Moyna Character Analysis in The Hungry Tide

Moyna is Fokir's wife and a trainee nurse at the Lusibari hospital. Though she loves Fokir, she also finds him difficult and exasperating. She thinks little of his work as a fisherman, as she believes there's no future in it, and she believes he can't keep up with her ambition—she desperately wants to be a nurse. The two married in the first place because Moyna's parents insisted she marry. Moyna has a nuanced grasp of how the world works, which piques Kanai's interest as he recognizes his own drive and outlook on life in her. Moyna fears throughout the novel that Fokir and Piya are engaging in a romantic relationship, but feels as though she's unable to talk to Fokir about it herself. Though Moyna is distraught after Fokir's death, she and Piya form a strange friendship in the weeks following and Piya even plans to employ Moyna as an office employee for her conservation project.

Moyna Quotes in The Hungry Tide

The The Hungry Tide quotes below are all either spoken by Moyna or refer to Moyna. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:

"Why else?" she said. "Because there's a lot of money in prawns and the traders had paid off the politicians. What do they care—or the politicians, for that matter? It's people like us who're going to suffer and it's up to us to think ahead."

Related Characters: Moyna (speaker), Tutul, Kanai Dutt, Fokir, Nilima Bose

Page Number and Citation: 112

Explanation and Analysis:

Moyna Character Timeline in The Hungry Tide

The timeline below shows where the character Moyna appears in The Hungry Tide. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.

The Human Cost of Environmental Conservation Theme Icon

...tells Kanai that dinner will be upstairs for him, courtesy of a nurse trainee named Moyna. Upon hearing her name, the van's driver tells Nilima that Moyna is frantically searching for... (full context)

Nilima clicks disapprovingly about Moyna's husband and then tells Kanai that her husband is Fokir, Kusum's son. Nilima sighs as... (full context)

Kanai goes up to the guesthouse, noticing that Moyna still left him dinner despite her worries. He goes onto the roof to watch the... (full context)

...like the ones Piya’s mother wore. She wonders if this sari belongs to Fokir's wife (Moyna). (full context)

...Nilima after noon, at which point she looks alert and happier. She tells Kanai that Moyna is going to show him around the hospital. It took Nilima years to realize that... (full context)

Moyna knocks on the door and enters. Kanai can tell she's been crying, and Nilima tells... (full context)

Idealism and Theory vs. Practicality and Action Theme Icon

As Kanai and Moyna walk, Kanai mentions that he knew Kusum. When Kanai mentions Fokir, Moyna's face falls. Kanai... (full context)

Kanai asks if Moyna has ever brought Fokir to the hospital, and she explains he doesn't like it here.... (full context)

Kanai thinks that Moyna has a nuanced grasp of how the world works and thinks it's unfortunate that she's... (full context)

...and admires the moonlit landscape. Some strange echo reaches Kanai, and dogs start to bark. Moyna appears in the doorway and asks if he heard "it"—the sound was a tiger, though... (full context)

Kanai asks in a teasing tone if Moyna didn't know Fokir before they married. She says she did, but insists that Kanai wouldn't... (full context)

...station. She says the man she's been with is Fokir. Nilima explains that Fokir's wife, Moyna, has been worried sick, and she seems impressed that Fokir and Piya were able to... (full context)

...who looks her over before leaving their dinner and walking away. Kanai explains that she's Moyna, Fokir's wife. Piya feels briefly jealous that Moyna gets to go home to Fokir. (full context)

Kanai insists that Moyna is a truly remarkable woman: she's struggled to educate herself and is becoming a nurse.... (full context)

Moyna is waiting outside her home when Kanai and Piya arrive in the morning. Piya asks... (full context)

...dolphins at Garjontola on a larger boat for five days. She'd pay about 300 dollars. Moyna gasps and Fokir agrees to arrange for Horen to go with them with his bhotbhoti.... (full context)

Kanai tells Piya that Moyna wants to know why a scientist like her needs Fokir's help. Piya is puzzled at... (full context)

...feel genuine sympathy for her but not for Fokir. Kanai explains he's sympathetic instead to Moyna, who's ambitious but feels held back by her husband. Piya teases Kanai about liking Moyna... (full context)

Piya is touched when Moyna brings her dinner that's plain. When Kanai asks about dolphins, Piya insists that he should... (full context)

...dinner as he reads. He's suddenly plunged into darkness when the generator goes out, but Moyna promptly arrives with a candle. As she tries to light the kerosene lamp, her hand... (full context)

Kanai asks who Moyna would choose—him or Fokir—but Moyna just insists that she cannot talk to Fokir herself, even... (full context)

...Tutul and then sells the ray to a fish seller. As Tutul admires his toy, Moyna angrily pushes her way through the crowd and begins to yell at Fokir about the... (full context)

...Fokir doesn't remember Nirmal, but says he sees his mother's face everywhere. Kanai understands that Moyna loves Fokir because he seems somehow unformed. (full context)

Kanai nods and says that he can't put his thoughts into words, just like Moyna can't truly articulate her feelings about Fokir. He explains that Moyna fears that Fokir will... (full context)

...if she'd ever be able to offer him anything close to what he has with Moyna. (full context)

...and then explains that he'll have to wade to shore. He asks Kanai to tell Moyna that they'll go back for Fokir as soon as the storm dies, and Kanai asks... (full context)

...he sees people heading for the hospital's cyclone shelter. He notices Tutul and asks about Moyna, who suddenly appears. He tells her that Fokir is still at Garjontola and assures her... (full context)

...other and soon, those on the Megha realize there's only one person in the boat. Moyna watches, transfixed, as they realize it's Piya. Moyna sits and begins to break her marital... (full context)

...He's one of only a few casualties. Over the next few days, Piya stays with Moyna and Tutul. As Piya holds Tutul, she thinks of the impact that killed Fokir. She'd... (full context)

...in the guesthouse, she was an unnerving presence and had made a strange friendship with Moyna. She'd even begun wearing Moyna's old saris, and the two women looked uncannily alike after... (full context)

...the cyclone. She started a chain letter to raise money, which raised enough to buy Moyna and Tutul a house and pay for Tutul's education. In addition, Piya says she wrote... (full context)

...points out that Piya would need a staff, and Piya says she'd like to hire Moyna part-time. Nilima tries to think of anything that might complicate this. Piya explains that she's... (full context)

Moyna Character Analysis

Moyna Quotes in The Hungry Tide

Part 1: Moyna Quotes

Moyna Character Timeline in The Hungry Tide