The story of book revolves around a conflict between man and nature and it is set in the Island of Sundarbans, a mangrove area nearby of Bay of Bengal. The novel is trying to teach us that how people because of their lack of knowledge and poverty are destroying environment and creating an imbalance in nature.
THE HUNGRY TIDE BY AMITAV GHOSH
Summary of Hungry Tide By Amitav Ghosh
The Hungry Tide is a Sixth novel by Famous Indian Author Amitav Ghosh and it was published in 2005. The Novel has won Hutch Crossword book award for fiction in 2004.
The story of novel revolves around Piyali Roy also known as Piya, who is a marine water biologist. She was born in Calcutta but grew up in United States and never get a chance to learn her parent native language. She travels to Sunderbans from United States to research on local river rare species Dolphins.
The next major character of novel is Kanai Dutt, a 42 years old wealthy interpreter works in New Delhi. The Kanai Dutt is a translator from profession as he understand lots of languages and he also owns a businesses. He travels to Sundarbans from New Delhi to deal with a notebook left for him by his late uncle Nirmal Bose.
The third character of story is Nirmal Bose, who is uncle of Kanai Dutt and husband to Nilima Bose. He was a Marxist and a writer who used to taught English at a college in Calcutta. Over the period of time due to political problems he shifted to Sundarbans from Calcutta and in 1970s he marks his involvement in Morichjhapi massacre where he fight to protect the refugees. He used to write about his experience with Marochajhpi massacre and sums it up in a notebook which is reclaim by Kanai as per his wish after death.
The story of book starts with Piyali Roy also known as Piya, who is a marine water biologist. She is travelling to Sunderbans from United States to research on the local river rare species dolphins. She meets Kanai Dutt in Canning railway station, a 42 years old wealthy interpreter works in New Delhi. He is travelling to Sundarbans from New Delhi to deal with a notebook left for him by his late uncle Nirmal Bose. Kanai Dutt invites Piyali to come to Lucibari, she ask him where you will meet me and how Iam going to meet you in in Lusibari.
Kanai Dutt explain to Piya that her aunt Nilima Bose has a famous local trust organization in Lusibari, which provide free health services to people. She can visit him through the name of her aunt who is quite famous in Lusibari because of her local trust organization. When train arrives at canning station they both say goodbye to each other where Kanai goes to his aunt Nilima’s house in Lusibari and while on the other hand Piya goes in forest department to take permit for the research of dolphins. She goes for research with Mejda, who is a steam boat pilot to whom she met in forest department.
The story now jumps to a life of Kanai Dutt, after arriving in Lusibari Island, Kanai and his aunt Nilima goes to a building name Babadon. On the way Nilima tells Kanai that woman name Moyna is cooking food for them, who is a trainee nurse and wife of fisherman name Fokir, who is a son of Kanai’s childhood friend name Kusum. Moreover, he learns that his childhood friend Kusum was killed in 1979 Morichjhapi massacre. When Kanai goes to his uncle house he finds out the notebook left for him by his uncle. He starts reading his uncle notebook thoroughly while reading notebook Kanai discover two things first is how his uncle joins Morichjhapi massacre and second is how his childhood friend Kusum dies.
When Nirmal was young he was a Marxist but due to political reason he shifted to Lusibari with his wife. During their shift Nirmal’s wife Nilima forms a women’s union so that she can help widow women and she also join Babadon Trust, providing free health services to the people of Lusibari and nearby island of Sundarbans. One days when Nirmal was coming back from college with his friend Horen they got stuck in rising tide due to which they land in Morichjhapi island where they meet Kusum. Kusum share their story with them about how she get married, how she has a son and how she has travelled from central India to Sundarban by joining refugee movement. After listening Kusum’s story Nirmal Bose get excited and decide to educate the children of Morichjhapi. But Nirmal’s wife Nilima don’t want him to join refugee movement.
After a while one day when Nirmal Bose get to know about the news of police strike on refugees or migrant. He decides to go back on island with his best friend Horen to warn Kusum about the strike of police. When Nirmal arrives at the island he decides to stay at island but Horen decide to comes back with his son. After few weeks in year 1979, thousands of refugees were killed and thrown into sea and hundreds of women were raped by police officers. After a while Nirmal Bose was found in Canning Railway station and he was so depressed that he died in a month after the incident of Morichjhapi island. Kusum was also found dead in island. The first part of novel end with Kusum death in Morichjhapi island.
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