Amitav Ghosh’s latest novel, Gun Island, traces familiar crosscultural 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.”
We learn that the old Arabic name for Venice was al-Bunduqevya, which is also the name for guns. Deen concludes that the name Bonduki Sadagar did not perhaps mean the Gun Merchant but the Merchant who went to Venice. When Deen travels to Venice to research further on the Gun Merchant, he discovers that many Bangladeshis are being employed as illegal migrant labor. Their hazardous journey across the Middle East and Africa and the strong, even militant opposition to their presence in the city by Italian authorities form a major segment of the second part of the novel, contrasting with the Gun Merchant’s past, prosperous journey to Venice (Rita Joshi - World Literature Today).
Brief History of Cli-fi : Freelance writer Dan Bloom coined the term cli-fi in 2011 in a press release for Jim Laughter’s Polar City Red, a novel set amid climate refugees in a future Alaska. Today, Bloom publishes The Cli-Fi Report, an online resource serving all things climate fiction. From his home in Taiwan, he told Means & Matters he sees cli-fi as an urgent genre, a route to “wake people up via storytelling.”
How does this novel develop your understanding of a rather new genre known as 'cli-fi'?
How does Amitav Ghosh use myth of Gun Merchant 'Bonduki Sadagar' and Manasa Devi to initiate discussion on the issue of Climate Change and Migration/Refugee crisis / Human Trafficking?
How does Amitav Ghosh make use of 'etymology' of common words to sustain mystery and suspense in the narrative?
There are many Italian words in the novel. Click here to view the list of words. Have you tried to translate these words into English or Hindi with the help of Google Translate App? If so, how is Machine Translation helping in proper translation of Italian words into English and Hindi?
What are your views on the use of myth and history in the novel Gun Island to draw attention of the reader towards contemporary issues like climate change and migration?
Is there any connection between 'The Great Derangement' and 'Gun Island'?
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness - A Novel by Arundhati Roy
General Observations about the Novel - 'The Ministry of Utmost Happiness'
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness is a curious beast: baggy, bewilderingly overpopulated with characters, frequently achronological, written in an often careless and haphazard style and yet capable of breathtakingly composed and powerful interludes. The idea that the personal is political and vice versa informs its every sentence, but it also interrogates that assumption, examining its contours and consequences (Alex Clark, The Guardian).
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness takes us on an intimate journey across the Indian subcontinent—from the cramped neighborhoods of Old Delhi and the roads of the new city to the mountains and valleys of Kashmir and beyond, where war is peace and peace is war. Braiding together the lives of a diverse cast of characters who have been broken by the world they live in and then rescued, patched together by acts of love—and by hope, here Arundhati Roy reinvents what a novel can do and can be (Penguin Random House).
Is novel the right word, though? I hesitate. The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, hulking, sprawling story that it is, has two main strands. One follows Anjum, a hijra, or transwoman, struggling to make a life for herself in Delhi. The other follows Tilo, a thorny and irresistible architect turned activist (who seems to be modeled on Roy herself), and the three men who fall in love with her (Parul Sehgal, The Atlantic).
Intertextual references to other writers in the novel
The novel is divided into twelve chapters of varying lengths, unevenly distributed into six sections, each introduced by a short epigraph. The six quoted authors were all poets or writers who held strong, dissident political views, who rebelled against persecution, who refused submission and compromise. Tormented by institutional violence, censored, imprisoned, some were forced to flee into exile, and some were killed. Others were discriminated against for their skin colour, and/or their sexual orientation and gender “indeterminacy”. All were resolutely insubordinate.
They can all be counted among the “Unconsoled” to whom the novel is dedicated, and whose “Minister”, Hazrat Sarmad Shaheed, symbolises the refusal to submit to any authority other than one’s conscience, one’s intellectual and spiritual integrity.
1. The first epigraph (“I mean, it’s all a matter of your heart”) was taken from Nâzim Hikmet’s poem “On the Matter of Romeo and Juliet”. [ यानी सारा मामला दिल का है... नाज़िम हिकमत ]
2. The second epigraph quotes Pablo Neruda’s last book, Libro de las Preguntas (The Book of Questions), published posthumously in 1974 - “In what language does the rain fall / on tormented cities?”
[ बारिश किस भाषा में गिरती है
यातनाग्रस्त शहरों के ऊपर ? - पाब्लो नेरुदा ]
3. The third epigraph (141) quotes the first line of one of Agha Shahid Ali’s Kashmiri poems, “Death flies in, thin bureaucrat, from the plains”, a fit frame for the third “section”, narrated by “The Landlord”, a cold and somewhat cynical servant of the State.
