Updated research question: How does religion shape Nirmal’s perspectives and practices on the environmental crisis and the benefits it brings for the environmental crisis?

Sumati, Yadav. (PDF) The Hungry Tide: Climate Sustainability En Route from Ancient Texts to Modern Fiction to Humanity, www.researchgate.net/publication/321171688_THE_HUNGRY_TIDE_CLIMATE_SUSTAINABILITY_EN_ROUTE_FROM_ANCIENT_TEXTS_TO_MODERN_FICTION_TO_HUMANITY.  

The passage provided evidence for the positive influence of mythologies and religion on people’s ecological views. The passage provides an alternative perspective on environmental deterioration due to moral deterioration and religion plays a huge role. Hence, it provides evidence of religion’s benefit in the environmental crisis. 

Juxtaposing Myth and Reality: An Ecogothic Study of Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide

http://jbcollege.digitallibrary.co.in/bitstream/123456789/17/1/Layout%20Setting%20File.pdf#page=78 

The passage further explains how the myth instills fear in the residents of the Sundarbans as a survival technique. This adds to my thesis because survival techniques are required to live on the islands and to balance the human-nature relationship. 

Bora, Zélia, and S. Murali, editors. Narratives of Environmental Challenges in Brazil and India : Losing Nature. Lexington Books, 2019.

https://cuny-hc.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CUNY_HC/m880uq/alma9994445181906133 

The passage provides evidence that religion plays a large role in cultures around the globe and shares the relationship between humans and nature. Moreover, understanding the importance of religion could lead to possible solutions for the environmental crisis.   

Myth and Ecology: An Ecocritical Study of Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/106687846/17539.pdf-libre.pdf?1697547657=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DMyth_and_Ecology_An_Ecocritical_Study_of.pdf&Expires=1732917302&Signature=QK-IM0fxR6nW2GAq2IGIPt7TOUfhX4QOZME18SisihhT6MXLmp22jTP-SChdemfcLd9nHnCvYn6CsTPWdEh83qYC-4GgaRNP~TBsgWTQj8iN1zb3tJPGolo1RVngIuSixpPCEUWmaAwr4RzYO9nl8QMaR6c5Oem~WwxeYiwiGv7zoQjNmnzCw0RZj5-s2vKSurgZdCa2cNsynfn05HBL~gIZFfs6D83mEq2oFebV4lmeXAbmJbxNNUJUwiQq~HA~Z-CxPk4XQ-rMcs4uoQMvyAjYEDtBxPS77dGcalKolWIMeFNu01LpRe0BrtVx3w~4EfvXWLcfgTw58awoEDKYYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA 

The passage proved that myths could help connect people with their environment through Nirmal. Myths provide basic knowledge of understanding natural phenomena for people who could not acquire scientific knowledge. Hence, this knowledge protects humans from harming the environment and protects the environment and vice versa. 

Bonbibi Myth: Environmental Concerns in Amitav Ghosh’s Narrative

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Shahaji-Mastud/publication/357116612_Bonbibi_Myth_Environmental_Concerns_in_Amitav_Ghosh’s_Narrative/links/61c96420e669ee0f5c691831/Bonbibi-Myth-Environmental-Concerns-in-Amitav-Ghoshs-Narrative.pdf?origin=journalDetail&_tp=eyJwYWdlIjoiam91cm5hbERldGFpbCJ9 

This passage provided evidence that myth could be reinterpreted to express deeper truth and address current problems hence it could be beneficial towards environmental problems. It explains how the myth of Bonbibi led to the balance of land between human settlements and nature Furthermore, it also explains myths are important in restricting human desires and their actions of destroying the environment. 

My research question is how religion shapes Nirmal’s perspectives and practices on the environmental crisis and the benefits and disadvantages it brings for the environmental crisis?

Bora, Zélia, and S. Murali, editors. Narratives of Environmental Challenges in Brazil and India : Losing Nature. Lexington Books, 2019.

https://cuny-hc.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01CUNY_HC/m880uq/alma9994445181906133 

Sumati, Yadav. (PDF) The Hungry Tide: Climate Sustainability En Route from Ancient Texts to Modern Fiction to Humanity, www.researchgate.net/publication/321171688_THE_HUNGRY_TIDE_CLIMATE_SUSTAINABILITY_EN_ROUTE_FROM_ANCIENT_TEXTS_TO_MODERN_FICTION_TO_HUMANITY.  

Umadevi, V. “INTRICACIES OF MYTH AND CULTURE IN THE HUNGRY TIDE: A STUDY ON ISLAND LITERATURE.” LITERARY ENDEAVOUR: 282. https://literaryendeavour.org/special-issues/SE-Jul-2018.pdf#page=295 

Misra, Maitrayee. “Bonbibi and Cetology: The Confluence of the Mythic and the Scientific in Amitav Ghosh’s The Hungry Tide.” Re-Thinking Environment: 176. (Chapter 16). https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/55828361/Re-Thinking_Environment_final_draftR_revised-libre.pdf?1518897402=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DRe_Thinking_Environment_Literature_Ethic.pdf&Expires=1731987809&Signature=VEkz4rXjnbjji3mUZW6P4rMN6Ef0wL0BOqkTBOpd7Xeq2XTGpsM4GIkPgcoprFRMv2a6NxBs6p1ozNqL8n5iOuzr-~ASKL0h2CvBVWRmrS8B4uNEkOwwPGjaZcU7B5QMH8i2e84NSl0RxKDURq4NAB8O75CLPc~2whtElZWWisCmziexcayMckijI67cdVr6Zly4Z9RAuVhmrNPYSVbZn6OaT2IHnjxKZaOjScmOyJOGZ5gDPDG7Bz9HjbptKIYDHZfoV8RgMDc5Mba1P0zJ4XFKF4kUUJjA4yOZu7xgmW5YlHa~lTPnylV06TcGqLN001gLWA3Wy6b5K0c~TKRFyw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA#page=176 

