Flipped Learning Activity: Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh

This blog is Flipped Learning Activity:Gun Island assigned by the Dilip Barad Sir. Here is the article for background reading: Click. 

Visit the Professor’s blog: Prof. Dilip Barad's Blog on Gun Island.

Characters and Summary:

Video - 1: Characters and Summary - 1 | Sundarbans | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh:

1. Introduction

Amitav Ghosh’s novel Gun Island (2019) is a significant work of climate fiction (cli-fi) that intricately blends myth, history, migration, ecology, and globalisation. The narrative reinterprets the Bengali legend of Bonduki Sadagar, the Gun Merchant, and connects it with contemporary global crises such as climate change, human displacement, and environmental degradation. Through this fusion of past and present, Ghosh critiques modern rationalist perspectives and demonstrates how myth and non-Western epistemologies can provide alternative ways of understanding human relationships with the natural world. The novel thus positions itself not only as a story of adventure and mystery but also as a meditation on humanity’s moral and ecological responsibilities.

2. Detailed Summary

The novel begins in India’s Sundarbans, where Deen Datta, a rare book dealer based in New York, travels to Kolkata and becomes intrigued by the legend of Bonduki Sadagar, a merchant cursed by the snake goddess Manasa Devi. Deen, who is initially sceptical of myths and supernatural occurrences, journeys into the fragile mangrove ecosystems of the Sundarbans, a region increasingly threatened by cyclones, rising sea levels, and human exploitation. It is here that the boundaries between myth and reality begin to blur, with strange events, snakes, storms, and coincidences disrupting his rational worldview and drawing him into a larger historical and ecological narrative.

As the story progresses, Deen encounters characters like Tipu, Rafi, and Cinta, who are connected to the global networks of migration and displacement. The narrative moves across India, Bangladesh, the Middle East, and Europe, highlighting how ecological crises force populations to migrate and seek new livelihoods. Human trafficking, refugee crises, and environmental disasters are depicted as interconnected global phenomena, reinforcing the idea that the legend of the Gun Merchant functions as a metaphor for recurring patterns of historical displacement.

The novel culminates in Venice, Italy, a city also threatened by rising waters. Here, natural disasters occur in ways that are almost mythological, further blurring the distinction between science and the supernatural. Deen undergoes a profound transformation, abandoning strict rationalism and learning to appreciate the importance of myth, intuition, and ecological consciousness. The story concludes on an open-ended note, conveying both a warning and a sense of hope, while emphasising the ethical and moral responsibility humans bear toward the environment.

3. Major Characters

1. Deen Datta
Deen Datta, the protagonist of Gun Island, begins the novel as a rational, detached, and anthropocentric individual. He views the world through the lens of a Western-educated rare book dealer and dismisses myths and indigenous knowledge as superstition. As the story unfolds, however, Deen experiences ecological crises, migration, and the unfolding of the Gun Merchant legend, which gradually make him ecologically aware, receptive to myth, and ethically transformed. Through his journey, Ghosh presents the moral and intellectual evolution of modern humanity, demonstrating the necessity of expanding consciousness beyond human-centered rationalism.

2. Tipu
Tipu is a young migrant from the Sundarbans whose life is shaped by environmental and socio-economic vulnerabilities. Forced to migrate due to cyclones and rising waters, he becomes caught in exploitative networks created by global systems. Tipu embodies eco-precarity, highlighting how ecological disasters intersect with poverty and systemic exploitation, leaving marginalized populations vulnerable to both natural and human-made crises.

3. Rafi
Rafi, a Bangladeshi migrant, represents the stateless human experience and the borderless nature of suffering caused by environmental and social upheavals. Unlike Tipu, Rafi’s displacement is both ecological and geopolitical; he demonstrates that environmental crises and human exploitation operate independently of national borders. Through Rafi, Ghosh illustrates that climate change and migration are global phenomena, challenging traditional notions of territorial protection and citizenship.

4. Cinta
Cinta, an Italian academic, functions as an intellectual and interpretive guide for Deen. She is open to integrating art, myth, and history into her understanding of human and ecological relationships. By helping Deen reinterpret the Gun Merchant legend and environmental crises, Cinta represents an alternative Western consciousness—one that values indigenous knowledge, myth, and ecological awareness alongside scientific rationality.

5. Manasa Devi
Manasa Devi, the snake goddess of Bengali folklore, is presented not as superstition but as a powerful symbol of ecological justice and indigenous epistemology. She embodies the feminine power of nature and enforces moral accountability, reminding humans of the consequences of ecological disregard. Through her presence, Ghosh emphasizes the importance of listening to traditional wisdom and mythological narratives in confronting environmental crises.

4. Major Themes

4.1. Climate Change and Environmental Crisis

In Gun Island, Amitav Ghosh foregrounds the urgent reality of climate change and environmental crisis. The novel portrays rising sea levels, increasingly violent cyclones, and the disappearance of islands as central threats that destabilise both human and ecological communities. Nature is depicted not as a passive backdrop but as an active agent, responding to human exploitation with force and unpredictability. Through these environmental crises, Ghosh highlights the fragility of ecosystems and warns that human disregard for natural processes carries profound consequences for survival.

