A Study of Symbolisms in ‘Midnight’s Children’ (Assignment 202)

A Study of Symbolisms in ‘Midnight’s Children’ 

Table of contents 

• Personal Information 
• Assignment Details 
• Abstract 
• Keywords 
• Introduction 
• About the Author: Salman Rushdie 
• About the Novel: ‘Midnight’s Children’ 
• Perforated Sheets as a Symbol 
• Spitoon as a Symbol 
• Pickles as a Symbol
• Knees and Noses as a Symbol 
• Conclusion 
• References 

Personal Information 

Name - Bhumiba Gohil 

Batch - M.A. Sem 3 (2023-2025)

Enrollment Number - 5108230016

Email Address - bhumibagohil333@gmail.com 

Roll Number - 4

 

Assignment Details 

Topic - A Study of Symbolisms in ‘Midnight’s Children’

Paper - Indian English Literature - Post-Independence 

Paper Number - 202

Subject Code - 22407

Submitted to - Smt. S.B. Gardi Department of English M.K.B.U.

Date of Submission - 10 November 2024

 Abstract

This paper explores the rich tapestry of symbolism in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children, a cornerstone of postcolonial literature. Central symbols—such as the perforated sheet, the spittoon, pickles, and bodily features like knees and noses—are deconstructed to uncover their layered meanings and their role in representing India’s fractured history, identity, and postcolonial struggles. The analysis highlights how Rushdie uses these symbols to critique historical narratives, preserve cultural memory, and interrogate themes of power, identity, and the interplay of the personal and political. The novel emerges as a complex allegory of India, reflecting its multifaceted reality through magical realism and inventive storytelling.

Keywords

Symbolism, Midnight’s Children, Salman Rushdie, postcolonial identity, magical realism, Indian history, allegory, cultural memory.

Introduction

Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children is a monumental work in the realm of postcolonial literature. Published in 1981, the novel combines magical realism with historical commentary, chronicling the intertwined fates of Saleem Sinai and post-independence India. Born at the precise moment of India’s independence, Saleem becomes a symbolic figure, endowed with telepathic abilities and a narrative voice that intertwines personal and national histories.

This paper delves into the symbolism that Rushdie masterfully weaves throughout the narrative. By examining the perforated sheet, the spittoon, pickles, and bodily features like knees and noses, it explores how these symbols articulate complex themes of identity, memory, and power. Each symbol serves as a lens through which Rushdie critiques the grand narratives of nationalism, challenges Nehruvian ideals, and presents an allegorical vision of India. In doing so, Midnight’s Children transcends its fictional boundaries to engage with deeper socio-political and cultural discourses, making it a seminal text in contemporary literature.

About the Author: Salman Rushdie

Salman Rushdie is a renowned Indian-British author celebrated for his masterful storytelling, profound themes, and groundbreaking contributions to contemporary literature. Born on June 19, 1947, in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, Rushdie grew up amidst the socio-political transformations of post-independence India, an experience that profoundly shaped his literary voice. Educated at King’s College, Cambridge, where he studied history, Rushdie began his career in advertising before turning to fiction.

Rushdie rose to international prominence with his second novel, Midnight’s Children (1981), which won the Booker Prize and later the Booker of Bookers. The novel, hailed for its inventive use of magical realism, chronicles the intertwined lives of its protagonist, Saleem Sinai, and India, blending personal narrative with national history. This work established Rushdie as a leading voice in postcolonial literature, influencing a generation of writers. Known for his fearless exploration of controversial topics, Rushdie has often faced criticism and challenges. His 1988 novel, The Satanic Verses, sparked global controversy, leading to a fatwa issued against him by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini, forcing Rushdie into hiding for years. Despite these challenges, he continued to produce acclaimed works, including The Moor’s Last Sigh (1995), Shalimar the Clown (2005), and The Golden House (2017).

Rushdie’s writing is characterized by a vibrant interplay of magical realism, political commentary, and sharp wit. He explores themes of identity, migration, colonialism, and the human condition, often intertwining historical events with fictional narratives. Beyond fiction, Rushdie has written essays and memoirs, including Joseph Anton (2012), which recounts his life during the years of the fatwa.

Salman Rushdie remains a literary icon, celebrated for his courage, intellectual rigor, and ability to illuminate the complexities of culture and history through his storytelling. His works continue to resonate globally, enriching contemporary literature with their depth and innovation.

About the Novel ‘Midnight’s Children’

Historiography and the novel are tied together as genres which continually return to figure the Indian nation as the site of an incomplete or fractured modernity. The desire to find some third form of writing … to reproduce this fracturing not as a grievous lack in the nation but as something different or asa supplement which challenges the authority of its master narratives of nation and modernity, has been as much a part of the novel – at least since Rushdie– as it has been a part of historiography.

