Chapter I

INDIAN LITERARY TRADITION AND INDIAN ETHOS

1.1. Preliminaries

The present research aims at selection, manifestation, investigation and analytical illustration of the notion of Indian ethos with reference to selected novels of . This chapter discusses the concept of the major features of Indian ethos which are broadly classified into thirteen categories. It explores Amitav Ghosh‟s contribution to the presentation of Indian ethos in the three selected novels. It also includes the aims and objectives, hypothesis, justification, methodology, review of literature, significance, scope, and limitations of the present study. In short, this chapter is introduction to the research topic under scrutiny.

1.2. Indian Ethos

The word „ethos‟ is derived from the Greek word ethikos which means civilized, viewing honest temperament. It is employed by the scholars, historians and anthropologists to illustrate the major principles that portray a society, nation or philosophy. The use of this word in rhetoric is closely associated with the Greek terminology used by Aristotle in his concept of the three artistic proofs. He used this word to highlight the power of music to make its impact on the listener‟s emotions, behaviours, and even moralities. However, Cambridge Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary defines ethos as “a set of beliefs, ideas and others about social behaviour and the relationship of a person or group.” Oxford Advanced Learner‟s Dictionary defines Ethos as “the moral ideas and attitudes that belong to a particular group of society.”

1 | P a g e

According to T. S. Eliot ethos is the spirit which motivates ideas and customs. “The general ethos of the people they have to govern determines the behaviour of politicians.” (T.S.Eliot p. 25) In short, ethos is the disposition of character or a set of fundamental values particular to a specific person, people, culture or movement. It is associated with the geographical locations, languages, race, religion and culture of a nation. Ethos in India has a specific understanding and impact. Indian territory covers different geographical areas, languages, cultures, religions and races. Indian Ethos is based on „social reality‟ in India. Alexander the Great, Megasthenes, Apollonius of Tyana, Alberuni, Herder, Schelling, Schlegel, Schopenhauer and even the Chinese scholar Yi Jing came to India and observed the peculiar significance of the Indian Ethos in its social institutions, religions, structures, moral framework and peculiarities of food, ornaments and garments.

The Vedic culture is predominantly reflected in Hinduism. The scriptures like the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Puranas, and the Bhagwad Gita have impressed the lifestyle of majority of the people in India. Due to the intermingling of many cultures for centuries after centuries, the Indian society is identified as Unity in Diversity. It is the amalgamation of complex customs and traditions representing different religious identities. Though there are multitude of beliefs and convictions, they are interlinked features of an integrated diverse society.

Amartya Sen, the Nobel Prize winner economist, points out the homogeneity of the Indian culture in the following words:

“Akbar was one of the ambitious and energetic emperors of India (along with Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, the later Chandragupta of the Gupta dynasty, Alauddin Khilji, and others) who would not accept that their regime was complete until the bulk of what they took to be one country was under their unified rule. The wholeness of India, despite all its

2 | P a g e

variations, has consistently invited recognition and response. The recognition of heterogeneity has much to do with an understanding of India‟s qualified solidarity that emerges in these diverse literary, scientific and political efforts.” (Amartya Sen p.29)

The Indian constitution celebrates tolerance towards various religious identities along with their linguistic differences. People living in India as a whole explore various cultures, languages, and customs. Muslims, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, and Zoroastrians also reside amicably in India exploring their own identities. Such complex structure of society, philosophies, religions, languages has contributed to the creation of Indian Ethos.

The crux of Indian ethos lies in its oral literature and the legacy of folk lyrics, stories have been transforming from generations to generations. Some of the oral literature was preserved in a written form in the languages like Pali, Prakrit and Sanskrit etc. Certain literary works like Subandhu‟s Vasavadutta, Bana Bhatta‟s Kadambari, Dhanpal‟s Tilakmanjari have taken a shape. These have been treated as the ideals for behavioural patterns of the contemporary society. The individual explores sacrificial spirit for the benefit of the society as whole. It is considered as a duty towards society. There is a desire for the social accomplishment than the individual. The self-control always reflects with yielding spirit. However, the thought of right always dominates there. The Indians are not impressed with material prosperity in comparison to spiritual achievement. Their existence in this world is experienced as distress. They are ready to struggle for spiritual enhancement. For them, the present reality is an illusion, so that they continue their search for reality. Here, they have to struggle against their ego. Indians believe the omnipresence of the God/ supreme power which exists in everybody. Indians also believe in the interconnection of everything. Consequently, the existence of life is based on the association of love and sacrifice giving

3 | P a g e significance to human life. Thus, there is a balance between spiritual values and secular values, so that the rich and the poor are measured more on the parameters of their spiritual achievement than the material progress. In the Indian value system money is powerless whereas knowledge, good health and sound character impart the actual power. There is a greater emphasis on values and ethics. Indians believe in the perfect supreme soul, so that there is always a struggle towards perfection on their part. They believe in the principle of reflection in nature. „If you are good, the whole world is good‟. In short, these distinct features of Indian society are reflected in the Indian English literature. Similarly, the novels of Amitav Ghosh are fine examples of the same.

