Linked by Loss: Exploring Trauma through Animal Imagery in Amitav Ghosh`s The Hungry Tide

Exploring Trauma through Animal Imagery in Amitav Ghosh`s The Hungry Tide Name Course Professor’s Name Institution Location Date Exploring Trauma through Animal Imagery in Amitav Ghosh`s The Hungry Tide In The Hungry Tide, Amitav Ghosh explores the complex lives of Kanai Dutt, Piya Roy, and Fokir in Sundarbans, a treacherous landscape where people battle daily against the forces of nature to survive. One of the most effective symbols used in the novel is the Royal Bengal tiger, which symbolizes the untamed nature of wilderness in Sundarbarns and most importantly acts as a metaphor for the traumatic experiences of the characters in the book. It is important to recognize that individuals with traumatic experiences feel like they are being invaded by uncontrollable forces (Britton, 2013). Through animal imagery and tiger imagery specifically, the author explores the themes of fear, loss, survival, and human-nature conflict, reflecting the emotional and psychological trauma experienced by the characters. Ghosh uses the Royal Bengal tiger as a symbol of the trauma that characterizes the experiences of the inhabitants of the Sundarbans. The tiger is portrayed as a creature of terror representing the constant threat the natural world poses to the islands' inhabitants. For these people, the tiger reminds them that they are facing constant danger and that at any moment they can lose their lives. Nilima captures this well when she explains to Kanai the dangers posed by tigers: “I’ve come to believe what people say in these parts: that if you see a tiger, the chances are you won’t live to tell the tale" (Ghosh, 2004, 261). Tigers are thus described as creatures to be feared and anyone who encounters them will likely be killed by the animal. In essence, the inhabitants of the islands have constant fear of the tiger as can be seen in the conversation between Nilima and Kanai. The fear of the tiger creates a psychological burden and trauma that is...