Midnight's children

by Salman Rushdie

Prepared by: Jehad Mohamed supervisor by :Mrs. Sana

Group “B”
Salman Rushdie

Ahmed Salman Rushdie, born on June 19, 1947, in Bombay

(now Mumbai), India, is a prominent British-American novelist
known for his unique blend of magic realism and historical
fiction. He studied history at King's College, Cambridge, and
began his career as an advertising copywriter before achieving
fame with Midnight's Children (1981), which won the Booker
Prize. His controversial novel The Satanic Verses (1988) led to a
fatwa against him, forcing him into hiding for several years.
Rushdie has published numerous acclaimed works and became a
U.S. citizen in 2016 after being knighted in 2007.
Summary

Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie follows Saleem Sinai,

born at the exact moment of India's independence in 1947. He
discovers he has telepathic powers, connecting him to other
children born during that hour, known as the Midnight's
Children, each endowed with unique abilities. The narrative
intertwines Saleem's life with India's tumultuous history,
including the Indo-Pakistani War and the Emergency declared
by Indira Gandhi. As Saleem navigates personal and political
upheavals, he grapples with identity, memory, and the fate of his
fellow children, ultimately leading to profound revelations about
his life and the nation itself.

Plot
Saleem Sinai, the narrator of Midnight’s Children, is born at midnight on
August 15, 1947, the exact moment of India’s independence.
Approaching his 31st birthday and fearing his death, Saleem recounts
his family history. His story begins in 1915 with his grandfather, Aadam
Aziz, a doctor in Kashmir. Aadam marries Naseem after treating her for
three years without seeing her face. They have five children, including
Mumtaz, who first marries Nadir Khan. When Nadir flees, Mumtaz
marries Ahmed Sinai, changes her name to Amina, and moves to
Bombay with her husband. At the stroke of independence, Amina and
Vanita, the wife of a poor entertainer, each give birth to a son. A
midwife, Mary Pereira, secretly switches the babies, giving Saleem,
Vanita’s child, a privileged life with the Sinais. Saleem grows up with an
oversized nose and discovers his telepathic powers during a period of
silence.

Through his abilities, he connects with 1,001 other children born in the
first hour of India’s independence, all of whom possess magical abilities.
Among them is Shiva, the boy with whom Saleem was switched, who
has powerful knees and exceptional combat skills. Saleem’s true
parentage is uncovered through a blood test, causing family turmoil. His
family eventually moves to Pakistan, and after returning to Bombay,
Saleem undergoes surgery that replaces his telepathy with an enhanced
sense of smell. During the India-Pakistan war, Saleem loses his family
and memory but eventually becomes a soldier. After fleeing the army
and recovering his memory, he reconnects with Parvati-the-witch,
another of the Midnight’s Children. Parvati becomes pregnant after an
affair with Shiva, but when their relationship deteriorates, she marries
Saleem instead. Parvati is killed during Indira Gandhi’s forced
sterilization campaign, and Saleem is captured and sterilized. Under
pressure, he reveals the identities of the other Midnight’s Children, who
are then rounded up and sterilized, losing their magical powers. After
Gandhi’s election defeat, Saleem and the children are released. Saleem
finds Parvati’s son, Aadam, and reunites with Padma, his loyal
companion. As Saleem turns 31, he predicts his death, envisioning
himself crumbling into dust on the 31st anniversary of India’s
independence.
Main characters
Saleem Sinai

The novel’s narrator and protagonist, born at the exact moment of

India’s independence. Gifted with telepathic powers and an
extraordinary sense of smell, Saleem recounts his remarkable life story
as his body begins to deteriorate. His narrative closely mirrors the
history of postcolonial India. However, as a storyteller, Saleem is
occasionally unreliable and self-focused.

The Brass Monkey (Jamila Singer)

Saleem’s younger sister, who grows up to become Pakistan’s most

celebrated and beloved singer, adored by the entire nation.

Aadam Aziz

Saleem’s grandfather and the head of the family. Aadam is a doctor and
a skeptic whose loss of faith leaves a figurative “hole” inside him. He
falls in love with his wife, Naseem, after years of only being allowed to
see her through a small hole in a perforated sheet during medical
treatments.

Ahmed Sinai

Saleem’s father, a clever businessman whose ventures ultimately fail.

His marriage is marked by conflict with his wife and his struggles with
alcohol addiction.

Themes
1. Personal Identity and National History

Midnight’s Children focuses on how personal identity is connected

to the history of a country. Saleem Sinai’s life, starting at the
moment of India’s independence, reflects the struggles and
changes the nation goes through. His personal experiences, like his
connection to other Midnight’s Children, symbolize India’s
challenges, including partition and finding its cultural identity.
Rushdie shows that individual lives are shaped by the political and
social events around them.

2. Memory and Heritage

The novel looks at how memory helps shape identity and history.
Saleem tells his story by mixing facts and fantasy, showing how
memory can be unreliable and fragmented. This highlights how
history is often influenced by personal experiences, myths, and
traditions. The focus on family history and cultural legacy shows
how the past continues to influence both people and nations.
3. Fate and Free Will

The story explores whether people are controlled by fate or have

the power to make their own choices. Saleem and the other
Midnight’s Children seem destined to play important roles in
India’s future because of their special abilities and the timing of
their births. However, Saleem’s decisions also affect his life and
others around him. The novel raises questions about how much
control individuals really have over their lives compared to the
larger forces shaping them.
4.The Creation of History and Identity

The novel questions how history and identity are created, showing that
they are often unreliable. Saleem’s storytelling is full of exaggerations
and contradictions, reflecting how history is shaped by personal opinions
and selective memories. Rushdie challenges the idea of a single “true”
history, blending fact with fiction. This theme shows how both nations
and individuals build their identities through stories that mix reality and
imagination. Saleem’s tale encourages readers to question how history is
written and how it affects who we are.

