Midnight s Children Study Guide

8/12/2019 Midnight s Children Study Guide

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Context

Salman Rushdie was born on June 19, 1947, to an afuent amily in Bombay, India.

Rushdies birth oinided with a !artiularly im!ortant moment in Indian history"

ater nearly one hundred years o olonial rule, the British ou!ation o the South

#sian subontinent was omin$ to an end. #lmost e%atly three months aterRushdies birth, &a'istan and India ahie(ed their lon$)awaited inde!endene when,

at the stro'e o midni$ht on #u$ust 14 and 1*, res!eti(ely, !ower was transerred

rom +reat Britain to the so(erei$n $o(ernments o eah ountry. he !eriod that

immediately ollowed inde!endene !ro(ed tumultuous. &olitial and soial tensions

between -indus and uslims aused not only the di(ision o India into two se!arate

ountries/a alamitous e(ent reerred to as &artition/but also wide)sale riots that

laimed hundreds o thousands o li(es. he (iolene that aom!anied

inde!endene was a !relude to the multi!le wars, ou!s, and $o(ernmental abuses

that !la$ued the area in the years that ollowed.

he !olitial u!hea(al and onstant threat o (iolene that mar'ed the 0rst three

deades o inde!endene orms the ba'dro! orMidnights Children, Rushdies

most elebrated no(el. i'e Rushdie himsel, Saleem, the narrator o Midnights

Children, is born on the e(e o inde!endene, and the e(ents o his lie losely

!arallel e(ents in the de(elo!ment o both India and &a'istan. ost o Rushdies

no(els onern themsel(es, to some e%tent, with the harater and history o these

two ma2or South #sian nations and desribe the (arious, oten (iolent stru$$les

between di3erent reli$ions, lasses, lan$ua$es, and $eo$ra!hial re$ions. In the

thirty years ollowin$ inde!endene, India and &a'istan ou$ht three se!arate wars"

two o(er ashmir, and one o(er the reation o an inde!endent Ban$ladesh. he

wars !rodued millions o reu$ees, laimed thousands o li(es, and led to a nearly!ermanent state o tension between the two ountries.

Raised in a well)to)do uslim household, Rushdie was $i(en an e%ellent eduation.

#ter $raduatin$ rom the 5ni(ersity o 6%ord in 198, he mo(ed briey to &a'istan,

where his amily had immi$rated ater &artition, beore returnin$ to :n$land to wor'

as an ator and o!ywriter. Soon ater, Rushdie !ublished his 0rst

no(el, Grimus ;197*


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o Islam and or its less)than)re(erent treatment o the &ro!het ohammed. he

no(el was banned in Rushdies nati(e India and !rom!ted the theorati Iranian

$o(ernment to issue a atwa/a reli$ious rulin$/allin$ or his death in 1989.

Rushdie s!ent the ne%t nine years li(in$ in serey, under the !rotetion o

body$uards and the British $o(ernment. @earul or his lie, Rushdie nonethelessontinued to write and !ublish boo's, most notably Haroun and the Sea of

Stories;199A< and the Moors Last Sigh ;199*


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Plot Overview

Saleem Sinai, the narrator o Midnights Children, o!ens the no(el by e%!lainin$ that

he was born on midni$ht, #u$ust 1*, 1947, at the e%at moment India $ained its

inde!endene rom British rule. Cow nearin$ his thirty)0rst birthday, Saleem

belie(es that his body is be$innin$ to ra' and all a!art. @earin$ that his death is

imminent, he $rows an%ious to tell his lie story. &adma, his loyal and lo(in$

om!anion, ser(es as his !atient, oten s'e!tial audiene.

Saleems story be$ins in ashmir, thirty)two years beore his birth, in 191*. here,

Saleems $randather, a dotor named #adam #=i=, be$ins treatin$ Caseem, the

woman who beomes Saleems $randmother. @or the 0rst three years #adam #=i=

treats her, Caseem is always o(ered by a sheet with a small hole in it that is

mo(ed to e%!ose the !art o her that is si'. #adam #=is sees his uture wies aeor the 0rst time on the same day orld ar I ends, in 1918. #adam #=i= and

Caseem marry, and the ou!le mo(es to #$ra, where #adam/a dotor whose loss

o reli$ious aith has a3eted him dee!ly/sees how !rotests in the name o

inde!endene $et (iolently su!!ressed. #adam and Caseem ha(e three dau$hters,

#lia, umta=, and :merald, and two sons, usta!ha and -ani. #adam beomes a

ollower o the o!timisti ati(ist ian #bdullah, whose anti)&artition stane

e(entually leads to his assassination. @ollowin$ #bdullahs death, #adam hides

#bdullahs ri$htened assistant, Cadir han, des!ite his wies o!!osition. hile

li(in$ in the basement, Cadir han alls in lo(e with umta=, and the two are

seretly married. -owe(er, ater two years o marria$e, #adam 0nds out that his

dau$hter is still a (ir$in, as Cadir and umta= ha(e yet to onsummate their

marria$e. Cadir han is sent runnin$ or his lie when umta=s sister, :merald, tells

a2or ul0'ar/an oer in the &a'istani army, soon to be :meralds husband/

about his hidin$ !lae in the house. #bandoned by her husband, umta= a$rees to

marry #hmed Sinai, a youn$ merhant who until then had been ourtin$ her sister,

#lia.

umta= han$es her name to #mina and mo(es to Kelhi with her new husband.

&re$nant, she $oes to a ortune)teller who deli(ers a ry!ti !ro!hey about her

unborn son, delarin$ that the boy will ne(er be older or youn$er than his ountry

and laimin$ that he sees two heads, 'nees and a nose. #ter a terroristor$ani=ation burns down #hmeds atory, #hmed and #mina mo(e to Bombay.

hey buy a house rom a de!artin$ :n$lishman, illiam ethwold, who owns an

estate at the to! o a hill. ee illie in'y, a !oor man who entertains the amilies

o ethwolds :state, says that his wie, Lanita, is also e%!etin$ a hild soon.

5nbe'nownst to ee illie in'y, Lanita had an a3air with illiam ethwold, and

he is the true ather o her unborn hild. #mina and Lanita both $o into labor, and,

at e%atly midni$ht, eah woman deli(ers a son. eanwhile, a midwie at the


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nursin$ home, ary &ereira, is !reou!ied with thou$hts o her radial soialist

lo(er, Jose!h KEosta. antin$ to ma'e him !roud, she swithes the nameta$s o

the two newborn babies, thereby $i(in$ the !oor baby a lie o !ri(ile$e and the rih

baby a lie o !o(erty. Kri(en by a sense o $uilt aterward, she beomes an ayah, or

nanny, to Saleem.

Beause it ours at the e%at moment India $ains its inde!endene, the !ress

heralds Saleems birth as hu$ely si$ni0ant. Doun$ Saleem has an enormous

uumberli'e nose and blue eyes li'e those o his $randather, #adam #=i=. -is

mishie(ous sister, ni'named the Brass on'ey, is born a ew years later.

6(erwhelmed by the e%!etations laid on him by the !ro!hey, and ridiuled by

other hildren or his hu$e nose, Saleem ta'es to hidin$ in a washin$ hest. hile

hidin$ one day, he sees his mother sittin$ down on the toiletM when #mina diso(ers

him, she !unishes Saleem to one day o silene. 5nable to s!ea', he hears, or the

0rst time, a babble o (oies in his head. -e reali=es he has the !ower o tele!athy

and an enter anyones thou$hts. :(entually, Saleem be$ins to hear the thou$hts o

other hildren born durin$ the 0rst hour o inde!endene. he 1,AA1 midni$htshildren/a number redued to *81 by their tenth birthday/all ha(e ma$ial

!owers, whih (ary aordin$ to how lose to midni$ht they were born. Saleem

diso(ers that Shi(a, the boy with whom he was swithed at birth, was born with a

!air o enormous, !owerul 'nees and a $it or ombat.

6ne day, Saleem loses a !ortion o his 0n$er in an aident and is rushed to the

hos!ital, where his !arents learn that aordin$ to Saleems blood ty!e, he ouldnt

!ossibly be their biolo$ial son. #ter he lea(es the hos!ital, Saleem is sent to li(e

with his 5nle -ani and #unt &ia or a while. Shortly ater Saleem returns home to

his !arents, -ani ommits suiide. hile the amily mourns -anis death, ary

onesses to ha(in$ swithed Saleem and Shi(a at birth. #hmed/now an aloholi

/$rows (iolent with #mina, !rom!tin$ her to ta'e Saleem and the Brass on'ey to

&a'istan, where she mo(es in with :merald. In &a'istan, Saleem wathes as

:meralds husband, +eneral ul0'ar, sta$es a ou! a$ainst the &a'istani

$o(ernment and ushers in a !eriod o martial law.

@our years later, ater #hmed su3ers a heart ailure, #mina and the hildren mo(e

ba' to Bombay. India $oes to war with Ehina, while Saleems !er!etually

on$ested nose under$oes a medial o!eration. #s a result, he loses his tele!athi

!owers but, in return, $ains an inredible sense o smell, with whih he an detet

emotions.

Saleems entire amily mo(es to &a'istan ater Indias military loss to Ehina. -is

youn$er sister, now 'nown as Jamila Sin$er, beomes the most amous sin$er in

&a'istan. #lready on the brin' o ruin, Saleems entire amily/sa(e Jamila and

himsel/dies in the s!an o a sin$le day durin$ the war between India and &a'istan.

Kurin$ the air raids, Saleem $ets hit in the head by his $randathers sil(er s!ittoon,

whih erases his memory entirely.


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Relie(ed o his memory, Saleem is redued to an animalisti state. -e 0nds himsel

onsri!ted into military ser(ie, as his 'een sense o smell ma'es him an e%ellent

tra'er. hou$h he doesnt 'now e%atly how he ame to 2oin the army, he sus!ets

that Jamila sent him there as a !unishment or ha(in$ allen in lo(e with her. hile

in the army, Saleem hel!s Huell the inde!endene mo(ement in Ban$ladesh. #ter

witnessin$ a number o atroities, howe(er, he ees into the 2un$le with three o hisellow soldiers. In the 2un$le o the Sundarbans, he re$ains all o his memory e%e!t

the 'nowled$e o his name. #ter lea(in$ the 2un$le, Saleem 0nds &ar(ati)the)with,

one o midni$hts hildren, who reminds him o his name and hel!s him esa!e ba'

to India. -e li(es with her in the ma$iians $hetto, alon$ with a sna'e harmer

named &iture Sin$h.

