Religion and Nationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religion and Nationalism - Essay Example Writers and authors try to portray the relationship between religion and nationalism in different ways. Historically, there have been religious and national conflicts in South Asian countries. In this study I will focus on how Amitav Ghosh interprets the relationship between religion and nationalism in India, Pakistan, Bengal and Egypt in his writings. He talks about many themes such as the separation between India and Pakistan in 1947, the relationship between Hindus and Muslims, the alienation of a Hindu person in a Muslim country, and the ‘crises of belonging’ that seems to afflict many of his characters. The way that Ghosh characterizes people of different religions and races, the fairness of his characterization, the attitudes and the changes in them, the description of his characters as being similar or different, and the way he regards religions, nations, and countries, will all be analysed. To what extent Amitav Ghosh gives priority to religion over nationalism, the role religion plays in the lives of his fictional characters and the honesty of narration, and the elements of friction or cohabitation in his three novels will all be subject to scrutiny in this study. The overall theme of this dissertation will be the relationship between religion and nationalism, a rising issue in postcolonial discourse. In the following chapters I will illustrate how in these three texts Ghosh signals the religious and national aspects and their interrelations when he describes people in his writings. Part II - Critique / Analysis of The Circle of Reason In this part, I will discuss the importance of religion in the lives of some of the characters in The Circle of Reason and how Ghosh constantly gives hints to make this point clear. Initially, I will concentrate on the beginning of the novel and the notions Ghosh keeps pointing to at such as immigration, the separation of India and Pakistan and then of Pakistan and Bangladesh. I will also address issues like the armed insurrection in Bengal against the British; the divide between religious and national motivations; the Hindu portrayal of God and how that has changed throughout history. I will then consider whether the characters in the novel consider religion as a myth or an overarching force, and how does religious extremism spread across the border after the partition To move to other points: do some characters think of religion as a myth How do the Indians treat the missionary's Bibles and why How does the independence of a nation create instability in the frontier regions Why does Ghosh mention the Middle East while dealing with terrorists groups Does it mean that he sees Islam as a contributing factor What are the perceptions and biases in respect to marriages between Hindus and a Muslims And how is religion corrupted by myths / traditions which do not relate to the true