[ मौत एक छरहरी नौकरशाह है, मैदानों से उड़कर आती हुई - आग़ा शाहिद अली ]
4. The fourth epigraph is by Jean Genet, whose novel Notre-Dame-des-Fleurs (written while its author was serving a prison sentence in Fresnes, in 1942) is quoted three times - "Then, as she had already died four or five times, the apartment had remained available for a drama more serious than her own death." (Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet, translated by Bernard Frechtman).
[ क्योंकि वह पहले चार या पाँच बार मर चुकी थी,
अपार्टमेंट उसकी मृत्यु से भी ज़्यादा गंभीर
किसी नाटक के लिए उपलब्ध था। - ज्याँ जेने ]
5. The fifth epigraph is quoted from James Baldwin’s essay entitled “Down at the cross. Letter from a Region in my Mind”, which offers a set of reflexions on race relations in the USA, many of which, alas, would still be relevant nowadays. When read in the light of caste relations in India, many of those reflexions also seem perfectly relevant - "And they would not believe me precisely because they would know that what I said was true." - from The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin.
[ और वे मेरी बात पर सिर्फ़ इस वजह से यक़ीन नहीं करते थे की
वे जानते थे कि मैंने जो कुछ कहा था वह सच था। - जेम्स बाल्डविन ]
6. The final epigraph used by Roy is a quotation from Nadezhda Mandelstam’s first volume of memoirs, Hope Against Hope, in which Osip Mandelstam’s widow narrates his tragic fate. -
"Then there was the changing of the seasons. ‘This is also a journey,’ M said, ‘and they can’t take it away from us.’ - (translated by Max Hayward) [ फिर मौसमों में परिवर्तन हुआ। 'यह भी एक यात्रा है,' एम ने कहा, 'और इसे वे हमसे छीन नहीं सकते।' - नादेज्दा मान्देल्स्ताम ]
“Once upon a time, in small-town India, there lived two
intelligent boys.
One wanted to use his intelligence to make money.
One wanted to use his intelligence to start a
revolution.
The problem was, they both loved the same
girl.”
“Revolution 2020 – a story about childhood friends Gopal,
Raghav and Aarti who struggle to find success, love and happiness in Varanasi.
However, it is not easy to attain these in an unfair society that rewards the
corrupt. As Gopal gives in to the system, and Raghav fights it, who will win?” (Blurb on the last cover-page)
Revolution 2020: Love, Corruption, Ambition is a 2011 novel by Chetan Bhagat. Its story is concerned with a love triangle, corruption and a journey of self-discovery. R2020 has addressed the issue of how private coaching institutions exploit aspiring engineering students and how parents put their lifetime's earnings on stake for these classes so that their children can crack engineering exams and change the fortune of the family. While a handful accomplish their dreams, others sink into disaster.
The author stated that the novel is based on the "rampant corruption" apparent in the Indian educational system (Firstpost)
Characters in the Novel:
1. Gopal Mishra - One who wanted to use his intelligence to make money - who ultimately joins hands with corrupt politician to walk on the path of corruption and starts private engineering college, Ganga Tech College in Varanasi.
2. Raghav - One who wanted to use his intelligence to start a revolution - who ultimately runs his own news paper 'Revolution 2020' to bring in change in society and make nation free from corruption. He has cracked JEE and AIEEE and joins BHU-IT instead of famous IITs or NITs so he can pursue journalism along with engineering. He follows his passion to be a journalist who can bring in 'change' in society rather than opt for an easy job in multination company or public sector company like his father who was IITian and works as engineer in BHEL.
3. Aarti - daughter of IAS office who is District Magistrate of Varanasi and love interest of both, Gopal and Raghav.
Chetan Bhagat narrative technique has a sort of method which he follows in most of his novels. His signature style is to stat with Prologue and end with Epilogue. He himself appears in these prologues-epilogues and listens story from one of the characters of the novel - and then allows him to tell the story in fist-person narration.
Undoubtedly, Revolution Twenty20 belongs to the genre of 'Genre Fiction'. It is part of popular literature. It represents popular contemporary culture of India.
As a part of student-reflection on learning, they are asked to add a page on their Digital Portfolio about:
What is Literature?
Why study Literature?
How does it make any difference?
