"Midnight's Children" Post 3b

A couple of quotes that I have noticed in my reading:
"... and Amina standing still as she is tugged in opposite directions wants to say Wait, white woman... And now Lifafa Das, with a curious expression on his face, says, "They're funtoosh! All finished! Soon they will all go, and we'll be free to kill each other."" (90). This quote was interesting in that it showed both the Indians' surprise at seeing a white woman in a comprimising situation, begging for food, pointing to the rather "myth of invicibility" that the English had apparently successfully created to establish their rule. Additionally, its interesitng that Lifafa would say such a violent remark hinting at the tension between the Muslims and the Hindus considering that Amina saved him from an angry Muslim mob.
"... but, staying despite it all, he saw the godown as it burst apart under the force of the licking red tongues, he saw pouring out of the godown an improbably lava flow of molten rice lentils chick-peas waterproof jackets matchboxes and pickle, he saw hot red flowers of the fire bursting skywards as the contents of the warehouse spilled on to the hard yellow ground like a black charred hand of despair" (99). Part of winning the Booker Prize is contemporary writing style, and this quote exemplifies this excellently. I really enjoyed how the contents of the godown aren't separated by commas, visually signifying how in the fire they are all running together and turning into one mass of ruin. The colors were also beautiful with the "hot red flowers", the "hard yellow ground" and the "black charred hand of despair".
"the Estate, Methwold's Estate, is changing them. Every evening at six they are out in their gardens, celebrating the cocktail hour, and when William Methwold comes to call they slip effortlessly into their imitation Oxford drawls; and they are learning about ceiling-fans and gas cookers and the correct diet for budgerigars, and Methwold, supervising their transformation, is mumbling under his breath.... All is well" (109). This quote I enjoyed not only for the slyness of Methwold (he requires that the new owners of his homes live with his belongings for two months so that they become accustomed to the European way of life) but the aim of his transformation. Why does he care how his homes owners will live their lives? Is he trying to protect the buildings, retain their European character? I think that he is trying to keep some vestige of England's time in India alive, by instilling the character and social traits of the English in its people, so that they will forever carry on its legacy. After all, it was his great forefather who came up with the brilliant plan to conquer Bombay; he must wish for some impact upon India as well.

"Midnight's Children" Post 3a

One extremely interesting cultural aspect of India showcased in this novel is the conflict between the Muslims and Hindus. The Sinai family is Muslim and consequently experiences a significant amount of racism, especially from the group Ravana, named after a many-headed demon in Hindu mythology, who burn down his store house of clothing supplies, ruining his business. Hinduism originated in India, but Islam became prominent in the northern areas as the Islamic caliphates extended their rule. The Muslim Mughal Empire even ruled India for a period of time, and even the Taj Mahal was built by the Muslim Shah Jehan for his wife. Although Muslims comprise a major part of India's population, Hindus are still in the majority and there is much conflict from this division. Another issue discussed in this novel was an effect of this strife: the creation of Pakistan. Pakistan was envisioned as a state for Indian Muslims who did not wish to continue to experience discrimination there, and was supported by Muhammed Ali Jinnah, head of the Muslim League. Although both Nehru and Gandhi opposed it, it was created around the birth of the independent India. It is interesting to watch the path of the Sinai family; after their traumatic experience one would expect them to move further towards the west, back towards their homeland of Kashmiri, and least of all eastwards towards the heart of India, but they do just that.

Research Paper Issue

I think I'm going to write about the genocide in Darfur for my paper. Although it is an extremely well known issue, the thought of a country splitting in two with one group simply massacring the other is simply mind-boggling. Can neighbors really turn upon neighbors? Children be taught to accept killing? For many of us, we simply can't understand this but it is happening in our world currently. Why isn't anything being done simply to stop it? Do we not have the capability to stop such an act? Why not? Is it not worth it? We look back on the Holocaust and wonder how the world could have allowed such an act to be committed; why aren't we changing that fact today? Specifically in Africa, why have these genocides occurred? What can we do to alleviate the issue, prevent these atrocities from being committed in the first place?
And as with my other research paper, this topic may change. But hopefully it'll be interesting and not a quagmire to research!

"Midnight's Children" Post 2b

'"I started off as a Kashmiri and not much of a Muslim. Then I got a bruise on my chest that turned me into an Indian. I'm still not much of a Muslim, but I'm all for Abdullah. He's fighting my fight."' (39). This quote intrigued me for several reasons. First of all, the image of a bruise turning someone into a different nationality is amusing in its absurdity, but the actual event has some interesting observations. While attending a supposedly peaceful rally, Aadam witnessed a defenseless crowd be gunned down by troops. He was lucky enough to escape because his doctor's bag escaped his hands and he was down on the ground before they started shooting, but this event profoundly impacted him. The horror and outrage at what he witnessed caused him to feel more connected with these people than ever before. This makes one reconsider different foreign policy moves. Sometimes, moves aimed to intimidate can be effective, but at least in Aadam's case, they encouraged him to connect more with the Indian cause and be willing to risk more for it, almost the opposite of the intention of the soldiers. The other interesting thing about this statement by Aadam is his comment about Abdullah "He's fighting my fight". I feel like this phrase is used often, but it seems to cliché-y and doesn't really mean much. Is he really fighting your fight? Shouldn't you be fighting your own fight? Is he representing you in your fight? I suppose its catchy, it just seems that people can take leaders blindly with this phrase without really thinking of what it represents.