1.3. Ethos in Indian English Literature

In 1772, the East India Company got the right of revenue administration and in 1790 it acquired the administration of criminal justice in Bengal. Slowly and gradually, the Englishmen who came to India for their career advancement started to accept Indian environment in their language. Englishmen started to compose poetry on Indian subjects in the 18th century. Simultaneously, the Indians, particularly the employees of the British rulers also expressed themselves in English. The travelogues, journals and letters of both the Englishmen and Indian employees covered the Indian milieu. Sir William Jones has composed „Hymns to Hindu Deities’. Deen Mohammad also published his travelogue in English entitled The Travels of Deen Mohomet in 1794. Deen Mohammad has written this whole travelogue in an epistolary form. It is rightly said that,

Indian writing in English constitutes a pluralistic world wherein the colonial past, the Indian heritage, the indigenous forms, the inherited and internalized cultural values, the oral tradition, the diasporic presence

4 | P a g e

abroad, the parallels with and differences from the language literatures- all these jostle with each other. Partly, it is representative of a multi- cultural situation; partly Indians are no longer apologetic, on the defensive of self-conscious in their use of English. (Jasbir Jain p: 55-90)

In the early half of 19th century, Lord Bentinck introduced English rigorously to „the Indian subject‟ officially to fulfill the need of third class administrative staff for the British administration. Consequently, English language was closely knit to their brain and heart in generation after generation. At first, English was also used for administrative purposes. The nationalist leaders, who were barristers and lawyers used to argue the Indian perspective in the courts of law through legal documents and petitions. They explored Indian psyche through their essays and speeches addressed to the Indian masses where they targeted the foreign administration. For example, Raja Ram Mohan Roy used English for the abolition of Sati system. Moreover, the middle class businessman exhibited Indian temperament through their business communication, business letters, draftings, memoranda and other writings. As far as literary creation was concerned, the educated people from Bengal, Madras and Bombay presidency started to express themselves in prose and poetic forms in English. The prose in English dealt with historical development which described the contemporary life in India whereas the poetry in English had been used for aesthetic pleasures particularly by the elite class Indians. Their subject matters were urban life of elite class. Besides, the literature in vernacular languages was translated in English. Thus, only the elite class people from India such as Henry Derozio, Kashiprasad Ghosh, Michael Madhusudan Dutt, Manmohan Ghose contributed for the construction of Indian Ethos in Indian English literature.

However, English language and literature introduced the Indians with global affairs such as American Revolution, French Revolution as well as Voltaire and

5 | P a g e

Rousseau. The arguments and reasoning of Surendranth Banarjee, Sir Aurobindo, M.G. Ranade, N.C. Kelkar, K. R. Iyengar, T. Prakashan, C. Y. Chitamani in the Newspapers Amrit Bazar Patrika, Swadesa Mitran, The Indian Patriots, The Hindustan Times and The Hindu explored Indian perspective. The National Congress leaders like Dadabhai Nauroji, M.G. Ranade, G.K. Gokhale, Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal Nehru and M. K. Gandhi created introspective literature through their writings and speeches. Tej Bahadur Sapru, M. R. Jayakar, Srinivas Iyengar, Bhulabhai Desai, M. A. Jinnah, V. K. Krishna Menon and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the well known barristers elaborated Indian perspective through their pleadings in the court of law which was an essence of Indian Ethos. Sir Aurobindo, Ravindranth Tagore, Puran Singh, Sarojini Naidu and Sri Anand Acharya, the first generation of poets and writers in English from India played the role of a bridge between the Western and Indian culture. Besides, the next generation -Mulk Raj Anand, Raja Rao and R. K. Narayan, the novelists and short story writers- had closely explored „Indianness‟ in the sentence pattern, dialogues, feelings, reactions and themes by the early half of 20th century. It was distinct in itself in the global perspective of modernism. Modernism was the distinct novel literary styles of works published after the First World War. However, the contemporary Indian English literature was distinct from the modern literature. It was reflecting Indian ethos which was also one of the agendas of national movement of freedom struggle. The contemporary authors started to focus on Indian philosophy, life style and value system in their writing in English. Their literature explored inclination towards metaphysics than the physical attachment to the world. Their fascination for metaphysical ecstasy as well as aversion for materialism was noteworthy. They argued for soul and its universality in contrast to physical comforts. The varnashramdharma, caste hierarchy, conservative approach and feudalistic mindset were also reflected in their literature. Their concepts of merits and sins are illustrated in the context of

6 | P a g e

Indian freedom struggle. At this phase, there was renaissance of the concept like Dharma (religion, once rightful duty), culture and tradition. Such value structure conflicted harshly with the western industrial culture. The elaboration of nationalism in the social, religious and political spheres was reflected in contemporary writings in English. In short, Indian ethos was noticed in Indian English writings which were aptly recognized as Indian English Literature.

