The Theme of Hunger in Bhattacharya’s ?So Many Hungers!? And ?He Who Rides a Tiger?

Abstract

Abstract

hattacharya was an outstanding Indo-Anglian novelist of the twentieth century. He acclaimed world-wide recognition.His books were translated into 26 languages. He received India’s most prestigious Sahitya Academy Award in the year 1967 for all his literary contributions. All his works portray the challenging problems of Indian life.They reveal his wide range of experience, his close association with men and his deep understanding of their manners. His two novels ?So Many Hungers!? & ?He who Rides a Tiger? are set against the background of Bengal famine and Quit India movement and deal with the theme of hunger and human degradation. The many hungers described by him are ? hunger for food, hunger for money, hunger for lust, hunger for fame and name, finally hunger for freedom. These hungers were not only confined to a particular place or a country but these hungers are universal and they can be applied to the International community as well. Here an attempt is made to discuss the theme of hunger in both of his novels as they portray the sufferings, trials and tribulations of the people of Bengal in general and the other people of Calcutta and its adjoining village Baruni in particular.