4.2. Myth vs Rationalism

A key theme of the novel is the tension between myth and rationalism, where Ghosh critiques the limitations of Enlightenment thought and scientific rationality. While Deen Datta initially approaches the world through reason and logic, he gradually learns that myths especially indigenous and ecological narratives offer insights into human and natural interconnections that science alone cannot convey. Rather than dismissing folklore as superstition, the novel presents it as a form of ecological wisdom capable of guiding human action and ethical reflection.

4.3. Migration and Displacement

Gun Island also explores the theme of migration and displacement, emphasising that climate change is a major driver of human mobility. Cyclones, floods, and environmental degradation compel populations to move, leading to forced migration, human trafficking, and the emergence of stateless communities. Through characters like Tipu and Rafi, Ghosh illustrates how ecological crises exacerbate social inequalities, leaving vulnerable populations at the mercy of both nature and exploitative human systems. Migration thus becomes both a survival strategy and a reflection of global injustice.

4.4. Global Interconnectedness

The novel underscores the interconnectedness of the modern world, showing that ecological disasters in one region have ripple effects across continents. India, Bangladesh, Africa, Europe, and America are linked not only through trade and migration but also through shared vulnerability to environmental change. By portraying disasters as borderless phenomena, Ghosh challenges the notion of national isolation and emphasises that humanity’s ecological challenges require a coordinated global response.

4.5. Colonialism and Capitalism

Finally, Gun Island critiques the enduring legacies of colonialism and capitalism, highlighting how historical patterns of trade, exploitation, and profit continue to shape ecological and social outcomes. The figure of the Gun Merchant symbolizes colonial-era violence and resource extraction, and Ghosh suggests that modern capitalism repeats these destructive cycles, intensifying environmental degradation and social inequities. In this way, the novel links historical and contemporary systems of power to the ongoing ecological crisis, insisting on the need for ethical reflection and systemic change.

5. Symbols and Motifs

The novel employs multiple symbols and motifs to reinforce its themes. Snakes signify nature’s warnings and Manasa Devi’s presence. Storms and cyclones act as instruments of ecological revenge, demonstrating nature’s agency. Islands represent the fragility of human civilisation, while the gun symbolises violence, trade, and the destructive tendencies of both colonial and modern societies. Water serves as a dual symbol of life and annihilation, reflecting the precarious balance between survival and destruction in the face of climate change.

6. Critical Significance

Gun Island is widely regarded as a landmark in climate fiction, challenging Eurocentric approaches to knowledge and storytelling. By integrating myth, folklore, and ecological consciousness, Ghosh demonstrates that stories can communicate truths about the environment in ways that data and scientific reports cannot. The novel underscores the necessity of ethical responsibility, ecological humility, and global solidarity, highlighting the moral obligations of humanity toward the planet and future generations.

7. Conclusion

In conclusion, Gun Island is a profound exploration of myth, migration, and climate politics, warning readers of the consequences of ignoring nature. By blending folklore, ecological consciousness, and human narratives of displacement, Amitav Ghosh urges a reimagining of humanity’s relationship with the planet, advocating for a world where ethical responsibility, cultural awareness, and ecological sensitivity are central to human survival. The novel ultimately serves as both a cautionary tale and a source of hope, emphasising that engagement with myth and ethical reflection is essential in confronting the realities of the Anthropocene.

Video - 2: Characters and Summary - 2 | USA | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.

In the video discussion about Gun Island, the speaker reflects on how memory and dreams make the past alive in the present, suggesting that “there is nothing like past tense  everything that is there remains alive.” People continue “dreaming about those people,” “listening to their voices,” and in different states of mind those presences are with us. This view shows that “irrational doesn’t mean something wrong”; irrational understanding is as meaningful as rational ways of knowing, and the distinction between rationality and irrationality is blurred. According to the speaker, irrational interpretations such as listening to voices or dreaming about someone who is not physically present  make those human experiences exist in our lives.

The video then moves to Los Angeles, referring to it as “a very rich part of America” where people might think severe climate events like wildfires are “nearly impossible” because of wealth. Yet wildfires occur there as part of “calamities” and “climate change,” showing that no one  not even the super rich who can “buy islands”  is free from the elements. The speaker explains how trees can seem standing but be “heated away inside” so that a single spark could ignite widespread wildfire. This highlights the unimaginable force of these disasters.

A major point in the video is how society reacts to truth-tellers. The speaker discusses Lisa, who warns about danger, but faces a “campaign against Lisa,” with people saying “she is a liar,” “she don’t want progress,” and accusing her of wanting more funding. These conspiracy theories spread on social media, and she even receives police questioning, death threats, gunshots fired at her home, and her car set on fire. The narrator stays with her “to cheer her up,” emphasising how intellectuals and honest voices are persecuted and how society reacts like the “witch-hunts” of the past, where “women being attacked as bitches” or witches were common.

The video also describes the wildfires from the window of an aeroplane: “some of them are running away” and “all kinds of creatures are burning,” illustrating how natural disasters become dramatic visual events that are terrifying and transformational. At the same time, the narrator notes that calamities are “terrible and frightening everybody,” and that institutions like museums and seminars are under threat and must relocate.

