Within and Without

Amitav Ghosh The Hungry Tide: (124- 132)

Within the novel, The Hungry Tide, a young Native American woman struggles through the vast jungle in the Bay of Bengal islands.  She goes out trying to discover a rare species of river dolphin and ends up experiencing even more than the dolphins on the adventure.  The human connection made along the trip is very important but ultimately it is the relationship established between Piya and nature that really counts.  Throughout her journey, she begins to notice certain things that change within the mysteries of the forests and waters.  Characters within the text allow nature to become a part of them while other people relationships are distant. 

While Piya and Fokir are in the boat, they hear a distinct boom noise and wonder what it is.  Fokir and Piya stare at the Orcaella and listen to the beautiful melodies they are making for a period of time.  While Fokir is dreamily staring off into the distance, Piya thinks, “Whatever it was, she would never know: not just because they had no language in common but because that was how it was with human beings, who came equipped, as a species, with the means of shutting each other out” (132).  Piya noticed that Fokir was not looking at anything in particular but just staring off probably in thought.  With two people from different backgrounds and cultures like Piya and Fokir, it is very difficult to communicate at all but even through a simple glance could a conversation be started.  Human beings in accordance with what Ghosh thinks are very private and choose to reveal only so much at a time but Piya can definitely identify a distinct connection between herself and the animals. 

When Piya is silently listening to the magical sounds of the night made by the animals, she thinks, “The thought of experiencing your surroundings in that way never failed to fascinate her: the idea that to “see” was also to “speak” to others of your kind, where simply to exist was to communicate” (132).  Piya imagines that as the animals lazily make circles within the water, they are communicating with each other not through actual dialogue, but through the experience of being close to one another.  Just by being side by side and swimming, the animals understand it as a way to communicate with one another and could go off track of necessary but they do not because they are in complete agreement through the motions of the water.  Piya feels a strong connection with the animals because she longs to have that kind of relationship with a human being.  She has the bond with the animals because she understands them and how they would want to be close.  As she becomes closer to nature, the bond grows stronger and the longing for communication like that is a desire within her. 

The bonds formed between Piya and the animals are definitely portrayed as a lot stronger than the ones between mankind.  Maybe through nature, mankind can learn to form a strong bond of communication.