Women and Nature: Active Agents in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide and Sea of Poppies

Authors

Abstract

The novels The Hungry Tide (2005) and Sea of Poppies (2008) by Indian writer Amitav Ghosh, depict complex issues of voicelessness, ecofeminist concerns, and female resistance. This article examines the deep connections between women and nature within these novels, focusing specifically on the characters of Kusum and Deeti, who are deeply oppressed under patriarchy. Their struggles represent not only fictional but also historical events of Indian society, as Ghosh intertwines their oppression with occurrences such as the Morichjhãpi massacre and the Opium Trade. In our analysis, we explore how these characters are abused by the patriarchal structure that rules both their native land and colonial experience. Later on, we aim to delve into how they seek to find a voice through their understanding of nature.

Keywords

Amitav Ghosh, The Hungry Tide, Sea of Poppies, Agency, Nature, Women, Ecofeminism

References

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Author Biographies

Aina María Díaz-Llabrés, University of Lleida

Aina Díaz is part of the Departament de Llengües i Literatures Estrangeres in the University of Lleida (Spain) as a PDI researcher in the project “Aquatic Imaginaries: Re-charting Indoceanic and Atlantic Literary Productions INDAOC”. Her areas of interest involve Silence Studies, Diasporic Literatures, Popular Literature, Indian and African Novels, as well as Indian Ocean Novels on a more general note. As a PhD student, her area of research is Indian and African Diaspora Literatures.

Esther Jiménez-Rodríguez, University of Lleida

Esther Jiménez is currently working in the Department de Llengües i Literatures Estrangeres at the University of Lleida as a PDI researcher while completing her PhD studies. Her areas of research are Postcolonial Studies and Indian Ocean Studies. Her areas of interest include ecocriticism and ecofeminism in the literature produced within the area of the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. She is part of the current research project “Aquatic Imaginaries: Re-charting Indoceanic and Atlantic Literary Productions INDAOC”.

Published

2025-04-22

How to Cite

Díaz-Llabrés, A. M., & Jiménez-Rodríguez, E. (2025). Women and Nature: Active Agents in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide and Sea of Poppies. Indialogs, 12(1), 29–47. https://doi.org/10.5565/rev/indialogs.311

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