Devastating Dynamics of Colonialism, and Climate Change in Amitav Ghosh’s The Living Mountain

Abstract

This paper investigates the damaging role of colonialism in disrupting ecological sustainability leading to alarming climate degradation in Amitav Ghosh’s seemingly tiny, but pithy and deep novella The Living Mountain, a Fable for Our Times. The trajectory of the complex and elusive mechanism of colonialism is illustrated in a form of a parable that exposes misdeeds of the colonial powers. The pristine world of the warring folks of the villages high in the Himalayas, unbeknown to the geography and people beyond their boarders, is disturbed by the invaders in a very subtle manner. The paper showcases how the manipulative and exploitative practice of colonialism dethrones the sense of unity, self-sufficiency and eco-ethics of the mountain folks. By demeaning the indigenous folk knowledge system, which helped them survive since time immemorial, and projecting the ideas of supremacy motivated by immorality, avarice and plunder, the Anthropoi of this narrative initiate irreversible environmental loss. Unlike the earlier narrative styles, The Living Mountain is narrated in lucid and graspable manner, but with deeper nuances with an attempt to revert what Amitav calls “failure of imagination”.