Midnight's Children
Rushdie uses many techniques in “Midnight’s Children” which involves magical reality, history and political issues. The oral narrative used by Saleem Sinai is the advanced technique, where he narrates his story of life to his beloved, called Padma. It is a story of two nations. Midnight’s Children is described as a national allegory. Neil ten Kortenaar argues that Saleem’s narrative is a narrative of India’s national Independence and it is for this reason that the story of Saleem Sinai in Midnight’s Children has been described as a national Allegory. Personal history of the characters intersects with political history.
Saleem Sinai represents historical facts as a narrative in Midnights children. Historical narration give birth too many consequences, which forms violence. History is remembered by legends as saleem narrates, “sometimes legends make reality, and becomes more useful than the facts (57).”The legends like Brahma and Shiva give realism to Hindus. In the history of Hinduism Brahma is the God of creation and Shiva is the embodiment of destruction, though together with Vishnu create the holy trinity. The destruction of Shiva also reflects Mian Abdullah, who is a dedicated participant to resist the partition of India along religious lines. He is also known as hummingbird, considered to be symbols of peace, love and happiness. He is sacred for his tireless energy among his companions. Mian Abdullah is a political figure before independence. He is the founder of an organization called Free Islam Convocation whose mission is to make India as one nation, where different cultures and religions will be practiced, whereas his opponent is Muslim League. The leader of Muslim League Muhammad Ali Jinnah wants an independent state for Muslims of India, which later is named as Pakistan. The tension between his Convocation and Jinnah’s Muslim League takes a violent shape. Nadir khan already warns Mian Abdullah about his bad luck. According to Rushdie the Muslim league
Saleem Sinai represents historical facts as a narrative in Midnights children. Historical narration give birth too many consequences, which forms violence. History is remembered by legends as saleem narrates, “sometimes legends make reality, and becomes more useful than the facts (57).”The legends like Brahma and Shiva give realism to Hindus. In the history of Hinduism Brahma is the God of creation and Shiva is the embodiment of destruction, though together with Vishnu create the holy trinity. The destruction of Shiva also reflects Mian Abdullah, who is a dedicated participant to resist the partition of India along religious lines. He is also known as hummingbird, considered to be symbols of peace, love and happiness. He is sacred for his tireless energy among his companions. Mian Abdullah is a political figure before independence. He is the founder of an organization called Free Islam Convocation whose mission is to make India as one nation, where different cultures and religions will be practiced, whereas his opponent is Muslim League. The leader of Muslim League Muhammad Ali Jinnah wants an independent state for Muslims of India, which later is named as Pakistan. The tension between his Convocation and Jinnah’s Muslim League takes a violent shape. Nadir khan already warns Mian Abdullah about his bad luck. According to Rushdie the Muslim league
Bibliography: Primary Material: Rushdie, Salman. Midnight’s Children(Condon: Vintage,1995,2008)pg Secondary Material: Benedict Anderdon, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origins and Spread of Nationalism, (London, Verso, 1983)pg.36. Cundy, Catherine. Salman Rushdie; Contemporary World Writers (Manchester University Press; St.Martin’s press, 1996) Goonetilleke, D.C.R.A. Salman Rushdie (Great Britain: Palgrave Macmillan, 1998,2010) Kortenaar, Neil ten. Self, Nation, Text in Salman Rushdie’s ‘Midnight Children: (Montreal and London: McGill-Queen’s University Press,2004.pg36 Morton, Stephen: Salman Rushdie, (London; Palgrave Macmillian, 2008) Web Cited: http://www.colorsofindia.com/indianelephant/myth.htm