Kisa!!ointed that Saleem will not marry her, &ar(ati)the)with has an a3air with

Shi(a, now a amous war hero. hin$s between &ar(ati and Shi(a Hui'ly sour, and

she returns to the ma$iians $hetto, !re$nant and still unmarried. here, the

$hetto residents shun &ar(ati until Saleem a$rees to marry her. eanwhile, Indira

+andhi, the !rime minister o India, be$ins a sterili=ation am!ai$n. Shortly aterthe birth o &ar(atis son, the $o(ernment destroys the ma$iians $hetto. &ar(ati

dies while Shi(a a!tures Saleem and brin$s him to a ored sterili=ation am!.

here, Saleem di(ul$es the names o the other midni$hts hildren. 6ne by one, the

midni$hts hildren are rounded u! and sterili=ed, e3eti(ely destroyin$ the !owers

that so threaten the !rime minister. ater, howe(er, Indira +andhi loses the 0rst

eletion she holds.

he midni$hts hildren, inludin$ Saleem, are all set ree. Saleem $oes in searh o

&ar(atis son, #adam, who has been li(in$ with &iture Sin$h. he three ta'e a tri!

to Bombay, so &iture Sin$h an hallen$e a man who laims to be the worlds

$reatest sna'e harmer. hile in Bombay, Saleem eats some hutney that tastes

e%atly li'e the ones his ayah, ary, used to ma'e. -e 0nds the hutney atory

that ary now owns, at whih &adma stands $uardin$ the $ate. ith this meetin$,

Saleems story omes ull irle. -is historial aount 0nally om!lete, Saleem

deides to marry &adma, his steadast lo(er and listener, on his thirty)0rst birthday,

whih alls on the thirty)0rst anni(ersary o Indias inde!endene. Saleem

!ro!hesies that he will die on that day, disinte$ratin$ into millions o s!e's o dust.


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Character List

Saleem Sinai) he narrator and !rota$onist o the no(el. Born at the moment o

Indias inde!endene and blessed with the !owers o tele!athy and an unannysense o smell, Saleem tells his e%traordinary lie story as his body be$ins to

rumble, an aount that si$ni0antly !arallels the history o !ostolonial India. #s a

narrator, Saleem an be both unreliable and sel)entered at times.

Aadam Aziz) Saleems $randather. #adam is the !atriarh o the amily, a dotor

and s'e!ti whose loss o aith lea(es what he reers to as a >hole? inside o him.

#adam alls in lo(e with his wie, Caseem, ater only bein$ allowed to see her

throu$h a hole in a !erorated sheet.

Ahmed Sinai) Saleems ather. # shrewd businessman who is nonetheless

destined or ailure, #hmed s!ends muh o his marria$e 0$htin$ his wie and hisalohol addition.

Mumtaz (Amina Sinai)) Saleems mother, and the dau$hter o #adam #=i=. Born

umta=, she han$es her name to #mina ater her marria$e to #hmed. # lo(in$,

de(oted mother, she inherits her athers s'e!tiism and her mothers

determination. Kes!ite bein$ married to #hmed, she is ne(er able to or$et her 0rst

husband, Cadir han.

Mary Pereira) Saleems ayah and surro$ate mother. ary is res!onsible or

swithin$ Saleem and Shi(a at birth out o a mis$uided sense o soial 2ustie. In

order to om!ensate or her rime, she dediates her lie to raisin$ Saleem.

Shiva) Saleems arhri(al. Shi(a is born at e%atly the same moment as Saleem.

hile Saleem is raised in a lo(in$, wealthy household, Shi(a is raised in ab2et

!o(erty by a sin$le ather. -e is blessed with a !air o !reternaturally stron$ 'nees

and an ama=in$ !rowess in war. Shi(a is named ater the -indu $od o destrution,

who is also the $od assoiated with !roreation.

Parvati-the-witch) # real with, and, li'e Saleem, one o the hildren born at the

moment o Indias inde!endene. &ar(ati is Saleems losest ally as a hild and later

beomes his wie. Kes!ite her antasti !owers, she is unable to ma'e Saleem all in

lo(e with her and, as a result, embar's on an a3air with Shi(a that results in a hild.In the -indu reli$ion, &ar(ati is the onsort o Shi(a.

Padma) Saleems de(oted areta'er and uture wie. &adma is as stron$ and

down)to)earth as Saleem is wea' and dreamy. She !ro(ides Saleem with a s'e!tial

yet !atient audiene.


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Naseem hani) Saleems $randmother, and #adam #=i=s wie. #ter marria$e,

Caseem beomes 'nown as Re(erend other, in !art beause o her reli$ious

de(otion. #s her husband withers away with a$e, Re(erend other $rows

inreasin$ly lar$e and !owerul.

!illiam Methwold) Saleems biolo$ial ather. #n :n$lishman, illiam ethwoldsedues women with his !eretly !arted hair, whih is atually a wi$. -e owns

ethwolds :state, a !ortion o whih he sells to #hmed Sinai. -e sees his de!arture

rom India as mar'in$ the tra$i end o an era.

Alia) Saleems aunt, and a sister o #mina. #ter #hmed Sinai re2ets her or her

sister, #lia harbors a lielon$ bitterness and determination to destroy her sister and

her sisters amily.

"ani#) Saleems unle, and a brother o #mina. -ani was one one o the most

!romisin$ 0lm diretors in India. -owe(er, his dream to reate art ree rom

melodrama and su!erstition ails, and, as his areer alls a!art, he ommits suiide.

Nadir $han) #minas 0rst husband. #s a youn$ man, Cadir han is the !ersonal

assistant to ian #bdullah, as well as a bad !oet. -e alls in lo(e with #mina but is

ored to di(ore her on aount o his im!otene. -e later han$es his name to

Nasim han and beomes a ommunist.

Musta%ha) Saleems unle, and a brother o #mina. usta!ha is the ideal,

obedient i(il ser(ant. -e is so !assi(e, hes nearly inonseHuential/a ate he ta'es

out on his hildren by onstantly beatin$ them until they ha(e no !ersonality let.

&merald) Saleems aunt, and a sister o #mina. :merald marries a2or ul0'ar

and en2oys an o!ulently omortable liestyle. Sel0sh and sel)absorbed, she onlyrelutantly omes to her sisters aid.

eneral 'ular) :meralds husband, and an im!ortant 0$ure in the &a'istani

army. +eneral ul0'ar hel!s orhestrate a ou! a$ainst the &a'istani $o(ernment

and ma'es money by smu$$lin$ items into the ountry. -is onstant abuse o his

son, aar, e(entually !ro(o'es aar into 'illin$ him.

'a#ar) he son o +eneral ul0'ar and :merald. aar wets himsel throu$hout his

lie and is ridiuled and abused by his ather as a result.

Aadam Sinai) he biolo$ial son o Shi(a and &ar(ati)the)with. Saleem raises#adam as i he were his own hild. #adam is 2ust three years old at the no(els

onlusion.

Picture Sin*h) # sna'e harmer, and the leader o the ma$iians $hetto.

Eharmin$ and di!lomati, &iture Sin$h is Saleems losest riend. -e is undone by

his desire to !ro(e himsel the worlds $reatest sna'e harmer.


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!ee !illie !inie) Shi(as ather. ee illie in'ie is a !oor man who earns a

li(in$ by sin$in$ or the wealthy amilies o ethwolds :state.

+anita) Saleems biolo$ial mother. Lanita dies durin$ labor.

&vie Lilith ,urns) # (iolent, tou$h #merian $irl. :(ie is briey the leader o the

hildren li(in$ on ethwolds :state, and she is Saleems 0rst lo(e.

Sonny .rahim) 6ne o the hildren li(in$ on ethwolds :state. Sonny is

Saleems best riend. -e is also in lo(e with Saleems sister, the Brass on'ey.

/ose%h 01Costa) # soial radial who later beomes a $host. Jose!h KEostas

!olitial belies ins!ire arys deision to swith Shi(a and Saleem, and his $host

later om!els her to oness her rime.

Commander Sa.armati) # hi$h)ran'in$ oial in the Indian na(y. #ter learnin$

that his wie, ila, has had an a3air, Eommander Sabarmati shoots her, 'ills her

lo(er, and then surrenders. -e tem!orarily beomes a national hero.

"omi Catrac) # 0lm ma$nate, and resident o ethwolds :state. -omi Eatra'

has an a3air with ila, the wie o Eommander Sabarmati, and is subseHuently

murdered by the ommander.

Lila Sa.armati) he wie o Eommander Sabarmati. ilas husband shoots her in

the stomah or ha(in$ an a3air.

0octor Narliar) # dotor, and #hmeds business !artner. Kr. Carli'ar de(ises a

sheme or relaimin$ land rom the oean but dies beore he an im!lement it.

Alice Pereira) arys sister. #lie e(entually wor's or #hmed Sinai and isres!onsible or arys hutney atory.

2aroo34 Shaheed4 and Ayoo.a) hree soldiers assi$ned to wor' with Saleem in

the &a'istani army. :ah one is e(entually 'illed durin$ the war.

Narliar !omen) #n unnamed, unnumbered $rou! o >$rossly om!etent?

women who ta'e o(er Kr. Carli'ars a3airs ater his death.

Mian A.dullah) # !olitial 0$ure beore inde!endene. ian #bdullah is the

ounder o the @ree Islam Eon(oation, an or$ani=ation dediated to resistin$ the

!artition o India alon$ reli$ious lines.

hani) Caseems ather. +hani is a blind, wealthy landowner.

5ai) #n old boatman rom ashmir. ai is a mysterious, anient, and wise 0$ure

who remains resentul o the worlds enroahment into his territory until his death.

6amram Seth) # !ro!het who !redits Saleems uture while #mina is !re$nant.


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Analysis o# Ma7or Characters

Saleem Sinai

Saleem Sinai is the !rota$onist and narrator o Midnights Children. -e is born,

alon$ with one other hild, at the e%at moment o Indias inde!endene. -is

identity, howe(er, is swithed at birth. #s a result, he is raised by a !ros!erous

amily in Bombay, while his ounter!art and uture ri(al, Shi(a, is raised in !o(erty.

Saleem has the !owers o tele!athy and a !reternaturally aute sense o smell,

whih allow him to 0nd the other hildren o midni$ht and reate the idni$hts

Ehildrens Eonerene. #s he a!!roahes his thirty)0rst birthday, he says he is

nearin$ death. -is body is literally allin$ a!art, and its only a matter o time beore

he rumbles into dust. Kri(en by a desire to beat his biolo$ial lo', Saleem

narrates his lie story to his de(oted and lo(in$ areta'er, &adma. -is tale, whih

be$ins with his $randather #adam and is at times unreliable and ontri(ed,

re!resents not only his indi(idual lie story but also the entire history o !ostolonial

India. #ll the ma2or e(ents in his lie orres!ond to im!ortant !olitial e(ents in

Indian history, leadin$ him to om!are his narrati(e to reli$ious te%ts. +i(en his

antasti birth and e%traordinary !owers, the !rime minister o India, Indira +handi,

see's to destroy him alon$ with the other midni$hts hildren.

