Indian literature is profoundly infused with myths and the collective memory of Indian civilization and cultures. Indian collective memory is a tapestry or pastiche where multidimensional truths coexist without erasing the other truths for the dominion of a single narrative. Myths are not just irrational superstitions but serve as a living archive of the collective unconsciousness of the human psyche. Indian myths are echoes of its traditional belief in environmental protection, great reverence for nature, and emphasis on the interdependence of humans and nature. The myths bind the modern Indian psyche to the historical past and serve as a caution and warning against environmental degradation and its aftereffects. Amitav Ghosh’s Gun Island explores such a Bengali folklore, which serves as a link between the present and the past, reminding the consequences of ecological destruction for the future of mankind. The novel connects the fragile environmental condition of the Sundarbans and the impending global disaster of climate change due to human violence against natural habitats, flora and fauna. The novel draws parallels between the environmental refugees and human migration. It warns that human greed and capitalism strip the ecological system, the myths of Mansa Devi and the Gun merchant expose the primaeval capitalistic human nature and its constant transgression and violence against Nature, and the aftermaths. Myth serves as a connection between the past and present in India and other parts of the world. Gun Island highlights the modern crisis of migration, refugees, neo-colonialism, displacement and illegal organ trafficking.
myth, collective memory, history, transgression, ecological systems, gun merchant, Sundarbans, climate change, calamity.
Dr. Swati Tyagi. Myth As a Collective Memory and The Primal Language of Nature in Gun Island. Indian Journal of Modern Research and Reviews. 2026; 4(6):225-229
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