Sublime

Specific Question

7. Can the sublime be an important framework for ethics in global health? If yes or no, how does Ghosh’s The Calcutta Chromosome help you make your case?

I believe the sublime can be an important framework for ethics in global health, because it calls on the unknown as the motivation to seek out ways of knowing what will hinder or advance the health of populations on the global level, despite the possibility of experiencing discomfort along this path. Ghosh's The Calcutta Chromosome help make my case by allowing its characters to encounter the sublime through embracing the unknown, within their interactions, along a single journey towards knowing the true purpose of Ronald Ross' discovery of malaria. Ng's Interrogating
Interstices provides the necessary foundation for my argument, because it gives insight on the value of unknowing as a means for individuals from various backgrounds to strive for knowledge as a collective force. In terms of improving global health, the ethics of the sublime would prepare the leaders of different sectors (medical, social, political etc.) to come together as a single unit to determine what has to be done in order to better the health of all, while accepting each other's differences and similarities in the process. Interrogating Interstices is an analytical piece where the author expands on the elements of the sublime as an ethical framework, for the purpose of evaluating two postcolonial narratives: Fury and The Calcutta Chromosome.
The latter work is a fiction novel that is essentially a collection of stories where each major character is given the agency to express their perspective on the series of events that they encounter along their path to knowing. At first, these accounts seem disconnected by time and space, which makes it hard to decipher the central plot and how each person in Ghosh's novel is associated with each other in some manner. Ng presents the ethics of the sublime to explain how this concept indeed gives meaning to the novel's disjointed style. As mentioned before, the sublime in The Calcutta Chromosome consists of two components: knowing and unknowing; both principles are suitable in narrowing down the focus of this theory to the great power of the unknown, which exists in everyday life. Ng argues that the sublime does not have to pertain to the involvement with a divine being or a greatness that is beyond the human experience. It is the relationship amongst the main characters that represents the sublime as their interactions with each other, whether they know it or not, guide them to discover the truth about
malaria. For example, one of the male characters in Ghosh's text is a passionate researcher; Murugan dedicates his life to inquire the history of malaria, such as the cause of its spread and the discoverer of the disease. Most importantly, he manages to bring together other characters from various social backgrounds into a single journey due to his knowing and unknowing about the disease. The former employee at LifeWatch organization has built up an impeccable knowledge of Sir Ronald Ross, the scientist who is highly recognized for his discovery of malaria. He claims that there is something much greater behind Ross' finding (Ghosh). However, Murugan's familiarity of Ross' life leave him with more questions that remain unanswered until the end of the novel. The unexplainable grants the male protagonist an impetus to connect the dots of his search via his willingness to being open to otherness. It is this mindset that leads him to cross paths with another character who happens to hold some pieces to this intricate puzzle. Urmila, a Calcutta reporter, is not aware that her being alone retains some of the answers to Murugan's investigation. Urmila's background as a city correspondent indicates to the reader that she may depend on reason to explain the unexplainable. Nevertheless, the female protagonist welcomes the unknown with open arms and her encounter with Murugan allows her to acquire knowledge about malaria (Ghosh). Urmila steps outside of her comfort zone by joining her new acquaintance on the quest for more answers. It is important to note that the female character experiences the sublime, wheter this is her intention or not, once she develops a level of trust for Murugan. She not only sets aside any doubts or fears that would hinder her from tagging along with the former LifeWatch employee, but also accepts the notion that she may not have knowledge on what she does not know or who also holds the answers to their questions. With that being said, the Calcutta reporter also encounters the sublime when she embraces this new mindset.
This interaction brings the two characters one step further in solving the ultimate question: who or what is responsible for Ronald Ross' discovery of malaria? Furthermore, their stories no longer seem disconnected, in fact, quite the opposite when the reader progresses through the novel. The communication between Murugan and Urmila also embody how the element of unknowing requires a sense of interconnectedness with people on different geographical or ideological trajectories, but share an uncommon pursuit as a motivation for knowledge (Ghosh; Ng). This, in fact, supports Ng's interpretation of the sublime as well as my belief that this concept can be considered an important, ethical framework for global health.
With reference to health on the global level, The Calcutta Chromosome and similar literary works show that the absence of knowledge should provoke leaders of diverse, professional backgrounds to work together under a single pursuit for advancing the health of all human beings.
In addition, the qualities that distinguish and relate each member are meant to be appreciated throughout this journey; a journey that is most likely riddled with its own set of challenges and unsolved questions after each success. In essence, improving global health is analogous to searching for the truth about malaria; both represent ambitions that unite individuals with differing perspectives and who have expansive knowledge pertaining to their field of study. Though, it is imperative for this group of educated people to embrace the unknown in the process of knowing as it will encourage them to continue finding solutions to the health issues that exist
today.