In the post-colonial period (1950-1980), Indian Ethos was associated with social, political and economic problems of India. The tempo of nationalism was replaced by problems like backwardness, corruption, hypocrisy etc. Nissim Ezekiel was a prominent writer of this period who had ably handled the themes of rejection of past, alienation and opposition to idealism. Apart from Nissim Ezekiel, A. K. Ramamnujan, R. Parthasarathy, Pritish Nandy, A. K. Mehrotra, Arun Kolhatkar, Jayant Mahapatra, Dilip Chitre, Saleem Peeradina and Agha Sahid Ali also covered issues like every day language, personal relationship, dehumanizing environments, western imitation and destruction of Indian cultural traditions and others. These issues became some of the features of Indian English Literature in this period.

The distinct traits of post-World War II literature confronted the illuminating ideas of Modernist literature. The literature which is published after the Second World War, significantly in last decades of the 20th century, is identified as postmodern literature. Simultaneously, it has made significant impact on literary tradition of the world. It is certain that the Indian English literature from the 1990s also has the impact of postmodernism. There is drastic transformation in all genres of literature, particularly Indian English fiction. This postmodernism was the essential rebel against the influence and importance of predecessors of this genre and was looked as an extension of postmodernism. The Indian English fiction has brought tradition and modernity together in the creation of literary works. It also shared the global aspects of postmodernism that is, parody,

7 | P a g e intertextuality, literary cannibalism etc. Salman Rushdie, Vikram Seth, Allan Sealy, Shashi Tharoor, Bharati Mukharjee, Upamanyu Chatterjee, V. S. Naipaul, Shobhaa De, Peeradina Manohar Shetty, Anita Desai, Kiran Desia, Arundhati Roy, Jhumpa Lahiri, Chetan Bhagat and Amitav Ghosh are the renowned literary figures in the contemporary Indian English literature. They have covered a wide range of themes- social, historical, romantic, detective, rural, psychological and existential, cross-cultural conflict, freedom movement and the partition of the country. Their writings are instructive, expressing religious faith and urge for reformation. They have exposed their consciousness towards the prevailing evil in the social behaviour of Indian people for social reforms. The novelists focused on the plight of women, humiliated peasants, and the deterioration of aristocracy which have widened thematic and technical scope of Indian novels. Such experiments and innovations have been accepted in literary and critical circles all over the globe. In short, with their immense contribution, Salman Rushdie, Vikaram Seth, Shashi Tharoor, Upamanyu Chatterjee, Arundhati Roy, Shobhaa De occupied a prominent pose of „trendsetters‟ and Amitav Ghosh is significant member of this group. These writers have set a new trend of writing fiction with the inclusion of postmodern opinions and sensations. Thus, it is argued that, Indian Writing in English imbibes Indian ethos which has attained fame as well as critical acclamation in the 21st century all over the world.

Ethos is a dynamic concept. It keeps changing and shaping itself by absorbing elements of social reality from time to time. Each historical period has own preoccupations, concerns, problems and their solutions. They are reflected in the contemporary literature of the period. These literary works bear a mark and stamp of ethos.

8 | P a g e

1.4. Prominent Indian English Novelists

Most of the postmodern English novelists have used varied themes, ranges, moods, tones and technical methods in their novels. The novelists upheld a distinct standard- a standard body of correct English usage, its Indian soul in colour, imagery, and tone. The Indian ethos is noticed even in the evolution of an idiom which expresses the unique quality of the Indian mind while conforming to the „correctness‟ of English usage. In short, Indian English novel is a major source for “a systematic study of culture contact and culture change, in which the Indian world view is the main focus. Novels on new themes are being written following technical and linguistic innovations. It is quite relevant to present this cross section of the contemporary Indian English novels and novelists.

Sir Ahmed Salman Rushdie has expressed Indian senses in an acute way in his novels which comment on the contemporary history of India and also criticize its socio-political contexts. His use of „magic realism‟, vivid imagination, innovative fecundity, creativity and unfailing command over language express varied nuances of characters in the catastrophic situation of dislocation, quest for identity and cross cultural tensions in India. Rushdie has published Grimus (1975), Midnight’s Children (1981), Shame (1983), The Jaguar Smile, The Satanic Verses (1988) and Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Grimus deals with a protagonist who continues his mysterious and extraordinary adventure under the guidance of Grimus. Midnight’s Children deals with the vivisection of political secularism in Indian Subcontinent. Shame describes momentous history of India and Pakistan. Thus, contents of these novels depict Indianness realistically.

Vikram Seth has written From Heaven Lake, The Golden Gate (1986) and collections of poems like The Humble Administrator’s Garden, All You Who Sleep Tonight. Vikram Seth has focused on the disappointed lovers in The Golden Gate, their helpless and disappointed self in both The Humble

9 | P a g e

Administrator’s Garden and All You Who Sleep Tonight in the Indian context. Lost love and friendship are the subjects Vikram Seth has treated often to elaborate Indian ethos.

