UNRAVELING THE REALM OF MYTHICAL FANTASY IN AMITAV GHOSH’S GUNISLAND

Author: Jayasree Jayagopal

ABSTRACT

The realm of fantasy always entices people and their imaginations through various genres of literature and the genre of fiction plays a major role in it.  The mode in which the magic of fantasy works with the imagination determines its efficiency in transporting the readers to ecstasy. Amitav Ghosh’s novel Gun Island takes the readers on an enchanting journey to a world of fantasy.  It is remarkable to identify the multiple ways in which the elements of mythical fantasy get entangled with the daily life events of the characters. The study deals with the enchanting reverberation of mythical fantasy and how the protagonist encounters life situations where he can relate fantasy and reality. The study also delves into the transformation of the protagonist who gets entrapped in the world of fantasy and frightened by its charismatic influence over him after undertaking an adventurous journey to the mysterious Gun Island. The employment of the tool of fantasy to express the transgression of the identity even after the subject crosses the boundaries is also a major concern. The paper takes up a poststructuralist way of perceiving the notion of fantasy as a dynamic entity that influences and leads to the transformation of the protagonist when it transgresses his thoughts and ideas of perceiving the world differently. The paper aims to unlock the entity of fantasy to explore its effective employment in the narrative.

Keywords: Mythical fantasy, entices, realm immense, imagination, subject, entangled.

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