Eco-critical Outlook of Subalterns in Nectar in a Sieve of Kamala Markandaya and in The Hungry Tide of Amitav Ghosh

This paper deals with the outlook, thoughts and approach of the subalterns towards ecology and environment that Kamala Markandaya and Amitav Ghosh present in their novels “Nectar in a Sieve” (1954) and “The Hungry Tide” (2004) respectively. An analytical method is used to deal with this study. Kamala Markandaya and Amitav Ghosh are great environmentalists who with a deep sense of ecological perspectives presented the subalterns’ lives that they lead in the lap of nature and laid down their indignant approach towards growing industrialization, deforestation and unethical act of killing animals. This study will show that how subalterns are more sensitive to nature, the more environmentalists and contribute to the protection of nature which is getting devastated day by day. According to Cheryll Glotfelty Eco-criticism studies the relation between the physical environment and the literature. Here, the focus is how these two novels present the relation of the whole environment and the literature through the life and thoughts of marginalized people and areas where Subalterns live. The agrarian culture, Rukmani’s love of nature, birds and animals; Nathan’s love of farming; introduction of tannery and its adverse effects upon the life of the Subaltern are presented in “Nectar in a Sieve” by Kamala Markandaya. Amitav Ghosh, in “The Hungry Tide”, presents the lives of the Subalterns in Sundarbans, the beautiful and healthy atmosphere of Sundarbans, and the attitude of Subalterns towards saving the life of the animals in Sundarbans