countries and subtly invoking myth and history, fact and fiction, Ghosh has created a work that contrasts nostalgia for a lost past with concerns for the contemporaneous. 

 [ Source :- World Literature Today - Rita Joshi ] 

In brief About Amitav Ghosh :- 

Amitav Ghosh is an Indian writer. His novels use complex narrative strategies to probe the nature of national and personal identity, particularly of the people of India and south Asia. He has written historical fiction and also written non - fiction works discussing topics such as colonialism and climate change. He was born in calcutta and grew up in India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. He studied in Delhi, Oxford and Alexandria. 

He is the author of 'The Circle of Reason', 'The Shadow Lines', 'In An Antique Land', 'The Glass Palace', 'The Hungry Tide',  and The Ibis Trilogy, consisting of Sea of Poppies, River of Smoke and Flood of Fire. His most recent books, 'The Great Derangement ; Climate Change and the Unthinkable, a work of N0n- fiction, appeared in 2016. 

Amitav Ghosh's works has been translated into more than thirty languages and he has served on the juries of the Locarno and venice film festivals.  His essays have been appeared in The New Yorker, The New Republic and The New York Times. The Great Derangement : Climate Change and the Unthinkable, a work of Non- fiction, was published by the university of Chicago Press in 2016 and was given the inaugural Utah Award for the Environmental Humanities in 2018. 

 Amitav Ghosh holds two Lifetime Achievement awards and four honorary doctorates.  In 2007 he was awarded the Padma Shri, one of India’s highest honors, by the President of India. In 2010 he was a joint winner, along with Margaret Atwood of a Dan David prize, and 2011 he was awarded the Grand Prix of the Blue Metropolis festival in Montreal. In 2018 the Jnanpith Award, India’s highest literary honor, was conferred on Amitav Ghosh. He was the first English-language writer to receive the award. In 2019 Foreign Policy magazine named him one of the most important global thinkers of the preceding decade. 

[ Source :- https://amitavghosh.com/ ] 

About the Novel :- 

  Amitav Ghosh's novel 'Gun Island' Published in 2019, mostly deals with climate change and human migration, drew praise from critics. The novel creates a world of realistic fiction, challenging the agency of its readers to act upon the demands of the environment. The use of religion, magical realism, and climate change all come together to create a wholesome story of adventure and mystery. The reader takes up on the journey to solve the story of The Gun Merchant and launches themselves into the destruction of nature and the effects of human actions. Amitav Ghosh transforms the novel through his main character, his story, and the very prevalent climate crisis. 'Gun Island' is a beautifully realized novel that effortlessly spans space and time. In depicting a wide range of diverse characters from various countries and subtly invoking myth and history, fact and fiction, Amitav Ghosh has crafted a beautiful literary work. 

 Question 1 :- How does this novel develop your understanding of a rather new genre known as cli - fi? 

Answer :-  Climate Fiction is one of the accomplished genres of the past decade. It is also named as Anthropocene Fiction, which deals with the writings on climate change and global warming. Sometimes it is categorized under Science Fiction, because of the themes that highlight the future of Earth. However, it mainly focuses on the human’s reaction to the climate breakdown. The main plot of this speculative fiction is to demonstrate the changed or changing environments due to humans unconscious impact on the sphere. Narratives are, likeably, to set in present day surroundings and major characters argue about the pros and cons of climate changing. The subjects of climate fiction are high temperature, melting of ice, floods, drought and migration and extinction of species.

The term climate change ( In short known as cli - fi ) is coined by climate activist Dan Bloom. He observed that most of the popular science fiction novels concentrate on the rapid changings of weather. with his perception, many critics and writers contribute their ideas on this genre. Dan Bloom wrote that one very important thing we can do about climate change is to encourage more and more novelists to write cli- fi novels as well as cli-fi movie scripts..to nurture these authors and this rising new literary genre. Most of the writers attempt the cli-fi in all literary forms. The contemporary writers mix the monotonous life of the protagonist with the outside environment to mark the effect of human activities upon the earth. 

 Pandemic climate changes are the main topic of climate fiction and it is not an easy-talk to depict those harsh realities through words. Amitav Ghosh who is the most prominent Indian writer, takes the handler. Every work of Ghosh is a literary report from the eye of the storm. His writing is a blend of family, history and science. Like other writers, his earlier phase of writings deal with human centered stories. However, his later phase of writings bring more laurels to him, which focus on the violent reactions of nonhumans. The word ‘non-humans’ refer to river, sea, oceans, plants, animals, water, minerals, etc. Amitav Ghosh proclaimed in one of the interviews in Toronto, 

                                                  " Artists and writers respond to the realities of the world around them…I wouldn’t even call it climate; I would just say the realities of today. We can’t just shut our eyes to something like Hurricane sandy or Hurricane Maria”. 

