Hello Friends,
This blog is my response to the task assigned to us by our Prof. Dr. Dilip Sir in the thinking activity on Gun Island by Amitav Ghosh. So, Read, Understand and Enjoy. Happy Learning!
AMITAV GHOSH: A Brief Introduction
Amitav Ghosh (born 11 July 1956) is an Indian writer, best known for his English language historical fiction. He won the 54th Jnanpith award in 2018, India’s highest literary honor. Ghosh's ambitious novels use complex narrative strategies to probe the nature of national and personal identity, particularly of the people of India and Southeast Asia. He has also written non-fiction works discussing topics such as colonialism and climate change.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amitav_Ghosh
Born 11 July 1956 (age 65)
Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Genre Historical fiction
Notable awards
Jnanpith Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Ananda Puraskar
Dan David Prize
Padma Shri
Spouse Deborah Baker (wife)
Novels
The Circle of Reason (1986)
The Shadow Lines (1988)
The Calcutta Chromosome (1995)
The Glass Palace (2000)
The Hungry Tide (2004)
Sea of Poppies (2008)
River of Smoke (2011)
Flood of Fire (2015)
Gun Island (2019)
Jungle Nama (2021)
Non-Fiction
In an Antique Land (1992)
Dancing in Cambodia and at Large in Burma (1998; Essays)
Countdown (1999)
The Imam and the Indian (2002; Essays)
Incendiary Circumstances (2006; Essays)
The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable (2016)
The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis (2021)
Q-1 How does Amitav Ghosh use the myth of Gun Merchant 'Bonduki Sadagar' and Manasa Devi to initiate discussion on the issue of Climate Change and Migration/ Refugee crisis/ Human Trafficking?
Ans. In this novel by Amitav Ghosh, we see that he uses various insects, snakes, spiders, worms, storms, calamities, changes in nature, and many such things that show climate change and migration.
Insects: Insects like spiders, worms, etc. are found in places where they were never found before. So we can say that they are also affected due to changes in the climate and are moving towards other places. Now this will lead to humans living in other places into the threat of life and fear in their hearts and minds.
Characters: Rafi and Tipu are migrating to get better economic conditions for themselves and their family. Bilal and Kabir are migrating because of communal disharmony in Bangladesh and the socio-religious fabric of Bangladesh. Palash is migrating to get better opportunities for higher studies and jobs.
In the novel, it is seen that when Bonduki Sadagar and Dinanath are not ready to accept the myth of Mansa Devi then they find spiders, wildfires, storms, and such unexpected and unpleasant things in their life that they are left with no other option in life but to accept the will of Mansa Devi and to surrender themselves to her. They are ready to build her shrine and this is how they are then protected afterward in their journey. So in this way some spiritual power is guiding the lives of humans in the novel and also in life.
Q-2 How does Amitav Ghosh make use of the 'etymology' of common words to sustain mystery and suspense in the narrative?
Ans. One day Tipu asks Dinanath in chat from
Bonduki@bonduki.com
"What exactly does BHUTA mean?"
Bhoot means past tense, death something which is not there. So people remain alive in our memory so it is a mere play of words if not ghost then memory. Bhoo also means being. It may seem irrational but irrationality is a part of life and it is as good as rational. So nothing in the past is alive what we have is present and everything is alive either physically or either in our memories.
Another question that is asked by Tipu in chat to Deen is that
'You've been taken over by bacteria. Isn't there a word for it? What do they call it? Poss-something.'
'You mean "possession"?'
'Yeah, that's it.'
and Deen replies, 'Don't be silly,' 'Possession is when someone is taken over by a demon.'
We all have one or another thing. Possession means one is under the grip of some aatma or other thing. Possession means awakening. What one has an understanding of the world so far, now a new understanding has come so a new and better understanding of the world leading to the awakening. So that is also being possessed by something.
Funny Fairy Tale Names
No location in Maps
1. Gun Island
2. Land of Palm Sugar Candy
3. Land of Kerchieves
4. Island of Chains
The mystery of the above words is revealed by Cinta - Historian.
1. Gun Island
It is used for Venice - City of Venice.
Venetian Byzantine Name - Banadiq Venediq
In the Arabic language, it became al-Bunduqey
Foundry - Place where weapons are made. A place is known as a Ghetto. In Italian language Getto. Old foundry in Venice - Ghetto. Later on, Jews started living there. Ghetto in Venetian dialect. Later it became the identity of Jews. So Getto foundry of weapons.
So the gun merchant that left Sundarban might have come to Venice.