To help students in this process of reflective learning, some useful blogs, videos, web-articles are shared here. As it is necessary to give line of thought or some starting points, so that students can realize what is expected, here are some resources:
What Literature is for?
Dilip Barad - an Online Session with Sem 4 Students on 'How to Write How Literature Shaped me?'
How to write 'Learning Outcome of Studying Literature'?: Dilip Barad
Literature in the Digital Era (Scott Hartley's The Techie and the Fuzzy: Why the Liberal Arts will rule to Digital Era)
a wall clock, law books, a calendar, the national flag,
gandhi's portrait, or a newspaper
they may hear about
independence, satyagraha,
hodidays, working hours, minimum wages, corruption
don't take them to your temple
they may at once know you are weak
your god is false and they may bite you
don't let them near your dining table
they may ask for food
or cast their evil eyes on your dinner
first use them only for short walks
then gradually increase the distance
they should never know the amount of work they have to do
pull their tight straps loose
let them feel happiness
they are growing bigger
smear some old oil on the rough straps
let them feel they are anointed
now they are good subdued labourers
ready to work overtime
for your fat feet
[Honnalgere (1942-2003) published at least six books. They include Zen Tree and the Wild Innocents (1973), Gesture of Fleshless SOund (1975), Wad of Poems (1975), The Filth (1980), and Internodes (1986). Now mostly forgotten, he was an enigmatic figure who corresponded with some of the majot poets of the time. (from 60 Indian Poets, ed. Jeet Thayil, 2008)]
तुम्हारे भीतर है सदियों पुराना एक खूसट बूढ़ा जो लाठियां
ठकठकाते अभी भी अपनी
मुंछों को तेल पिलाते
रहता है आखिर तुम कैसे उसकी झुर्रियों
के जाल से बाहर आ पाओगी
तुम्हारे भीतर
है हमारी छटपटाती भूखी इच्छाएं खूनी वासनाएं
इन सबके बीच आखिर कब तक रह पाओगी तुम वह मीठा
झरना जिसमें तैरती
हैं मछलियां किनारे पर
जिसके पड़ी होती हैं
सीपियां
तुम्हारे भीतर
है सदियों पुराना एक खूसट बूढ़ा जो लाठियां
ठकठकाते अभी भी अपनी
मुंछों को तेल पिलाते
रहता है आखिर तुम कैसे उसकी झुर्रियों
के जाल से बाहर आ पाओगी
तुम्हें बंद
करने होंगे वे सारे दरवाजे जो खोल रखे हैं उस खूसट बूढ़े
ने आखिर कोई कैसे सदियों तक अपनी
जमीन बंधक रहने दे
सकता है
10. केदार नाथ सिंह की कविता- विद्रोह
आज घर में घुसा तो वहां अजब दृश्य था सुनिये- मेरे बिस्तर ने कहा- यह रहा मेरा
इस्तीफ़ा मैं अपने कपास के
भीतर वापस जाना चाहता हूं
उधर कुर्सी और मेज़
का एक संयुक्त मोर्चा
था दोनों तड़पकर बोले- जी- अब बहुत हो चुका आपको सहते-सहते हमें बेतरह याद आ
रहे हैं हमारे पेड़ और उनके भीतर का वह ज़िंदा द्रव जिसकी हत्या कर दी
है आपने
उधर आलमारी में बंद किताबें चिल्ला रही
थीं खोल दो-हमें खोल दो हम जाना चाहती हैं
अपने बांस के जंगल और मिलना चाहती हैं अपने बिच्छुओं के
डंक और सांपों के चुंबन
से
पर सबसे अधिक नाराज़
थी वह शॉल जिसे अभी कुछ दिन
पहले कुल्लू से ख़रीद लाया था बोली- साहब! आप तो बड़े साहब
निकले मेरा दुम्बा भेड़ा
मुझे कब से पुकार रहा है और आप हैं कि अपनी
देह की क़ैद में लपेटे हुए हैं मुझे
उधर टी.वी. और फोन
का बुरा हाल था ज़ोर-ज़ोर से कुछ कह
रहे थे वे पर उनकी भाषा मेरी समझ से परे थी -कि तभी नल से टपकता पानी
तड़पा- अब तो हद हो गई
साहब! अगर सुन सकें तो सुन लीजिए इन बूंदों की आवाज़- कि अब हम यानी आपके सारे के
सारे क़ैदी आदमी की जेल से मुक्त होना चाहते
हैं
अब जा कहां रहे हैं- मेरा दरवाज़ा कड़का जब मैं बाहर निकल
रहा था.