According to the writer, climate changing is the serious business of the present day and literary writers should have responsibilities to convey the issues among the people. Ghosh, the cli-fi writer, wrote many novels with the backdrop of climate change and global warming. 

 Gun Island is a memoir of The Hungry Tide. Like the latter, the novel starts with the mystery of Sundarbans and in contrast, ends with the enlightenment in Sicily. Ghosh develops the world in which every major character escape from one disaster to fall in another disaster like the gun merchant of seventeenth century who elopes from the trap of Manasa Devi, the goddess of snake. Totally, Gun Island is a combination of myth, fantasy, history and science.

Climate change plays a vital role in demolishing Rafi and Tipu's teenage life. There are many themes in the novel. But, one important and major theme is Historification of Myth and Mythification of History deals with the concern of climate change. Many characters from the novel suffered due to the environmental changes. There is saying that art is nature and nature is art. They are interrelated and intertwined. Climate fiction is the recent enrollment. The main role of this genre is, in Amitav Ghosh's words from Gun Island, 

      “How can a translator do her job if one side chooses to ignore her? And why would her constituents obey her if they knew that those she was addressing on their behalf—the merchant and his fellow humans— had refused to acknowledge her voice? Hence the urgency of her search for the merchant…by the quest for profit—would recognize no restraint in relation to other living things” 

 Amitav Ghosh believed that modern fiction must address the existential threats of sea level rise, extreme weather, and mass migration. He also issued a challenge to novelists - to focus les on the interior lives of their characters and more on how climate change ddirectly impacts the lives of everyone on the planet. With his novel, Gun Island indeed mixes modern science with ancient legend, spanning continents and cultures to reveal potential effects of climate change. In fostering an urgency, that may yet be met with action, Ghosh constructs an intricate narrative of people, animals, technology and folklore. Middle-aged rare books dealer Deen “Dino” Datta plies his trade between New York City and his birthplace, Kolkata, seeking the antiquities that will keep his business afloat. On a trip to India, he is reunited with an elderly relative who urges him to visit an ancient temple in the mangrove swamps of the Sundarbans. The trip is Deen's introduction to Bonduki Sadagar, the Gun Merchant. A figure out of Bengali folklore, Sadagar is remembered for building a temple in the Sundarbans. 

As Datta travels between India, California, and Venice, he encounters signs and portents of climate change and migration in every location. In Los Angeles, he attends a lecture about the 17th century as a period of severe climate disruption, which conjures up another link to his family's past. As Gun Island progresses, Ghosh seems to make the case that Datta is himself part of an ancient story, following in the footsteps of the Gun Merchant, the snake goddess, and other mythical figures. Sometimes the connections seem tenuous, but often they are elegant and compelling. Throughout, Ghosh encourages his readers to consider other forms of human existence when dealing with climate. The book makes a point of transporting the reader into the realm of the fantastic, a counterpoint to the realities of survival in a warming environment. 

Amitav Ghosh grappling with the issues of climate change in his fiction 'Gun Island' showcases weird weather - in the forms of droughts, firestorms and cyclones appears suddenly, unexpectedly and seemingly out of nowhere. Animals swarm to new territories as they adjust to drastically changing circumstances and pose threats to themselves and humans. People everywhere are on the move, displaced by economic and environmental pressure. The novel confronts Europe's refugee crisis, using Tipu and Rafi's journey from Bangladesh to Italy. 

For all the disruptions that climate change causes, Ghosh and his characters don't lose sight of the joy to be found in the world. Having been shown the possibility of a new existence, Datta says, 

                                                  " At that moment I felt that I was surrounded by all that was best about our world—the wide-open sea, the horizon, the bright moonlight, leaping dolphins, and also the outpouring of hope, goodness, love, charity, and generosity that I could feel surging around me.” 

 Indeed, Gun Island acknowledges that there might still be hope for a better tomorrow. Whether we live in kolkata or Manhattan, disaster seems only a step away. But, so might be salvation. To Conclude, Serious, Playful, stylish and eventful, Amitav Ghosh's novel Gun Island suggests that climate change is indeed suitable material for literary fiction. 

