As Midnight’s Children progresses, the
novel becomes increasingly political. What’s interesting about the political
undertones (that gradually become less and less ‘under’) is how they are
intrinsically connected to Saleem’s life. From the beginning of the book we
become aware that Saleem’s midnight birth coincides with India’s independence,
a coincidence that connects him to his nation’s history for his entire life.
This
artifact is important within the context of Midnight’s
Children for a number of reasons. Albeit Indira Gandhi’s role in the novel is
brief, her eventual influence- and destruction of- on Saleem and the other
children is alluded to through Saleem’s dreams of the Widow. I would argue that
the entire text works its way up to Indira Gandhi, and the grand political
statement Rushdie makes. It isn’t until
Book Three that Saleem briefly summarizes Indira Gandhi’s history, telling
readers, “Just in case you have failed to realize that the Prime Minister of India
was, in 1975, fifteen years a widow” (484). Marvelous and clever word play
aside, Rushdie’s depiction of Indira as “The Widow” is telling of her poisonous
effect on India. In Saleem’s dream the Widow tears apart the children, with “green
and black hair clutching hand and children mmff and little balls and one-by-one
torn-in-half” (485). His dream foreshadows The Widow’s eventual destruction of
the midnight’s children which becomes Rushdie’s metaphor of how the actual
Indira Gandhi decimated India’s hope of a promising future.
By the time
readers meet Indira Gandhi in 1975, she has secured her position as chief
antagonist and the fated downfall of the midnight’s children. However, Indira
Gandhi was actually highly popular in India, especially after the Indian
victory in the conflict with Pakistan in 1971. That same year she was found
guilty voter fraud and malpractice. Needless to say, the approval rates she
experienced due to reforms made during her first term plummeted. To restore
order and avoid facing chargers, Gandhi declared the State of Emergency based
on “internal disturbance.” Much like the events Rushdie depicts through Saleem,
atrocities such as censorship, reduced civil liberties, imprisonments, and
forced sterilization followed. Rushdie weaves together a number of narratives here.
Saleem and his life along with Indira
Gandhi and her State of Emergency become the central crisis of the end of the
novel. More importantly however, Rushdie weaves together the fictional
storyline with actual events of India’s history. Throughout the novel readers
are encouraged to contemplate this grand question of identity, as Saleem
constantly asserts himself as an integral part of India’s history as though he
embodies India itself. By Book Three, Saleem is asking himself “has my life
long belief in the equation between the State and myself transmuted into that
in-those-days famous phrase: India is
Indira and Indira is India?” (483) As she becomes a larger threat to Saleem
and the midnight’s children, his confidence in his identity being linked with
India’s begins to slip; the confidence that has given his entire life meaning.
This reveals Indira Gandhi’s effects on the nation, and how her near-absolute
control over India impeded progress toward India establishing an identity.
The quote
from my artifact is from a speech Indira Gandhi made in 1984. “I am not interested in a long life. I am not afraid of these things. I
don't mind if my life goes in the service of this nation. If I die today, every
drop of my blood will invigorate the nation.” I can’t help but read a
bit of irony in this quote, because of the massive disservice Gandhi did to her
nation during the State of Emergency and because of her assassination. I also can’t help but compare Indira Gandhi to
Saleem. They share an acceptance of death; Saleem tells us he is falling apart
from the very beginning. They also share a resolute self-identification with
the nation of India, regardless of whether or not it is grounded in reality (aren’t
we question Saleem’s reliability the whole novel?).
"Time Magazine [United States] (12 November 1984)." Indira Gandhi. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
I found this exhibit quite interesting and honestly quite helpful, as she was such an important part of the novel towards the end. I find it quite interesting that the novel does present her in a light which is different from which she was seen at the time. Of course, this could be due entirely to Saleem’s (and Rushdie’s) benefit of hindsight in telling the story. This does draw up a question, however. Exactly how much of the characterization and treatment of characters and events in the novel is due to it being written after the fact? The second part I was quite struck by is the quote by the Widow. This statement does seem to mirror Saleem’s own projected fate, if he is to be believed. One must question if Saleem (and again Rushdie) were aware of this quote, and Saleem’s supposed demise is meant as a sort of reflection of the Widow’s own vow. For while she claimed she was India, Saleem truly was. This certainly provides something more to think about in connection with the novel and its many highly political components. Perhaps Saleem’s own projected collapsing is but a wish to spread throughout India, in effort to prevent the Widow in being able to do so?
ReplyDeleteComment Added by Zachary Lewis
When it comes to learning about India's progress towards independence, I had never really learned about Indira Gandhi's role in separating the nation from British control. It's very interesting to see Rushdie portray her in such a negative connotation. The reader empathizes particularly with Saleem, and throughout the novel you learn to like reading about the Midnight's Children and their magical powers. It was difficult, yet predictable to see them hunted down by such a powerful political figure. Completely opposite to that of the actions which we do learn about from Mahatma Gandhi. It makes me wonder what kind of argument of voice of opposition Rushdie is trying to emphasize here. With a woman, who in the public's eye, was revered as a patron towards India's independence, whereas in the novel, she is in the same dark shadows as Shiva.
ReplyDelete--- Edward Montalvo