The discussion includes two speeches presented in a seminar: one by a young person surveying the 17th century, highlighting that “so many calendars happened” but were “not taken notice of,” and how the word play keeps reappearing in different historical contexts. The video then shifts to linguistic and mythic analysis  concepts like “land of palm sugar candy,” “island,” and how words must be understood in their own language because translating can lose meaning. This ties to how “Gun Island is nothing but a ghetto on Venice,” where ghetto originally referred to a place where metalwork was done, not necessarily a Jewish quarter.

Towards the end, the video mentions refugee narratives, such as adopting “two refugee children a Syrian boy and another child,” and how documentary makers want to film migrating people, especially when the “blue boat is coming.” The speaker calls for understanding migration and for language to help persuade people “to give interviews” to document these experiences. Overall, the video reinforces that the truths of Gun Island whether about climate change, perception of reality, irrational experiences, persecution of truth-tellers, or migration are deeply relevant to how individuals and societies understand the world today.

Video - 3: Summary - 3 | Venice | Part 2 of Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh

The video focuses on the Venice segment of Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island, specifically Part Two of the novel, which covers approximately chapters 11 to 15. In this section, the protagonist Dinanath “Deen” Datta travels to Venice to trace the footsteps of the legendary Gun Merchant from Bengali folklore, whose mythic journeys are intertwined with historical trade routes. Venice is depicted not only as a historic city with rich cultural and commercial significance but also as a contemporary site where global migration and social inequality are visible. The video emphasizes how Venice functions as a symbolic bridge between the past and present, illustrating the continuity of human movement, trade, and displacement across centuries.

Upon arriving in Venice, Deen explores historical sites such as the old Jewish Ghetto and other parts of the city, reflecting on how it might have appeared during the Gun Merchant’s era. Through these observations, he begins to connect mythic history with the lived realities of the present. While Venice is visually beautiful and historically significant, it is also a city where migrant laborers from South Asia and Africa face exploitation, low wages, and unsafe working conditions. Deen encounters Rafi, a Bangladeshi migrant who has endured the physical and emotional toll of migration, and Lubna‑khala, a Bangladeshi activist who supports migrants navigating bureaucratic hurdles and hostile environments. Their experiences highlight the social, economic, and political challenges faced by contemporary migrants, while also reflecting themes of resilience, solidarity, and human compassion.

The Venice section further explores the tension between myth and reality. Deen observes how the ancient journeys of the Gun Merchant metaphorically parallel modern migration, emphasizing the recurring human drive to move in search of security, opportunity, and survival. Venice becomes a microcosm where historical trade, cultural exchange, and modern migration intersect, illustrating broader social and political issues such as exploitation, xenophobia, and the effects of climate change on displacement. Deen’s reflections reveal his growing awareness of ethical responsibilities, as he witnesses both the suffering of migrants and the efforts of activists who resist injustice and provide support.

Symbolically, Venice represents both continuity and contrast. Its canals, historic architecture, and grandeur juxtapose the hardships faced by migrants, while the Gun Merchant legend serves as a metaphorical lens through which contemporary human crises are interpreted. Deen’s observations, narrative reflections, and interactions with characters like Rafi and Lubna‑khala allow the reader or viewer to understand the intricate connections between myth, history, and present-day social realities. The video underscores that the Venice section is central to the novel’s broader themes, including migration and displacement, social inequality, ethical engagement, human resilience, and the interplay between myth and reality. The narrative in this segment highlights the persistence of human challenges across time, showing how stories from the past continue to illuminate contemporary issues. Deen’s journey in Venice, therefore, is not only an external quest for knowledge and understanding but also an internal reflection on responsibility, empathy, and the moral imperative to acknowledge and respond to global crises.

Overall, the video portrays Venice as a setting that is simultaneously historical, symbolic, and contemporary, connecting Deen’s mythic quest with the pressing realities of modern migration, political conflict, and environmental change. It emphasizes how Amitav Ghosh uses the Venice section to explore the ethical and human dimensions of global displacement, making the narrative both a literary investigation of myth and a commentary on the moral obligations of witnessing human suffering. The Venice segment is pivotal for understanding the novel’s integration of history, legend, and modern social concerns, demonstrating the enduring relevance of myth in interpreting and engaging with contemporary human challenges.

Thematic Study:

Video - 1: Etymological Mystery | Title of the Novel | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh

The video explores the significance and mystery behind the title of Amitav Ghosh’s novel Gun Island and discusses why the title matters in understanding the deeper themes of the book. It examines the etymology of the words “Gun” and “Island” in the novel’s context, how these connect with the story’s mythology and history, and what this reveals about the narrative’s wider concerns with myth, trade, displacement, and climate. 

YouTube

The title Gun Island is rooted in the legend of the Gun Merchant (Bonduki Sadagar), a character drawn from Bengali folk tradition. In the story, Bonduki Sadagar was a wealthy merchant who was pursued by the snake goddess Manasa Devi after refusing to worship her. The word “gun” here does not merely refer to firearms or violence, but historically relates to trade and commerce. In some older languages and regional usages, terms similar to “gun” or “bonduki” were associated with merchants or trade goods rather than modern weapons. Scholars, including characters within the novel, suggest that the term may also connect with the historical Arabic name for Venice, “al‑Bunduqevya,” indicating a linguistic and cultural link between the merchant’s name and places of trade across cultures. This etymological connection underlines the transnational and cross‑cultural threads that run through the narrative, reflecting how stories, words, and meanings travel across geography and time. 