Conflict

1. Saleem’s Inner Struggle

Saleem struggles to understand who he really is. He learns he isn’t the biological child of
the Sinai family, and his special powers make him feel both important and burdened. He
constantly questions if he controls his life or if it’s shaped by the history of India. This
inner conflict reflects his journey to find his true identity.

2. Individual vs. Society

Saleem faces conflict with the society around him. As a symbol of India’s independence,
he feels pressure to play a big role, but he is also affected by events like war and political
oppression. When the government sterilizes the Midnight’s Children, it shows how
society tries to control people and take away their uniqueness

3. Tradition vs. Modernity

The novel shows the clash between old traditions and the push for change. Saleem’s
family represents this struggle, as they try to hold onto their cultural roots while also
adapting to a new, modern world. This mirrors the challenges India faces after gaining
independence.
4. National Division

The partition of India and Pakistan creates a big conflict, splitting families and
communities. Saleem’s family feels the pain of this division, reflecting the larger
struggles of a country trying to stay united despite religious and political differences. The
Midnight’s Children, who represent the diversity of the nation, are eventually silenced,
showing how unity is hard to achieve.
Symbols
1. Midnight’s Children

The Midnight’s Children, born exactly at the moment of India’s independence, represent
the new nation itself. They symbolize the hopes and struggles of postcolonial India, each
child with a special power reflecting the country’s diversity and challenges.

2. Saleem’s Nose

Saleem’s large nose symbolizes how he feels different and unique. It shows how he sees
himself and how others see him. It also represents his connection to the history of India,
with its many imperfections and complexities.

3. The Hole in the Sheet

The hole in the sheet that Aadam Aziz uses to see Naseem represents the gap between
what we think we know and what we truly understand. It shows how people only get
partial views of each other and the world, and it symbolizes the separation between the
individual and the larger world.

4. The Midnight Hour

The moment of midnight, when Saleem and the other Midnight’s Children are born,
symbolizes the start of India’s independence. It marks a time of new beginnings, but also
uncertainty and challenges, showing that a new nation is full of both hope and
difficulties.

5. The Television

The television symbolizes the spread of information and control. In the novel, it
represents how the government manipulates the public’s understanding of events, shaping
the truth and what people believe.

6. The Pomegranate Tree

The pomegranate tree symbolizes the family’s connection to their culture and history. It
also represents growth, change, and the passing of time. The tree shows both life and loss,
reflecting how the family and the country evolve over time

Magical Realism in Midnight’s Children

Midnight’s Children is a prime example of magical realism, blending

fantastical elements with the everyday world. Salman Rushdie uses this
genre to explore the complexities of Indian identity and history, with the
protagonist Saleem Sinai’s telepathic abilities symbolizing the chaotic
and surreal nature of post-colonial India. The mixture of the
extraordinary and the ordinary emphasizes the idea that history is shaped
by both factual events and personal experiences.

Legacy of Colonialism

The novel examines the lasting effects of British colonialism on India,

showing how it has divided the country’s social fabric. Saleem’s story
mirrors India’s difficult path to independence, highlighting the cultural
and religious divisions left behind by colonialism. Rushdie critiques the
colonial mindset that still affects Indian society, pointing out the
challenges of rebuilding a national identity after centuries of oppression.

Multiculturalism

Rushdie celebrates India’s multicultural identity by presenting characters

from diverse backgrounds. Saleem’s mixed heritage allows him to move
through different cultural worlds, symbolizing the richness of India’s
pluralism. The Midnight Children’s Conference embodies the potential
for unity in diversity, stressing the importance of cooperation and
coexistence, while warning against the dangers of forcing uniformity
and silencing minority voices.
Post-colonialism

The novel tackles post-colonial issues, critiquing the challenges India

faces in shaping its identity after colonial rule. It highlights the
shortcomings of post-colonial governance and the persistence of
authoritarianism, particularly under Indira Gandhi’s leadership. Saleem’s
fragmented narrative reflects the disorder of post-colonial India, where
multiple histories and identities compete for recognition, illustrating the
struggle to forge a unified national identity.

Globalisation and British Literature

Midnight’s Children also explores the effects of globalization by

blending Eastern and Western narratives. Rushdie’s use of English,
infused with Indian idioms, shows the complexities of language in a
globalized world. The novel contributes to British literature by including
diverse voices and perspectives, challenging traditional literary forms
and opening the door for more inclusive storytelling.

Rushdie’s Style and Narrative Technique

Rushdie’s writing style in Midnight’s Children is as complex as the story

itself. His playful and chaotic language reflects the fragmented identity
of post-colonial India, blending personal memory with historical events
in a way that questions the idea of one fixed, reliable truth. This
postmodern approach highlights how history and memory are shaped by
perspective, deepening the novel’s themes of identity and diversity.
Context in Post-colonial Literature

Midnight’s Children shares many themes with other post-colonial

classics, such as Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart and Arundhati
Roy’s The God of Small Things. Like these works, Rushdie critiques the
enduring effects of colonialism but uniquely uses magical realism to
capture India’s surreal journey to independence. This places Midnight’s
Children within the global tradition of exploring identity in the aftermath
of colonial rule.

Conclusion

In Midnight’s Children, Rushdie masterfully weaves together themes of

magical realism, colonial legacy, multiculturalism, post-colonialism, and
globalization, creating a complex narrative that reflects the intricacies of
Indian identity. The novel critiques historical and political landscapes
while addressing broader themes that resonate with a global audience.