Representation of Dismantled Identity and Colonial Politics in Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies

Abstract

Abstract

The article narrates colonial politics adopted by the British and side by side, it probes the dismantled image of national identity. It describes colonialism as a result of narrow nationalistic feeling and thus it looks forward for a postnational feeling. So it demands for a change in nationalistic outlook. Through the analysis of Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies, it puts into question the concept of national identity as a static one. The novel is set in 1838 but through the narration of pre-independent colonial politics and opium trade policy, it hints at the preindependent global market and pluralism prevalent in the society. The concept of national identity is always attached with the designed features like national language, national flag, border etc. But, this novel, through the representation of different characters from different parts of the world in the Ibis brings into light a dismantled image of national identity. The paper focuses on the binary opposition White/Other and highlights the narrow nationalistic feeling behind this binary system and thus argues for a change in nationalistic feeling and demands for a global outlook.