Rushdie’s Booker and Best of the Bookers award winning novel  Midnight’s Children  (1981) constitutes a turning point in the history of Indian English Novel. Due to its overwhelming impact upon the ensuing generation of writers, the decade following its publication, have been termed ‘Post-Rushdie’ years.  Midnight’s Children  presents a continuous conflict between personal and national domain. The protagonist who is ‘handcuffed to history’ is bound to brook the nation’s suffering as well as to enjoy some weird powers. 

Allegory operates as an extended metaphor in which symbolic actions, characters, settings and images etc. serve to reflect some other cloaked confrontations. “All true narrative allegory has its source in a culture’s attitude towards language, and in that attitude, as embodied in language itself; allegory finds the limit of its possibility”. Critics like Northrop Frye and Jonathan Culler locate allegory within a continuum of literary practice and treat it more like a style of writing or symbolic mode than narrative genre. Celebrated post structuralist critic Paul de Man recognizes allegory as an apparatus that frees symbolism from its transcendentalist tendencies. (Kumar)

The  Midnight’s Children , thus makes history akin to fiction. The uninterrupted allegories display Saleem’s eccentricity which connotes socio-political condition of the nation. The novel normalises the laudatory tendencies of historiography and exposes the compromised status of many national achievements; Nehruvian policies being one of them. "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie is a captivating and expansive novel that intertwines the personal and political narratives of Saleem Sinai, a boy born at the exact moment of India's independence in 1947. Gifted with telepathic abilities, Saleem discovers that he is one of the many "Midnight's Children," each possessing unique powers reflective of the new India. The novel spans several decades, encompassing the tumultuous events that shape the nation's postcolonial identity.

As Saleem grows, so do his powers, and he finds himself entwined with historical events like the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 and the imposition of the Emergency in the 1970s. The story weaves magical realism with political commentary, exploring themes of identity, nationalism, and the complex interplay between individual lives and the grand sweep of history. Rushdie's narrative is richly layered, incorporating elements of mythology, history, and cultural critique. The novel received widespread acclaim and won the Booker Prize in 1981, establishing Salman Rushdie as a leading voice in contemporary literature. "Midnight's Children" is a powerful exploration of the complexities of postcolonial identity and the enduring impact of historical events on the individual and collective psyche.

Perforated Sheet as a Symbol 

This novel garnered critical acclaim worldwide for its attempts of reclaiming history of India and claiming the nation itself using various symbols and metaphors. One of the most important symbols and metaphors Rushdie employs in the novel is “the Perforated Sheet,” which is also the title for the opening chapter. The perforated sheet has, indeed, generated various interpretations by a large number of interested critics. One of the many interpretations critics offer reveals that the perforated sheet is a metaphor of veiling, carrying various meanings on how the rhetoric of veiling is used by Rushdie to comment on religious affairs, and, ultimately it is used as a political statement, commentary and a means of finding or asserting an identity. What seems to be missing from the discussion on the perforated sheet is the fact that the perforation can also be interpreted as a means of unveiling India. If Naseem Ghani’s body—the body that is unveiled through the perforated sheet by Doctor Aadam Aziz is the metaphorical India, the perforation or the hole of the sheet is a “peep-hole,” a lens through which India can be seen, understood and loved. With a big question of how Rushdie identifies India with Naseem’s body and a perforation on a sheet, this paper attempts at revealing Rushdie’s representation of India and his efforts of claiming what constitutes “India.” 

Just like Doctor Aziz who loves Naseem (and her body) in fragments but not in her wholesomeness, it is safe to say that loving the diversity of a nation is dissimilar to loving the nation as a unity. Furthermore, the perforated sheet unveils women’s position in the narration of the nation and in the nation itself. The way Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children unveils India and represents the nation through “imagined Midnight’s Children” can be read as Rushdie’s way of using the narrative to reclaim his imagined India. 

The story is told reflectively by grown-up Saleem, who composes his unbelievable biography just before his demise, contrasting himself with Scheherazade, so as to caution his country and keep his kin from overlooking their past, since, as he says, the Indians "are a country of forgetters. There are snapshots of dread, yet they leave." Now the novel may be identified as self-portraying and Saleem`s caution may be taken as Rushdie`s claim of counsel to his Indian country. However, being composed in his novels may be taken as a notice for all countries overlooking their pasts oppressive autocrats. (Novianti)

Spitoon as a Symbol

In "Midnight's Children," the spittoon emerges as a powerful and multi-layered symbol, transcending its literal function. It becomes a metaphor for the intricacies of memory and identity within the narrative. When Salim Sinai hits the spittoon, triggering memory loss, the symbolism extends beyond personal forgetfulness to encapsulate the delicate balance between remembering and forgetting. This transformation of a seemingly mundane object into a vessel of memory loss underscores the fragility of individual recollection and its profound impact on broader historical narratives.