The video emphasizes that understanding the title enhances our grasp of the novel’s thematic core. Gun Island is not just a geographical reference but a metaphor for interconnected journeys. The novel traces not only the Gun Merchant’s mythic travels but also the modern movements of characters such as Dinanath “Deen” Datta, who follows these legends across continents, and the migrants whose perilous journeys link South Asia with Europe. By focusing on the etymological mystery, the speaker in the video highlights how Ghosh intentionally chose a title that bridges myth, history, migration, and cultural exchange, signaling from the outset that the story will move fluidly between legendary pasts and contemporary global realities. 

The explanation suggests that the word “island” in the title also carries layered meanings. Islands often symbolize isolation and separation, but in Gun Island they represent nodes of connection where oceans, cultures, and histories converge. The Sundarbans (a mangrove region where much of the novel begins) and Venice (a lagoon city where a significant part of the story unfolds) are both geographically “islands” of a sort, and both stand at the intersection of environmental change, human movement, and mythic memory. As a result, the title invites readers to think about how seemingly remote or isolated places are deeply enmeshed in global networks of trade, migration, and climate impact. 

Significantly, the video also points out that the etymological exploration of the title isn’t purely academic but is woven into the novel’s broader argument about the power and role of stories in understanding the world. The linguistic history suggested by the term Gun Island mirrors the way in which the novel itself blends genres merging mythological storytelling with historical detail and contemporary socio‑political realities such as climate displacement and migration crises. In doing so, the title becomes a symbolic key to unlocking how Ghosh situates human narratives within larger environmental and cultural flows. 

In summary, the video explains the etymological background and deeper symbolic resonance of the novel’s title, showing that Gun Island stands for more than a place. It is an idea that encapsulates cultural entanglements, historical trade routes, mythic memory, and global movement. The title serves as an entry point into the novel’s exploration of how humanity’s past, present, and future are connected through stories, migrations, and shared environments

Video - 2: Part I - Historification of Myth & Mythification of History | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh

The video focuses on the theme of the historification of myth and mythification of history in Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island, which examines how legends and myths are rooted in historical events and, conversely, how history is narrated and perceived through the lens of myth. The discussion begins with an exploration of what constitutes a myth, using the central myth of the novel: the story of Mansa Devi and the Gun Merchant, Bonduki Sadagar. The narrative of Gun Island begins with the protagonist, Dinanath Datta, hearing this myth recounted by Neelima Bose, which sets the foundation for the entire story. The myth, as narrated, contains supernatural, mystical, and uncanny elements, with prophetic undertones that appear to haunt the present. However, as the narrative progresses, Ghosh provides a scientific and historical explanation, demonstrating that the seemingly fantastical myth is grounded in real events and places, linking legend with verifiable history.

Chinta, a key character in the novel, explains that the Gun Merchant’s journey was historically plausible, connecting locations such as Venice, Egypt, Kochi, and other islands through trade routes. The fanciful names and magical elements of the myth, when studied closely, correspond to actual historical places and events. For example, the shrine associated with Mansa Devi, which in the myth contains symbols like a hooded snake, a gun, and a spider, is revealed to encode historical information. The hooded snake and gun, initially interpreted as mythical or symbolic, correspond to real alphabets or identities such as Elias, while the island-within-an-island represents specific geographical features like foundries or ghetto locations. Similarly, the spider represents a venomous creature that historically posed a threat, suggesting that the myth preserves memory of factual dangers and experiences of the time. This demonstrates that what is often dismissed as myth can, in fact, be a record of lived history, and myths are often laden with embedded historical truths.

The video highlights that Ghosh’s concern is not with universal truths in myths but with historical truths, especially those that are recent enough to be directly relevant to contemporary readers. The Gun Merchant’s journey likely occurred in the seventeenth century, around the 1630s, making it a history that is alive and accessible, rather than an abstract or ancient legend. Through Deen’s travels across the Sundarbans, Venice, Sicily, and other historical sites, the novel traces the physical routes of the Gun Merchant, linking myth to geography and showing that legends are grounded in human movement, trade, and experience. The narrative also draws parallels between historical events, such as the Gun Merchant being captured by pirates and sold as a slave, and modern human trafficking, demonstrating that certain social injustices persist over centuries. Characters like Tipu, Rafi, Bilal, and Kabir serve as contemporary counterparts to the historical and mythic figures, reinforcing the idea that myths continue to have relevance in the present.

The video also emphasizes that Gun Island encourages readers to question the boundary between myth and history. Myths are not merely entertaining stories for children but vehicles for understanding historical and cultural realities. While myths often contain supernatural or fantastical elements, these elements serve as coded narratives that encode truths about the society and time in which they originated. Amitav Ghosh expands the cultural and geographical scope of the novel, demonstrating that human culture is not bounded by East or West, or by specific nations, but is a global ecology encompassing humans, animals, and natural phenomena alike. This broader perspective allows myths to serve as windows into cultural and ecological truths, rather than just allegories or entertainment.