Shashi Tharoor has portrayed dichotomy between content and structure as well as style and the contemporary reality of India in his novels. He has used magic realism to illustrate Indian tempo in his very first novel The Great Indian Novel (1986).

Bharati Mukherjee is the next novelist who is deeply influenced by her Indian roots. She has written Jasmine, An Invisible Woman (1981), The Sorrow and the Terror, The Haunting Legacy of the Air India Tragedy. Her works are exceptionally concerned with the themes of immigration and nostalgia. Her novel Jasmine demonstrates the dilemma of cultural change.

Sir Vidiadhar Surajprasad Naipaul exhibits a fine cultural blend in his writings due to his birth in Trinidad, education in England and his roots in India. He has attempted to manifest India through the images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses in his literary works. He has presented his longings for India in his literature which remains the symbol of immigrant sensations. Throughout his literary works V.S. Naipaul has given the voice to the people who are dislocated from their native land. His predicaments such as dislocated Indian, his sensation of a stranger and his search for own identity remain the prominent themes of his writings.

Anita Desai has contributed to Indian English literature with novels like Cry, The Peacock (1963), Clear Light of Day (1980), In Custody (1984), Journey to Ithaca, Fire on the Mountain, Diamond Dust, The Zigzag Way: A Novel (2004) and The Artist of Disappearance (2011). Her novel Cry, The Peacock deal with Indian aesthetic pleasures, whereas, In Custody tells a story about an Urdu poet in his last days in the Indian context. Journey to Ithaca explores the metaphysical

10 | P a g e quest and ways in India. Clear Light of Day gives numerous references to her stay in India which is regarded as her autobiographical work.

Kiran Desai has presented portrayal of the human predicaments in her novels. The initial literary creation of Desai appeared in 1998 with the title Hullabaloo in the Guava Orchard. Her novel The Inheritance of Loss won the coveted Man Booker Prize in 2006 and National Book Critics Circle award for fiction. Desai has many literary prizes to her credit including Berlin Prize (2013) which is a fellowship at the American Academy in Berlin.

Suzanna Arundhati Roy is an author, who wrote screenplays for television and movies in her early career. She received National Film Award for the Best Screenplays in 1988 for In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones. Arundhati presents the life and experiences of her childhood in Aymanam in The God of Small Things (1996). Roy portrayed Indian ethos while depicting life in Kerala authentically with the characters of Estha and Rahel.

Nilanjana Sudeshna Jhumpa Lahiri, is the professor of creative writing at Princeton University. Her books Interpreter of Maladies (1999), The Namesake (2003) and The Low Land (2013) have constructed the Indian milieu effectively. She presents the emotional traumas through her novels and depicts the lives of Indians who are dislocated from their own nation. She even presents the varied themes such as marital conflicts and the feelings of an immigrant. Consequently, Jhumpa Lahiri has been selected as the winner of the 29th PEN/Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short story, the coveted O. Henry Award, and the PEN/Hemingway Award.

Chetan Bhagat is a columnist as well as a popular Indian author of the 21st century bestseller books capturing the attention of youth across the world. He is particularly very popular among the youngsters in India. His books are known for English-language dramedy novels that are about young urban middle-class

11 | P a g e

Indians. His literary works includes: Five Point Someone (2004), One Night @ the Call Center (2005), The 3 Mistakes of My Life (2008), 2 States (2009), Revolution 2020 (2011), Half Girlfriend (2014), Making India Awesome (2015) and One Indian Girl (2016). All of these novels received wide appreciation for the content appealing to younger generations. Out of these novels, his seven novels have inspired major movies, making him a youth icon.

Shobha Rajadhyaksha, alias Shobhaa De, who initially was a model, turns out as an Indian columnist and novelist. De, popularly known as India‟s Jackie Collins, founded as well as edited magazines entitled, Stardust, Society, and Celebrity. She even played a major role to the Sunday magazine section of The Times of India. At present she works as the freelance writer and columnist for many news papers and magazines. Her other works include Starry Nights, Socialite Evenings, Sister and Spouse. She gave expression to social lives of citizens as well as the celebrities in Mumbai through her writings.

1.5. Amitav Ghosh: A Short Biographical Outline

Amitav Ghosh was born on 11th of July 1956 in Calcutta. He grew up with varied cultural backgrounds of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, Egypt and India. After completing his graduation from the University of Delhi, Amitav Ghosh moved on to Oxford University for the higher studies in Anthropology. He obtained a Master of Philosophy and Ph.D. there in 1982. He worked as a teacher at Columbia University and lived in New York for some time. He also worked as a journalist.

