Rushdie: A Bend in Indian History
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document in English
history 1789 to present
school essay
published 07/05/2007
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SummarySalman Rushdie has been in hiding for over a decade due to assassins who are out searching for him because of his “anti-Islamic blasphemy, belief and disbelief, anti-Thatcher politics, and pro-Western propaganda” (Kuortti 1999: 15). Even though Iranian leader, Khomeini, who initially established the fatwa on Rushdie, has died, leaders have left a money reward on his life for his controversial novels that radically display his strong historical and political critiques on South Asian and the Middle Eastern countries. Author Damian Grant believes that Rushdie would be “…best seen as a critic rather than a novelist at all” due to the upheavals provoked by his opinionated writings (Grant 1998: 41).
One of his first novels, Midnight’s Children, directs its attentions towards India around the time of Pakistan’s succession. The story is narrated by a Bombay-native named Saleem Sinai who was born on August 15, 1947, the day of India’s independence from Britain. He possesses magical abilities that link him mentally (and ably) to the group of Indian children born on the same day as he was; they are called midnight’s children. Their life experiences seemingly change (and are changed by) India. The entire novel is a commentary of India’s historical and political status according to Rusdhie. But what does Salman Rushdie have to say about India? What specific criticisms does he make regarding India’s known history? How does he use Saleem’s story to portray his opinions on India’s known past? What are some of the responses to his novel and views of India, and how does he defend himself? Finally, are his points valid enough to be integrated into how India and its past are viewed by outsiders, or how it views itself?
One of his first novels, Midnight’s Children, directs its attentions towards India around the time of Pakistan’s succession. The story is narrated by a Bombay-native named Saleem Sinai who was born on August 15, 1947, the day of India’s independence from Britain. He possesses magical abilities that link him mentally (and ably) to the group of Indian children born on the same day as he was; they are called midnight’s children. Their life experiences seemingly change (and are changed by) India. The entire novel is a commentary of India’s historical and political status according to Rusdhie. But what does Salman Rushdie have to say about India? What specific criticisms does he make regarding India’s known history? How does he use Saleem’s story to portray his opinions on India’s known past? What are some of the responses to his novel and views of India, and how does he defend himself? Finally, are his points valid enough to be integrated into how India and its past are viewed by outsiders, or how it views itself?
Table of Contents
- One of his first novels, Midnight's Children, directs its attentions towards India around the time of Pakistan's succession
- It is well known that Salman Rushdie writes his novel Midnight's Children in the form of magical realism
- Rushdie explores the idea that India's history was not 'real' until after the British Raj ended
- To Rushdie, then, India seems to be historically a magical place because that is how it has been perceived by people
- Rushdie claims that the deception of memory has created inaccurate retellings of previous times in India
- Rushdie's distrust in India and the country's ability to maintain an accurate and realistic history could be seen as offensive
- He acknowledges that his novel will not be accepted by everyone in India because it is 'against the grain?,
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