This research paper examines Dhruv Bhatt’s novels Akoopar and Samundrantike through an ecocritical lens, analyzing the representation of environmental themes and the human-nature relationship. Key characters like Dhanu, Sansai, Aima, and Bangali Baba exhibit strong connections to nature and seek to protect the environment. The novels portray how humans rely on nature for survival but also threaten it through overexploitation. Characters like Rava Aata, Noorbhai, and Saboor represent sustainable relationships between humans and nature. The titles and settings emphasize nature's resilience despite human impacts.

1. Hinaba D. Sarvaiya
P.G. Student
Department of English MKBU
Email id-
hinabasarvaiya1711@gmail.com
An Ecocritical Comparative Study: The
Human-Nature Relationship in Dhruv
Bhatt Novels Akoopar And
Samundrantike

2. Abstract:-
● This research paper examines Dhruv Bhatt’s novels Akoopar and Samundrantike through
the lens of ecocriticism. Ecocriticism is a field of literary and cultural studies that focuses
on the relationship between humans and the natural world, exploring how this relationship
is represented in literature and culture.This research paper analyses the representation of
environmental issues through the Chracters in Dhruv Bhatt’s novels Akoopar and
Samundrantike.
● By comparing the two novels, the study examines Bhatt’s engagement with
environmental concerns, including the representation of nature, the human-environment
relationship, and the consequences of environmental degradation. The research paper
focuses on characters who are consciously connected with nature and how they
contribute to the overall environmental themes of the novels.

3. What is Ecocriticism?
● The word Ecocriticism derived from two words: Ecology and Criticism.
● The word ecology comes from the Greek word “Oikos”, meaning ‘household’, ‘home’, or
‘place to live’. This word was coined by a German Biologist Ernest Hackel in 1869.
● This word was known as Oecology then in the late 19th century also known as ecology. In
use with reference to anti-pollution activities from the 1960s.
● Ecocriticism was officially heralded by the publication of two seminal works both
published in mid 1990s Ecocriticism Reader :Landmark in Literary Ecology ’ edited by
Cheryll Glotfelty and Harold Fromm and William Rueckert’s essay “Literature and ecology:
an experiment in ecocriticism.

4. According to Cheryl Glotfelty in What is
Ecocriticism?
“Ecocritics encourage others to think seriously about the relationship of humans to
nature, about the ethical and aesthetic dilemmas posed by environmental crisis, and
about how language and literature transmit values with profound environmental
implications” (Glotfelty).
● As a critic, an eco-critic is interested in how literary texts can contribute to environmental
awareness, sustainability, and ecological justice. Ecocritics seek to promote a greater
understanding of the interdependence between humans and the natural world, and to
encourage critical engagement with environmental issues in literary and cultural contexts.

5. What is Comparative Studies?
● In Das’ article “Why Comparative Indian Literature?”, Sisir Kumar Das highlights the
importance of re-evaluating the use of the term ‘comparative’ in the study of Indian
literature.
● Das argues that by looking beyond national borders and exploring the shared
heritage of Indian literature, we can gain a more nuanced understanding of the
literary traditions of India.
● This involves looking at the similarities and differences between literary traditions
from different regions and languages, and recognizing the importance of
multilingualism in Indian society and literature.
● This paper is centred around the comparative study of two Gujarati novels by Dhruv
Bhatt – Akoopar, translated into English as The Blue Marble by Vishal Bhadani, and
Samundrantike, translated by Vinod Meghani.
● The research is conducted through the lens of ecocriticism, a Western theory that
examines the relationship between literature and the environment.

6. Titles of Novel
● The title Akoopar, which means “unfathomable” or “infinite,” emphasises the timeless
nature of the Gir forest and its ability to regenerate despite past destruction.
● The analogy between the turtle and the forest suggests a deeper connection between
humans and nature.
● Value of nature, not just as a resource for humans but as a living, breathing entity that
deserves respect and protection.
● Samudrantike,” titled “Oceanside Blues,” places emphasis on the ocean and it represents
the vastness of nature and the human connection to it.
● The ocean is not only a natural element but also a cultural and spiritual one.

7. Concept of the Earth and the Water
element used in the both novel:-
● “Dedicated to Earth. Who –is formed by Fires, -is engendered in Sky, -emerged
from Water, -is brought to life by Winds, And that even to this day has sustained all
the four.” (bhatt)
● Unnamed narrator who went to the Gir for the project to draw the painting of the Gir. He
chooses one element that is earth.
● Ravibhai talks about the “Everyone gets to know about everything Gir.”(51) Gir is provided
with whole knowledge through the experience of the Gir.
● The novel “Samudrantike” depicts the lives of coastal communities and how they thrive in
the harsh coastal environment.
● The novel emphasises how nature is essential for the survival of all living beings,
including humans, and how it helps them adapt to the changing world around them.

