Ecocriticism in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide

This paper examines Amitav Ghosh’s novel The Hungry Tide (2004) through the lens of ecocriticism, an interdisciplinary approach that explores the relationship between literature and the environment. The novel, set in the ecologically fragile Sundarbans of Bengal, provides weak ground for studying the interplay between human survival, environmental degradation, and non-human agency. Ecocriticism highlights the need to identify the role of literature in shaping environmental consciousness, and Ghosh’s narrative shows how literature can act as a medium for engaging with pressing ecological concerns. This research analyzes key themes such as the representation of the Sundarbans’ tidal ecosystem, the coexistence and conflict between human and animal life, the impact of global climate change, and the ethical dilemmas posed by conservation efforts. By situating the text within broader ecocritical theories advanced by Cheryll Glotfelty, Lawrence Buell, and Timothy Morton, the study demonstrates how The Hungry Tide contributes to rethinking the human– nature relationship in the Anthropocene. Finally, the paper insists that Ghosh’s novel is not only a story of cultural identity and human struggle but also an urgent ecological narrative that calls for a more ethical engagement with the natural world.