12 | P a g e

1.6. Amitav Ghosh as a Novelist

The Circle of Reason (1986) is the first novel by Amitav Ghosh. The protagonist of the novel is a Bengali orphan. He is called „Alu‟ (potato) because his head is shaped like one. Alu is forced to run away from his village because he is falsely accused of being a terrorist. His sojourns take him to the Middle East moving as he does from Alanazira a small Persian Gulf town to Cairo, the Sahara and finally Algeria. Balaram, another character in the novel, is always busy, measuring heads with a huge pair of calipers and making solemn predictions thereby. He is a passionate believer in the virtues of carbolic acid which he thinks is a panacea for almost everything. We come to know about Jyoti Das, the police officer, who is investigating Alu‟s case. They include Zindi, the large- hearted “madam” who takes Alu under her wing, Nuri, the one eyed egg-seller and Kulfi, one of Zindols girl who dies while acting in a Tagore Play. The novel has brought out the features of Indian ethos along with the cultures of the Middle East and North Africa. In the Circle of Reason, the Indian characters have represented the social institutions like family and marriage, religions and moral affiliations beliefs and customs.

Amitav Ghosh‟s next novel (1988) depicts the characters of Tridib, May, Nice Thaˈmma and reflects the reunion of East and West on a background of companionship. Here, he is conscious more about being global than national. His other literary contributions include Calcutta Chromosome (1995), (2000), The Hungry Tide (2004), (2008), (2011) and (2015). Amitav Ghosh‟s varied travels across various countries have been reflected in his works along with the keenly observed distinct cultures. His prominent subjects remain cultural disintegration, colonial and neo-colonial controlling authorities, cultural deterioration, envious human relations, mixture of facts with fantasies, identity crisis, quest for love, longing for protection, diasporas and immigrant feelings,

13 | P a g e etc. Besides, he has opined about the current issues through his fictional works. The literary creations of Amitav Ghosh have been universally appreciated. Anita Desai has commented upon his literary contribution. She says,

Ghosh has chosen to inhabit the real world rather than the artificial land of fantasy, and makes one watch his development as a novelist.

(Anita Desai: p.169)

From the early period of his literary contribution, Amitav Ghosh has received numerous prestigious literary awards from all over the world. In 1989, he was awarded with Sahitya Akademi Award in India. Again, Ghosh has been awarded with Ananda Puraskar in 1990 in India and Prix Médicis Étranger award in France in the same year. He got Arthur C Clarke Award for the Best Science Fiction in 1997 for his novel Calcutta Chromosome. Amitav Ghosh was honored with Pushcart Prize in 1999, whereas, he received International e-book Award Grand Prize for Fiction by Germany in 2001. In 2004, he got Hutch Crossword Book Award and in 2007 Grinzane Cavour International Prize by Italy and Padma Shri in the same year. He was awarded with Dan David Prize in Israel in 2010. In 2011 Amitav Ghosh received two awards; Blue Metropolis International Literary Grand Prix in Canada and Man Asia Literary Prize. In the year 2012, his name was shortlisted for Man Booker Asian Prize. He was awarded with Myanmar National Literature Award, Tagore Literature Award and Sahitya Akademi Award in the same year.

1.6.1. His Style

Amitav Ghosh is a leading exponent of postmodernism in Indian English Literature. He has invented the style of his own and remains conscious about the earlier literary traditions. As a trendsetter in post-modern literature, he has given

14 | P a g e an account of his practice of postmodern tools in his writings. His writings illustrate the political and cultural background of post-colonial India which has impacted his works. Ghosh, one of the leading authors of contemporary period, has skillfully dealt with post-colonial culture of the modern world, particularly in Indian context. Amitav Ghosh employs a fine narrative style in his fiction which shows his postmodern approach.

1.6. 2.The Interference of West into East

Amitav Ghosh denies the formal aesthetic structures, charming descriptions and decorative use of language in fiction which are the prominent characteristic features of postmodernism. Besides, he has declined western values, ethics, beliefs, culture and standards of life. Simultaneously, he has designed Indian values, beliefs, culture and standards of life which represent the East. In his The Hungry Tide, Amitav Ghosh directs the questions on the subjects of culture and eco-environment through the interference of West into East. In The Circle of Reason, devastation of traditional village life due to the arrival of the western culture has been symbolically portrayed. An Antique Land describes the political unrests and communal riots of this era. Amitav Ghosh too, remains postmodernist in the true sense and supports this idea. Tabish Khair has aptly said that,

Ghosh is very careful in his use of English and vernacular transcriptions. He develops a conscious and rich tradition in Indian English fiction, a tradition that includes R. K. Narayan and Shashi Deshpande. The attempt is not to stage Indian English. Ghosh avoids the aestheticisation of language. (Tabish Khair p.108)

15 | P a g e

1.6.3. A Touch of Irony

Irony has played a pivotal role in the postmodern fiction. The writers of this genre have depicted issues like World War II, societal unrests with the ironic treatment to history generating humour. In The Glass Palace, Ghosh has given the account of Queen Supayalat and Arjun with a touch of irony. The Queen does not leave her pride though she was entrapped by the British force which becomes an ironic picture. On the other hand, Arjun who is a native Indian adopts the western values in his routine which gets revealed in his dressing sense and food habits. He remains unknown about the fact that he was being used as an instrument to impose some foreign strategies.