Padma

&adma is Saleems lo(in$ om!anion and areta'er, and she will beome his 0anOe

at the end o the no(el. She is the audiene or Saleems narrati(e. ith stron$,hairy orearms, a name assoiated with dun$, and a ynial and oten im!atient ear,

&adma re!resents the antithesis to Saleems ma$ial, e%uberant, reewheelin$

narration. She hurries the narrati(e alon$, im!lorin$ Saleem to $et on with the !lot

rather than (eerin$ o3 into tan$ents, and oten she e%!resses doubts as to the

(eraity o Saleems aount. #s a rhetorial de(ie, &adma allows Rushdie the

hane to a'nowled$e e%!liitly any doubts or rustrations the reader may eel in

res!onse to the no(el. She is the !ratial (oie o ritiism. Beause she is there to

ounterat its most e%treme tendenies, she su!!orts the no(els more willully

e%essi(e indul$enes. Saleems reHuent interru!tions, di$ressions, and sel)

obsession are all, to some de$ree, made !ossible by &admas e%!ressions o doubt

and rustration" the two sides wor' to$ether to reate a holisti readin$ e%!eriene.

By e%!liitly ta'in$ into aount the diulties o the narrati(e, Rushdie is able to

mo(e beyond them.

Shiva


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Born at the stro'e o midni$ht and named ater the -indu $od o destrution, Shi(a

is Saleems ri(al and ounter!art. Swithed at birth with Saleem, Shi(a is robbed o

his afuent birthri$ht and raised in ab2et !o(erty. Blessed with a !air o enormous

and !owerul 'nees, Shi(a is a $ited warrior and, thereore, a oil or the more mild)

mannered Saleem. Shi(a re!resents the alternate side o India" !oor, -indu, and as

a$$ressi(e as Saleem is !assi(e. #s a youn$ hild, he is the leader o a street $an$and !ossibly a murderer. -e is dri(en by a determinedly indi(idualist !ers!eti(e

and $rows u! unable to orm any human attahments. #lthou$h he is a (iolent

harater, he is, nonetheless, a tra$i 0$ure, dama$ed and sha!ed by the ores o

history and lass. Kurin$ the 1971 war between India and &a'istan, Shi(a li(es u! to

his name and beomes a war hero, e(entually !romoted to the ran' o ma2or. #lon$

with his military re!utation, Shi(a also beomes a noted lo(er amon$ the women o

Indian hi$h soiety, sirin$ a number o ille$itimate hildren. In the end, Shi(a hunts

Saleem down and turns him o(er to one the am!s o!ened durin$ Indira +andhis

state o :mer$eny, where Saleem, alon$ with the other midni$hts hildren, is

administered an o!eration that renders him sterile. In this way, Shi(a mana$es to

e3eti(ely destroy the hildren o midni$ht.

5he !idow

Indira +andhi was the !rime minister o India rom 19P1977, then a$ain rom

198AP1984, a term that ended with her assassination. Indira was the dau$hter o

Jawaharlal Cehru, Indias 0rst !rime minister, and the widow o @ero=e +andhi, an

Indian 2ournalist and !olitiian. hou$h ahatma +andhi was a amily riend and

!olitial ally, the two are not related.

In her 0rst term, (arious !olitial and eonomi reorms made Indira +andhi hi$hly

!o!ular, as did an Indian (itory in the 1971 onit with &a'istan o(er the reation

o an inde!endent Ban$ladeshi state. -owe(er, in 1971, +andhi was also ound

$uilty o eletion raud. Rather than ae har$es, +andhi delared a State o

:mer$eny, ti$htenin$ her hold o(er the $o(ernment and usherin$ in a !eriod o

drastially redued i(il liberties, as well as a se(ere ra'down on !olitial

o!!osition. he emer$eny lasted nineteen months, ater whih +andhi/mis2ud$in$

the e%tent o the !o!ulations resentment/held an o!en eletion and lost. She

ste!!ed down but was reeleted to oe in 198A. @our years later, ater a

disastrous series o e(ents in(ol(in$ Si'h ati(ists, Indira +andhi was assassinated

by her Si'h body$uards. -er son, Ra2i( +andhi, sueeded her and was also

assassinated while in oe, in 1991. he +andhi amily, howe(er, ontinues to be aentral ore in Indian !olitis.

on$ beore Indira +andhi enters Saleems story in a diret ashion, (a$ue

reerenes to >the idow? hint at her e(entual role in the destrution o the

midni$hts hildren. -er atual !resene in the story is brie, but it is nonetheless o

$reat si$ni0ane. hrou$hout the no(el, Saleems !ersonal lie onstantly reets

Indias !olitial turmoil. @inally, with the arri(al o Indira +andhi and the State o


11/72

:mer$eny, Rushdie uses the two narrati(es with a sin$le risis. he reorms o the

emer$eny, whih inluded a wides!read am!ai$n o ored sterili=ation, were

widely seen as massi(e abuses o $o(ernment !ower and human ri$hts. he nation

o India is meta!horially thrown into !er!etual dar'ness 2ust as Saleems wie,

&ar(ati)the)with, is 'illed and the ma$iians $hetto destroyed. By ma'in$ Indira

+andhis am!ai$n res!onsible or the destrution o the 0tional midni$htshildren, Rushdie holds her aountable or destroyin$ the !romise and ho!e o a

new uture or India.

5he ,rass Money (/amila Sin*er)

Saleems youn$er sister, initially 'nown as the Brass on'ey, is born into the world

with little anare. She e(entually $rows u! to beome the most amous sin$er in

&a'istan, adored throu$hout the ountry. #s a hild, Saleem notes that the Brass

on'ey learned at an early a$e that i she wanted attention, she would ha(e to

ma'e a lot o noise, whih is !reisely what she does. She beomes a mishie(ous

hild who $arners attention by destroyin$ thin$s and remains unable to ae!t lo(ethrou$hout her adult lie. he !layul and im!ish nature o her youth is lost almost

immediately u!on her arri(al in &a'istan. here, in a reli$iously de(out ountry, she

suumbs to the laws o de(otion and !atriotism, 2ust as her brother beomes more

in(ested in the !roane elements o lie. She $oes throu$h e%traordinary len$ths to

'ee! hersel (eiled, and her (oie is desribed as bein$ >!ure,? reetin$ the ideals

o a ountry that (alues wholesomeness in its women. Kes!ite her de(otion, Jamila

Sin$er retains elements o her ormer sel. She rebels a$ainst her dietary onstraints

by seretly eatin$ lea(ened bread, ba'ed by Eatholi nuns, and she o!enly ritii=es

the &a'istani army when they abuse her brother.


12/72

5hemes

5he Sin*le and the Many

Born at the dawn o Indian inde!endene and destined, u!on his death, to brea'

into as many !iees as there are iti=ens o India, Saleem Sinai mana$es to

re!resent the entirety o India within his indi(idual sel. he notion that a sin$le

!erson ould !ossibly embody a teemin$, di(erse, multitudinous nation li'e India

ena!sulates one o the no(els undamental onerns" the tension between the

sin$le and the many. he dynami relationshi! between Saleems indi(idual lie and

the olleti(e lie o the nation su$$ests that !ubli and !ri(ate will always inuene

one another, but it remains unlear whether they an be om!letely eHuated with

one another. hrou$hout the no(el, Saleem stru$$les to ontain all o India within

himsel/to ram his !ersonal story with the themes and stories o his ountry/only

to disinte$rate and olla!se at the end o his attem!t.

&olitially s!ea'in$, the tension between the sin$le and the many also mar's the

nation o India itsel. 6ne o the astest $rowin$ nations in the world, India has

always been an inredibly di(erse. Its onstitution reo$ni=es twenty)two oial

lan$ua$es, and the !o!ulation !raties reli$ions as (aried as -induism, Islam,

Ehristianity, Si'hism, and Buddhism, amon$ many others. Indian ulture is similarly

hybrid, ha(in$ been inuened by ountless other ultures o(er the millennia o its

de(elo!ment. #t the same time, howe(er, maintainin$ Indias s!rawlin$ di(ersity in

a !eaeul ashion has oten !ro(ed diult" Indias di(ision into the Islami nation

o &a'istan and the seular, but mostly -indu nation o India/a !roess 'nown as

&artition/remains the most stri'in$ e%am!le o the desire to ontain and redue

Indias !lurality. In Midnights Children, the hild Saleem wathes as !rotestors

attem!t to do di(ide the ity o Bombay alon$ lin$uisti lines, another attem!t to

ate$ori=e and ordon o3 multi!liity.

Saleem, a harater who ontains a multitude o e%!erienes and sensiti(ities,

stands in star' ontrast to the !rotestors who demand their own lan$ua$e)based

re$ion, the strit monotheism o &a'istan, and Indira +andhis re!ression o

ontraditory dissension. -is !owers o tele!athy allow him to transend thebarriers o lan$ua$e, while he himsel/with his :n$lish blood, !oor ba'$round,

wealthy u!brin$in$, and eleti reli$ious inuees/reets Indias di(ersity and

ran$e. he idni$ht Ehildrens Eonerene that he on(enes is, in its initial !hase, a

model or !luralism and a testimony to the !otential !ower inherent within

oe%istin$ di(ersity, whih is a natural and de0niti(e element o Indian ulture.

In Midnights Children, the desire or sin$ularity or !urity/whether o reli$ion or

ulture/breeds not only intolerane but also (iolene and re!ression.
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5he 8nrelia.ility o# Memory and Narrative

@atual errors and dubious laims are essential as!ets o Saleems antasti

narrati(e. -e willully a'nowled$es that he mis!laed +andhis death, an ob(iously

seminal moment in Indias history, as well as willully misremembers the date o an

eletion. -e rets o(er the auray o his story and worries about uture errors hemi$ht ma'e. Det, at the same time, ater a'nowled$in$ his error, Saleem deides to

maintain his (ersion o e(ents, sine thats how they a!!eared to our to him and

now there an be no $oin$ ba'. Kes!ite its !otential historial inauraies,

Saleem sees his story as bein$ o eHual im!ortane as the worlds most im!ortant

reli$ious te%ts. his is not only his story but also the story o India. he errors in his

story, in addition to astin$ a shadow o doubt o(er some o what he laims, !oint

to one o the no(els essential laims" that truth is not 2ust a matter o (eri0able

ats. +enuine historial truth de!ends on !ers!eti(e/and a willin$ness to belie(e.

Saleem notes that memory reates its own truth, and so do narrati(es. Reli$ious

te%ts and history boo's ali'e sta'e their laim in truth not only beause they are

su!!orted by ats but also beause they ha(e been odi0ed and ae!ted u!on,

whether by time or aith. he (ersion o history Saleem o3ers omes 0ltered

throu$h his !ers!eti(e, 2ust as e(ery other (ersion o history omes 0ltered

throu$h some alternate !ers!eti(e. @or Saleem, his (ersion is as true as anythin$

else that ould be written, not 2ust beause this is the way he has arran$ed it, but

beause this is the (ersion he belie(es.

