Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie follows the life of Saleem Sinai, one of the “midnight’s children” born on the stroke of midnight on India’s Independence Day. The novel is divided into three parts, each representing a different stage in Saleem’s life and the trajectory of India’s history through his eyes. Through Saleem’s story, Rushdie explores the themes of identity, history, and the power of storytelling.
Part One: The Perforated Sheet
The novel opens with Saleem’s grandfather, Aadam Aziz, who is a doctor in Bombay. Aadam falls in love with an English woman, Naseem Ghani, whom he meets while studying medicine in Germany. Aadam eventually moves to Delhi with his wife and family, and it is here that Saleem’s story begins. On the eve of India’s independence, Saleem is born with a "quake of darkness" and a supernatural sense of smell. Saleem discovers that he has been blessed with special powers and finds that he has a telepathic connection with the other children born at the stroke of midnight. These children, known as the "midnight’s children,” possess extraordinary powers and abilities.
Saleem’s family is forced to move to Pakistan during the partition of India. Here, Saleem’s powers bring him into contact with the new Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. He is chosen as an unofficial spy and he uses his powers to report on events leading up to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965. Saleem's connection with the other midnight’s children begins to weaken as they grow older, leading to the question of whether their powers were real or just a child’s imagination.
Part Two: The Fisherman’s Point
In this part, Saleem tells the story of his childhood and his family’s history. He introduces the reader to his extended family and their eccentricities. The changing political landscape of India is reflected in the strained relationships between Saleem’s relatives. His great-uncle, General Zulfikar, leads a military coup which ends in his death. Saleem’s family is also torn apart by personal losses and betrayals. As Saleem grows into adolescence, his telepathic abilities begin to return and he reconnects with the other midnight’s children. He also has a near-death experience that changes his outlook on life.
Saleem is sent to a boarding school where he meets his nemesis, Shiva, who also happens to be a midnight’s child. Saleem discovers that Shiva’s powers are opposite to his own, with Shiva possessing a strong sense of smell and Saleem having the ability to “smell” what he cannot see. Saleem’s life takes a drastic turn when his family moves back to Bombay and he falls in love with Parvati, who is Shiva’s sister.
Part Three: Midnight’s Children
The final part of the novel sees Saleem as an adult, married to Parvati and living in seclusion. Saleem reflects on the events that have shaped his life and the history of India as he writes his memoirs. He also reveals that he is not the true son of Aadam and Naseem, but was switched at birth with Shiva. As Saleem unravels the mysteries of his origins, he realizes that he is not the only one with a secret past. The novel ends with Saleem’s children displaying powers similar to his own, hinting that the cycle of “midnight’s children” may continue in future generations.
Real-life examples of Saleem’s story can be seen in the history of India. The partition of India and the strained relationship between India and Pakistan is a major theme in the novel, mirroring the real-life events that occurred during Independence. Jawaharlal Nehru’s appearance in the novel also reflects his importance in India’s struggle for independence and subsequent leadership of the country.
The eccentricities of Saleem’s family can also be compared to the diverse cultures and diverse beliefs present in India. The conflicts, both personal and political, that arise between the members of Saleem’s family represent the tensions and divisions that exist within Indian society.
Furthermore, the idea of storytelling as a powerful tool is evident throughout the novel. Saleem’s ability to tell stories and manipulate the truth mirrors the way in which history can be manipulated and interpreted differently by different people. Rushdie uses Saleem’s unique perspective as a narrator to highlight the subjective nature of history.
In conclusion, Midnight’s Children is a literary masterpiece that weaves together the personal and political lives of its characters with the history of India. Rushdie’s use of magical realism and the power of storytelling make this novel not only a captivating read but also a thought-provoking commentary on identity, history, and the complex societal issues that plagued India during its early years as an independent nation.
