In an Antique Land Essay - 804 Words

In Amitav Ghoshs, In an Antique Land, the author compares his life with that of a slave named Bomma. He reveals that both men live in antique lands, foreign to their culture and surrounded by very different people. Ghosh also relates the book to Percy Bysshe Shellys poem Ozymandias, a piece on mankinds hubris and the insignificance of the individual. Ghosh effectively juxtaposes Bommas life with his own as he tries to find himself and unlock the slaves past through the ancient papers of the Cairo Geniza. Through historical details and antidotes, the author proves how a place can be both antique and contemporary. The title of the book comes from not only Ghoshs study of the history of the Middle East, but his observation on†¦show more content†¦His religion is a constant reminder of how he is an outcast yet he is also judging the culture he feels is criticizing him. He sees them as outdated and disapproving while they see him as unusual and mysterious. He is criticized for his religion and customs, and the children mock him in disbelief for being Hindu. One little boy comments on his amazement with this foreign culture: You mean, he said in rising disbelief, there are people in your country who are not circumcised? In Arabic the word circumcise derives from a root that means to purify; to say of someone that they are uncircumcised is more or less to call them impure. Yes, I answered, yes, many people in my country are ‘impure. I had no alternative; I was trapped by language. (62) This is just one example of how Ghosh is treated as an outcast in the small town of no one of the small religion. He does not fully understand the language or culture that surrounds him, which causes even further confusion among the parties. This relates back to Shellys poem because both the visitor and the ancient are being observed and criticized. While Ghosh realizes that the town will never respect why he worships cows or burns the dead, he desperately tries to analyze the town he lives in. As he buries his head in letters from Ben Yiju, he slowly puts together the relationship betweenShow MoreRelatedAmitav Ghoshs In an Antique Land1088 Words   |  5 PagesBook Review: Amitav Ghosh In an Antique Land â€Å"The only people for whom we can even begin to imagine properly human, individual, existences are the literate and the consequential, the wazirs and the sultans, the chroniclers, and the priests—the people who had the power to inscribe themselves physically upon time† (Ghosh 17). History is written by the victorious, influential and powerful; however, history has forgotten the people whose voices were seized, those who were illiterate and ineloquent,Read MoreThe And Object Of Annexation1610 Words   |  7 PagesSeveral issues can occur when purchasing land. For example, Alfie is concerned with fixtures and chattels. 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