1.6.4. Theme of Dislocation

Amitav Ghosh, strives for postcolonial relocation. Amitav Ghosh‟s The Hungry Tale, proceeds with the theme of dislocation which is by wish or by force of somebody narrates its varied experiences. It depicts the scene of brutal assassination of East Pakistani refugees which symbolizes blot on humanity. In his Sea of Poppies he describes the pathetic life of laborers and convicts, their shifting to the Island of Mauritius, their journey on the ship Ibis, etc. In The Glass of Palace, Burmese Royal Family has been caricatured after their exile form homeland and painful refuge in India. This tragedy of Burmese happens due to the attack of Japan on Burma. Amitav Ghosh has realistically presented feelings of an immigrant in his novels. The sense of dislocation from homeland is always painful for a native. Thus, in this novel he explores the tragic scene of Dhaka in 1963-64 during the time of communal revolts. It portrays the character of Tribid who devoted his life for the survival of Maya from the Muslim crowd. He narrates his words in The Shadow Lines as

16 | P a g e

“You see, in our family we don‟t know whether we‟re coming or going it‟s all my grandmother‟s fault. But of course, the fault was not hers at all: it lay in the language. Every language assumes a centrality, a fixed and settled point to go away from and come back to, and what my grandmother was looking for was a word for a journey which was not a coming or a going at all; a journey that was a search for precisely that fixed point which permits the proper use of verbs of movement.” (The Shadow Lines, p.153)

Amitav Ghosh‟s narration in this novel incorporating magic realism with dislocation has been admired by Pankaj Mishra. In the New York Times, he appreciates him,

“As one of the few postcolonial writers to have expressed in his work a developing awareness of the aspirations, defeats and disappointments of colonized people as they figure out their place in the world.”( Pankaj Mishra)

1.6.5. Use of Magic Realism

It was Gabriel Garcia Marquez of South America who has done seminal work in the field of magic realism in English literature. In India, Salman Rushdie stands as the prominent exponent of this literary tool. Amitav Ghosh has successfully followed Marquez and Rushdie while dealing with this entity. Anita Desai (1986) has rightly said about magic realism that,

“This international school of writing which successfully deals with the post-colonial ethos of the modern world without sacrificing the ancient histories of separate lands.” (Anita Desai. p.149)

17 | P a g e

Amitav Ghosh has intertwined fact and fiction together with a perfect blend of magic realism with a careful attention to the plot dealing with postmodern themes. Amitav Ghosh, being the prominent exponent of postmodernism and magic realism has deployed numerous truths and sequential alteration in his novels. In this sense, the employment of frequent forward and backward moves is noticed in his novels. In The Glass Palace he has woven past and present to generate magic realism with the alteration in time. The Glass Palace has a skilled deployment of a pair of binoculars with an implication of Buddhist philosophy. In the use of language, Amitav Ghosh remains straightforward while using Indian Bangla words like „mohona‟, „bhata‟ and others. He connects these words to magic realism while narrating myths of Bon Bibi and her brother Shaj Jangli. His other novel, The Hungry Tide, expresses Nirmal‟s point of view and journeys of Piya Roy, Kanai and Fokir with the intricate relations of varied times. In The Shadow Lines, he has presented backward and forward timely moves in a lucid narrative style. In short, Amitav Ghosh has skillfully combined history and society with the unique thread of magic realism with a perfect blend of fact and fiction.

Other aspects of postmodernism such as uncertainty, disorientation, and disintegration have been competently dealt by Amitav Ghosh in his novels. Amitav Ghosh tends to present his self-inclination and assertion through his novels with dislocation as a core symbolic theme narrating often arrivals and departures of the characters. Thus, the post-modern scenario of anxiety questioning the very existence of human race has been proficiently exhibited through Amitav Ghosh‟s meritorious works.

18 | P a g e

1.6.6. Global Perspective

It is the opinion of postmodern writers that national borders confine human communication, sharps tone of nationalism and direct wars between nations. Hence, they are of the global view who believe world as a whole without any separation. Being the real exponent of postmodernism, Amitav Ghosh also explores ample contents of such global perspective in his fictional works. Ghosh too, highlights the contemporary subjects of multiculturalism, multiracial and multiethnic problems of human beings. He combines them in one thread and narrates his cosmopolitan views through his works. Thus, Ghosh has acquired a reputation of a “trendsetter” of the postmodernism in Indian English literature. He is the proponent of postmodernism in India and is the prime practitioner of Indian ethos.

1.7. Selection of the Novels

The researcher has selected The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide and Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh for the purpose of demonstrating how his work is soaked in Indian ethos. The modern Indian English novels seem to have westernized in terms of structure, technique, style, subject matter and other novelistic features. However, Amitav Ghosh‟s three novels namely The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide and Sea of Poppies reflect Indianness in their plots, characters, settings, dialogue, actions and themes. The novels create Indian milieu through the narration of human relations, behavioural patterns and social customs. The image of India with its multifaceted dimensions has been genuinely reflected in these novels.

