Framing Amitav Ghosh in Environmental Humanities: An Introduction

Abstract

Environmental Humanities is a multidisciplinary field that explores the entangled relationships between human culture and the wider material world. If the Environmental Sciences investigate the material factors that contribute to our ecological crisis, the Environmental Humanities explore, in transformative dialogue with the sciences, the aesthetic, imaginative, religious, and ethical components that not only drive our crisis but also provide us with the cultural tools to bring about healthy, flourishing futures. Keeping this in view, Amitav Ghosh (1956--) is one such prolific contemporary Indian writer, who has demonstrated a keen interest in environmental issues and climate change through his literary works. In addition to providing an elaborated introduction to Environmental Humanities, this paper aims to explore the nuanced manifestations of climate concerns in Ghosh’s writing, unraveling the depth of his narratives in depicting the ecological challenges faced by humanity.