0estruction vs9 Creation

he battle between Saleem and Shi(a reets the anient, mytholo$ial battle

between the reati(e and destruti(e ores in the world. he enmity and tensionbetween the two be$in at the moment o their simultaneous births. he reerene to

Shi(a, the -indu $od o both destrution and !roreation, reets not only the

tension between destrution and reation but also the ine%triably bound nature o

these two ores. Saleem, as the narrator o Midnights Children, is res!onsible or

reatin$ the world we, as readers, are en$a$ed in. -e re!resents Brahma, the $od

o reation. hat Saleem reates, howe(er, is not lie, but a story. By deli(erin$

Saleem into the hands o the idow, Shi(a is res!onsible or the destrution o the

midni$hts hildren, and yet, by atherin$ #adam and hundreds o other hildren, he

ensures the ontinuation o their le$ay.

Moti#s

Snaes


14/72

Be$innin$ with the sna'e (enom that sa(es Saleems youn$ lie, sna'es !lay an

ambi$uous and om!liated role in the no(el. Saleem oten reers to his a(orite

hildhood board $ame, Sna'es and adders. In the $ames sim!le ormula o $ood

and e(il, Saleem learns an im!ortant lesson" or e(ery u!, there is a down, and or

e(ery down, there is an u!. issin$ rom the board $ame, howe(er, is the ambi$uity

between $ood and e(il that he later detets as a natural !art o lie. +enerallyonsidered to re!resent e(il, sna'es are, in at, muh more om!liated than that

sim!le $enerali=ation mi$ht im!ly. hile (enom has the !ower to 'ill, it also has the

ability to brin$ lie, and it does so not one but twie in the no(el. Sna'e (enom

re!resents the !ower o Shi(a, who is both destroyer and !roreator in the -indu

!antheon. In Midnights Children, sna'es are also assoiated with &iture Sin$h,

Saleems losest riend, whose areer is both de!endent u!on and destroyed by

sna'es.

Leain*

hrou$hout the no(el, the !ast 0nds ways to mysteriously insinuate itsel into the

!resent, 2ust as Saleems !ersonal om!ulsions and onerns 0nd themsel(es

ine%!liably re!liated in national, !olitial e(ents. &erha!s ins!ired by his own

onstantly runnin$ nose, Saleem uses the termlea!ingto desribe this

!henomenon. he lines se!aratin$ !ast, !resent, and uture/as well as the lines

se!aratin$ the !ersonal and the !olitial, the indi(idual and the state/are

inredibly !orous. hen Saleem be$ins ha(in$ dreams about ashmir, or e%am!le,

the stirrin$ ima$es o his dreams seems to see! into the national onsiousness,

and India and &a'istan be$in to battle o(er !ossession o the beautiul re$ion.

InMidnights Children, the inter!lay between !ersonal and !ubli, !ast and !resent,

remains uid and dynami, li'e lea'in$ liHuid.

2ra*mentation

Saleem laims that, muh li'e his narrati(e, he is !hysially allin$ a!art. -is body is

riddled with ra's, and, as a result, the !ast is s!illin$ out o him. -is story, s!read

out o(er si%ty)three years, is a ra$mented narrati(e, osillatin$ ba' and orth

between !ast and !resent and reHuently bro'en u! urther by Saleems

inter2etions. In addition to the narrati(e and !hysial ra$mentation, India itsel is

ra$mented. orn a!art by &artition, it is di(ided into two se!arate ountries, withthe east and west setions o &a'istan on either side o India. his di(ision is ta'en

e(en urther when :ast and est &a'istan are relassi0ed as two se!arate

ountries, &a'istan and Ban$ladesh. ithin India, lan$ua$e marhers a$itate or

urther !artitions based u!on lin$uisti lines. Cew nationalities are reated, and with

them ome new orms o ultural identity that reet the onstant di(isions.
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15/72

Sym.ols

5he Silver S%ittoon

he sil(er s!ittoon $i(en to #mina as !art o her dowry by the Rani o Eooh Caheen

is res!onsible or Saleems loss o memory. :(en when he has amnesia, howe(er,Saleem ontinues to herish the s!ittoon as i he still understands its historial

(alue. @ollowin$ the destrution o his amily, the sil(er s!ittoon is the only tan$ible

remnant o Saleems ormer lie, and yet it too is e(entually destroyed when

Saleems house in the $hetto is torn down. S!ittoons, one used as !art o a

herished $ame or both old and youn$, $radually ell out o use" the old men no

lon$er s!it their betel 2uie into the street as they tell stories, nor do the hildren

dart in between the streams as they listen. he s!ittoon is the symbol o a (anishin$

era, whih, in retros!et, seemed sim!ler and easier. #nd so, althou$h Saleem may

not be able to reall the s!ei0 assoiation between the s!ittoon and his amily,

the s!ittoon maintains its symboli Huality as both a ontainer o memory andsoure o amnesia.

5he Per#orated Sheet

he !erorated sheet throu$h whih #adam #=i= alls in lo(e with his uture wie

!erorms se(eral di3erent symboli untions throu$hout the no(el. 5nable to see

his uture wie as a whole, #adam alls in lo(e with her in !iees. #s a result, their

lo(e ne(er has a ohesi(e unity that holds them to$ether. heir lo(e is ra$mented,

2ust as their dau$hter #minas attem!ts to all in lo(e with her husband are also

ra$mented. -aunted by the memory o her !re(ious husband, #mina embar's on a

am!ai$n to all in lo(e with her new husband in setions, 2ust as her ather oneell in lo(e with her mother. Kes!ite her best attem!ts, #mina and #hmeds lo(e

also la's the om!letion and unity neessary or $enuine lo(e to thri(e. he hole o

the !erorated sheet re!resents a !ortal or (ision but also a (oid that $oes un0lled.

he !erorated sheet ma'es one 0nal a!!earane with Jamila Sin$er" in an attem!t

to !reser(e her !urity, she shrouds hersel om!letely, e%e!t or a sin$le hole or

her li!s. he !erorated sheet, in addition to !reser(in$ her !urity, also redues to

her to nothin$ more than a (oie. he sheet beomes a (eil that se!arates her rom

the rest o the world and reets her inability to ae!t a3etion.

$nees and Nose

he seer, Ramram, !redits the birth o >'nees and nose,? whih re!resent Shi(a

and Saleem, res!eti(ely. In addition to symboli=in$ eah boys s!eial !ower,

'nees and nose also !lay another role. hen #adam #=i= 0rst 'neels down to !ray,

his 'nees touh the oor and his nose hits the $round. nees and nose, in this

instane, re!resent an at o !rayer, as well as the submission and humility

neessary aith. #ter hittin$ his nose on the $round, howe(er, #adam re2ets that


16/72

submission, and a hole o!ens u! inside o him. nees and nose also beome

si$ni0ant with @arooHs death (ia a sni!er bullet. Shot, @arooH 0rst dro!s to his

'nees, then hits his nose on the $round. Just as #adam bowed beore $od, @arooH

bows beore death. Shi(a is sus!eted o 'illin$ a strin$ o !rostitutes with his

!owerul 'nees, while Saleem uses his nose to diso(er the most dere!it !rostitute

in the ity. nees and nose/2ust li'e Shi(a and Saleem, destrution and reation,aith and humility/are ine%triably related.


17/72

m%ortant :uotations &x%lained

;9>I told you the truth,? I say yet a$ain, >emorys truth, beause memory has its

own s!eial 'ind. It selets, eliminates, alters, e%a$$erates, minimi=es, $lori0es, and(ili0es alsoM but in the end it reates its own reality, its hetero$eneous but usually

oherent (ersions o e(entsM and no sane human bein$ e(er trusts someone elses

(ersion more than his own.?

his Huotation ours in Boo' wo, in the ha!ter >#t the &ioneer EaO.? Saleem has

interru!ted his story in order to deend its auray to &adma. hrou$hout his story,

Saleem has a!!eared an%ious about his historial inonsistenies. -e is also autely

aware o how antasti and ar)ethed his narrati(e sounds to the s'e!tial,

!ra$mati &adma. #ter he emer$es rom his e(er)indued dream, it beomes

es!eially im!ortant or Saleem to assert the (eraity o his story. @or Saleem,

e(erythin$ he says is true/not neessarily beause it ha!!ened that way, but

beause he remembers it that way. #n e(ent rom a !ersons !ast $ains meanin$ or

that !ersons !resent e%istene only when it beomes 0ltered throu$h memory and

beomes !art o the o(erall story o that !ersons lie. 6nly then an onnetions be

made and onlusions drawn, and e(ents and instanes arue si$ni0ane. Saleem

has rearran$ed history not only beause he has or$otten the !ro!er order o

e(ents, but also beause by doin$ so his story $ains $reater de!th and meanin$.

Saleems rearran$ement o ats ser(es a $reater truth as he reates a new !attern

throu$h whih to inter!ret both his own history and that o India itsel.


18/72

=9et me state this Huite uneHui(oally" it is my 0rm on(ition that the hidden!ur!ose o the Indo)&a'istani war o 19* was nothin$ more nor less than the

elimination o my beni$hted amily rom the ae o the earth.

his Huotation ours in Boo' wo, in the ha!ter >-ow Saleem #hie(ed &urity.?

hrou$hout the tellin$ o his story, Saleem oten !laes himsel at the enter o

ma2or !olitial e(ents. hile we an detet a strain o narissism in Saleems desire

to see himsel as either the entral ause or !rimary (itim o (arious historial

e(ents, his lie does on(er$e with national history on ountless oasions. I we

onsider that Saleem/born at the dawn o Indias inde!endene, and destined to

brea' into as many !iees as India has iti=ens/re!resents the entire !o!ulation o

India, it ma'es sense that his lie seems diretly im!ated by national e(ents.

hin$s that ha!!en on a national or $lobal sale will always a3et the olleti(e lie

o a nations !eo!le.

By laimin$ that the !ur!ose o the Indo)&a'istani war was to eliminate his amily,

Saleem draws ritial attention to the at that the war was 2usti0ed in reli$ious

terms. he Indian !resene in ashmir was re!resented as a 'ind o de0lement, and

the &a'istani $o(ernment laimed that &a'istan needed to relaim ashmir or the

$ood o the ountry. Saleem laims that he and his $rotesHue amily also needed to

be leansed in order or the nation to be !uri0ed. he absurdity o Saleems laim

that an entire war mi$ht be ou$ht in order to murder a amily o i(ilians hi$hli$hts

the absurdity o &a'istans laim.

>9ho what am IQ y answer" I am the sum total o e(erythin$ that went beoreme, o all I ha(e been seen done, , o e(erythin$ done)to)me.

his Huotation a!!ears in Boo' hree, at the end o the ha!ter >Sam and the

i$er.? Saleem has 2ust 0nished reallin$ the ra$e he elt u!on reali=in$ the

undamental unairness o lie. his !assa$e is a !eret e%!ression o Saleems

narrati(e. -e be$ins his lie story thirty)two years beore his birth, and rom that

moment, onsiders e(erythin$ that has ha!!ened as bein$ somehow related to his

lie. here is a onnetion between !ast and !resent, between the state and the

indi(idual. -istory is ne(er !ast. It !lays an ati(e role in sha!in$ the !resent, and

Saleems story is an attem!t to a!ture that dynami relationshi!.

