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57 pages 1 hour read

Amitav Ghosh

Gun Island

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019

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Symbols & Motifs

Snakes

Snakes are a recurring symbol throughout the book. They are directly connected to the Gun Merchant’s legend, as Manasa Devi is the goddess of snakes and other venomous creatures. Within the context of both the legend and the main plotline of the novel, they are implied to be her minions and the vehicles for her wrath in the physical world. This pattern becomes evident when the Gun Merchant’s family dies of snakebite, and he, too, is bit by a venomous creature on Gun Island; similarly, Deen and his companions have frequent encounters with venomous creatures during their adventures. Thus, Ghosh uses snakes as a symbol of danger within the story, as well as an indicator that something arguably supernatural is taking place.

However, when the perspective of the Gun Merchant’s story is reinterpreted as the struggle for balance between human interference and the natural order, snakes can be seen as a helpful source of warnings rather than as vicious creatures. Just as in the original legend, Tipu gets bitten; however, he is only bitten by a single fang of the cobra, and there is not enough venom to kill him. On the contrary, the snakebite bestows the power of precognition upon him, and he begins to have visions designed to warn the people around him about imminent catastrophes in their vicinity. For example, he senses that Rani is in danger, warns Deen about potential mishaps on his trip to LA, and even lets Rafi know that they will be separated and later reunited. Tipu’s visions also lead him to the Ethiopian woman in Egypt, which effectively leads to the captive refugees’ rescue.

Snakes can therefore be seen as a symbol of nature within the story. In this context, the yellow-bellied sea snake that kills Gisa’s dog is not acting vindictively; instead, it is merely an unfortunate accident caused by the widespread effects of global warming that have forced the snake to change its migration patterns. The snake’s presence is therefore a more practical warning that the earth, from a scientific standpoint, is critically out of balance. Thus, snakes are an apt representation of the consequences of humanity’s collectively harmful actions against nature.

Venice and the Sunderbans

Venice and the Sunderbans are both important symbolic settings within the Gun Merchants legend as well as in the central story. The Gun Merchant’s legend starts Deen’s journey, and just like the legend, his adventures truly begin in the Sunderbans. This is the Merchant’s home, and it is also where he finally builds a shrine to Manasa Devi to fulfill his promise to honor her. Deen visits this shrine with Tipu, where they meet Rafi. This is also where Tipu is bitten by the snake whose venom causes him to have prophetic visions. This event therefore acts as a critical catalyst to the plot’s forward momentum, for all future conflicts arguably proceed from this moment.

In the legend, the Gun Merchant becomes famous for making his fortune on Gun Island, earning him and the book both their respective titles. Cinta and Deen decipher Gun Island to be a reference to Venice, and this is where they, as well as Rafi and Tipu, eventually arrive. There are also deep similarities and sharp contrasts between the Sunderbans and Venice. The Sunderbans consists of a collection of mangrove forests in the Bay of Bengal, the area carved into constantly shifting islands by the tidal streams that run through the area. Similarly, Venice is a city built on a collection of islands upon a lagoon in the Atlantic sea. However, whereas the Sunderbans is considered a wild, mysterious, and unpredictable place, Venice is synonymous with culture and civilization. Thus, the Sunderbans represent the Indigenous, colonized world, while Venice represents the white, “civilized” colonizer. Despite these differences, neither place is safe from Manasa Devi and her minions, as they reach both the Merchant and Deen in the mangroves and in the “Ghetto,” respectively. Similarly, neither place is safe from natural calamities or the vagaries of the weather, as evidenced by the cyclones in the Sunderbans and the storms in Venice. The contacts and similarities between both places together symbolize the repercussions of man’s actions against nature irrespective of culture and country, and highlight the theme of The Conflict between Humans and Nature.

The Blue Boat

The Blue Boat is the vessel that the freed refugees commandeer and use to travel to Italy. Within the central plot of the book, the boat becomes a symbol of the burgeoning refugee crisis in Europe as the escalating situation draws international attention to the issue. As more information arises about the boat, the start of its journey is revealed to be Sinai: a hub of the human organ trade. The passengers of the boat have information about these criminal networks that exert illicit influence within the governments of several countries—hence those countries’ reluctance to allow the boat safe passage.

This information underscores the extent to which some people can pursue personal profit, sacrificing other humans for the sake of their own gain. Thus, this symbol also highlights The Politics of Travel and Movement by illuminating the nature of the xenophobia that many Europeans feel toward migrant groups who are desperate to escape negative or dangerous situations in their own countries. The boat reminds Deen of how people on the Indian subcontinent were exploited and transported across the world by European powers for labor during colonial times. However, as the narrative observes, now these same nations oppose the movement of migrants who arrive on their own terms, for their arrival will disrupt the systems of economic power and privilege that exist to favor the majority-white European nations. The Blue Boat also mirrors the conclusion of the Gun Merchant’s Legend, where a miracle wrought by Manasa Devi saves the Merchant and his fellow passengers from their captors. The Blue Boat experiences a similar miracle, and the refugees are saved; this also brings resolution to the other characters in the book, with Deen and Piya growing closer, Tipu and Rafi to be reunited, and Cinta passing away peacefully.

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