Both The Parable of the Sower and The Hungry Tide utilize love as an instrument to convey their stories and offer hope. These novels depict various forms of love, such as family and romantic love. Parable of the Sower highlights the importance of community and mutual dependence in the face of a changing world due to climate change. The families in Robledo exemplify this, relying on each other for protection and support. When the town is destroyed, Lauren leans on Harry and Zahra for help and comfort. The story also emphasizes the need to provide for those who are less fortunate and without shelter. Lauren puts this into practice by rescuing Allie and Jill, who are injured and stranded after an earthquake. Similarly, Bankole opens his home to the group, demonstrating the importance of hospitality and generosity.

Similarly, The Hungry Tide portrays family love, for instance, when Kanai visits Lusibari, despite his busy schedule, at his aunt’s request. Another example is the Women’s Trust, a community where women can share their grievances and receive comfort from other women. Another example of family love is when the villagers came together to kill the tiger. The villagers saw the tiger as an enemy and worked together to kill it (241). It reminded me of Nixon’s argument about how he wishes humans would put in the same effort to fight climate change as they do when terrorism, for example. Ghosh uses family love to urge his readers to unify and fight against climate change. The use of family love promotes solidarity and resistance against climate change. Butler and Ghosh could have opted to write a novel that only concentrates on the main character’s journey in combating or living in a climate-changed world; instead, they decided to illustrate family love, companionship, and mutual aid. They do this to teach readers that in order to survive a world impacted by climate change they will need to rely on each other.

In the Parable of the Sower and The Hungry Tide, the authors utilize romance as a narrative device to convey their story. I find incorporating romance into the plot makes it more captivating and engaging. However, I believe that the authors specifically chose romantic love and family love to educate their readers on how to survive in a world affected by climate change. In the Parable of the Sower, there are romantic relationships between characters such as Zahra and Harry, Lauren, and Curtis, and later on, Lauren and Bankole. Octavia Butler included these relationships because of the age gaps and races. Among these couples, Lauren and Curtis are considered socially acceptable. Zahra, previously married, and Harry are a mixed couple. Lauren and Bankole have a big age difference, with Bankole being 57 years old and Lauren being around 20 years old. Butler intended to demonstrate that love is limitless through the portrayal of these relationships. She aims to teach us that relationships and love can continue to flourish even when faced with adversity. By showcasing a diverse range of relationships, readers can connect with and see how their own love stories can endure in a challenging world.

While Butler explores the various shapes and colors of romantic love, Ghosh examines the dramatic twists and turns of love. So far from what we have read from The Hungry Tide, there is one love square and one love triangle. The Love Square: Kanai likes Piya. Piya likes Fokir, who is married to Moyna. Meanwhile, Kanai finds Moyna attractive. The Love Triangle: Nirmal and Nilima are married, but there are rumors of an affair between Kusum and Nirmal. I believe Ghosh incorporated complicated love stories into the narrative to make it more engaging and keep readers invested in the drama while also educating them about climate change. Some argue that romance distracts from the climate- change narrative, but I believe it enhances the story by making it more relatable and realistic for readers. Moreover, if someone decides to read the book because of the romance, they will still come away with the satisfaction of having romance and gaining new knowledge. The authors aim to inspire readers by showcasing what they have and reminding them that there’s a world worth fighting for, rather than just showing what they could lose.

When it comes to climate fiction, the portrayal of love and relationships can have a profound impact on the overall narrative. In my view, the presence or absence of love can shape the way characters interact with each other, and even influence the choices they make in the face of environmental challenges. For instance, a story that emphasizes the importance of love and connection in the face of climate change may inspire readers to take collective action to address the issue. On the other hand, a tale that depicts isolation and despair amid a changing climate could underscore the urgency of addressing the problem before it’s too late. Ultimately, the role of love in cli-fi is complex and multifaceted, but it’s clear that it has the power to drive the plot forward and inspire readers to think deeply about the impact of climate change on their lives.

The first part of the book depicts the ups and downs of the life of people in Sundarbans, particularly in Lusibari. It demonstrates how different perspectives on life in Lusibari are all interconnected with the environment and nature. The book provides an insight into the lives of women in Sundarbans, especially those in Lusibari. Ghosh uses the connection between the people of Lusibari and their environment and nature to also hint at climate change and rising sea levels. 

