'Midnight's Children' by Salman Rushdie
'Midnight's Children' by Salman Rushdie
Introduction :-
'Midnight's Children' is an amazing and well known novel by Salman Rushdie. This novel was published in the year 1981. The novel is about India's transition from British colonial rule to independence and partition. It is a post colonial, postmodern, and magical realistic story told by its chief protagonist, Saleem Sinai, set in the context of historical events. The novel 'Midnight's Children' delves in the themes fate vs. free will, identity, memory, hybridity, multiculturalism, politics and power, myth & magic realism, and history.
Justification of the Title :-
Identity and Possession :-
The phrase "Midnight's Children" emphasises the possessive form, implying that the kids are part of midnight. Here, midnight stands for August 15, 1947, the day India gained its freedom. This historic occasion has a lasting impact on the identities and futures of the children born in that year. Rushdie draws attention to the children's relationship to midnight by highlighting the significant impact that this historical event has on their lives. They are not merely born on midnight; rather, they are inextricably connected to it, having been moulded by the social and political upheavals and opportunities that independence brings.
Emphasis on Midnight as a Symbol :-
In Midnight's Children, the term midnight acquires a symbolic significance that goes beyond its simple time interpretation. Midnight represents a fresh start, the birth of a country, and the concomitant emergence of a generation weighed down by the disappointments and aspirations of that particular historical period. Midnight is highlighted in the possessive form as a pivotal time that simultaneously produces and claims the children, making them representative of the journey of the country.
Poetic Sound and Grammatical Flow :-
Compared to Children of Midnight, Midnight's Children has a more poetic and flowing tone. The title is easier to remember when reading in the possessive form because it sounds better on the tongue. Rushdie frequently experiments with language and rhythm in his works, and this title selection may be an artistic choice based on the way the words sound combined. This gives the title a poetic aspect that complements the rich, intricate narrative style of the book.
The title's "midnight" alludes to the precise time of India's independence on August 15, 1947, at exactly midnight. Saleem is more than simply a single person born at this pivotal moment he represents the aspirations, hardships, and identities of the country. His life is intricately interwoven to the path of postcolonial Indian history, making him both a participant in and a product of historical events. Major historical occurrences like the division of India, the conflicts with Pakistan, and Indira Gandhi's proclamation of emergency are all reflected in Saleem's life throughout the book. The title highlights this relationship by implying that Saleem's destiny and hence, the fates of the other midnight's children—is tied to the good fortunes and bad luck of the country.
Mythical Elements :-
Due to their extraordinary abilities, Saleem and the other children born in the first hour of India's independence are confined to a legendary world. The youngsters named Midnight's youngsters are not your typical kids; like mythological heroes, they possess superhuman skills that enable them to transcend the ordinary. The title suggests a sense of destiny and otherworldly significance, as though these kids were born into a magical realism that is reminiscent of Rushdie's storytelling approach.
It is also possible to view Saleem as a mythological figure whose life and tribulations represent the greater story of a young country. According to the title, Saleem in particular and the other children are avatars of the just formed nation, tasked with bearing the weight of history and navigating the volatility and complexity of a post-colonial society.
Postcolonial Voices :-
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Several theoretical frameworks are used to analyse postcolonial voices in order to dissect the effects of colonisation on people as well as cultures. Subaltern Studies is one important viewpoint that highlights the voices and experiences of people displaced by colonial power institutions. As it presents a hybrid identity that is neither wholly Indian nor fully Western, the novel itself operates in the "Third Space," rejecting rigid colonial binaries and celebrating cultural richness and fluidity. The "Third Space" and hybridity, as defined by Homi Bhabha, explore how interactions between coloniser and colonised nations give rise to new, flexible cultural identities. Saleem represents this hybridity in Midnight's Children by referencing his mixed ancestry and speaking in a "chutnified" manner, which reflects the blending of Indian and Western traditions.
Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak arguing that, Salman Rushdie gives voice to under-represented groups in Midnight's Children, including women, minorities, and the impoverished, whose stories are frequently left out of popular historical accounts. In contrast to official histories, Saleem's collective and personal memory provides an alternative account of India's past. The disjointed, non-linear style of the book mirrors the disempowerment of the subaltern, since their narratives are seldom presented in an easy-to-read manner. The complex and chaotic experiences of people on the margins of society are reflected in this narrative method.
According to Frantz Fanon, the efforts of postcolonial India to forge a national consciousness independent of colonial influence are reflected in Rushdie's book. The novel's portrayal of India's post-independence struggles, such as the Emergency and the partition, draws attention to how difficult it was to forge a cohesive national identity after colonial rule. The identity struggle and psychological pain that Fanon outlines are symbolised by Saleem's shattered identity.
Dipesh Chakrabarty arguing in article that, by emphasising Indian history and identity rather than European experiences or viewpoints, Midnight's Children provincialises Europe. This de-centering is facilitated by the novel's use of magical realism, emphasis on regional mythologies, and critique of Western historiography. By presenting Indian history through the eyes of individuals who experienced it firsthand, Rushdie reclaims it from a Eurocentric narrative. Aime Césaire, negritude is unique to the African setting, although Midnight's Children shares its themes of identity reclamation and fighting cultural alienation. The novel's greater engagement with India's cultural legacy and Saleem's struggle to comprehend his identity in the face of colonialism can both be understood as efforts to restore an indigenous sense of self and fight against imperial alienation.
