Abstract

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The millions of the country are shown as victims of periodic outbursts of hunger and famine. Bhattacharya is the finest exponent of the novel of 'the Hunger Theme'. In this article 'So Many Hungers!' and 'He Who Rides a Tiger 'are two main novels to be studied. These novels show how the poor people suffer during the time of famine as, "Weavers sold their looms to traders from big cities who scoured the countryside for bargains." 'So Many Hungers!' is built on two strands of the story which are well knit--- the story of Rahoul, the protagonist and his family and also the sad tale of Kajoli, the peasant girl and her family. This novel lies equally in the enactment of the horrors of hunger and famine, and the novelist's keen awareness of the life of the rural area. The novel is also a satire on the Hindu orthodoxy written against the socio-political background of Bengal famine and the freedom struggle before the attainment of independence. In 'He who Rides a Tiger' is the story of Kalo's victory of revenge against society and his learning of the principle through varied experiences that the integrity is the greatest achievement of man. It also shows that any man who rebels against society cannot adjust himself and so he has to reconcile himself to it in the long run. This article also concludes that the description of the poor and the deserted is concerned; Bhattacharya is undoubtedly unequalled in the realm of Indian English fiction and truthful and poetic portrayal of the famine and hunger is worth noticeable.