Set in Trinidad in the 1940’s ,Hungry Ghost, by Kevin Jared Hosein explores life in colonized Trinidad from the perspectives of individuals with varied backgrounds, religions, and classes. The novel is filled with dynamic characters, many of which often act immorally. However, the introductions at the start of the five sections of the book that include flashbacks add color and context to the different characters, humanizing and helping readers to better understand them. These flashbacks make it so that there are no true protagonists and antagonists in the novel, as readers come to see the characters as truly human, and understand their mistakes and decisions as results of their difficult and often tragic circumstances. Specifically, the flashback titled, “A Small Sacrifice,” changes readers’ perspective on Marlee, and the section titled “A Father’s Sins,” gives readers insight into the history of Rustam and Rudra.

At the start of the novel Marlee’s character appears to be quite simple. She is a bored, rich housewife tempted by the intrigue of Hans. Her words make her seem insensitive to the reality that exists beyond the walls of her luxurious farm. When Hans shows up to work at the farm despite the bad weather, Marlee jokes to him, “If only you had a telephone, I could have called. But I suppose barracks don’t have telephones” (Hosein 56). Marlee’s insensitive joke about a barrack not having a telephone makes her seem like an ignorant character who has only ever known the comfort of wealth. However, later in the story, the flashback titled, “A small Sacrifice,” tells readers that this is not the case. In the flashback, readers learn that Marlee was a girl without parents who was raised by her fisherman uncle. She was relocated by the Americans that arrived in Trinidad, and after her uncle died, her poverty brought her to work for a prostitute. Readers come to see Marlee as a woman who, too, was hurt by the colonists that took her home from her, instead of seeing her as the enemy. Hosein writes that Marlee, “Dreamt that she was in America, living in a townhouse surrounded by a white picket fence” (Hosein 90). Before this passage, readers think that Marlee had the ideal circumstances, as she essentially did have the life with the white picket fence. However, hearing about Marlee’s background helps readers see that Marlee’s life is not what it seems to be, and her past is much more complicated than it appears.

Like Marlee, the twins, Rustam and Rudra, appear to be almost villainous characters at the start of the novel, as they are constantly being spoken about as bad influences on Krishna. When Krishna is arrested, his mother blames the twins, saying that he should stay far away from them. Readers are inclined to dislike these characters, as they appear to be rebellious bad influences on Kirsha. However, these characters become much more dynamic, and readers come to empathize with them as their stories are told in the flashback titled, “A Father’s Sins.” In that flashback, readers learn that the twins grew up with a father who worked with pirates to take over boats and killed and tortured many people, including their mother. The father speaks to the twins about fate. He says, “some people wait for God to decide for them… this isn’t how it’s supposed to be” (Hosein 192). This helps readers understand Rustam and Ruda’s desire to fight back, and helps readers understand their mysterious nature. They are products of unimaginable circumstances. Like Marlee, they act out of a desire to survive, and their behavior is a result of their horrific past. Understanding the full story of these characters helps readers better understand them as being entirely human, instead of passing judgements and claiming characters to be villains or heroes.

Hosein, Kevin Jared. Hungry Ghosts. HarperCollins, 7 Feb. 2023.