?9@utility o statistis" durin$ 1971, ten million reu$ees ed aross the borders o:ast &a'istan)Ban$ladesh into India/but ten million ;li'e all numbers lar$er than

one thousand and one< reuses to be understood.


19/72

his Huotation a!!ears in Boo' hree, in the ha!ter >he Buddha.? Saleem, now in

the ser(ie o the &a'istani #rmy, 0nds himsel aidin$ the (iolent re!ression o the

Ban$ladeshi inde!endene mo(ement. In a no(el already riddled with (iolene and

massi(e ausalities, this is a blunt a'nowled$ement o the at that there is no way

to e%!ress the sale o (iolene and su3erin$ that is ourrin$. :(en Saleems 0rst

hand aount o the atroities he witnesses beomes su3used with a sense thatwhat he sees is inom!rehensible. he human mind annot $ras! tra$edies o this

sale, and we reHuire a miroosmi re!resentation o the (itims/midni$hts

hildren/to attah indi(idual identities to historial realities. 6ne thousand and one

is the lar$est number that an be understood, aordin$ to Saleem, and so rather

than try and re!resent the loss o ho!e or an entire $eneration, Rushdie has him

o3er us the re!resentati(e destrution o these hildren.

$ey 2acts

narrator Saleem Sinai

%oint o# view his no(el is narrated in the 0rst !erson. he narrator is sub2eti(e,

thou$h he laims omnisiene as he s!eulates on the moti(es and thou$hts o all

the ma2or haraters

tone 5r$entM ironiM satirial

tense Saleem, a$e thirty, $enerally narrates in the !resent tense. ost o the

e(ents he desribes, howe(er, our in the !ast, at whih !oint Saleem swithes to

the !ast tense.

settin* (time) @rom 191* to 1977

settin* (%lace) India, &a'istan, and Ban$ladesh

%rota*onist Saleem Sinai

ma7or con@ict he battle between Saleem, who re!resents reation, and his

arhri(al, Shi(a, who re!resents destrution, ena!sulates the ma2or onits o the

no(el.

risin* action he birth o &ar(ati and Shi(as son, whih ours at the same

moment that &rime inister Indira +andhi delares a State o :mer$eny.

climax Shi(a and the armys destrution o the ma$iians $hetto, where Saleem

has been li(in$ with his wie and her son

#allin* action #ter his home is destroyed and his wie is 'illed, Saleem is ta'en

to the idows hostel, where heand the rest o the midni$hts hildren are sterili=ed.


20/72

themes he sin$le and the manyM truth o memory and narrati(eM destrution (s.

reation

moti#s Sna'esM lea'in$M ra$mentation

sym.ols Sil(er s!ittoonM the !erorated sheetM 'nees and nose

#oreshadowin* Ramrams !ro!hesy o Saleems birthM Saleems e(er indued

dream o the idow


21/72

,oo One

Summary 5he Per#orated Sheet

Saleem Sinai o!ens the no(el by e%!lainin$ the e%at date and time o his birth"

#u$ust 1*, 1947, at midni$ht. Saleems birth oinides !reisely with the moment

India oially $ains its inde!endene rom Britain. hus, as Saleem notes, his

miraulously timed birth ties him to the ate o the ountry. -e is thirty)one years

old now and eels that time is runnin$ out or him. Saleems belie(es his lie is

endin$ and he must tell all o the stories tra!!ed inside o him beore he dies.

Saleem be$ins the story with his $randather, #adam #=i=, on an early s!rin$mornin$ in ashmir. Saleem desribes ashmir as a !lae o inredible beauty and

notes that, in 191*, ashmir was still !ristine, loo'in$ 2ust as it had durin$ the time

o the u$hal :m!ire. #t this !oint in the story, ashmir is ree o the soldiers,

amoua$ed tru's, and military 2ee!s that will ome to harateri=e it in later

years.

hile !rayin$, #adam bum!s his nose a$ainst the hard $round, and three dro!s o

blood all rom his nose. #s a result, he (ows ne(er a$ain to bow beore man or $od,

and onseHuently a >hole? o!ens u! inside o him. #adam has reently returned

home rom +ermany, ater 0(e years o medial study. hile #adam was away, his

ather had a stro'e, and his mother too' o(er his duties in the amily $em business.#s #adam stands on the ed$e o a la'e, ai, an old boatman, omes rowin$ toward

him. Saleem desribes #adams eatures, !artiularly his !rominent nose. Saleem

also desribes the eni$mati ai and the loal rumors that surround him.

ais boat draws loser. -e shouts out to #adam that the dau$hter o +hani the

landowner has allen ill. -ere, Saleem interru!ts his narrati(e to note that most o

what matters in our li(es ta'es !lae in our absene, but he reassures us that he

has the ability to see thin$s he didnt atually witness. In this way, he is able to

desribe #adam ta'in$ are o his mother, attendin$ to the landowners dau$hter,

and bein$ erried aross the la'e by ai, all at the same time.

#t the landowners o!ulent house, #adam reali=es that the old man, +hani, is blind.

hile waitin$ to see the !atient, #adam $ets ner(ous and onsiders eein$, but

then he has a (ision o his mother and deides to stay. #adam is ta'en in to see the

!atient, who is an'ed by two e%tremely musular women holdin$ a white bed

sheet o(er her li'e a urtain. In the enter o the sheet is a hole, a!!ro%imately


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se(en inhes in diameter. +hani tells #adam that, or modestys sa'e, he an only

e%amine his dau$hter throu$h the se(en)inh hole.


23/72

Summary Mercurochrome

Saleem sits at his des', writin$. &adma, desribed as a $reat omort des!ite her

inability to read, oo's or Saleem and !resses him to eat. Saleem returns to his

story, sayin$ that his $randathers !remonition to run away was well ounded,

beause, in the ensuin$ months and years, #adam ell under the s!ell o the

!erorated loth. he isolated !arts o Caseems body that #adam has seen be$in to

haunt him, and his mother notes that +hani is usin$ the illnesses as a !loy, to

arran$e a marria$e between his dau$hter and #adam. Saleem notes that his

$randather ell in lo(e throu$h a hole in a sheet and that this lo(e 0lled in the hole

let by #adams renuniation o his aith.

Caseem e%!erienes numerous ailments o(er the ne%t ew years, and, in eah ase,

#adam e%amines her by mo(in$ the sheet so that the hole e%!oses the a3eted

area. -owe(er, as Caseem ne(er de(elo!s !ains in her head, #adam ne(er layseyes u!on her ae. 6n the day orld ar I ends, Caseem 0nally om!lains o a

headahe, and the dotor reei(es !ermission to see her ae, at whih !oint he

alls e(en urther in lo(e with her. In that same year, Kotor #=i=s ather dies,

ollowed shortly by his mother. Ilse, #adams anarhist riend rom +ermany, omes

to (isit him and deli(er the news that their riend 6s'ar has died. #$ra 5ni(ersity

o3ers #adam a 2ob, and he deides to lea(e ashmir and !ro!oses to Caseem. Ilse

drowns hersel in the la'e that same day, in a s!ot where, as ai one told the

youn$ #adam, orei$n women oten ome to drown themsel(es without their

'nowin$ why.

&adma, who has brou$ht in Saleems dinner, interru!ts the narrati(e and demandshe read her what he has written. hen Saleem returns to the story, it is #u$ust ,

1919, and #adam and Caseem are in the ity o #mritsar. ahatma +andhi has

issued a all or a day o mournin$/-artal/on #u$ust 7, to !rotest the British

!resene. 6n the day o -artal, riots brea' out, and #adam treats the wounded with

erurohrome, whih lea(es bloodli'e red stains on his lothin$. Si% days later, a

!eaeul !rotest eru!ts, in (iolation o the martial law re$ulations. he rowd mo(es

into a om!ound, where Bri$adier R. :. Kyer and his troo!s e(entually surround

them. #adams nose be$ins to ith uriously. #s the bri$adier issues a ommand,

#adam snee=es (iolently, allin$ to the $round and thereby missin$ a bullet aimed

in his diretion. he troo!s ontinue to 0re into the rowd. 6 the 1,*A rounds 0red,1,*1 0nd their mar'.

Beore onludin$ the ha!ter and $oin$ to bed, Saleem diso(ers a ra' in his

wrist. -e then tells how ai, the boatman, died in 1947, !rotestin$ India and

&a'istans dis!ute o(er ashmir. ai wal'ed to where the troo!s were stationed,

intendin$ to $i(e them a !iee o his mind, and was shot dead.


24/72

Analysis

Saleems aount o his $randather, #adam #=i=, resembles the story ound in the

biblial boo' o +enesis. #adams name su$$ests the biblial #dam, the worlds 0rst

man. #dam and his onsort, :(e, li(ed in the +arden o :den, and #adams

hometown in ashmir is similarly desribed as a lush, beautiul loale. he story o

#dam, :(e, and their e(entual e%!ulsion rom :den !ro(ides Ehristians with an

inau$ural narrati(e, rom whih they an trae the de(elo!ment o the world.

Similarly, the story o #adam and Caseem in ashmir !ro(ides Saleem with an

ori$inal myth that hel!s sha!e and $i(e meanin$ to the rest o his story. Rushdies

use o the biblial tale demonstrates his willin$ness to inor!orate and transorm

(arious literary traditions into his own narrati(e.

#adams riend ai !lays an im!ortant role in the no(els early de(elo!ment o

ertain symbols and themes. #lthou$h most o the loal !eo!le attribute hisseemin$ly nonsensial statements to delirium, insanity, or stu!idity, ai ultimately

demonstrates $reat wisdom. Re$ardin$ #adams !rominent nose, ai warns the boy

to trust the noses eelin$s, as the nose will indiate when somethin$ is wron$.

-ere, ai alludes to the im!ortant role noses will !lay not only in #adams lie but in

uture $enerations o his amily. ais omments also introdue the idea that sensory

e%!eriene and instintual beha(ior are lin'ed entities. ost im!ortant, howe(er,

ais warnin$ su$$ests the ways in whih !ersonal and !ubli onerns ollide, a

dominant theme o the no(el.

hrou$houtMidnights Children, Indian and $lobal !olitis resonate in the li(es o the

haraters, oten to an im!robable de$ree. #s Saleems $rand!arents all in lo(e,we witness the 0rst oasion in whih a $reat e(ent in world history orres!onds to

a !ersonal e(ent in the li(es o Saleems amily" orld ar I ends on the same day

that #adam 0nally sees Caseems ae. Rushdie lin's the two e(ents to illustrate the

ways in whih humans rely on their indi(idual e%!erienes to ma'e sense o hu$e,

abstrat historial e(ents. Sometimes, !ubli history and !ri(ate history relate in

!arallel but a!!arently unonneted ways. #adam doesnt see Caseems

ae "ecausethe war has ended, but the two e(ents seem lin'ed, beause eah

heralds a ma2or transition. Sometimes, howe(er, !ubli and !ri(ate histories

interset diretly, as when #adam !artii!ates in the !roinde!endene riots and,

miraulously, mana$es to a(oid bein$ shot. he !roinde!endene riots aresi$ni0ant or the nation, but they $ain an added si$ni0ane or Saleems amily,

sine #adams e%!eriene there !ro(ides one more !rominent e%am!le o the

im!ortant role o noses !lay in Midnights Children.