Edited by Dr. Nandini Choudhury and Dr.  Saba Anish, Siddhanta The Conclusions, Vol. III, Myths Revisited and Retold,

http://jbcollege.digitallibrary.co.in/bitstream/123456789/17/1/Layout%20Setting%20File.pdf#page=78 

I use Google Scholar and Hunter Library for my search.

In part 2 of “Weather,” we get more perspectives surrounding environmental concerns. Lizzie’s daily interactions with the characters reveal attitudes toward climate change. It ranges from attitudes from doomers to indifference towards ecological problems and the fate of human civilizations. For example, Lizzie states, “people are really sick of being lectured to about glaciers. “Listen,  I’ve heard all about that,” says this red-faced man. “But what’s going to happen to the American weather?” (73). The attitude reflects the limitations of advocation and education on climate change to the masses. This attitude of indifference is connected to the lack of knowledge and understanding of Slow violence where the masses are unable to see the impacts of climate change in their lives. Climate change is taught on large scales such as the declines of glaciers, lands, and levels of the atmosphere. Many would feel indifferent towards these large scales because of the inevitableness and uncontrolled by humans, thereby projecting the same attitudes towards climate change. This leads to a lack of attention and awareness in the public, resulting in the rapid rate of climate change. This makes me appreciate the importance of Sci-fi novels portraying climate change on a smaller scale. Reading is an essential action within our daily life and being in touch with the masses. Thereby, educating about climate change through novels holds the power to change the reader’s perspectives, and Sci-fi novels present the daily Anthropocene with public-liked genres such as comedy and romance. For example, Butler’s book inspires readers to attain essential skills and prepare in advance for possible environmental destruction.

Secondly, Ben, Lizzie’s husband, provides a dismissive attitude towards climate change. This type of person dismisses the idea that human extinction is the result of climate change. Their foundation of belief seems to be built on see to believe. He states, “I only believe in math, he mumbled. Show me the math, okay?”(88) when Lizzie tries to share her learning of the climate. He brushed it off by requesting evidence. Lizzie rebutted that Ben won’t bother to dig for the data. On the other hand, Ben refers to Lizzie as a “crazy doomer”(89) explains her perspectives on climate change and her life. She has a depressive perspective towards her life throughout the book. Her thoughts could indicate embracing environmental destruction and even looking forward to it. When her niece’s birth is being celebrated instead of living in the moment, she thinks about the worst case where happiness would be taken away. Other characters were celebrating while Lizzie concludes that “Nothing lasts forever is the conclusion reached.” (99). A difference from Butler’s book which seeks to build a future from the crisis, this book leads more to embracing the human fate of extinction.

I want to use the novel “The Hungry Tide” by Amitav Ghosh. My research question is how does Religion shape perspectives and practices on environmental crisis and the benefits and disadvantages it brings for environmental crisis?

Weather by Offill has an interesting narration that presents the narrator’s thoughts on daily interactions. The narrator’s thoughts were cut off without finishing. The book’s tone is dull, and passive, and has negative perspectives towards life as it jumps between different encounters. It’s a bold way of writing a novel because tone is essential in the beginning to catch the reader’s interest. Furthermore, the readers could struggle to understand the plot of this book’s formation. If I bypassed this book, I would most likely drop it off because I wasn’t able to understand the plot from the beginning. This makes me question whether I am reading this book for entertainment or education wise? What is the line drawn for Si-Fi to be more fiction or science-based? Should Si-Fi be limited by these two option or could be more creative?

Secondly, this book offers a different narration from Bulter and Ghosh’s book where it doesn’t have a visible plot, romantic relationships, or a visible connection to the environmental crisis. One connection between Butler, Ghosh, and Offill’s book is references to religion. In the books of Butler and Ghosh, religion is portrayed in a positive light that symbolizes community, guidance, and hope. However, in this book, the references are from the bible is being interrogated. For example, “Does extinction matter since we know how the Bible ends?” (Offill 27). This example offers a different mindset towards anthropogenic destruction where people have knowledge from the bible of the extinction of humans and accept it to happen just in a matter of time. Another example is, “When are the Days of Tribulation? Did Noah’s flood cover the whole earth or just the places where people lived?” (Offill 35). These are the questions that I encounter from believers and non-believers as we see more frequent news of natural disasters and wars between countries erupting. This reflects that the questions are realistic and can be situated in our day-to-day lives. Moreover, the questions present the fears and depressive perspectives of the environmental crisis worsen although there is no exposition of environmental concern in the book. It could be implied in any situation, not just in the past or the future.

Lastly, this book could connect to Haraway’s idea of a deeper connection of kinship between humans and other critters. One example to present this idea is, “I tell Eli I will take him out to eat at the dinner. NO ANIMALS ALLOWED, the sign outside the restaurant reads. ‘But we are animals, right?'” (Offill 34-35). This proves humans are no different from other critters and should be responsible for the environmental crisis as we are all refugees on Earth.