Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children: Contextual Presentation
-Edward Montalvo, Zachary Lewis, Aubrey Helm
Annotated Bibliography
Kane, Jean M., and Salman Rushdie. "The Migrant Intellectual and the Body of History: Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children"" Contemporary Literature 37.1 (1996): 94. Web. 7 Apr. 2014
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This article discusses the cultural implications of Rushdie's “Midnight Children.” It discusses historical significances as linked chronologically to Adam Aziz and Saleem Sinai and uses Ayurvedic philosophies to analyze the many metaphors which exist within the text.
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In this essay, Mahanta discusses an
overall look at the voice Rushdie provides readers with in regards to
two of his novels, Midnight's Children & Shame. Mahanta first
examines the origins of Rushdie’s powerful imagination by announcing the
prevalence of British Imperialism, and then outlines the discourse felt
from educated Indians as they reflect on the madness of their newly
independent nations struggling to create a system of working
government. Mahanta describes a problem, stemming for Westernization,
which then leads to a sense of alienation from the mass of a society
constructed from the slums. Mahanta further describes the allegory
versus realism of the text, and states that Rushdie’s novel at one point
“falls off as allegory merges into a surrealist nightmare,” (245). The
essay concludes the argument of the purpose of the voice in the text in
the exact same context of that of the narrator’s emotions in Midnights
Children, and spoiler alert, “unable to live or die in peace.”
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Rushdie describes some of the tribulations he encountered during pre-publication of Midnight's Children
and its aftermath from a heated dispute with Indira Gandhi and his
fathers anger over the depiction of Ahmed Sinai to the real life
characters who are to thank for the novels fictional ones
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Salman Rushdie explains the many set
backs during the publication of his highly acclaimed novel, "Midnight's
Children," the exuberance he felt when he finally discovered Saleem
Sinai's voice, and his response to the critical reception of the novel.
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This article looks at Indian politics
in view of the novel, as well as Rushdie's own treatment. It mentions a
so called "Shiva-Principle", which is where the country begins to
mirror Shiva as opposed to Saleem mirroring the country. This provides
an interesting look, as by the mid point of the novel Shiva has already
announced himself and has tried usurping Saleem's control without any
basis.
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This article is a biographical
profile of Salman Rushdie, author of "Midnight's Children." It focuses
primarily on the death threat Rushdie recieved after the publication of
his novel "The Satanic Verses" in 1989 but also covers his birth in
Bombay, India, his multiple publications and awards received.
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This article utilizes the novel as a
basis to explain "authentic" and "huberistic" forms of pride. The
difference being the first is based in actual ability, the latter in
posturing. This draws comparisons between Saleem and Shiva, which
becomes more evident and important as the novel goes on.
Page numbers correspond with: Rushdie, Salman. Midnight's Children. 25th Anniversary ed. New York: Random House, 2006. Print.
Just like 100 Years of Solitude, The House of the Spirits, Arabian Nights and Days, and some of the other texts we have read thus far, Midnight's Children
can be described as a voice against oppression, for revolution, and for
cultural unity and identity. Throughout the course of reading the first
half of Midnight's Children, have you discovered any specific passages or ideas that help exemplify these connections between our texts?
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"Most of what matters in our lives takes place in our absence" (14)
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"'We must think' I said, 'What we are for'" (261)
- “in which case, we should either–optimistically–get up and cheer, because if everything is planned in advance, then we all have a meaning, and are spared the terror of knowing ourselves to be random, without a why: or else, of course, we might–as pessimists–give up right here and now, understanding the futility of though decision action, since nothing we think makes any difference anyway; things will be as they will.” (86)
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“Does one error invalidate the entire
fabric? Am I so far gone, in my desperate need for meaning, that I’m
prepared to distort every thing–to re-write the whole history of my
times purely in order to place myself in a central role?” (190)
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