The discussion in the video also situates the study of myth within established academic frameworks. Four key approaches are highlighted: functionalism, structuralism, psychoanalysis, and myth-and-ritual studies. Functionalism, following Malinowski, examines what social or cultural function myths serve, often legitimizing norms or behaviors within a society. Structuralism, influenced by Claude Lévi-Strauss, analyzes the underlying patterns and oppositions in myths. Psychoanalysis, derived from Freud, explores the unconscious and psychological dimensions encoded in myths. Finally, the myth-and-ritual approach, associated with Jane Harrison and Émile Durkheim, studies myths in relation to rituals and collective social practices. By applying these analytical tools, the novel’s myth of the Gun Merchant can be understood as both a narrative device and a historical record, providing insights into trade, migration, ecological awareness, and social customs of the time.

Furthermore, the video stresses the novel’s engagement with climate change as a contemporary concern. Myths in Gun Island, while seemingly supernatural, are interpreted as narratives reflecting environmental disruptions and human responses to ecological crises. The narrative juxtaposes the mythic past with the lived present, showing that natural phenomena such as storms, floods, and snake habitats, once attributed to divine power, are now better understood as indicators of climate change and ecological imbalance. In this way, Ghosh demonstrates that myths are not static or merely entertaining; they are dynamic repositories of historical, cultural, and ecological knowledge, bridging centuries of human experience and providing a lens to examine contemporary crises.

In conclusion, the theme of historification of myth and mythification of history in Gun Island, as discussed in the video, illustrates how Amitav Ghosh blurs the line between legend and fact, demonstrating that myths often encode historical truths that remain relevant today. The narrative shows that legends of the Gun Merchant, Mansa Devi, and their associated symbols are not mere fiction but living history, reflecting human migration, trade, environmental change, and social injustice. By tracing these myths through actual geographic locations and contemporary parallels, the novel emphasizes the persistence of history in our cultural consciousness and encourages a critical examination of how myths serve as repositories of knowledge, morality, and ecological awareness. This approach situates Gun Island as a work that intertwines myth, history, and present-day human and environmental concerns, making it a profound exploration of the intersections between narrative, culture, and lived reality.

Video: 3 Part II | Historification of Myth and Mythification of History | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh

The video explores the theme of climate change and ecological disruption in Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island, highlighting how the novel connects historical myth, human migration, and environmental crises. In this part of the story, the protagonist, Dinanath “Deen” Datta, becomes increasingly aware of the impact of environmental changes on human and non-human life. The narrative interweaves the legend of the Gun Merchant, Mansa Devi, and other mythic elements with contemporary ecological realities, emphasizing that myths in the novel are not just cultural artifacts but active reminders of nature’s fragility and humanity’s entanglement with it. Ghosh presents the Sundarbans, Venice, Sicily, and even Los Angeles as spaces where climate-induced events such as floods, cyclones, wildfires, and the loss of biodiversity shape human and animal experiences alike. These locations demonstrate the global scale of environmental challenges, reinforcing the idea that ecological crises are not confined to a single region or culture but are a planetary concern affecting all life forms.

The video emphasizes that climate change in Gun Island is closely linked with human migration and displacement. The novel portrays characters such as Tipu, Rafi, Bilal, and Kabir, whose journeys mirror historical migrations but are now intensified by environmental pressures. Rising sea levels, unpredictable weather, and the destruction of natural habitats in the Sundarbans force communities to leave their ancestral lands, creating a modern parallel to the historical journeys of the Gun Merchant. Through these narratives, Ghosh shows that environmental changes are inseparable from social, economic, and political realities. Human suffering, labor exploitation, and vulnerability are often direct consequences of ecological imbalance, highlighting how climate change exacerbates inequality and social injustice. The video points out that Ghosh’s novel therefore situates climate awareness within lived human experience, rather than presenting it as an abstract scientific concept.

Another focus of the video is the mythical framing of ecological events. While natural disasters and dangerous creatures such as cobras, spiders, and cyclones are sometimes narrated in the novel as supernatural phenomena, they also carry scientific and historical significance. For instance, Mansa Devi’s wrath, historically mythologized, is interpreted in the story as a symbolic representation of ecological forces. The narrative shows that what was once explained through divine agency or myth can now be understood through observation of environmental change. Yet, by blending myth with scientific understanding, Ghosh emphasizes that ecological crises are both material and cultural, influencing human beliefs, migrations, and social behavior. The video further illustrates that myths and legends serve as a medium for ecological memory, preserving knowledge of natural hazards, human survival strategies, and the consequences of environmental disruption across generations.

The video also situates the discussion of climate change within Ghosh’s broader critique of modern society. It references his non-fiction work The Great Derangement, which argues that contemporary literature and public consciousness often fail to adequately address environmental crises. In Gun Island, however, fiction becomes a vehicle for understanding the moral and ethical dimensions of climate change, showing how human choices, migration, and cultural memory are intertwined with ecological processes. By tracing the protagonist’s journey across multiple geographies, Ghosh emphasizes the interconnectedness of human and non-human life, extending ethical concern to dolphins, spiders, and other creatures, as well as to human communities affected by environmental degradation.

Finally, the video underscores that the theme of climate change in Gun Island is inseparable from the novel’s engagement with history, myth, and storytelling. The historification of myth, which reveals past events through legends, becomes a tool for understanding contemporary ecological crises. By connecting the Gun Merchant’s seventeenth-century journey with present-day migration and environmental challenges, Ghosh demonstrates that myths are not static cultural relics but living narratives that reflect the ongoing human-environment relationship. The narrative shows that environmental change is an urgent reality that must be recognized, studied, and ethically addressed, highlighting the novel’s role as a literary intervention in climate consciousness. Through this lens, the video conveys that Gun Island operates at the intersection of myth, history, and ecological awareness, using storytelling to illuminate the pressing realities of climate change and the moral responsibilities it entails.