8. The Human-Nature Relationship in
Akoopar And Samundrantike
● “Cultural anthropology is an interpretive science whose main task is to provide a reading of the texts
of cultures in the fullest sense of the term: including their constraints, their flows, and their
contradictions” (Geertz, 1973).
● The character of Dhanu, a forest guard who is fatally injured by a lion, exemplifies this approach.
Despite being attacked by the lion, Dhanu retains a positive attitude towards the animal.
● Dhanu give to three proofs that lion didn’t want to kill him;
● “Three proofs. Firstly, he did not hold me by the neck.” Showing the second finger, he added, “He did
not shake his head. Otherwise, he would rip off my shoulder from the body.” Then he showed the
third finger saying, “Although I was perfectly placed under him, he did not sit on him like he always
does on any kills. Else, his much weight would have killed me...” Dhanu paused and said, “I am
telling you, he did not want to kill me.” (186)
● Dhanu’s actions and words reflect the trust that the people of Gir have in their animal companions,
and their belief in the importance of coexistence and harmony between humans and animals.

9. ● Oceanside Blues , One such character is Noorbhai, a forest officer he has witnessed the
degradation of the area, and the lush jungle has been replaced by dry, sandy terrain with
only a few babul trees that he has planted himself.
● Noorbhai said;
● “Brutality of man on this universe’s no less than fiendish. If he had his way, he’d
suck dry his mother’s breasts.” (107)
● The metaphor of “sucking dry his mother’s breasts” implies a kind of insatiable greed and
selfishness, in which humans take and take without regard for the consequences.
● Sansai is a Akoopar novel charector. She is an intervention in a discussion about the
conservation of lions in Madhya Pradesh leads her to question the idea that humans
should decide where the lions can live.
● She remarks sarcastically that humans should not be the ones deciding where lions
should live, suggesting that it should be left up to the lions themselves.
● Sansai passionately declares that for them, Gir is wherever the lion walks and that the
map of the forest for tourists should not dictate where the lions can go.

10. ● Aval, who is the daughter-in-law of a renowned ayurvedic healer named Haada Bhatt in
pre-independent India.
● Aval and Sarvan exhibit a strong ecological sensitivity even towards non-human entities
like a scorpion.
● They show sympathy towards the scorpion, which is trying to crawl on the wall during a
storm, despite it being a poisonous creature.
● Rava Aata in the novel Akoopar, who is a blind man and has a deep love for the animals
and nature of the Gir forest.
● He meet the Lat Sahib and explains the situation about the lions, perhaps trying to
persuade him not to hunt them. Rava Aata said that;
● “We exist just because of the Gayr and there because of us . Whether you kill them
or us in one and the same thing. As the lions with their tails are there in the Gayr
we exist otherwise we shall not be there either.” ( 298)
● Rava Aata is driven by his love and concern for the animals and is willing to take action to
protect them from harm.

11. ● Bangali Baba also samundrantike”s character, he represents the complex relationship
between humans and nature.
● Bangali Baba tells the narrator;
● “There was a time when earth did not exist. Then too nature existed. When earth was
born, a ball of fire was. Then came water, seaweeds and plants. They also perished,
only to be reborn. Nature is always absolute, unconfined. No one can ever fetter it or
foul it. Get that into your head.” (Meghni 120)
● This implies that Bangali Baba recognizes the resilience of nature and its ability to
regenerate even after being impacted by human activities.
● Aima, who has lived in Gayr, has an intimate knowledge of nature and the animals that
inhabit it.
● Aima is a true caretaker and lover of Gayr and its nature, which is why she occasionally says
“Khama Gayrne,” expressing her desire for the Gir to be blessed.
● Aima’s observation about the plant of Kuvadio, which is not eaten by any animal and
prevents other plants from growing, is seen by her as a reflection of the changing attitudes of
the people in Gir towards nature.
● Aima has a deep connection with nature and sees everything around her as alive and
interconnected. She does not separate animals from nature or see nature as separate from
herself.

12. ● Saboor’s efforts to farm the land in the Rukmipano area is a prime example of the bond
between man and nature.
● ‘Would we starve if we had even a strip of land? Earth is mother. A strip of
farmland’d help one through worst of famines, but what can a landless do? It’s like
being motherless orphan.’ (15)
● Sabur and his wife were able to transform the seemingly barren landscape into a fertile
and productive one.
● In Akoopar When the narrator is talking with Lakshmi that time she says that “Be careful if
you go there. After all, this is Gir!” And the narrator thinks that here people hardly call this
place a forest.

13. Conclusion:-
● In this Paper compared to both novel characters who are very conscious about
nature and how nature connected with humans. Both novels described nature as
part of human life.
● Both the novel protagonists learnt the lesson of nature.
● The novel’s title suggested the human connection with nature. In Akoopar novel
there are many characters like Aaima, Sansai, Lakshmi, Dhanu, Rava Aata those
character are very conscious about the nature.another novel Samundratike are
many character presented the conscious about the nature like the Noorbhai,
Haada Bhatt, Saboor and His Wife, Bangali baba, and Krishna Tindal ect.both
novels use characters to emphasise the importance of the human-nature
relationship and the need for humans to live in harmony with nature.

14. Work Citation:-
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16. Thank You