@rom the (ery 0rst !assa$es o Midnights Children, Rushdie establishes the no(els

uniHue narrati(e (oie. Saleem narrates in the 0rst !erson, oten addressin$ the

audiene diretly and inormally. -e also writes in a !rose style that eels


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s!ontaneous and im!ro(ised, as i he were writin$ his thou$hts down as ast as he

an, without sto!!in$ to re(ise or edit.Midnights Childrendoesnt re!resent a ool,

om!osed aount o !ast e(ents, nor does it resemble an ob2eti(e (oie

reolletin$ e(ents rom a distant (anta$e !oint. Saleem rambles and (eers o3,

re!hrases and rewor's, muh as one does in o(ersation. his !rose style is reerred

to as stream o onsiousness, and, in its immediay, it reets Saleems des!erate,ur$ent need to 0nish his tale beore he dies.

he !rose style also ma'es the no(el resemble a session o oral storytellin$, a

eature hi$hli$hted by the !resene o &adma, Saleems aithul listener and the

readers stand)in within the !a$es o Midnights Children. #t times, &adma !lays the

role o a !assi(e audiene member, while at other moments she ati(ely inter2ets,

ma'in$ omments and su$$estions and allin$ Saleem to tas' or some o his more

e%essi(e i$hts o any. In this way, atin$ on our behal, &adma !lays the role o

s'e!ti and riti. hrou$h &adma, Rushdie an antii!ate and a'nowled$e the

readers !otential rustrations. By !reem!ti(ely addressin$ any doubts and

onerns we mi$ht ha(e, Rushdie is then ree to !ursue the narrati(e as he sees 0t.

Summary "it-the-S%ittoon

Saleem laims that his body/worn down by time, history, and ati$ue/will soon

brea' into hundreds o millions o !iees. -e desribes how he ma'es his li(in$

ma'in$ hutney and other ondiments and how &adma !re!ares his ood and bed in

the atory. Bein$ im!otent, Saleem ant res!ond to &admas se%ual ad(anes.

Saleem returns to his amily history, 2um!in$ ahead to the summer o 194. #adam

and Caseem now li(e on Eornwallis Road, in #$ra, and ha(e 0(e hildren" #lia,

umta=, -ani, usta!ha, and :merald. Caseem has beome a ormidable 0$ure

with a$e and is now $enerally reerred to as Re(erend other. She has also

de(elo!ed a (erbal habit o reerrin$ to thin$s as #hatsitsname. Saleem reounts a

story o how, in the early 19TAs, Caseem beame urious with #adam or dismissin$

the hildrens reli$ion tutor, whom he elt was teahin$ the hildren to hate !eo!le

o other aiths. Inensed, Caseem reuses to eed #adam, waitin$ until hes almost

dead o hun$er beore she relents.

Ba' in 194, #adam has ali$ned himsel with a harismati man named ian

#bdullah, also 'nown as the -ummin$bird. #bdullah heads the @ree Islam

Eon(oation, whih o!!oses the reation o a se!arate uslim state. 6ne day,

durin$ a (isit to a uni(ersity am!us with his !ersonal seretary, Cadir han, ian

#bdullah is atta'ed by a band o assassins. hen the assassins be$in to ut him

with their 'ni(es, #bdullah starts to hum, the !ith $rowin$ inreasin$ly hi$her. 6ne


26/72

o the 'illers eyes shatters and alls out o its so'etM the surroundin$ windows

shatter as well. Ko$s throu$hout Bombay hear the -ummin$bird and rush to the

sene, in2urin$ the assassins to suh a de$ree that the murders are rendered

unreo$ni=able. ian #bdullah dies, but Cadir han mana$es to esa!e and, 0ndin$

Rashid the ri'shaw boy in the 0eld surroundin$ Kotor #=i=s house, !leads with

Rashid to notiy #adam o the situation.

Summary 8nder the Car%et

he !eriod o o!timism that ian #bdullah ins!ired ends with his assassination. he

Rani o Eooh Caheen, one o #bdullahs allies, ta'es to her bed, while #adam !uts

his ener$y into treatin$ the !oor. 6ne day, while usin$ the bathroom, #adam is

startled to 0nd Cadir han hidin$ in the laundry bin. #adam a$rees to !ro(ide him

santuary, des!ite his wies !rotests and onerns or their dau$hters !urity. In

retaliation, Caseem !romises ne(er to s!ea' a$ain, and silene desends u!on the

house.

Se(eral suitors line u! or the three #=i= dau$hters, inludin$ a2or ul0'ar, an

oial in the &a'istani armyM Cadir han, who li(es hidden in the #=i= basementM

and #hmed Sinai. umta=, #adams a(orite dau$hter and the dar'est)s'inned o all

the hildren, tends to Cadir han. he two all in lo(e without e(er e%han$in$ a

word, and Cadir as's #adam or his dau$hters hand in marria$e. he amily

arran$es a seret marria$e between the two. #terward, umta= ha!!ily mo(es into

the basement, returnin$ to the u!!er oors by day to !reser(e the serey o her

husbands onealment.

he Rani o Eooh Caheen dies, her s'in ha(in$ turned om!letely white, and

beHueaths a sil(er s!ittoon to the #=i= amily. umta= alls ill, and, while $i(in$ hera he')u!, #adam diso(ers that ater two years o marria$e umta= remains a

(ir$in. 5!on hearin$ the news, Caseem ends her three years o silene, releasin$ a

torrent o abusi(e words at her husband. Saleem notes that this ourred on the

same day that #meria dro!!ed the atomi bomb on Ja!an" #u$ust 9, 194*.

:merald runs out o the house and tells her suitor, a2or ul0'ar, that Cadir han is

li(in$ in her basement. Cadir han ees, lea(in$ a note or umta= that reads, >I

di(ore you.?

:merald $oes on to marry a2or ul0'ar. #t :meralds weddin$, umta= and #hmedSinai/who had !re(iously been ourtin$ #lia, the eldest dau$hter/ha(e a

on(ersation. hey e(entually marry, and umta= han$es her name to #mina

Sinai.

Analysis


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In these ha!ters, the !ri(ate lie o Saleem Sinai one a$ain oinides with the

!ubli lie o India. Saleem laims that his body is allin$ a!art and that hes

destined to rumble into a!!ro%imately TA million !artiles o >anonymous? dust.

#t the time o Midnights Childrens !ubliation, Indias !o!ulation stood at about

TA million. Born at the moment o Indias inde!endene, Saleem symboli=es

modern India and onei(es o himsel as a !hysial embodiment o Indias history.By laimin$ that he will rumble into TA million !iees, Saleem su$$ests that when

his body alls a!art, he will release all o India. ith the notion that, in his indi(idual

body, Saleem ontains a !hysial re!resentation o e(ery sin$le >anonymous?

Indian iti=en, Rushdie ta'es a symboli meta!hor/Saleem as modern India/and

ma'es it onrete. Saleems bodily disinte$ration also reets the literary

ra$mentation o the no(el as it s'i!s ha!ha=ardly throu$h time. Beause Saleems

body seems doomed to olla!se rom the be$innin$, we mi$ht wonder whether the

narrati(e is destined to all a!art as well. Saleems onstant !leas or his story to be

ta'en seriously ast urther doubt on the truthulness o his aount/and ma'e

Saleem an inreasin$ly unreliable narrator.

6ne a$ain, &adma ur$es the narrati(e orward, and we 2um! to 194 and what

Saleem reers to as >the o!timisti e!idemi.? he word e$idemicsu$$ests that the

ho!e ins!ired by ian #bdullah is onta$ious, out o the ordinary, and !otentially

dan$erous. In the early 194As, time has not only !ut a strain on #adam and

Caseems relationshi! but on the ountry as well. Reli$ious strie is be$innin$ to 0ll

the air, and that tension ta'es (iolent sha!e in the orm o the resent 'ni(es that

'ill ian #bdullah. he sha!e o the 'ni(es is !artiularly si$ni0ant, sine they

reall the resent moon and star, whih to$ether ser(e as a symbol o the Islami

aith. he 'ni(es silene ian #bdullahs o!timisti hum and symbolially destroy

any ho!e or a uni0ed India, !ostinde!endene. he tension between reli$ious!luralism and do$matism an also be seen in #adams relationshi! with his wie,

whose new name testi0es, in !art, to her stubborn reli$ious de(otion. Re(erend

other remains do$mati in her aith, so muh so that she is ready to wath her

husband die o star(ation in order to deend her !rini!les. #nd yet Saleem

omments that his $randmother, des!ite her on(itions, remains adrit in the

uni(erse. -er onstant use o the word #hatsitsnamesu$$ests that Re(erend

other has inreasin$ diulty !innin$ down names to ob2ets or, by e%tension,

meanin$ to reality.

#t this !oint, members o Saleems e%tended amily, inludin$ his !arents, aunts,

and unles, ha(e all entered the story. he sil(er s!ittoon o the Rani o EoohCaheen, the im!otene o Cadir han, and the steely determination o Re(erend

other eah !lay an im!ortant role as the narrati(e !ro$resses. hat Re(erend

other brea's her silene on the same day the 5nited States dro!s the atomi

bomb on Ja!an not only re!eats the ontinued theme o !ersonal history

intersetin$ with !olitial history, but it also illustrates the si$ni0ane o indi(idual

e(ents in the history o a amily.


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Summary A Pu.lic Announcement

Saleem be$ins desribin$ the !olitial e(ents o 1947. -e interru!ts his story at one

!oint to om!lain that a Kr. C. N. Balli$a has dismissed his laims to ha(e ra's in

his body. -e returns to his historial aount and desribes his mother and athers

de!arture rom #$ra and their subseHuent arri(al in Kelhi. #mina remains in lo(ewith her 0rst husband, Cadir han. -owe(er, with her ty!ial assiduousness, she

trains hersel to all in lo(e with her new husband by ousin$ on one !art o his

body or !ersonality at a time, ehoin$ the ourtshi! o her mother and ather

throu$h the !erorated sheet. ithout ully bein$ aware o it, she slowly transorms

her new house into the basement she used to li(e in, and #hmed $radually be$ins

to resemble Cadir han as he !uts on wei$ht and loses his hair.

6ne mornin$, two o #hmeds business assoiates, r. usta!ha emal and r. S. &.