Video: 4 Part III - Historification of Myth and Mythification of History | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh 

1. Postcolonial Binary and Orientalism

Amitav Ghosh’s novel challenges Eurocentric binaries of East versus West and Orient versus Occident, drawing on Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism, which positions the West as rational, superior, and modern, and the East as mystical, inferior, or irrational. This tension is exemplified through Dinanath, an NRI scholar trained in America, who feels insulted when locals in Kolkata call him by his childhood nickname, highlighting his expectation of respect derived from Western education. His interactions with Kanai further underscore this binary, as Kanai represents the Eastern perspective, emphasizing local cultural norms that Dinanath overlooks, such as the significance of name adaptations versus retaining cultural authenticity. Through these interactions, the novel problematizes simplistic stereotypes of Eastern irrationality and Western rationality, advocating instead for a synthesis in which Eastern intuition and local knowledge complement Western scientific rationality, ultimately suggesting that a more comprehensive understanding of human life and global issues emerges when these perspectives are integrated.

2. Structuralist Triangle: Dinanath, Chinta, and Piali

The novel employs a triangular narrative structure among Dinanath, Chinta, and Piali, which allows multiple perspectives to converge into a holistic understanding. Dinanath’s conversations with Chinta and Piali reveal the historical and logical context behind myths, such as the movements of animals and humans in Bengali folklore. Chinta provides historical knowledge and scientific reasoning, while Piali demonstrates analytical and practical sensibilities, creating a synthesis of Eastern and Western epistemologies. This triangulation challenges rigid East-West binaries, showing that characters cannot be neatly categorized as “Oriental” or “Occidental,” and suggests that combining cultural intuition and rational inquiry offers a fuller comprehension of myths, history, and contemporary crises.

3. East-West Stereotypes and Cultural Synthesis

The novel critiques simplified stereotypes of Eastern collectivism and Western individualism by showing the complexity within characters. Some Eastern characters, like Piali, exhibit scientific temper, while some Western-educated characters, like Dinanath, display hubris or narrow-mindedness. By juxtaposing Eastern cultural intuition and storytelling with Western rationality and empirical science, the narrative promotes a synthesis of knowledge systems. This is especially significant in addressing contemporary issues like climate change, where local ecological understanding and global scientific inquiry must interact to produce effective solutions. The novel emphasizes that neither East nor West has a monopoly on knowledge; integration is necessary for meaningful understanding.

4. Climate Change and Anthropocentrism vs. Ecocentrism

Ghosh links cultural epistemologies to environmental consciousness, contrasting Western anthropocentrism (nature as a resource for human benefit) with Eastern ecocentrism (humans living in harmony with nature). The narrative demonstrates how combining Western scientific observation with Eastern ecological wisdom can guide responses to climate crises. For example, characters face extreme weather events, such as hailstorms and tornadoes, where rational planning and local knowledge work together to navigate and mitigate disaster. The novel thus situates climate change as a global concern, showing that solutions require collaboration between differing cultural perspectives rather than unilateral approaches.

5. Psychoanalytical Reading: Freudian Desire and Myths

Applying Freudian psychology, Ghosh’s narrative explores how myths function like collective dreams, expressing repressed desires and cultural taboos. Myths, like the story of Mansa Devi, act as outlets for forbidden impulses sexuality, immortality, or human ambition—that societies regulate through cultural norms. Characters’ journeys, such as Dinanath’s search for historical truth or Chinta’s investigation into mythical movements, reflect the unconscious human desire to transcend limitations imposed by nature, society, and tradition. The novel reveals that myths are not merely fantastical stories but psychological and cultural tools through which societies negotiate human desires, fears, and aspirations.

6. Mythography and Historification

The novel demonstrates the role of the mythographer, as Dinanath uncovers historical truths behind folklore. By analyzing myths, he reveals how cultural narratives naturalize human-nature relationships, turning environmental and social events into stories about divine wrath or fate. This is aligned with Brecht’s idea of historification, which encourages seeing everyday life and historical events as narratives that reveal deeper truths. Through this approach, small personal or communal incidents—migration, human trafficking, or climate disastersm are elevated to meaningful historical and literary significance. Ghosh uses mythography to bridge past and present, showing how folklore, history, and contemporary crises are interlinked.

Conclusion

Amitav Ghosh’s novel intricately weaves together postcolonial critique, myth, history, and environmental consciousness to challenge rigid binaries of East and West. By presenting characters who embody both Eastern intuition and Western rationality, the narrative problematizes stereotypes and emphasizes the value of cultural synthesis. Through mythography, psychoanalytic insight, and attention to ecological crises, Ghosh highlights how stories, histories, and scientific knowledge are interdependent, reflecting human desires, fears, and responsibilities. Ultimately, the novel advocates a holistic worldview, where integrating diverse epistemologies—cultural, historical, and scientific—is essential for understanding both human society and the natural world.

