Implicit Elements of Existentialism in Amitav Ghosh’s Novel River of Smoke

Abstract

Amitav Ghosh’s novel River of Smoke reflects the human life condition and the crisis which becomes a part of it. His implicit narration denotes that human survival requires some knowledge to withstand and overcome the crisis. Being a citizen of the modern era, he writes of the world where human beings are subjective in their thought to face tough conditions of life. The aim of the study is to decipher the novel River of smoke with the aid of the existential thoughts shared by the philosophers such as Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir etc. In this novel, Amitav Ghosh with his well-designed plot insists the implications of the past on the present. He registers the dilemmatic situations developed by one’s own decisions. Ghosh’s plot brings this matter of grave importance to life and insists and educates the value of responsibility and authenticity that builds the meaningful life of an individual.