Butt, arri(e at #hmed and #minas house. he men tell #hmed about a 0re at one ohis warehouses, set by a radial anti)uslim or$ani=ation named Ra(ana, ater a

many)headed demon. 6n the street, a youn$ man named iaa Kas alls out or

!eo!le to ome >see the world? throu$h his !ee!show bo%. he !ee!show ontains

as many !ostard ima$es as iaa ould 0nd de!itin$ $lobal senes. #s ea$er

youn$ hildren surround him, one $irl starts a hant, sornin$ iaa as a -indu.

Soon, others 2oin in, and a mob orms, ausin$ iaa o bein$ a ra!ist. #mina

brin$s iaa into her house, seurin$ his saety by announin$ to the rowd that

theyll ha(e to 'ill her, a !re$nant woman, beore shell let them harm him. In

e%han$e or sa(in$ his lie, iaa o3ers to ta'e #mina to see his ousin, a $reat

seer who will tell her unborn hilds ortune. usa, a household ser(ant, says

nothin$, althou$h Saleem notes that usa will e(entually be res!onsible or

destroyin$ the world, albeit by aident.

Summary Many-headed Monsters

Saleem Huestions the roles that hane and !ro(idene !lay in determinin$ the

uture. -e wonders about his athers !ers!eti(e on ate as it relates to Saleems

own im!endin$ birth and onsiders the role time !lays in the !artition o India. -e

notes that whats true isnt neessarily whats real and briey introdues his ayah,

or nanny, ary &ereira and the stories she told him durin$ his hildhood.

#mina Sinai sets o3 to (isit the seer as her husband sets o3, with money hidden

under his oat, to !ay o3 the Ra(ana. he narrati(e 2um!s ba' and orth between

these two landestine 2ourneys. #s #mina lea(es the ity in a ta%i with iaa, she

loses her >ity eyes? and beomes aware o the ab2et !o(erty around her" the

be$$ars, ri!!les, and star(in$ hildren luthin$ at her saris. eanwhile, #hmed,

surrounded by the stenh o ailure, is onsumed by his money !roblems and the

'nowled$e that he will ne(er rearran$e the Nuran in hronolo$ial order, as he has


29/72

always wanted too. Saleem relates a host o disa!!ointments and missed

o!!ortunities that will haunt his unha!!y ather or the rest o his lie, as well the

tra$i deaths awaitin$ #hmeds om!anions, usta!ha emal and S. &. Butt. iaa

reassures and omorts the ri$htened #mina as they wal' u! dar' ste!s, !ast

ri!!les, to the room where iaas ousin a!!ears to be sittin$ si% inhes abo(e

the $round. #hmed and his om!anions ollow the orders o the Ra(ana and de!ositthe money at an anient ort o(errun with wild mon'eys who are ta'in$ the buildin$

a!art bri' by bri'. In the room with the !ro!het, Ramram, #mina lets him touh

her belly, at whih !oint he alls into a trane and be$ins to deli(er an almost

inom!rehensible !ro!hey. -e tells her that her son will ne(er be older or youn$er

than his ountry and there will be two heads, 'nees, and a nose. -e e(entually

olla!ses onto the oor, o(erwhelmed by what he has seen. #t the tem!le, wild

mon'eys atta' the Ra(ana members assi$ned to ollet the ransom, and #hmed

and his assoiates be$in sroun$in$ to re)ollet their money. #s a result, the

Ra(ana burn down the mens warehouses. #hmed deides to $et out o the leather

business and mo(e to Bombay, where land is hea!. 6n June 4, as :arl ountbatten

announes the !artition o India into two se!arate nations, #hmed and #mina board

a train or Bombay.

Analysis

-istorial !atterns beome more a!!arent now, as Saleem reets on the inidents

leadin$ u! to Indias inde!endene as well as on his !arents relationshi!. he role

o the !erorated sheet, whih 0rst a!!eared in the lo(e a3air between #adam and

Caseem, seems to be re!rised between #hmed and #mina. 6ne !erson alls in lo(e

with the other throu$h a series o isolated $lim!ses, reatin$ a3etion in a

!ieemeal ashion. his a!!roah ared !oorly or #adam and Caseem, who, aterallin$ in lo(e with eah other in !arts, ailed to reo$ni=e eah other as whole

!eo!le. hether the same will be true o #hmed and #minas relationshi! remains

to be seen. -owe(er, as these !atterns $row learer, a sense o ine(itability be$ins

to emer$e. Indian history seems to be mo(in$ ine%orably toward inde!endene, and

the !ower o #minas reenatment o the !erorated sheet !ro(es so $reat that it

seems to !hysially transorm #hmed Sinai into Cadir han. -owe(er, 2ust as the

ormal !atterns o the no(el are beomin$ inreasin$ly om!le%, Saleem asts

doubt o(er his reliability as a narrator. Saleem tells us that Kr. C.N. Balli$a has

re2eted Saleems sel)dia$nosis and that the dotor annot 0nd any ra's on his

body. Saleem ta'es the !arallels between India and his !hysial body as e(idene o

the at that he, as an indi(idual, re!resents the totality o Indian history. I that

!iee o e(idene is Huestioned, it is !ossible/and !erha!s wise/to doubt all the

!atterns and !arallels that Saleem has so !ainsta'in$ly insisted u!on.

he inident with iaa Kas re!resents another maniestation o the tension

between !luralism and sin$ularity. iaas !ee!show bo% literally symboli=es the

one!t o loo'in$ at the world throu$h a multi!liity o !ers!eti(es and


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(iew!oints. he mob that surrounds him, howe(er, an only see iaas reli$ion and

nearly 'ills him beause o its sin$ular (iew. he allusion in these ha!ters to

Ra(ana, a many)headed demon rom the Indian e!i the%amayana, em!hasi=es

the ri$htenin$ s!eter o mob mentality. he inident with the !ee!show bo%

e%em!li0es the nationwide tension already threatenin$ to tear India a!art alon$

reli$ious lines. hat tearin$ will, o ourse, beome literal one India $ets di(idedinto the -indu India and uslim &a'istan.

hat Saleems birth should 0rst be !rolaimed to an an$ry mob oreshadows the

intensely !ubli role Saleem will !lay or the rest o his lie. his e(ent also !ro(ides

a $lim!se into the world he will be born into, a world di(ided by reli$ious tension

and onstantly threatened by outbrea's o (iolene. #s the story draws loser to his

birth and Indias inde!endene, Saleem be$ins to ry!tially oreshadow many

orthomin$ e(ents. -e introdues his ayah, ary &ereira, and eni$matially reers

to usas destrution o the world, as well as the role o ate, hane, and lies. he

!ro!hey o Ramram re!resents the most si$ni0ant and e%!liit e%am!le o

oreshadowin$ in these setions" althou$h we an understand (ery little o what hesays at this !oint, his di(ination will !ro(e ruial.

#minas e%!eriene with Ramram inludes a sho'in$, (i(id !ortrayal o the

destitution and ab2et !o(erty that afits so muh o India. In the world

oMidnights Children, the ma$ial and the sHualid are interonneted. #s #mina

enounters the im!o(erished !eo!le she had one i$nored, #hmed and his business

assoiates arry hu$e ba$s o money earmar'ed or a terrorist ransom. hen the

Ra(ana members dro! the money, Saleem desribes #hmed and his !artners

sroun$in$ throu$h dirt and ees to !i' it u!, 2ust as star(in$ men, women, and

hildren be$ #mina or s!are han$e in order to sur(i(e. he narrati(e deliberately

osillates ba' and orth between these two senes, allin$ attention to the drasti

di(ide that se!arates rih rom !oor in India.

Summary Methwold

Saleem desribes the estate that one belon$ed to an :n$lishman, illiam

ethwold.

he estate is om!rised o our idential houses, eah bearin$ the name o a

di3erent :uro!ean !alae. Saleems !arents buy one o the houses, a$reein$ to theonditions that they !urhase e(erythin$ inside the house and that the le$al

transer o !ro!erty will not our until midni$ht, #u$ust 1*. ethwold says that his

reasons or the onditions are alle$orial, as he eHuates the sale o his estate with

the national transer o so(erei$n !ower.

Saleem lists the other inhabitants o ethwolds :state" r. -omi Eatra', a 0lm

ma$nate who li(es with his idiot dau$hterM old man Ibrahim, his sons, Ismail and


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IshaH, and his wie, CussieM the Kubashes, who beome !arents o Eyrus, Saleems

0rst mentorM Kotor Carli'arM and 0nally, Eommander Sabarmati, his wie, ila, and

their two sons, who will $row u! to be ni'named :yeslie and -airoil. #s the

transer o !ower draws loser, the inhabitants o ethwolds :state om!lain

inessantly o ha(in$ to li(e amon$ ethwolds thin$s. #s the inhabitants settle in,

they remain unaware o the at that they ha(e be$un to imitate ethwolds habits,rom the o'tail hour he 'ee!s to the aent with whih he s!ea's.

he Times of India announes a !ri=e or any hild born at the e%at moment o

inde!endene. Still reallin$ the !ro!hets words, #mina delares that her son will

win. he summer rains be$in, and #mina $rows so hea(y she an sarely mo(e.

#ter the rains end, ee illie in'ie, a !oor lown, returns to the estate to !erorm

or ethwold and the new amilies. illie in'ie tells the rowd that his wie is

e%!etin$ a hild soon as well. Saleem tells us that the hild atually belon$s to

ethwold, who sedued in'ies wie with his !eretly !arted hair. Saleems

narrati(e then 2um!s to a hurh, where a midwie named ary &ereira sits in a

onessional booth, tellin$ the youn$ !riest about her relationshi! with an orderlynamed Jose!h K Eosta, who has ta'en to ommittin$ ats o (iolene a$ainst the

British. Saleem says that on the ni$ht o his birth, this woman made the most

im!ortant deision in the history o twentieth)entury India. Ba' at ethwolds

:state, usa is still >ti'in$ li'e a time)bomb? as the hour a!!roahes midni$ht.

Summary 5ic4 5oc

6n #u$ust 1T, 1947, Bombay omes ali(e as the ity !re!ares or Indias imminent

inde!endene rom the British. #t midni$ht, the nation o &a'istan will oially be

reated, a ull day beore India will be delared inde!endent. Liolene brea's out on

the borders o &un2ab and in Ben$al.

# series o e(ents ours all at one, and Saleems narrati(e s'i!s between them. #t

ethwolds :state, #hmed and illiam ethwold drin' o'tails in the ourtyard.

eanwhile, at the old house on Eornwallis Road, in #$ra, #adam #=i= rises rom his

bed and nostal$ially !ulls out the !erorated sheet, only to diso(er that moths

ha(e eaten it. Ba' at ethwolds :state, ee illie in'ies wie, Lanita, $oes into

labor. illiam ethwold wal's into the ourtyard o his ormer om!ound, stands in

the e%at enter, and salutes the landsa!e. Shortly aterward, a sadhu&i, or holy

man, enters the om!ound and sits under a dri!!in$ water ta!. -e !rolaims that

he awaits the birth o the 6ne, the ubara'. #s soon as he says this, #mina $oesinto labor. 6ne the sun has set, ethwold ends his salute and !ulls o3 his

hair!iee. #mina and Lanita lie in ad2aent rooms at the nursin$ home, and two

boys are born at midni$ht. 5!on hearin$ the news, #hmed dro!s a hair on his toes.

