Climate Change, Literature and the Non-Human Agency: An Analysis of Amitav Ghosh’s Select Works

Abstract

Aims: The paper titled "Climate Change, Literature, and Non-human Agency: An Analysis of Amitav Ghosh's Selected Works" aims to explore Ghosh's viewpoints on Climate Change and its effects on both humans and non-humans, while also investigating the contribution of literature in tackling this global issue.

Methodology and Approaches: The study is grounded in qualitative research, delving into examining three literary pieces by Amitav Ghosh. Drawing heavily from the author's seminal theoretical work, "The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable," the paper also scrutinizes his two other fictional narratives, specifically "The Gun Island" and "The Living Mountain."

Outcome: Ghosh criticizes the Western canonical literature for ignoring climate change in their works and waging war against Nature. He believes that to mitigate the risks of climate change and save our planet from its disastrous effects, humans must return to Nature. Ghosh thinks returning to nature is the ultimate solution for today’s planetary crisis.

Conclusion and Suggestions: Ghosh like many other activists believes that climate change is human-induced. He blames the modernist writers for ignoring the earth and promoting industrialism, and considers them "complicit in the great derangement." His works tell the stories of human and non-human predicaments due to climate disruptions and ecological degradation. His recent books, like Gun Island, and The Living Mountain depict the unfavorable conditions of non-humans like trees, mountains, snakes, dolphins, crabs, spiders, and other such entities as a result of climate change.