 Question 2 :-  How does Amitav Ghosh use the myth of the Gun Merchant  [Bonduki Sadagar] & Manasa Devi to initiate discussions on the issues of climate change, migration, the refugee crisis, and human trafficking? 

Answer :-  Amitav Ghosh entwines the impact of climate change on migration and displacement with an old Bengali folktale that connects the mangrove forests of Sundarbans to the city of Venice. The story connects the fast depleting mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, the raging forest fires of Los Angeles and the slowly sinking city of Venice. On his annual sojourn in Kolkata, Brooklyn-based dealer in rare books, Dinanath Dutta hears the tale of Manasa Devi, the goddess of snakes and her battle to turn the merchant Chand Sadagar or Bonduki Sadagar into a devotee. 

Versions of the story told by his relative addresses Chand Sadagar as 'Bonduki Sadagar' or 'The Gun Merchant.' Bundook in Bangla means gun and the search for the etymology of the name 'BondukiSadagar' launches Deen on a global quest, before he finally solves the mystery. This unexpected retelling of the story leads Deen to visit an ancient temple hidden in the mangrove swamps of the Sundarbans. His journey unfolds a series of events, that beautifully portrays the present reality of climate change and disruptive migratory patterns of both humans and animals induced by it. 

This novel explores different forms of migration, starting from people and entire communities being uprooted from their native land to the drastic changes recently prevalent in the migratory patterns of different species. Amitav Ghosh give many instances of climate related catastrophes being inductors of such migrations. He talks in detail about the cyclone Aila which hit Sundarbans in 2009, 

  'Aila's long - term consequences were even more devastating than those of earlier cyclones. The evacuations too had produced effect that no one could have foretold. Having once been uprooted from their villages many evacuees had decided not to return, knowing that their lives always hard, would be even more precarious now. communities had been destroyed and families dispersed...'

 The theme of migration is a prevalent one in Gun Island, with various characters throughout the book having migrated for a variety of reasons. Some characters have fled due to natural calamities, while others have been forced to move as a result of communal violence or poverty. Some have migrated in search of a better life, while others have been driven by socioeconomic conditions.

That is how, the nove Gun Island uses the myth of The Gun Merchant and Manasa Devi to initiate the discussions on the issue of climate change, Migration and human trafficking. 

Question 3 :- How does Amitav Ghosh make use of the 'etymology' of common words to sustain mystery and suspense in the narrative?  

Answer :-  This novel engages with Amitav Ghosh's fascination for etymology and how words in different languages depicts our understanding of the world. As sir told us during the discussions on these novel that ; 

' Words gives us world views.' 

While, Discussing about the Thematic study of the novel' The Gun Island' Etymological Mystery and how it is connected with the title of the novel that is very much important to see. Before going further into the discussions, first let us see that what is Etymology. According to Oxford Dictionary, 

'' The study of the origin and history of words and their meanings.''

   " The Origin and history of a particular world.'' 

when we see the word 'bundook' it used to mean gun in many languages. But, the title of the novel had no direct reference of gun. By seeing the title of the novel, Gun Island, we thought that there may be some Island where lots of guns are there. May be guns are hidden or guns are made. This Island might have something to do with guns. But, It is not so. When we read we came to know that Neither the island has to do anything with the guns. Nor the Gun Merchant has to do anything with the guns.   

Through the theme of Etymological mystery in the narrative we came to know the reality and also about the title of the novel. The vocabulary for venice is linked to three apparently unrelated things, which are - hazelnuts, bullets and guns. The shape of hazelnuts is similar to bullets , which turn indispensable for guns.  Arabic name for venice was al - Bunduqeyya. So, In the novel gun is referred to as venice. The meaning of the title of this novel Gun Island is that - A Merchant who visited venice. 

In a chapter titled "Brooklyn," a conversation unfolds between Dinanath and Tipu via email, delving into the meaning of "Bhut" or "ghost." Tipu queries Deen about its significance, prompting Deen to elucidate that in Bangla, "Bhoot/Bhuta" originates from the intricate Sanskrit root 'bhu,' signifying 'to manifest.' Notably, "Bhuta" also connotes the past, symbolizing a former state of existence. Thus, Deen clarifies to Tipu that "bhuta" does not simply denote a ghost but can be linked to memory.