"Midnight's Children" Post 2a

This chapter brought up more interesting cultural perspective on the roles of women in Indian society. Aadam marries Naseem in this chapter, and their courtship takes a most unorthodox manner. He comes to diagnose her for various illnesses, of which she has one each week. Each time a small part of her is revealed to him through a sheet with a hole cut in it. Apparently this is not creepy or abnormal in any way, and they eventually get married. Aadam is a more modern person than Naseem's father, and he finds it unnecessary for her to wear purdah. One would think that this liberation would be welcomed by her, but she rejects it strongly: "'You want me to walk naked in front of strange men." (He has told her to come out of purdah.) He says, "Your shirt covers you from neck to wrist to knee... Wife, are your face and feet obscene?" But she wails, "They will see more than that! They will see my deep-deep shame!"' (32). One would think that restrictive practices such as this would not be accepted by women, that they would enjoy more freedom and less restriction, but here this doesn't seem to be the case. These practices seem to have been so deeply ingrained in Naseem that she can't imagine any other way, and that she truly believes that she is disgracing herself by not following purdah. Perhaps this has to do with the period; Aadam is a fairly modern person and I suppose it would be awkward if you were the only one following the new fashion. However, wouldn't the freedom from the second class status that wearing special garments that obscure and restrict you outweigh the potential social pressure? How can one adjust to not being allowed freedom? If you've grown up with something all your life, can you always have adjusted to it? How far does one have to go to have something one cannot adjust to?

"Midnight's Children" Post 1b

Why did I choose to read "Midnight's Children"? There are several reasons. First of all, the name Salmon Rushdie came up as I was doing research for my award from last quarter, the Man Booker Prize. I was curious and looked into it, finding that his novel "Midnight's Children" had not only won the Man Booker for the year it was published; it had also won the Booker of Bookers! This award was given after the first twenty-five years of the prize to the best book out of all of the Booker winners, and "Midnight's Children" had been that novel. This award seemed significant to me because, as one judge described it, it was awarded to the best contemporary fiction novel that was not necessarily the most fun read, but that would make an impact on literature for years to come. Sometimes books such as these are a struggle to read, but you always feel satisfied that you have completed them and taken something from the experience in the end, and I was in the mood to read such a book. The story sounded interesting as well: when reading the Odyssey, the thing that fascinated me was the involvement of the gods in the mortals lives, and this dealt with the similar subject of fate, in Saleem's fate being tied to that of India's. This novel also sounds interesting in that it deals with a foreign country, and in learning about Saleem one also learns of India's culture and history. Finally, Rushdie is supposed to be a more difficult author, and I have to admit that this challenge drew me to his writing. Others of his novels, such as "The Satanic Verses", are supposed to be a little more dense, whereas this novel looked to be a good balance between a tough writer, an impressive award, and an interesting plot. We'll see how it goes!

"Midnight's Children" Post 1a

"This mother, who had spent her life housebound, in purdah, had suddenly found enormous strength and gone out to run the small gemstone business (turquoises, rubies, diamonds) which had put Aadam through medical college; so he returned to find the seemingly immutable order of his family turned upside down, his mother going out to work while his father sat hidden behind the veil which the stroke had dropped over his brain" (7). 

This quote from the book was interesting because it talked about the restrictions of purdah which I initially had no idea what it was. Purdah, according to Wikipedia, is "the practice of preventing men from seeing women. This takes two forms: physical segregation of the sexes, and the requirement for women to cover their bodies and conceal their form. Purdah exists in various forms in the Islamic world and among Hindu women in parts of India. Physical segregation within a building can be done with walls, curtains, and screens. A woman's withdrawal into purdah restricts her personal, social, and economic activities outside her home... with... a veil to conceal the face". This step by Aadam's mother shows how she is independent, and although their family had been quite strict, she was a modern person and dedicated to her son. It is also interesting to note that the father's new role after his stroke is characterized by a veil, a piece usually worn by women when following purdah. Aadam's mother and father have truly switched places, and this must make him rather uncomfortable. 

"Midnight's Children" by Salmon Rushdie

For my outside reading novel, I'm going to try reading Salmon Rushdie's "Midnight's Children". India seems like such a vibrant place and truly, I don't know much about it. This novel explores the nation after it gains its independence through the voice of a child as he grows up in this new India. I was interested in Salmon Rushdie in particular after seeing his name mentioned in the information regarding the Man Booker Prize (this novel won not only the Booker but the Booker of Bookers as the best book out of the first twenty-five winners of the prize). I loved "The Blind Assassin" so much and I hope this book will be similarly good.