Digital Object Identifier
This research article examines Amitav Ghosh’s exploration of cultural identity in The Hungry Tide and Sea of Poppies, with particular emphasis on the relationship between home and the world in postcolonial contexts. Through a close textual analysis of the two novels, the study investigates how migration, displacement, colonial history, and socio-political realities shape the characters’ perceptions of home, belonging, and cultural identity. It further explores the role of historical memory, personal experiences, and cultural interactions in the continuous reconstruction of identity. While The Hungry Tide presents the Sundarbans as a liminal space where ecology, history, and memory redefine notions of home, Sea of Poppies extends this exploration through the experiences of migration across the Kala Pani, highlighting the emergence of hybrid and transcultural identities. The study argues that Ghosh portrays home not merely as a geographical location but as an evolving cultural space shaped by movement, adaptation, and intercultural encounters. By examining the dynamic relationship between home and the world, this research contributes to postcolonial literary studies by demonstrating how Ghosh reimagines cultural identity as fluid, inclusive, and continually negotiated in an increasingly interconnected world.
Dr. R. Amalan, Dr. P. Sakthivel, Dr. P. Premkumar. “Home and the World: Cultural Identity in Amitav Ghosh’s Novels.” The Criterion: An International Journal in English, vol. 17, no. 4, August 2026, pp. 461-476. DOI, https://doi.org/10.66376/criterion.v17.n4.28.
Open Access · CC BY 4.0 · Crossref DOI ·
the-criterion.com