Meaning is in the sound of the word. The translated word loses its meaning. If another word is used then sound is lost and then the meaning is also lost.
2. Land of Palm Sugar Candy
In Bangla, it is Taal Misri Desh and Palm Sugar Candy is the translation. Mishri can be Mishra and it is the Arabic word for Egypt. It is often spoken Mishra ni Sanskruti. So Gun Merchant might have gone to Egypt.
3. Land of Kerchieves
Word coming from a handkerchief. Bangla reference to Rumali Desh. Before Rumelia. Now today's Turkey. Cinta tells them to speak Bangla word so something strikes her mind.
4. Island of Chains
Shikol dwip earlier in 17th century Shekeliya now it is Sicily.
Q-3 There are many Italian words in the novel. Have you tried to translate these words into English or Hindi with the help of the google translate app? If so, how is machine translation helping in the proper translation of Italian words into English or Hindi?
Ans. Yes, there are many Italian words in the novel. I have tried to translate some of them with the help of Google and the correct translation is what I get of all the words. So it can be said that to translate simple words, Google translator is very helpful and helps people to get the work done just as the calculator gives the results with accuracy. These translators help people to get the knowledge from the world at their fingertips and it widens the horizons of knowledge. This helps us to understand the importance of various languages and by this translation, we can use some words from other languages and can learn a new language in a better way, if not the whole language then at least by knowing few words can open the new windows of our brain, their sound system, and their words help us to know the world in a better way.
This novel has helped me to learn some things like even if we learn to say some words like Thank you, How are you? Good Day, Mother, Father, Teacher, Good Morning, Good Night, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, etc. in at least 5 new languages then also it will be a great study of various new languages and this will help us to slowly learn new languages and make our life more interesting and help us to discover and explore something new every now and then and this will keep us humble that still, we need to learn something more and what we know is very less as compared to the knowledge that already exists in the world.
LIMITATIONS:
Machines are not always working properly. Sometimes when a person copies the word for translation then what one gets is the same as the same word in the translation. So then despite trying many times machines don't give proper responses. So still systems need to be developed to get things done more efficiently.
Below are some Italian words from the novel along with their translation:
Foreign words English Translation
1. Ciao, caro! (Italian) 1. Hello dear
2. Keno? Ki chai (Bangla) 2. Why? What do you want?
3. Ki hoyechhé (Bengali) 3. What happened?
4. Chup korun (Bengali) 4. Shut up
In the novel, the translation used is Be quiet
5. Phire jachhé 5. Found the same word
6. Salvo che succeda un miracolo
6. Unless a miracle happens
7. fondi di carciofi
7. artichoke bottoms
8. Ha uni Aachen? (Luxembourgish)
8. found the same word
9. polizia (Italian)
9. police
10. portinaio (Italian)
10. doorman
11. Orribile (Italian)
11. Horrible
12. Appartamento (Italian)
12. apartment
13. niente, nulla
13. nothing
14. Grazie Mille (Italian)
14. A thousand thanks
Q-4 What are your views on the use of myth and history in the novel Gun Island to draw the attention of the reader towards contemporary issues like climate change and migration?
Ans. The myths may contain universal truths. They are the window to look in deep recesses of a particular culture.
The writer is using the myth of Mansa Devi and shows that there is some spirit that is controlling things in favor of nature and if people disobey then the result is climate change and as a result, people have to migrate for better favorable conditions to sustain their life. The myth is connected with the journey of Dinanath and he also travels the same path it is believed that he might also have faced the same situations as Gun Merchant faced in his journey. There is climate change in contemporary times also and the writer wants to make people aware to stop industrial pollution and it is telling multinational companies to stop pollution because it is the reason we are facing climate change and migration. When people are not ready to believe then some power like Mansa Devi comes and they have to ultimately surrender or else some troubles come constantly in their path.
Q-5 Is there any connection between 'The Great Derangement' and 'Gun Island'?
Ans. Yes, there is a connection between The Great Derangement and Gun Island.
In the novel, The Great Derangement writer is asking a question what is the role of a novelist in climate change? Literature is silent about it. But it is already mentioned in myths. They may be irrational but they have rational reasons for everything. In Gun Island, Amitav Ghosh is answering his own question that he asked in The Great Derangement. It is a novel that deals with climate change and migration using the myth of Mansa Devi because that is how he can convince the majority of people who don't believe in science and scientists.
So Amitav Ghosh as a writer knows what people in society believe, people believe more in religion rather than science. So using the fear of Mansa Devi writer wants to warn the readers against the dangers of climate change.
Thank you.