PETROCAPITALISM AND ITS EFFECTS: AN ECO CRITICAL STUDY OF AMITAV GHOSH’S

Abstract

THE CIRCLE OF REASON

Amitav Ghosh’s. The Circle of Reason focuses on themes like migration, displacement, storytelling, war, sanitation, ecology and purity. A close reading of this novel reveals a number of ecological issues that is existing in the last few decades causing environmental disasters.  Journey as a motif, connects the three parts of the novel. The novel symbolically deals with the three stages of human life- Satwa – which means search for wisdom, Rajas – life of passion and Tamas – darkness and destruction. Birds are true representations of the ecology of a place. The novel delves into how birds are deprived of their natural lifecycle and remain disrupted. Petrocapitalism serves as a very powerful motif to show the depletion of fuel, leading to the displaced refugees and exploited biosphere. This paper attempts to make an eco-critical reading of the novel, The Circle of Reason.