This presentation is from the Paper 207: Contemporary Literature in English, Unit 1: Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island (2019) and I choose the topic Exploring Existential Depths: Susan Macleod's Journey and the Philosophical Realm.

1. Department of English
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Date: 1st April 2024
Sem 4। Batch 2022-24
Contemporary English Literature
Presentation on
Exploring the Narrative Style of
Amitav Ghosh's 'Gun Island’
Presented by Pooja Bhuva

2. Personal Information
● Presented by:- Pooja A. Bhuva
● Enrollment Number:- 4069206420220005
● Email:- poojabhuva2002@gmail.com
● Batch:- 2022 - 2024 (M.A. Sem 4)
● Date:- 2 April, 2024
● Paper: African Literature
● Roll Number:- 15

3. Some of the ideas & Questions addressed in the Presentation
● Does the use of non-linear storytelling techniques
in the novel ‘Gun Island’ have any impact on the
story?
● Is using a first-person narrative voice enough for
the reader to understand the main idea or point of
the story?
● Do the different ways the story is narrated make
this novel different?

4. What are some Narrative Techniques?
● Throughout literary history, many writers have challenged linear, chronological storytelling. Works like
the Arabian Nights tales "The City of Brass" and "The Three Apples" employ in medias res beginnings and
flashbacks, jumping back and forth in time. (Pinault)
● The ancient English epic Beowulf presents its hero's life non-chronologically, showcasing key events out of
sequence. (Klaeber)
● Modernist novelists like Virginia Woolf and William Faulkner experimented with disrupting narrative
timelines, exploring alternative ways to organize events beyond a straightforward chronology. (Heise)
● These examples highlight how writers have embraced non-linear narrative structures that deviate from
traditional linear styles.
● Non-linear narratives purposefully disrupt chronological order and conventional storytelling structures.
Events may be presented out of sequence, disconnected, or even contradictory, generating confusion and
disorientation.
● This forces the audience to actively engage with the story, concentrate on unraveling the plotline, and
draw their own conclusions about the meaning and significance of portrayed events. The unpredictability
and need for active interpretation make non-linear narratives a powerful storytelling tool that demands
audience participation and deeper immersion in the story's unfolding.

5. Amitav Ghosh
● Born: 11 July, 1956
● Nominated for the Man Booker Prize for his work "Sea of
Poppies" in the Ibis Trilogy.
● "River of Smoke," published in 2011, was a finalist for the
2011 Man Asia Literary Prize.
● Jnanpith Award in 2018
● He pursued his higher education at the University of
Oxford and earned a Ph.D. in social anthropology in 1982.
● His debut novel, "The Circle of Reason," was published in
1986.
● He is renowned for his literary creations such as "Dancing
in Cambodia, at Large in Burma," "The Imam and the
Indian," "River of Smoke," "Sea of Poppies," "Delirium,
and Discovery," "The Circle of Reason," "The Shadow
Lines," "Gun Island," and more.
(Luebering)

6. Gun Island ● Author: Amitav Ghosh
● Published: 2019
● Narration: First Person
● Genre: Novel, Climate Fiction (Cli-fi) &
Historical Fiction
● Setting: Kolkata, India, Sundarbans
Mangrove Forest, Los Angeles & Venice
● The novel is divided into two parts,
each containing several chapters. The
first part is titled "The Gun Merchant,"
while the second part is titled "Venice."
● Key characters in the novel include
Deenanath Datta, Piyali Roy, Cinta,
Nilima Bose, Tipu, Rafi, Lubna Khala,
Gisa and more.
About the Novel
(Ghosh)

7. Narration through Point of View
● In "Gun Island," Ghosh employs a First-person narrative technique. The novel is
predominantly told from the perspective of various characters narrating their own
experiences and stories. (Munro)
● This consistent use of first-person narration allows readers to gain an intimate understanding
of the story through the eyes of different characters. We are exposed to multiple viewpoints,
enriching our comprehension of the events.
● Additionally, the story does not follow a straight chronological order. Instead of events
happening one after the other, the novel jumps back and forth in time and place. Ghosh
skillfully connects different storylines and myths, weaving them together in a non-linear way.
● This non-linear structure reflects the complex web of stories and legends that are central to
the novel's themes. By not following a simple linear path, readers can better explore the
deeper layers of meaning in the book.
“I hesitated. ‘I don’t know that I’ll have the time,’ I said. ‘I’m heading back to New
York very soon.’” (Ghosh) (Said by Deen)

8. Narration through Chapters & Characters
● One interesting aspect of the narrative style in "Gun Island" is the way Ghosh uses
chapters and character perspectives. Some chapters are told entirely from a specific
character's point of view, allowing us to see events through their eyes and
understand their unique perspectives.
● Additionally, the chapter titles themselves are intriguing. Titles like "Wildfires,"
"Winds," "Sightings," and "The Storm" directly reference elements of nature. This is
an interesting technique by Ghosh to interweave the natural world into the narrative
itself.
● Through these chapter titles and character-focused narratives, Ghosh skillfully
connects the human stories and experiences to the forces of nature that surround
them. This narrative style highlights the intrinsic link between the characters' lives
and the natural environment they inhabit.
● By employing this technique, Ghosh creates a narrative that is not only about the
characters' personal journeys but also about their relationship with the natural
world, seamlessly blending the human and environmental aspects of the story.