19 | P a g e

1.7.1. The Glass Palace

Amitav Ghosh‟s novel The Glass Palace came on the literary scene in the year 2000 and got worldwide fame. It remains one of the best-sellers worldwide and it is surprising that more than half a million copies have been sold in Britain alone. Amitav Ghosh has realistically depicted the devastation which resulted due to Japanese incursion in Burma and its impacts on Army officials and common people. It narrates a sense of depression generated out of wars which can be seen as a human misfortune leading to death, destruction and dislodgement. Rajkumar, the protagonist of The Glass Palace travels around the countries like Burma, Malaya and India. Through his consistent travelling to many destinations, Rajkumar obtains his earning too. Unfortunately, his son dies in the bomb blast by Japanese and his cheerful nature gets vanished due to the confrontations between nations.

1.7.2. The Hungry Tide

The novel The Hungry Tide (2004) shows the story of its very contemporary of journey and unlikely love, uniqueness and history, set in one of the most attractive regions on the Sundarbans which means, „the beautiful forest‟ which is situated at easternmost coast of India, in the Bay of Bengal. Piya (Piyali) Roy is a young marine biologist, of Indian descent but stubbornly American, in search of a very rare and endangered river dolphin. Novel starts with two main characters Piya and Kanai who is a translator and he runs his own business. Kanai sees Piyali in a south Kolkata commuter station and both get on the same train. Kanai takes an interest in her so he starts talking with Piya and he knows Piya wants to study river dolphin. Kanai gives reference to his aunt, Mashima (Nilima Bose). Piya‟s journey begins with a calamity where a young, illiterate fisherman, Fokir saves her from a boat in to crocodile-infested water when she falls down from

20 | P a g e the boat. Fokir helps Piya in her research to show Sundarbans area and river dolphins. Mashima and other minor characters also help Piya in the whole novel. Piya visits the launch in to the elaborate backwaters where she is drawn into the unseen hints of the isolated world. Piya is able to breathe freely again when she disappeares from view of launch. After the cyclone Piya stayes in Lusibari and she starts wearing colorful saris. Kanai offers Piya a ticket to the U.S. but she does not receive it. Lastly, Piya visits Nilima‟s house and asks about Kanai. Nilima informs her that he has been almost as busy as you. Amitav Ghosh received many awards for this novel The Hungry Tide. This is a predictive novel of extraordinary insight, attractiveness and mortality.

1.7.3. Sea of Poppies

The novel Sea of Poppies opens on the eve of the opium wars. It is set in Eastern India and the Bay of Bengal. It is begins with the arrival of a previous slave ship Ibis at Ganga-. Dropped as a black birder with the eradication of slave trade, the boat is refitted to transport grimityas or indentured coolies from Calcutta to the sugar estates in the British company whose owners intends to transport opium to China. There are three parts in the story that is land, river and sea. The first part, „land‟ presents the circumstances that transport the characters to the boat. In the second part „river‟, the boat is tied in the river near Kidderpore, all these characters get into the boat by some lash of destiny or other. In the last part, „sea‟ they get to sail the Ibis to a new life that awaits them in Mauritius. Deeti, is the first lady character who is presented as a young mother from a small village near Benares. It is fifty miles east from Benares, in the northern area of Bihar. Hukam Singh is Deeti‟s husband and he works in the Ghazipur opium factory. He gets injured in the leg while portion as a sepoy in the British Regiment. Hukam Singh starts consuming opium to relieve himself from the pain that was caused by the clash wounds but it ends up in an addiction

21 | P a g e to the drug. This addiction slowly kills Hukam Singh and his wife Deeti is bound by the social tradition and her relatives to immolate herself in her husband‟s funeral pyre for a sati in the family would make them well-known. Deeti is saved by Kalua, the ox-cart driver, an untouchable from the Chamar caste, who takes Deeti‟s husband to the factory every day. They run away from their township but there is fear. Deeti‟s relatives are furious with her and they have not subsided. They all are in search of Deeti and Kalua who had brought shame to the family. Deeti and Kalua have no other choice but to escape the country and they end up in Ibis which is on its way to Mauritius. The novel ends with the boat getting caught in a storm and the escape of the five travelers on board.

Thus, this literary endeavor of Amitav Ghosh has been renowned for its meritorious content of romance, adventure and history. He has gathered varied contents to formulate disintegration. The responses to colonialism and reactions about the creation of Myanmar have been given in a romantic way. It has narrated varied individualities and human experiences presenting the historical report of the country. This all gives it a fine blend of magic realism in a true sense in which Ghosh has shown his expertise.

1.8. Aims and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the present study is to explore the reflection of Indian social and cultural reality in relation to various other cultures in the cross cultural encounters that are portrayed in the selected works of Amitav Ghosh. This aim is to be achieved through following objectives:

1. To define the term „ethos‟ particularly „Indian ethos‟ and thereby provide a theoretical background for the research.

22 | P a g e

2. To explore the relationship between reality and literature with reference to Indian socio-cultural context as reflected in Amitav Ghosh's selected novels. 3. To find out the peculiarities of Indian ethos in these novels and to relate the aspects of Indian context to the overall vision of the writer. 4. To trace the aesthetic significance of the socio-cultural aspects in the novels of Amitav Ghosh. 5. To assess the influence of Indian ethos on the themes of novels under scrutiny.