Women in Lusibari were raised with the assumption that if they got married, they would become widows at a young age. Due to the dangers of the tide country, many men died young. As a result, many women became widows and even dressed in garments of widowhood when their husbands went fishing or hunting (67-68). At this point in the book, I noticed similarities between the lives of women in Lusibari and Robledo. In both places, women were married at a young age. Lauren talks about how she should be married and have children at her age, but in the state of Robledo, she didn’t think having children was a good option. The other low tide of women’s lives is that “Widowhood often meant a lifetime of dependence and years of abuse and exploitation.”(68). We see this with Kusum and her mother. After her father passed away, they were unable to provide for themselves. Dilipa, a sex trafficker, lies to Kusum’s mother about finding her work in the city. Dilipa sells her off, she ends up working in harsh and worse conditions. During a woman union meeting, an attendant details the abuse she suffered under her father-in-law, who attempted to rape her, but she fought back and flung a kerosine lamp at him, which caused severe burns. She suffered severe cuts on her arms while protecting herself and her son. In the end, she was kicked out of her marital home.  The high tide of the life of women correlates with Nilima, the Women’s Union, and the Trust. Through the Women’s Union, women have a place to share their grievances and ideas for Lusibari. We see women who have accomplished a lot, such as Moyna. She comes from another Sundarbans Island, where the fate of women was limited to being a wife and a mother. She broke the boundary and decided to receive an education and became a nurse. Women in Lusibari relate to their environment differently. They see it as a provider and a taker. A provider in the sense that it produces food, shelter, and protection. A taker in that within their shelter lies tigers and crocodiles who kill their husbands and leave them widowed and unable to take care of themselves and their children. As a result, led to unhappy lives for some women, such as being victims of attempted rape and victims of sex trafficking.

As previously noted, the women of Lusibari heavily depend on their husbands for their livelihoods. If their husbands are unable to continue working at sea, they will face several challenges in the future. The men of Lusibari currently work at sea, but there are indications that they will need to find alternative sources of income to support their families. According to Mashima(Nilima), “in fifteen years, the fish will be gone” (112). Moyna wants her husband Fokir to find other means to provide due to the dangers of fishing and the depleting fishery population, which offers no future in fishing. She adds, “It’s people like us who are going to suffer, and it’s up to us to think ahead” (112). While reading this line, Lauren came to my mind. She, like Moyna, notices the warning signs and decides to think ahead and prepare for the future. As I read about the rising sea levels in the Sundarbans, “the nearby islands are sliding gradually beneath the water, and soon, like icebergs in a polar sea, they will be mostly hidden…” (58), many critics popped up in my head. 

First, Rob Nixon’s “Slow Violence” came to mind. We see that the tides of the Sundarbans have changed, neighboring islands are slowly drowning due to rising sea levels, and it has impacted aquatic inhabitants in the region. In addition to overfishing, the fishery population has depleted. Nixon talks about how the novel can be a tool to talk about slow violence and climate change, specifically. This novel is a good example of Nixon’s argument. As Nirmal states in the novel, ” There’s nothing I can do to stop what lies ahead. But I was once a writer, perhaps I can make sure at least what happened here leaves some trace”(59). I thought of another critic, Frazier, who discussed women of color in science and climate fiction. It reminded me of Piya and her career in science, studying the inhabitants of the sea. We also noticed her worry about the contrast between her and Fokir, since her job is to study dolphins, while he is hunting fishes and crabs. Similar to Lauren, Piya’s identity is connected to her diaspora, in her case, the South Asian diaspora. I also noticed that Lusibari is similar to Mutu’s painting, “The Shady Promise.” In Lusibari, we see how people are deeply connected to their environment. For example, Kusum puts an insect in her mouth and closes her lips (77). People knock birds and snakes off their roofs, find dead fish in their beds, and have nets to prevent mosquitoes and other critters from entering their homes. The painting “The Shady Promise” by Mutu encourages us to examine the boundaries that separate us based on gender, ethnicity, humanity, animality, and other factors. Throughout the first part of the book, Kanai describes Piya as androgynous, and we see that the markers of gender are blurred. We also witness how the inhabitants of Lusibari come from diverse parts of India and different islands of the Sundarbans, yet they come together as a community. Lusibari, like Robledo, is made up of many families from various backgrounds who have chosen to become kin and safeguard their land. As Piya mentioned, “To nature, in short, who was it who said that the definition of “nature” was that it included everything not informed by human intention? But it was not her intention that had brought her here today, it was the crabs” (119). Haraway has a similar argument in her essay when she talks about how nature provides humans with resources to destroy nature, therefore humans cannot separate themselves from nature. She argues that the earth is an assemblage, and we, as humans, must connect with nature based on that assemblage. Morton suggested we must consider ecological thinking beyond the divisions, and therefore, we must overlook such divisions as class, humanity, or animality and become kin. Sir Daniel Hamilton had the same idea when he bought the islands. Lusibari is evidence of the legacy he wanted to leave behind.

While reading the first seven chapters of the “Parable of the Sower”, I noticed the many similarities between Butler and later theorists such as Nixon, LeMenager, and Haraway. Though it was written in the 1990s, it contains similar themes to those of modern theorists, which indicates that the issues discussed in the past are still relevant today. Climate change has become an even more prominent issue since the 1990s due to its devastating impact, including deadly storms, forest fires, endangered species, and loss of human lives. Concepts of Nixon’s “slow death,” Haraway’s “Chthulucene”, and LeMenager’s “everyday Anthropocene” are all evident throughout these chapters, painting a vivid picture of a possible future impacted by climate change.