Furthermore, the spittoon symbolizes the paradoxical nature of preservation and destruction. Traditionally associated with expelling waste, the spittoon in the novel becomes a vessel that embodies the tension between retaining memories and inadvertently erasing them. This duality reflects the broader theme of the burdens faced by nations with long histories—where memory, both personal and collective, becomes a weight that can be as challenging as the consequences of forgetfulness. Additionally, the spittoon takes on a political dimension, serving as a tool for manipulation. Characters experiencing memory loss become susceptible to political agendas, highlighting how the control of memory can be wielded as a potent instrument in shaping narratives and consolidating power. In essence, the spittoon in "Midnight's Children" becomes a rich and versatile symbol, encapsulating the complexities of memory, history, and political influence within the novel's thematic landscape.

Pickles as a Symbol 

Salman Rushdie astutely acknowledges the intricate relationship between memory preservation and the culinary art in "Midnight's Children." Saleem, the protagonist, emerges not as an ordinary cook but as a culinary maestro crafting his unique creations beneath the saffron and green glow of his personal neon goddess. In this culinary realm, Saleem's chutneys and kasaundies become more than mere condiments; they are intricately connected to his nocturnal writings—a dual life of pickle-vats by day and literary endeavours by night. Saleem eloquently describes his role as a preserver, not only of fruits but, more significantly, of memories, shielding them from the corrosive influence of time.

The pickles in question aren't conventional cucumber pickles; instead, they symbolise mixtures of diverse ingredients melding together, exchanging flavours, and undergoing preservation. Saleem metaphorically labels each chapter as a "pickle," emphasising the process of amalgamation and preservation: "One empty jar... how to end? Happily, with Mary in her teak rocking-chair and a son who has begun to speak? Amid recipes, and thirty jars with chapter-headings for names?"

Whether through the curry of Saleem's genitals or the poisoning of food laden with emotional spices, Rushdie masterfully employs food as a literary device, offering readers fresh perspectives and starting points for a nuanced interpretation of the text. (Glasgow)

Knees and Noses as a Symbol 

In Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children," the symbolism embedded in knees and noses serves as a rich exploration of power, destruction, discovery, and discrimination. These bodily features take on a metaphorical significance, contributing to the thematic depth of the narrative.

Firstly, knees emerge as symbols of physical prowess and destruction. Shiva, a character in the novel, is suspected of employing his powerful knees to commit violent acts. The association of knees with strength and destruction reflects a dichotomy within the narrative, where physical prowess becomes a tool for both creation and annihilation. This duality in the symbolic representation of knees adds layers to character dynamics and the broader themes of power within the story.

Conversely, noses symbolize discovery and discrimination in "Midnight's Children." Salim Sinai, the protagonist, uses his nose as a tool for identifying a specific prostitute. This act of olfactory discrimination becomes a metaphor for the nuanced ways in which individuals navigate and interpret their surroundings. Noses, in this context, embody the idea that discovery often involves a keen sense of discernment, contributing to the novel's exploration of identity and perception. Moreover, the juxtaposition of knees and noses within the narrative creates a compelling binary opposition, highlighting the interconnected themes of creation and destruction. The contrast between the physical power associated with knees and the sensory acuity linked to noses adds a layer of complexity to character relationships and the broader exploration of contrasting forces within the novel.

In essence, the symbolic representation of knees and noses in "Midnight's Children" offers a nuanced exploration of physical prowess, discovery, and discrimination. These symbols contribute to the multifaceted thematic tapestry of the narrative, providing readers with a deeper understanding of the complexities inherent in the characters and their interactions.

Conclusion

Salman Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children stands as a remarkable narrative that bridges the personal and the national, weaving a tapestry of India’s history through its allegorical and symbolic elements. By employing symbols such as the perforated sheet, spittoon, pickles, and bodily features like knees and noses, Rushdie constructs a narrative rich in complexity, challenging the conventional boundaries of historiography and fiction. These symbols serve not only as literary devices but also as tools for critiquing the fractured realities of postcolonial identity, memory, and nationhood.

Through magical realism and inventive storytelling, the novel questions the grand narratives of nationalism and explores the enduring impact of historical events on individual and collective psyches. Midnight’s Children is a profound testament to the power of literature to reinterpret history and offer fresh perspectives on identity and cultural memory. As a work of enduring significance, it invites readers to engage deeply with its themes and to reflect on the intricate connections between history, symbolism, and the human experience.

References

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Salman Rushdie". Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2024, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Salman-Rushdie. Accessed 7 November 2024.

Glasgow, Philips W. “Pickles in Midnight's Children.” Postcolonial Web, https://www.postcolonialweb.org/pakistan/literature/rushdie/mcoickles.html.Accessed 7 November 2024.

Kumar, Prashant. “Midnight’s Children: An Allegory of Indian History.” Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education |, 2 October 2022, https://ignited.in/a/57702. Accessed 7 November 2024.

Novianti, Nita. “Unveiling India through “the Perforated Sheet” in Rushdie's Midnight's Children.” Academia.edu, https://www.academia.edu/10148444/Unveiling_India_through_the_Perforated_Sheet_in_Rushdie_s_Midnight_s_Children. Accessed 7 November 2024.

Rushdie, Salman. Midnight's Children. Vintage Books, 2008.

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