Video: 5 Climate Change | The Great Derangement | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh

1. Introduction

Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island is a literary exploration of climate change, bridging fiction, myth, and ecological reality. The novel can be read as a response to his non-fiction work The Great Derangement, which critiques how contemporary literature often fails to represent the looming climate crisis. Ghosh interrogates the role of the novelist, questioning how a narrative can depict phenomena that are uncanny, unpredictable, and scientifically complex. In Gun Island, he seeks to answer this by weaving together historical, mythical, and global perspectives, highlighting both natural and human-induced environmental changes.

2. Narrative Strategies and Use of Myth

In the novel, Ghosh integrates mythological frameworks to interpret ecological crises. The myth of Mansa Devi and the Gun Merchant becomes a central motif, providing symbolic guidance from the past to understand the present and anticipate the future. Myths in the text serve as a means of mobilizing cultural imagination, offering insights into climate change in ways that scientific or technical texts alone cannot convey. At the same time, the narrative employs uncanny events to reflect the strangeness and unpredictability of climate crises. For instance, Chinta hears the voice of her deceased daughter, Lucia, reflecting human encounters with incomprehensible and eerie phenomena. Similarly, the sudden appearance of an Ethiopian woman in a blue boat signals mystical and unexpected occurrences, paralleling the unpredictable behavior of nature itself.

3. Characterization and Postcolonial Reversal

Ghosh constructs his characters to challenge stereotypes and binary oppositions. Indians educated abroad, such as Pia Roy, are rational and scientifically trained, whereas Europeans, exemplified by Chinta from Venice, demonstrate a belief in the mystical. This role reversal subverts the typical East-West binaries and emphasizes that climate crises transcend geography, nationality, and cultural hierarchies. Rationality versus belief is used strategically throughout the novel, as the mystical experiences of characters are not fully rationalized. This narrative choice mirrors the uncertainty and unpredictability inherent in environmental change, which cannot be entirely explained by science.

4. Themes of History and Colonialism

History and colonialism are central to Ghosh’s depiction of environmental degradation. The novel highlights how colonial urban planning often ignored multi-generational indigenous knowledge, particularly regarding settlement patterns near oceans. Cities like Mumbai, Miami, and Dubai are cited as examples where technological interventions overrode local understanding of natural hazards. Through these examples, Ghosh critiques modern development models that prioritize material growth, including roads, buildings, and dams, over ecological wisdom. He demonstrates how historical legacies of imperialism and capitalism intersect with current environmental crises, showing that climate change is deeply embedded in historical and social structures.

5. Political and Economic Dimensions

In Gun Island, climate change is portrayed as both an environmental and a political issue. Capitalism drives resource extraction, deforestation, and fossil fuel dependence, while imperialist structures exacerbate global inequalities in responsibility for, and adaptation to, climate risks. International politics further complicates environmental action, as developing countries emphasize the need for industrial growth while developed nations push for reduced emissions, creating tensions in global climate governance. Ghosh emphasizes the importance of collective, organized responses, particularly through religious and cultural institutions, which can mobilize mass awareness beyond economic and national constraints.

6. Ecological Realism and the Uncanny

Ghosh’s narrative highlights the eerie unpredictability of climate change, making uncanny narrative strategies essential. Extreme weather events recur throughout the text, including floods, cyclones such as Aila and Bola, droughts, tsunamis, tornadoes, and wildfires. Human interventions such as coal use, fossil fuel consumption, deforestation, and urbanization are shown to amplify these crises. The novel blends scientific observation, such as Pia’s research on snakes, spiders, and bark beetles, with mythical and uncanny elements, creating a multi-layered ecological perspective. This approach reflects Ghosh’s argument that literature must capture the strangeness of climate change, which conventional realism often struggles to depict.

7. Role of Religion and Cultural Knowledge

Religion and cultural practices are presented as tools for ecological awareness. Shrines and small deities in local communities often protect forests, mountains, and rivers, reflecting sustainable practices. Larger religious frameworks, including Abrahamic traditions, can also mobilize communities for climate action when leaders advocate for environmental responsibility. Religious imagination helps overcome political, economic, and bureaucratic limitations, enabling mass-level action on climate change and fostering ethical responsibility toward the environment.

8. Examples of Climate Change in the Novel

Throughout the novel, words and imagery associated with climate change recur frequently, including floods, cyclones, storms, wildfires, droughts, tsunamis, apocalypse, volcanoes, temperature extremes, seismic events, plague, greenhouse effects, and global warming. Human activities are depicted as primary drivers of these crises, such as coal mining and fossil fuel use in London and the construction of dams and industrialization impacting ecosystems. The text also suggests alternatives, including solar, wind, and hydro energy, as partial solutions to environmental degradation.

9. Conclusion

Gun Island is a postcolonial ecological novel that combines myth, history, politics, and science to confront climate change. By blending uncanny events, historical insight, and multi-continental characters, Ghosh critiques imperialism, capitalism, and the neglect of indigenous knowledge while proposing collective, culturally-rooted responses. The novel demonstrates that literature can grapple with the incomprehensible realities of climate change, mobilizing imagination and ethical responsibility, and offering both warning and hope for a sustainable future.

Video: 6 Migration | Human Trafficking | Refugee Crisis | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh

In Gun Island, Amitav Ghosh presents migration as a central theme, portraying it as a multifaceted human crisis shaped by ecological, political, economic, and social forces. The novel examines how human beings respond to natural calamities, economic deprivation, political violence, and cultural or religious oppression, showing that migration is not merely a movement of people but a profound reflection on human vulnerability, ethics, and survival. Ghosh links contemporary migration crises to historical precedents like the slave trade, highlighting continuities of human suffering and exploitation.