In the ensuin$ onusion, ary &ereira swithes the babies nameta$s in memory o

her re(olutionary Jose!h, $i(in$ Saleem, biolo$ially the son o illie in'ie and

Lanita, to #hmed and #mina.


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&adma interru!ts the story to all Saleem a liar. -e res!onds by sayin$ that e(en

ater his !arents diso(ered what ary &ereira had done, they ould not $o ba'

and erase the !ast, so he remained their son. Saleem mentions a letter the !rime

minister sent when he was born, whih he buried in a atus $arden alon$ with anews!a!er artile titled >idni$hts Ehild.? -e tells us that the news!a!ermen who

ame to ta'e !itures o him $a(e his mother a !atheti sum o one hundred

ru!ees.

Analysis

he small)sale !ro!erty transer at ethwolds :state learly orres!onds to the

lar$er !olitial situation, as +reat Britain !re!ares itsel to transer so(erei$n !ower

o(er India to the inde!endent $o(ernments o India and &a'istan. Ceither transer is

om!lete or unom!liated. Just as inde!endent India must now deal with the

ultural le$ay o British olonialism, whih remains ati(e lon$ ater the British(aate the ountry, so too will the inhabitants o ethwolds :state ha(e to li(e with

!hysial reminders o the estates ormer owner. he British ontinue to e%ert a

!owerul inuene o(er inde!endent India, as symboli=ed by the unonsious ways

the ethwold residents be$in onormin$ to ethwolds ustoms. ethwolds

nostal$ia or his estate, in turn, ehoes the wide)sale nostal$ia elt by the British

u!on lea(in$ the ormer rown o their olonial em!ire.

#s the moment o Saleems birth a!!roahes/ostensibly the most si$ni0ant e(ent

o the no(el thus ar/the narrati(e seems to swell to the !oint o brea'in$. Saleem

wants to ta'e into aount e(erythin$ he an, beause e(erythin$, he belie(es, has

been wor'in$ in tandem to arri(e at this e%at moment. In order to understand thesi$ni0ane o his birth, Saleem reminds the reader o e(erythin$ that ame beore

it and all the amily history that went into ma'in$ Saleem who he is. -owe(er, ater

aumulatin$ all this momentum, it beomes lear that the history is atually

someone elseshistory/it belon$s to Shi(a, the boy with whom Saleem $ets

swithed at birth. hus the narrator isnt atually related at all to the !eo!le whose

stories he has been detailin$ so metiulously. Si$ni0antly, in this same ha!ter,

#adam diso(ers that the sared !erorated sheet has been $nawed ull o moth

holes. #s one o the entral symbols o Saleems story, the !artial dama$e o the

!erorated sheet seems to bode !oorly or the truthulness o the narrati(e as a

whole.

-owe(er, Saleem remains the narrator o this tale, and the story still undamentally

belon$s to him. hat Saleem has told this amilys history as i it were his own

hi$hli$hts one o the narrati(es entral themes" that truth is reated and sha!ed,

not 0%ed and stati. Re$ardless o whether he is #hmed and #minas biolo$ial son,

they raise him u! in their amily, and he en2oys all the !ri(ile$es and !roblems that


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birthri$ht entails. Saleem an ri$htully laim the history he has told as his own,

beause he belie(es it to be so. he truth o the situation, thereore, seems relati(e.

#t the same time, the at that illiam ethwold, an :n$lishman, is re(ealed to be

Saleems biolo$ial ather !ro(es a!!ro!riate, $i(en that Saleem sees himsel as

the !eret embodiment o modern India. he le$ay o British olonialism hasundoubtedly sha!ed the newly inde!endent India, 2ust as illiam ethwold has

undeniably sha!ed Saleem. It is also im!ortant to note that by swithin$ the

nameta$s, ary &ereira ma'es a distint !olitial deision. #lhou$h her !rimary

moti(ation remains a romanti one, ary nonetheless attem!ts to redress the (ast

soial di(ide that se!arates rih rom !oor. he hild o a !oor woman who dies in

labor and an :n$lish ather who has returned to :n$land, Saleem turns out to be an

e%traordinarily a!t re!resentati(e o the new Indian nation.


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,oo 5wo

Summary 5he 2isherman1s Pointin* 2in*er

&adma beomes u!set at Saleem beause he has used the word lo'ein reerene to

her. Saleem returns to his story and desribes a !aintin$ o alter Ralei$h that hun$

abo(e his rib as a hild. In the !aintin$, a 0sherman !oints o3 into the distane,

and Saleem s!eulates as to what his 0n$er mi$ht be !ointin$ at.

#mina and #hmed brin$ Saleem home rom the hos!ital. Saleem is not a beautiul

baby, but he is a lar$e one, with an enormous uumber nose and blue eyes thatthe amily assumes ame rom his $randather. he residents o the estate !ass him

around li'e a doll, and ary and his mother dote on him. ee illie in'ie

ontinues to ome to the om!ound and sin$, e(entually brin$in$ his son, Shi(a,

who has 'nobby 'nees and, aordin$ to Saleem, will later be sa(ed by a war. he

baby Saleem witnesses all o the om!ound inhabitants !ri(ate li(es/their a3airs,

0$hts, and habits. Saleem the $rown)u! narrator laims res!onsibility or almost

e(erythin$ that ha!!ens, inludin$ his athers e(entual aloholism. @eelin$

ne$leted by his wie, #hmed be$ins to irt with his seretaries and urse #mina.

-e later embar's on a sheme with his nei$hbor, Kr. Carli'ar, to relaim land rom

the oean with tetra!ods. 6ne day, #hmed reei(es a letter rom the $o(ernmentsayin$ his assets ha(e been ro=en, !resumably beause o his uslim aith. he

news $i(es him a !ermanent hill and sends him to bed, thereby allowin$ or the

one!tion o Saleems sister, the Brass on'ey.

Summary Snaes and Ladders

Kurin$ the winter o 1948, bad omens a!!ear e(erywhere. o ma'e ends meet, the

amily rents the to! oor o the house to Kr. Shaa!ste'er, who has s!ent his lie

studyin$ sna'es. #mina writes her !arents a letter, tellin$ them o their hard lu',and #adam and Re(erend other arri(e a ew days later. Re(erend other ta'es

o(er the household, and her tem!erament see!s into the ood she oo's. @rom this,

#mina 0nds a new, oura$eous s!irit. She ta'es the money rom her dowry to the

raetra', where she wins re!eatedly. She ta'es some o the money and !ays their

nei$hbor, Ismail, to 0$ht the $o(ernments ree=in$ o #hmeds assets. Saleem

laims that, e(en thou$h he was 2ust a baby, he was res!onsible or his mothers

ama=in$ suess at the raetra'.


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#s a hild, Saleem lo(es to !lay the board $ame Sna'es and adders. @or him, the

$ame !eretly reets an essential truth" or e(ery >ladder you limb, a sna'e is

waitin$ 2ust around the orner,? and (ie (ersa. -owe(er, the $ame la's the

ambi$uities that are !art o lie. Saleem o3ers #minas brother -ani as an e%am!le

o the rule o sna'es and ladders. Instead o mo(in$ to &a'istan, -ani mo(ed to

Bombay, to ollow his dream o ma'in$ mo(ies. -e marries a beautiul 0lm star andbeomes the youn$est 0lm diretor in Indian inema history. 6n the o!enin$ ni$ht

o his 0lm, howe(er, the theater mana$er interru!ts the sreenin$ to announe that

ahatma +andhi has been 'illed. #mina and her husband run home and board u!

the house, terri0ed that i the 'iller turns out to be a uslim, (iolene will brea' out.

But the 'iller is re(ealed to be a -indu, and the amily returns to normal, thereby

illustratin$ Saleems !oint that or e(ery u! there is a down, and or e(ery down an

u!.

ary, the ayah, and usa, the lon$time house bearer, en$a$e in a hostile battle.

usa, belie(in$ hes about to be 0red, steals some o the amilys (aluables. hey

ath him beore he an esa!e, and usa lea(es the house ashamed. Saleemreminds us that usa will e(entually destroy e(erythin$.

6ne ni$ht, ary &ereira sees the 0$ure o a man oatin$ aross the rooto!s. he

amily alls the !olie. hey e%eute a stin$ o!eration and, in the !roess, shoot

and 'ill the shadowy 0$ure. he dead man is re(ealed to be Jose!h KEosta, arys

ormer lo(er, sine turned terrorist. Soon ater, baby Saleem alls ill with ty!hoid.

he amily e%!ets him to die, until Kr. Shaa!ste'er o3ers a remedy made o sna'e

!oison. he !oison sa(es Saleems lie, lendin$ Saleem >an early awareness o the

ambi$uity o sna'es.? he $o(ernment unree=es #hmeds assets. Saleems sister,

ni'named the Brass on'ey beause o the red)$old hair she s!orts at her birth,

arri(es with no anare. Saleem loses by notin$ that his sister learned rom an early

a$e that i she wanted attention, she would ha(e to ma'e a lot o noise to $et it.

Analysis

Saleem not only laims that he was immediately onsious and sel)aware as an

inant but also that he was ultimately res!onsible or the e(ents that unolded

durin$ his early hildhood. Saleem has !laed himsel at the enter o his world/his

si$ni0ane on0rmed by a !rime ministers letter, a news!a!er !hoto, and the

!reditions o a holy man. #t the same time, Saleem is !eretly aware o his

eatures, !artiularly his enormous nose, whih he willin$ly desribes as u$ly.

Saleems eatures, howe(er, are more than 2ust his own" he has his $randathers

nose and eyes, and yet he is not biolo$ially related to #adam #=i=. -e has two

birthmar's, whih he desribes as bein$ on the west and east sides o his ae, and

a nose sha!ed li'e a uumber. -is ae resembles, to some de$ree, a ma! o the

Indian subontinent.


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he baby Saleem is already de(ourin$ the world with his $a=e, in muh the same

way that the narrati(e rams itsel with inredible amounts o data and sensory

e%!eriene. Saleem ta'es res!onsibility or e(erythin$, sayin$ >e(erythin$ that

ha!!ened, ha!!ened beause o me.? i'e the narrati(e, Saleem stru$$les to

ontain e(erythin$ within his $ras!. @rom his athers aloholism to the !etty a3airs

o the estate, Saleem wants to laim it all as his, no doubt in !art to ul0ll theenormous wei$ht and !ro!hey !laed on him sine birth. -e has !iled the

rustrated desires and ailures o his world onto himsel. Rushdie be$an the no(el

with reerenes to #dam and the +arden o :den, and here he draws !arallels

between youn$ Saleem and the Ehrist hild, as both are !resented as ma$ial

Midnight s Children Study Guide

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