The Role of 'English' in the Novel :-
Salman Rushdie uses a novel and distinctive style of English, also known as "chutnified" English, in Midnight's Children to capture the hybrid and multifaceted character of postcolonial India. Like the process of preparing chutney, the term "chutnified" refers to a blending or mixing when different elements are blended to create something unique. This idea of cultural fusion is embodied by Rushdie's language choices in the book, which combine traditional English with Indian idioms, expressions, and vernacular to create a style that reflects the complexity of Indian society.
Chutnified English :-
Hindi, Urdu, and regional dialects are only a few of the Indian languages that Rushdie incorporates into English. By doing this, he subverts the conventional, homogenised form of English and increases its inclusivity of Indian voices and cultural nuance. Indian expressions like "roti" (bread) and "jaldi jaldi" (quickly), for instance, are used without explanation, presuming that the reader is familiar with these terms or can deduce their meaning. The result is a decidedly postcolonial voice that affirms the legitimacy of Indian English while reflecting the multilingual realities of India.
De-Doxifying Language :-
Salman Rushdie defies conventional, colonial conventions in Midnight's Children, utilising the English language to convey Indian experiences in a wholly postcolonial manner. This process might be referred to as "de-doxifying" the language. The prevailing, authoritative form of British English that was enforced during colonial authority is challenged by Rushdie's usage of Indianized English. He creates a hybrid form that portrays the multicultural, multilingual reality of postcolonial India by fusing English with regional languages and speech patterns rather than following the strict standards of "correct" English.
Grammatical rules are frequently bent or ignored in Midnight's Children, enabling a fluid narrative style that is reminiscent of oral storytelling customs. Decolonising the language is symbolised by this rejection of rigid grammar norms, which demonstrates how adaptable the language can be to many cultural contexts. Rushdie's vocabulary, which frequently switches between various linguistic registers, reflects the novel's fractured, non-linear narrative structure. Rushdie's de-doxified language allows these several identities to coexist. The usage of multiple voices and languages within a single work shows the intricacy of identity and memory in postcolonial India.
Metaphor of Bulldozer :-
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Bulldozers are used in Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children as a powerful metaphor for the totalitarian power that Indira Gandhi and her son Sanjay Gandhi used during India's Emergency period. In this instance, the bulldozer represents the violent force employed by the state to crush opposition, subjugate the weak, destroy communities, and impose a deceptive notion of order and beauty through devastation. The novel's repeated references to the bulldozer give this emblem additional depth and serve to highlight the dehumanising consequences of political power when it is used against the weak.
"If he could have talked, would he have cautioned me against treason and bulldozers?"
This quotation illustrates how state violence and political betrayal are intertwined. The narrator links the act of dissent with the unavoidable result of state-sanctioned destruction, questioning whether a warning against "treason" would have included a warning about bulldozers. Here, the bulldozer represents the state's willingness to crush any kind of resistance by serving as a means for political, moral, and physical oppression in addition to physical devastation.
"I lost something else that day, besides my freedom: bulldozers swallowed a silver spittoon. Deprived of the last object connecting me to my more tangible, historically-verifiable past, I was taken to Benares to face the consequences of my inner, midnight-given life."
The narrator's connection to his family and personal past is severed in this paragraph when the bulldozer destroys the silver spittoon, a treasured heirloom. As a physical link to the past, the spittoon stands for continuity, identity, and remembrance. When it is destroyed by the bulldozer, which has an unquenchable thirst for destruction, history is erased by authoritarian forces, leaving the narrator helpless and subject to the whims of the state. The bulldozer highlights the totalising character of state authority by destroying not only physical structures but also historical and cultural artefacts that connect people to their history.
"I was consumed by nostalgia for my bulldozed #silver_spittoon."
The narrator's longing for a bygone era that has been permanently destroyed by the bulldozer's interference is conveyed through his melancholy for the spittoon that was destroyed by the machine. This item, which formerly served as a bridge to a more fulfilling life, has been destroyed, leaving nothing but an empty yearning in its place. As a result, the bulldozer comes to represent not only the physical devastation but also the psychological and emotional damage caused by the state's disdain for unique lives and histories. This nostalgic feeling captures the terrible effects of political oppression, in which people who survive the onslaught of the bulldozer are haunted by the ghosts of a past that has been destroyed.
Conclusion :-
In conclusion, The title alludes to the notion that these kids, and by extension, India as a whole, are destined to be important players in the world. Rushdie conveys the broken aspect of Indian identity through the use of English, which is a reflection of the nation's struggles to create a new national identity and its colonial heritage. The bulldozer stands for the power these forces have to destroy individual identities, history, and cultures. The obstacles India faces in attempting to make peace with its history and move forward are likewise symbolised by the bulldozer.
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