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VOL. 12, ISSUE 2 (2026)
Tides of survival: An ecocritical reading of nature, displacement, and Eco-Ethics in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide
Authors
C Thirumal, A Ganesan
Abstract
This paper offers an ecocritical reading of Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide through the theoretical framework
articulated by Greg Garrard. It argues that the novel represents nature not as
a passive backdrop but as an active, shaping force that governs human life,
ethics, and narrative form. Set in the ecologically volatile Sundarbans, the
novel foregrounds the instability of land and water, the agency of nonhuman
life, and the vulnerability of marginalized communities dependent on fragile
ecosystems. By examining human–nature conflict, environmental injustice,
indigenous eco-spirituality, and narrative strategies shaped by tidal rhythms,
the study demonstrates how Ghosh challenges anthropocentric ideologies embedded
in modernity, development, and conservation discourse. The analysis further
situates The Hungry Tide within
contemporary debates in environmental humanities, particularly those concerning
climate precarity, postcolonial ecology, and environmental ethics. Through its
integration of ecological processes with political history and cultural memory,
the novel advances an ethical vision grounded in humility, coexistence, and
respect for nonhuman agency. Ultimately, this paper contends that The
Hungry Tide exemplifies the capacity
of literary narrative to reshape ecological consciousness and to question
dominant human-centered modes of understanding the natural world.
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Pages:82-86
How to cite this article:
C Thirumal, A Ganesan "Tides of survival: An ecocritical reading of nature, displacement, and Eco-Ethics in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide". International Journal of English Research, Vol 12, Issue 2, 2026, Pages 82-86
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