9. Narration through Location & Nature
● The novel traces the quest of Deen, a rare book dealer from New York, who travels to the
Sundarbans in West Bengal to unravel the mystery of a 17th century merchant persecuted
by the mythical snake goddess Manasa Devi. (Naz)
● Brooklyn, Kolkata, Sundarbans Mangrove Forest, Los Angeles & Venice (Google Earth)
(Google)
● The narrative moves across locations like Venice and the Sundarbans, both threatened by
rising sea levels due to global warming. (Naz)
● The novel highlights the plight of refugees and migrants forced to leave their homelands
due to ecological devastation caused by climate change.
● In addition to using real places, he also refers to fictional locations, where "Gun Island"
represents Venice, "Land of Kerchiefs" means "Rumali Desh" in Bengali, "Island of Chains"
signifies "Shikol Dwip," and "Land of Palm Sugar Candy" implies "Taal Misri Desh" in Bengali.
● In the idea of Narration through Nature, Ghosh focused on the concept of Migration caused
by Climate Change. He also discussed events like the presence of shipworms, encounters
with spiders, beaching of dolphins and whales, etc., to highlight this theme in the novel.

10. Narration through Myth & Symbols
● Ghosh used myth as a narrative tool on three distinct levels:
Contemporary, Historical, and Mythological.
● Ghosh intertwines the real and fantastical, using supernatural
elements like hauntings and appearances of snakes and spiders
associated with Manasa Devi. (Naz)
● By depicting diverse characters and invoking myth, history, fact
and fiction, Ghosh has created a work that contrasts the past with
contemporary concerns over climate change and cross-border
migration.
● The incorporation of symbols adds an intriguing layer to the
narrative, particularly with the use of three key symbols: the
Snake, Island, and Spider. These symbols are transformed into
clues within the roadmap followed by the Bandooki Sadagar.

11. Narration through Religion
● Article titled “Religion, Nature, and Life in the Sundarbans” by Uddin discusses how
religion shapes the narration and beliefs surrounding the natural environment of the
Sundarbans mangrove forest in Bengal. For the Muslim and Hindu fisher folk, honey
collectors, and woodcutters who depend on the forest for their livelihood, religion
provides a lens through which they understand and relate to the forest and its dangers.
(Uddin)
● This idea of Religion is used by Ghosh for Sundarban is unique. He shows a Muslim family
as caretakers of a local shrine, challenging the assumption that Hindu elements would be
more prominent in religious practices related to the region's sacred spaces.
● Ghosh's narration blends Muslim, Hindu, and Bengali cultural elements seamlessly,
reflecting the syncretic (combined) nature of religious expression in the area. By
portraying a Muslim family as custodians of a shrine revered by both communities, Ghosh
highlights the shared reverence for the natural environment that transcends religious
boundaries.
● Instead of portraying the religious landscape from a single perspective, Ghosh's nuanced
approach acknowledges the intricate interplay of diverse faith traditions that have shaped
the spiritual worldview of the Sundarbans' inhabitants.

12. Works Cited
● "Amitav Ghosh." The Booker Prizes, thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/authors/amitav-ghosh. Accessed
1 Apr. 2024.
● Ghosh, Amitav. Gun Island. Penguin Random House India Pvt. Limited, 2019.
● Google. "Google Earth Map of Setting of the 'Gun Island' by Amitav Ghosh." Google Earth, Google, 1 April 2024,
https://earth.google.com/earth/d/11YOCTYl6De5qebpkmJqlUzxxd2zBLfWE?usp=sharing. Accessed 13 February
2024.
● Heise, Ursula K. Chronoschisms: Time, Narrative, and Postmodernism. Cambridge University Press, 1997.
● Klaeber, Friedrich. Klaeber's Beowulf and The Fight at Finnsburg. University of Toronto Press, 2008.
● Luebering, J.E.. "Amitav Ghosh". Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 April. 2024,
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Amitav-Ghosh. Accessed 1 April 2024.
● Munro, T. O. “GUN ISLAND BY AMITAV GHOSH THE UNSEEN ACADEMIC.” The Fantasy Hive, 22 September
2021, https://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2021/09/gun-island-by-amitav-ghosh-the-unseen-academic/. Accessed 1 April
2024.
● Naz, Karishma. “Narrative historical fiction and memory a literacy device with special reference to Amitav
Ghosh novel : Gun Island.” International Journal of Creative Research Thoughts, vol. 8, no. 9, 2022, pp. 306-
308. https://ijcrt.org/papers/IJCRT2009040.pdf. Accessed 1 April 2024.
● Pinault, David. Story-Telling Techniques in the Arabian Nights. Brill, 1992.
● Uddin, Sufia M. “Religion, Nature, and Life in the Sundarbans.” Asian Ethnology, vol. 78, no. 2, 2019, pp. 289–
310. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26845329. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.

13. Thanks!
Do You have any Questions?
Contact: poojabhuva2002@gmail.com