Human and Non-Human: The Duality of Diaspora in Amitav Ghosh's Gun Island

Athithya Paramesh N. P. *, J. Amutha Monica **
*-** Department of English, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Periodicity:January - March'2024
DOI : https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.14.1.20382

Abstract

‘Diaspora' is a term that has undergone transformation throughout history. In its original sense, it referred to the Jewish population residing outside of their native land in Palestine. In its current usage, it encompasses any dispersion of people or linguistic and cultural phenomena originating from a localized source. The transnational narrative of Gun Island parallels the dispersion of both human and non-human animals caused by human-induced climate change. Humans migrate for various reasons, including environmental factors and economic opportunities, while non-human animals migrate solely due to pervasive climate change in the Anthropocene. This study argues that the novel invites readers to rethink the global perspective of diaspora from a more inclusive and ecological standpoint, recognizing that non- human animals also exhibit some features common to human diaspora groups. Examples include displacement from original habitats, encountering challenges in new environments, and bearing cultural or ecological relevance for source regions.

Keywords

Diaspora, Non-Human Animals, Climate Refugees, Climate Change, Anthropocene, Migration, Ecology.

How to Cite this Article?

Paramesh, A. N. P., and Monica, J. A. (2024). Human and Non-Human: The Duality of Diaspora in Amitav Ghosh's Gun Island. i-manager’s Journal on English Language Teaching, 14(1), 26-33. https://doi.org/10.26634/jelt.14.1.20382

References

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[10]. De, A. (2021). Human/Non-human interface and the affective uncanny in amitav ghosh's gun Island. Revista Interdisciplinar de Literatura e Ecocrítica, 7(1), 62-79.
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