With just the beginning of this novel, Ghosh introduces complex interactions between multiple topics. With a constant switch in point of views, the readers of this novel are able to see how language, scenery, and identity combine and work together to produce this story through the eyes of Piya and Kanai. 

     Through the point of view of Kanai, we see that he is fluent in Bengali, while through Piya’s perspective, it is known that she is not fluent in the language. Back to Kanai’s point of view, we see that his scenery while visiting India consists of taking a train and then a boat in order to reach Lusibari, which is an island in the Sundarbans. When he finally reaches Lusibari, he reaches his aunt’s hospital, which depicts his connection to the community and his family’s involvement within said community. On the other hand, though we are still located in the Sundarbans, Piya’s scenery consists mainly of nature, as she is on a boat looking for dolphins, probably in hopes of studying them. The shift between the two characters and the difference in their experiences despite being in the same area allows us readers to see the Sundarbans from different perspectives, one through the eyes of culture and memory and the other through discovery and science. The change in point of view also allows the readers to analyze the two characters. Through Piya’s point of view, one would determine that she is dedicated and passionate about her career, while Kanai may seem a little arrogant as he compares his lifestyle to the lifestyle of the people in the Sundarbans.

     As far as identity, readers are able to witness how familiar Kanai is with the area where his aunt resides, as he is able to recall past events, conversations, interactions, and moments with his uncle, which no doubt connects him deeply to the place and his history with it. As for Piya, though we see her experience with trying to navigate the foreign culture, she highly reflects back to her life in America. From the time it took her to become a biologist to interactions that she’s had with her father. With this, readers are able to understand the contrast between the two characters, especially Piya, who is ethnically Bengali but culturally American, caught between the two different worlds. Thinking back to the first paragraph, this highlights Ghosh’s complex interaction with scenery and identity and how the feeling of belonging can differ based on someone’s experience.  

     With the genre Anthropocene often being told through fictional stories, Bracke and the examples she uses argues whether or not said genre would bring back novels. Bracke says, “The tension between the vastness … does not lead these scholars to dismiss the novel but rather has them focus on the Anthropocene as ‘an opportunity for the novel to do what it has always done—innovate,’” after she stated previously that “…the novel may no longer be able to adequately capture human experience” (89/88). With the Anthropocene being a serious topic, it leaves one wondering why this topic should be told through fictional stories. Maybe it’s due to the fact that a novel is told through connected events, which no doubt would fit the events of what leads up to a climate crisis. On the other hand, it could be that recent studies have found that fiction books are read more compared to nonfiction books. In fact, the article “More American readers are choosing fiction over fact” by Daniel de Visé states, “Fiction book sales have risen by 45 percent since pre-pandemic 2019, while nonfiction sales have slipped by 2 percent, according to data from NPD BookScan for the adult publishing market.” But this is just America alone. Does this apply to other countries as well? If the Anthropocene were to be told through novels, how many people would find interest in these books, and what countries would it be the most popular in? 

     Bracke says that “some scholars argue that the conventional, realist novel has run its course and is unable to imagine the new circumstances that humanity faces in the twenty-first century” (88). Realist novels tend to focus on the representation of everyday life, paying close attention to the different circumstances and conditions of life. With the changes that we have faced in the past years from the digital aspect of the world, the mix of cultures, political challenges, recent concerns of climate change, etc., how would a novel capture all of this if it is not up to date with these circumstances? This kind of relates to Ghosh’s​​ The Great Derangement and the story of their ancestors having to relocate/escape to higher ground after “the great river suddenly changed course, drowning the village,” where only a certain amount of the life in that village was able to escape (2). My question to this would be, how would an event like the great flood in Ghosh’s story affect a country like America, where there are multiple cultures living together? With the way certain states and cities are set up, are there even possibilities that people could escape from a flood?

1. Visé, Daniel de. “More American Readers Are Choosing Fiction over Fact.” The Hill, 30 Nov. 2022, thehill.com/changing-america/enrichment/arts-culture/3755188-more-american-readers-are-choosing-fiction-over-fact/.