Midnight's Children Book Talk
6 April 2017
Of history's most controversial writers...
Salman Rushdie is a British Indian author. He writes novels of magical realism that tie into historical events. Of his works include Midnight's Children alongside The Satanic Verses, a book that shocked the entirety of the Muslim peoples. The latter novel was sacrilegious and highly offensive, to the point where a fatwā calling for his assassination was issued by Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran.
The Midnight of Indian Independence
Saleem Sinai was born on the midnight of India's formal independence from the British Empire. As he was born, he switched identity with Shiva, another child who was born under the same circumstances. Through this, he lived among his stepdad and stepmom, with the fact that he was unrelated by blood to his caretakers being unbeknownst to him. As his matures, his story begins to flesh out alongside the events after the independence and partition of India, reflecting significant events in history within India and throughout the globe.
Literary/Rhetorical Devices
Motif- Protest
Protests serve as a way to point out the connect to history within the novel. Especially in the beginning of the novel, the birth of a new India did not come without violence. Political and social turmoil define the period in which Saleem lived in as well as the period prior to his coming.
Motif- Fragmentation
Fragmentation exists throughout the book through the character of Saleem. As stated in the beginning of the book, he is closing in on his final days in which he crumbles due to his fragile nature. This fragmentation exists in the setting of India, divided by political strife and the British raj's Partition of India.
Character Symbolism
Characters throughout the book symbolize aspects of the Indian subcontinent's classes and peoples. For example, Saleem, through his childhood, is of the wealthy and privileged. He also represents the fragile state of India due to his physical failures. Shiva, Saleem's foil, serves to show the intense poverty of India as well as the power of the soldier.
Themes
The Power of Time
Time is a defining aspect of Midnight's Children and sets up the basis of Saleem's story. Saleem's character is a confirmation that it is only a matter of time until we pass. For him, his objective is to pass on his story and experiences to his wife and child. What does time mean for you?
Unification vs. Division
Indian history suffers under a division of ethnic groups and religious groups. Saleem was born under a time of revolution against a common European foe- but when that foe is eliminated, what binds a people together? This aspect of national division and fragmentation carries on as an part of Indian culture as well as in the character of Saleem Sinai.
Event Information
Come and participiate in discussing Rushdie's greatest novels!
When?
Thursday, Apr 6, 2017, 01:00 PM
Where?