Dimensions of Altruism in Amitav Ghosh's Sea of Poppies

Abstract

This article seeks to explore Altruism presented in Amitav Ghosh’s Sea of Poppies. There is a long history of social and biological thought of intermingling and influencing male and female when it comes together as a social behavior. Adopting the lens of Darwin’s theory and Kin’s theory, it argues that spontaneous inculcation of altruism in Sea of Poppies. This article depicts new manifestations of altruistic qualities into two categories as pseudo altruism (selfish) and pure altruism (selfless). The influence of altruism is complex and never come from a single source but rather a multitude of sources both internal and external of the individual. For Darwin himself, Altruism was a riddle. This research article can be used as a guide to structure individual’s introspection of his or her own thoughts and actions that help foster a caring and socially responsive behavior for the betterment of the society.