Elsewhere in the narrative, the concept of "possession" emerges during a conversation between Cinta and Deen. Cinta explains that possession occurs when an individual is overtaken by a demon, metaphorically representing greed. She elaborates that possession entails a loss of will and freedom, characterizing it as an awakening to previously unimagined or unnoticed aspects of existence. Essentially, possession entails an enhanced consciousness of one's surroundings.

Through an exploration of etymological mysteries and thematic concerns, Amitav Ghosh adeptly sustains suspense and engages readers in his novel. This thematic study underscores the interconnectedness of history, enriching the narrative's depth and intrigue. 

Question 4 :- What are your views on the use of myth and history in the novel 'Gun Island' to draw the attention of the reader towards contemporary issues like - Climate change and migration? 

Answer :-  Amitav Ghosh's 2019 novel 'Gun Island' can be seen as a resonse to the political and social impasses created by climate change and forced migration. Gun Island uses a Bengali myth that concerns the snake goddess Manasa Devi and the Merchant chand saudagar's struggles against the goddess. The novel offers two parellel narratives : one involving New York based book dealer Dinanath Dutt's exploration of the Gun Merchant legend, which in turn turns out to be a seventeenth-century re - enactment of the Manasa myth, and the migration of Rafi , Tipu and of other characters as well due to climate change. The use of a premodern myth situates the plot of the novel in relation to the historical migrations of humans. 

Where the story of the Gun Merchant was engendered by the Little Ice Age, its present-day revival as legend is catalyzed by anthropogenic climate change. The Sundarbans is depicted as a place where natural and social disasters fuel each other. Rafi decides to emigrate to another place that would offer him better prospects. But Rafi and Tipu’s homosexual love for each other also plays a part in their decision to go to Europe, foregrounding the fact that climate change migration is further complicated by concerns of race, gender, and sexuality.

'Gun Island's juxtaposition of a pre - modern myth with ongoing anthropogenic climate change reframes contemporary discourses of climate change migration by pointing out our shared spices history that is marked by both human and non - human migrations.' 

Ghosh's novel intervenes in mainstream discussions on the migrant crisis in two ways : by positing human migrations as a continum rather than an exceptional event, and by underscoring the agency of the migrants by showing how Rafi and Tipu carefully execute their plans against pressures from human traffickers and border security guards. 

The Parellel between the Sundarbans and venice that the author draws through this  juxtaposition highlights that the climate crisis is not just confined to one religion, state or country. It is ever pervasive. Through the potraryals of the Sundarbans, the text showcases venice and Los Angeles where a disastrous wildfire takes place, illustrating how the earth is gradually getting transformed into an uninhabitable place caused by anthropogenic global warming. 

By exploring ancient folklore with modern-day realities,  Amitav Ghosh invites readers to reflect on the interconnectedness of human experiences across time and space. Through the protagonist's journey and encounters with mythological elements, the novel not only explores the devastating impacts of climate change but also sheds light on the plight of migrants forced to leave their homes due to environmental upheavals. 

Ultimately, Ghosh's use of myth and history serves as a powerful tool to draw attention to urgent global challenges and encourages readers to confront and engage with these complex issues in the context of our shared humanity.

Question 5 :- Is there any connection between 'The Great Derangement' and 'Gun Island'?

Answer :-  Gun Island and The Great Derangement by Amitav Ghosh could not be more appropriate books for discussion on this podcast - they are both about the role stories play in fighting the climate emergency! 

On the surface, Gun Island may seem like a fun, fast-paced adventure story, but there’s a lot going on beneath the surface that’s easy to miss on a first read. To really get the most out of this novel, it’s helpful to read it critically using Amitav Ghosh’s nonfiction book The Great Derangement as a guiding framework. 'Gun Island' as a response to 'The Great Derangement'. 

 In the book Amitav Ghosh explores the hestiancy of literary fiction to address climate change and questions why books that do address climate change are often disregarded or looked down upon by the literature as pulp or science fiction. 

Yes, there is a connection between "The Gun Island" and "The Great Derangement" by Amitav Ghosh. In "The Great Derangement," Ghosh talks about how climate change is often ignored or downplayed in literature and culture. In "The Gun Island," he explores themes related to climate change, migration, and displacement, making it a sort of fictional response to the ideas he discusses in "The Great Derangement." So, both books engage with the impact of climate change, but in different ways: one through non-fiction analysis and the other through fiction storytelling. 

To Conclude, both the books are connected through their exploration of climate change. Together these works highlight the urgent need to address the impacts of climate change in both fiction and reality. 

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