The novel explores the humanitarian dimension of migration by questioning the idealized image of human empathy. While individuals like Rafi and Bilal demonstrate care for fellow human beings, such as Rafi tending to those bitten by snakes and Bilal sending financial support to Kabir’s family, Ghosh contrasts these acts with the broader social reality, where communities often prioritize self-interest, national identity, or religious affiliation over the welfare of outsiders. Policies, societal attitudes, and bureaucratic practices frequently marginalize migrants, reflecting a persistent tension between moral ideals and social realities.

Ghosh illustrates the causes of migration through several characters and situations. Natural calamities play a significant role; for example, Lubna Khala’s family suffers severe losses due to cyclones, floods, and snake infestations in the Sundarbans, forcing them to seek refuge elsewhere. Calamities highlight the intersection of climate change and human displacement, presenting migration as an urgent ecological and social phenomenon. Communal violence and political unrest also drive people from their homelands. Kabir’s family faces threats and riots over land disputes in Faridpur, compelling him to leave Bangladesh with the help of intermediaries facilitating illegal migration. The narrative vividly describes the treacherous journey, echoing the historical slave trade, with migrants facing perilous travel conditions, reliance on multiple groups for crossing borders, and constant risk of violence.

Economic deprivation and lack of opportunity constitute another key factor. Characters like Rafi and Tipu migrate due to poverty, unable to sustain livelihoods in their natural habitats. Socioeconomic inequalities are emphasized through Palash, who, unlike other migrants, originates from an affluent family but is motivated to migrate by aspirations of a better life and the allure of opportunities abroad. Palash’s migration illustrates a different dimension, where desire and ambition, fueled by modern technologies like mobile phones and global media, create restlessness and a sense of inadequacy at home, driving people toward the West in search of recognition and a better life.

Ghosh also explores migration prompted by the uncanny and the psychological. Tipu experiences seizures and hallucinations after a cobra bite, and this combination of health, supernatural, and psychological stress compels him to consider leaving his homeland. This intertwining of mystical and real-world conditions underscores the unpredictability of migration, reflecting the novel’s broader ecological and uncanny sensibilities.

Geographically, Ghosh focuses on two symbolic sites: the Sundarbans and Venice. Both are sinking, representing lands under threat from climate change, forcing human populations to migrate. In the Sundarbans, people dependent on fishing and other local livelihoods face existential challenges when water encroaches on land, demonstrating the practical difficulties of relocation for communities with limited skills or education. Venice, built on wooden planks, is threatened by erosion and rising waters, symbolizing climate-induced displacement even in affluent and historically rich regions.

The novel presents migration as both a human tragedy and a critique of systemic injustice. Ghosh emphasizes illegal migration and human trafficking, revealing the exploitative networks that facilitate people’s movements across borders, often with tacit approval or corruption from authorities. These journeys, described in harrowing detail, evoke parallels with historical slave trades, connecting past injustices to present crises.

In conclusion, Gun Island positions migration as a lens to examine climate change, inequality, human selfishness, and ethical responsibility. By portraying diverse causes natural disasters, economic deprivation, political and religious strife, and psychological factors Ghosh highlights the multidimensional nature of migration. Through his characters’ journeys, the novel critiques societal indifference, the failure of institutions to protect vulnerable populations, and the complexities of global human interconnectedness. Literature, in Ghosh’s vision, becomes a means to engage with these pressing contemporary issues, fostering awareness and empathy while emphasizing the urgent ethical and ecological challenges of the modern world.

Two worksheets

Gun Island' Worksheet - 1: 

.

Gun Island' Worksheet - 2

 

References:

• Barad, Dilip. Gun Island. blog.dilipbarad.com/2022/01/gun-island.html.
• DoE-MKBU. “Characters and Summary - 1 | Sundarbans | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 17 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn70pnUIK1Y.
• ---. “Characters and Summary - 2 | USA | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 17 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiYLTn7cWm8.
• ---. “Climate Change | the Great Derangement | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 21 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_3tD4voebA.
• ---. “Etymological Mystery | Title of the Novel | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 19 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Yg5RmjBlTk.
• ---. “Migration | Human Trafficking | Refugee Crisis | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 21 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLeskjjZRzI.
• ---. “Part I - Historification of Myth and Mythification of History | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 21 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBLsFEKLGd0.
• ---. “Part II | Historification of Myth and Mythification of History | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 23 Jan. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP2HerbJ5-g.
• ---. “Part III - Historification of Myth and Mythification of History | Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 23 Jan. 2023, www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVLqxT_mUCg.
• ---. “Summary - 3 | Venice | Part 2 of Gun Island | Amitav Ghosh.” YouTube, 18 Jan. 2022, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8F3n_rrRG9M.
• “Towards a Post(Colonial)Human Culture: Revisiting Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island as a Fall of Eurocentric Humanism by Saikat Chakraborty.” Indian Posthumanism Network, 3 June 2021, posthumanism.in/articles/towards-a-postcolonialhuman-culture-revisiting-amitav-ghoshs-gun-island-as-a-fall-of-eurocentric-humanism-by-saikat-chakraborty.