Analysis of The Circle of Reason - Essay Example

There will be a discussion about the difference between a true follower of religion and someone who is trying to be more practical, the possibility of applying someone’s religion in another country with a different religion, and the difference between Hindus and Muslims in their beliefs as they are portrayed in the text.  Also the Hindu portrayal of God and how that has changed throughout history needs to be explored in The Circle of Reason.

Nationalism is a strong facet of Ghosh’s novel that is interesting. The

instability created in the frontier regions as a result of independence generates the background in this book. The history of India especially after the partition with Pakistan and how the Indians characters in the novel show their nationalism differently are the backbone of this novel. 

            Since religion and nationalism have meshed throughout the story, both will be examined in this chapter.  In the end, this chapter will prove that Amitav Ghosh in The Circle of Reason portrays people in realistic situations of colonial/postcolonial India.  Even though these characters were placed in unfamiliar situations to readers, not from India, Ghosh relates their lives in a humanistic way.  Every reader can understand the frailty of human personality from this novel through something familiar to all; religion and nationalism.    

The Circle of Reason starts with the arrival of a child to a childless couple.  A man of reason, Balaram, lost an estranged brother, only to gain his nephew.  Balaram studied phrenology, or the studying of skull shape to determine personality traits.  Since his nephew’s head was shaped like a potato, Balaram called him Alu.  Balaram and another man, Bhudeb Roy, lived in the same village on a border town, until a feud arose between the two men.  Religion and nationalism are the undercurrents of a story that deals with superstition and reason.  Bhudeb Roy deals in superstition for personal gain, whereas Balaram believes in reason.