1.9. Hypothesis

The three selected novels of the 20th century Indian English novelist, Amitav Ghosh permeate with Indian Ethos. It is reflected mostly in cross-cultural encounters. A close study and analysis of the different parameters of this essential element lead to a better understanding and genuine appreciation and enjoyment of all the three novels. It is thus hypothesized that a study of Indian ethos as reflected in his selected novels contributes a great deal to our understanding and appreciation of Amitav Ghosh.

1.10. Methodology

The researcher will explore the notion of „ethos‟ and pinpoint the feature of „Indian ethos‟. The term ethos, particularly Indian ethos is discussed. The tradition of Indian English literature as well as the Indian novelists in English along with their contribution to the literary arena is focused by Amitav Ghosh in his novels. The novels are elaborated to locate the theme of Indian ethos. At last, the conclusion is sorted out to check the hypothesis.

23 | P a g e

The selected novels namely, The Glass Palace, The Hungry Tide and Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh have been used as a primary source to study the Indian ethos. Relevant research material of critics and philosophers has been studied for the basic frames of the concepts of ethos like society, culture and philosophy. The concerned chapters from the reference books, relevant articles from reputed online and offline journals, periodicals and magazines as well as literary terms from the dictionaries which are related to the issues concerned are used as the secondary source. In addition to this Inflibnet, Shodhganga, various search machines of websites have also been used for collecting relevant information.

1.11. Significance of the Study

The themes of the selected novels excel from the traditional way to handle the Indian ethos in the twentieth century. These themes vary from the mystic elements in the history to the basic facts of race at an international level. It is an important aspect of Amitav Ghosh‟s novels that they deal with the Indian contexts. The author has constructed the Indian identity through his novels. It is interesting as well as enlightening to study the constructions that he structures about the Indian society and culture. His novels deal with the Indian society, Indian philosophy and Indian culture. They furnish the Indian panorama in front of the world. Such picture of Indian identity gets authenticity when those literary pieces are awarded with Sahitya Akademi Award, the Anand Puraskar in India itself as well as reputation at an international level. Moreover, Amitav Ghosh, the Indian English novelist has an international reputation to handle the modern technique in his literary works which always reflect the Indianness.

24 | P a g e

1.12. Justification

At the initial stage, Indian English literature became an innovative form of Indian culture and opinion in which India spoke. Indian authors – poets, novelists, essayists, and dramatists have made momentous impact on the world literature since the pre-Independence era. The past few years have seen a striking development and appreciation of Indian English writing on the international platform. Indian writers in English have encompassed the entire world with their meritorious literary productions. These writers have won national and international literary awards, attracted media attention and made the publishing history breathe afresh. With a rising readership, they are the center of critical attention, scholarly works and research activities of international academia.

The author under scrutiny has an ability to use language as a means to create an atmosphere of Indian ethos which gives a sense of his distinct style. The novels which are investigated have ample instances of Indian Ethos. They offer portrayal of Indian life in a true sense when studied in the light of ethos.

1.13. Review of Literature

The postmodern writers have proficiently experimented with Indian Ethos and magic realism in their literary works which offered them a high status of popularity among the world readers. Ghosh‟s fictions have been studied through varied angles such as fantasy, politics, and philosophy etc. Shivngi Shrivastava and B. H. Mehta have studied the mythical aspects in Amitav Ghosh‟s selected novels. In addition, there is ample research material accessible in the form of critical books, CDs, DVDs, newspapers, interviews and on internet. However, no evidence is found where the novels of Amitav Ghosh are studied for their reflection of Indianness or Indian Ethos.

25 | P a g e

1.14. Scope and Limitations of the Study

The present research is an attempt to study the various aspects of the fictional work of Amitav Ghosh to observe the Indian ethos. It is also observed how the novels reflect various aspects of Indian people, how they live their life with different understanding and self confinements.

The present research is confined to the study of relationship of Indian literature with relevant aspects of Indian socio-cultural reality. Only one genre of literature, fiction, is the domain for the present purpose. Further, the focus is on Indian English fiction and that too of a particular writer. The writer selected is Amitav Ghosh as he deals with the present day Indian social reality with great artistic and novelistic skills. The researcher has selected three novels The Glass Palace (2000), The Hungry Tide (2005), and Sea of Poppies (2008) by Amitav Ghosh prominently to exemplify the peculiar Indian socio-cultural reality. This study does not offer any comparative study with any other author or works.

To conclude, this chapter provides an introduction to the current study. It defines the term „ethos‟ and that too „Indian ethos‟. It includes a survey of Indian English literature, the various Indian novelists in English as well as life and works of Amitav Ghosh. It specifies aims, objectives, hypothesis, methods and methodology, justification, scope and limitations along with literature review. The next chapter deals with the theoretical background of the Indian Ethos.

26 | P a g e