 According to Nixon and Lemanager, the novel is a way to raise awareness and support for slow violence, particularly climate change. LeMenager mentions “Parable of the Sower” as a good example of cli-fi. Throughout the book, Butler uses Nixon’s idea of slow death to show people’s hesitance to realize that the situation can get worse. In the book, Lauren shares the same sentiment with Nixon, “But, Dad, that’s like ignoring fire in the living room because we’re all in the kitchen, and besides, house fires are too scary to talk about” (62). The people of her community realize that problems may arise but since they are not happening right in front of their eyes, they choose not to prepare for it. As my Ghanaian people say, they are in a pot of soup without realizing that there is fire under the pot. Their chances of survival are slimming and gradually their hesitancy and ignorance will lead to their death.

Haraway’s ideas stood out as the most prominent among these theorists in the few chapters. Just like Haraway, Lauren believes that to survive climate change, they need to adapt to their new environment by working together, “We can get ready. That’s what we’ve got to do now. Get ready for what’s going to happen, get ready to survive it, get ready to make like afterward” (55). Additionally, throughout these chapters, Lauren tells us about the community coming together to protect each other and share resources, “Everyone brought Mrs. Sims things after the robbery…food, clothing, money” (22). This reminds me of Haraway’s slogan, “Make Kin Not Babies”, where she explained that mass production of babies won’t save the world, rather working together and depending on each other along with nature we can survive in a world destroyed by climate change. Lauren’s community is made up of different families, they may not come from one ancestor or share the same genes but like Haraway mentioned they are kin.

LeMenager’s “Everyday Anthropocene”, is also dominant in Butler’s work. The book is an everyday Anthropocene. Throughout the chapters, Lauren talks about life in a world impacted by climate change, where water, food, and shelters are scarce. A place where people can only travel to certain places and be armed for their safety, “they don’t have to risk going outside where things are so dangerous and crazy. It’s bad enough that some people… have to go to work at least once a week. None of us goes to school anymore…That’s the rule. Go out in a bunch and go armed” (7-8). It paints an eerie picture of how the world could be if we don’t take proper actions. We could end up living in walled communities like Lauren’s community with little to no access to the internet. LeMenager and Nixon have both emphasized the importance of imaginative stories in helping people understand the severity of the situation. Lauren discusses her ideas for change with her friend Joanne, who dismisses them out of fear. Lauren’s father suggests that instead of talking about the end of the world, she should teach children about the changes necessary to prevent it. LeMenager mentioned the search for a genre for novels on climate change and the stories she believes should be told in those novels. LeMenager believes in realistic storytelling that showcases the everyday Anthropocene. She calls for realistic storytelling in novels about climate change to create a sense of urgency and hope rather than depicting an apocalyptic end.

Rob Nixon defines slow violence as environmental violence that is often overlooked because it happens slowly, is spread out over space and time, and is not immediately visible. He provides examples such as nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, Agent Orange, and climate change. Nixon argues that since slow violence is not visible, many people are not aware of it. He also argues that slow violence receives different attention spans from people when compared to literal violence. In his essay, he emphasizes the fast-paced nature of the internet era, which makes it difficult for people to see climate change. People pay attention to fast, loud, and huge events such as 9/11, and engage with them more. As a result, Nixon believed that the way to bring attention to climate change was by writers-activists to write about climate change.

Writer-activists need to modify the term “slow violence” to better illustrate the unacceptable speed of environmental degradation. Rob Nixon suggests using “glacial” instead. It’s also important to use language that conveys urgency, such as “accelerated species loss” and “rapid climate change.” (Nixon,13). This terminology grabs the audience’s attention and highlights the pressing need for action. Writer-activists can also employ various techniques, such as creating imaginative and dramatic stories, to raise awareness about the critical issue of climate change.

Novels can be a powerful tool in helping readers understand climate change. Nixon suggests that imaginative writing can make abstract concepts tangible and accessible by humanizing the threats that are not immediately apparent. (Nixon, 16). Writer-activists can use their imagination to convey the urgency and impact of climate change to their audience. For instance, they can describe how major cities may end up underwater due to rising sea levels. By making the story personal, readers can imagine their favorite places and monuments underwater, thus understanding the impact of climate change on the environment. Storytelling can help people understand climate change, which to some may seem novel and complex. By breaking it down, people can gain a better and clearer understanding of the issue. Novels can also encourage people to talk about climate change more. Those who learn about it through books or comics can share their knowledge with others.

In his essay, Nixon raises the issue of writer-activists writing on slow violence, such as climate change, and makes valuable points throughout. He also discusses how the aftermath of 9/11 reinforced a hyper-visible image of what constitutes a violent threat, which resulted in setbacks to the efforts to make forms of slow violence more urgently visible. (Nixon,13). However, I find this insensitive as it takes away the urgency and problems from 9/11. It is also worth noting that 9/11 can be considered an example of slow violence as decades later, people still suffer from the physical and psychological aftermath of the attack. Moreover, it has permanently changed the air quality of NYC, causing people to continue to suffer. Instead of regarding the attack as a setback, he could use it as an example of slow violence and attract people’s attention as something they can relate to. Writer-activists must be cautious with language to avoid diminishing other forms of violence while raising awareness of slow violence.