(तहलका हिन्दी के संस्कृति विशेषांक अंक मे प्रकाशित। कविता संग्रह ‘सृष्टि पर पहरा’ राजकमल प्रकाशन से
शीघ्र प्रकाश्य)
11. पहला मारने
से पहले अंतिम इच्छा जरूर पूछता है क्योंकि वह एक संविधान से बंधा है दूसरा पहले जात पूछता है धर्म पूछता है फिर मारता है क्योंकि वह एक महान संस्कृति का अनुयायी है तीसरा कुछ भी नहीं पूछता बस मार डालता है क्योंकि वह जाति, धर्म, संविधान कुछ भी
नहीं मानता और जब हम इन तीनों के हमले का प्रतिकार करते
हैं राष्ट्र की आंतरिक सुरक्षा के लिए खतरा बन जाते हैं
12. Clothes:कपड़े
तुम लाए कपड़े और सब नंगे हो गए तुमने कहा पहन कर इसे हम सभी सभ्य सुसंस्कृत हो
जाएंगे सब बर्बर हो गए फिर तुमने कहा अच्छा ऐसे नहीं ऐसे
पहनो इतना नहीं इतना पहनो ऐसा पहनो वैसा पहनो पर हमारे हिसाब से
पहनो जिसे आसानी से उतारा
जा सके चाहे घर हो संसद हो
या हो सड़क कपड़े से तुम कितना
खेलते हो बंद कमरे में नंगा
होओगे खुद और स्त्री को कर
दोगे नंगा कहोगे यह नंगापन
नहीं प्रेम है फिर तुम्हीं मर्यादा
संस्कृति की रक्षा में किसी स्त्री को कर
दोगे खाप में नंगा कहोगे उसका परिवार
था ही इस लायक तुमने यह भी कहा कपड़े से कुछ नहीं
छुपता इंसान विचारों से
होता है नंगा
इस तरह तुम सामंती लैंगिक
क्रूरता से छुपाते रहे नंगापन औद्योगिक घरानों की
सांठगांठ से जो मेहनत की रक्त
में कपड़े बुन रहे थे तुम करते हो भेद
कपड़े से कौन कितना कमाता है किसकी हैसियत कितनी
है वह विकसित है कि
अविकसित है कपड़े में लिपटा
व्यक्ति इंसान नहीं अमीर है या गरीब है वह नर है कि मादा है उसकी जाति क्या है उसका धर्म क्या है कौन करेगा यह कनफेशन कि जब तक तुम्हारे
कपड़े नहीं आए थे कोई नंगा नहीं था
The
bonsai tree
in the attractive pot
could have grown eighty feet tall
on the side of a mountain
till split by lightning.
But
a gardener
carefully pruned it.
It is nine inches high.
Every
day as he
whittles back the branches
the gardener croons,
‘It is your nature
to be small and cozy,
domestic and weak;
how lucky, little tree,
to have a pot to grow in’.
With living creatures
one must begin very early
to dwarf their growth:
the bound feet,
the crippled brain,
the hair in curlers,
the hands you
love to touch.
I am standing for peace and non-violence. Why world is fighting fighting Why all people of world Are not following Mahatma Gandhi, I am simply not understanding. Ancient Indian Wisdom is 100% correct, I should say even 200% correct, But modern generation is neglecting - Too much going for fashion and foreign thing. Other day I'm reading newspaper (Every day I'm reading Times of India To improve my English Language) How one goonda fellow Threw stone at Indirabehn. Must be student unrest fellow, I am thinking. Friends, Romans, Countrymen, I am saying (to myself) Lend me the ears. Everything is coming - Regeneration, Remuneration, Contraception. Be patiently, brothers and sisters. You want one glass lassi? Very good for digestion. With little salt, lovely drink, Better than wine; Not that I am ever tasting the wine. I'm the total teetotaller, completely total, But I say Wine is for the drunkards only. What you think of prospects of world peace? Pakistan behaving like this, China behaving like that, It is making me really sad, I am telling you. Really, most harassing me. All men are brothers, no? In India also Gujaratis, Maharashtrians, Hindiwallahs All brothers - Though some are having funny habits. Still, you tolerate me, I tolerate you, One day Ram Rajya is surely coming. You are going? But you will visit again Any time, any day, I am not believing in ceremony Always I am enjoying your company
