Midnight's Children

Introduction

Midnight’s Children is a story about Saleem Sinai, who was born exactly when India became free from British rule on August 15, 1947. This special timing makes him and a thousand other kids like him have amazing abilities and links their lives to India’s history.

The book came out in 1981 and changed how people saw India – and the world – in literature. Rushdie’s novel was very bold and creative: one reviewer said he had taken in all of India and then written it out again. He did a good job, too. Another reviewer said Midnight’s Children sounds like a whole land speaking for itself.

Chapter 1 Independence

Saleem Sinai is the one who tells us this story. He says it is about him and India, a big country with many people and things that happened. He says everything he tells us is true.

Saleem starts his story in 1915. India and its neighbors were not free countries yet. They were part of the British Empire. The first person we meet is Saleem’s grandfather, Aadam Aziz. He is a doctor from Kashmir who studied in Germany.

We see Aziz praying under the mountains of Kashmir. He bows down and hits his big nose on the hard ground. His nose bleeds and he decides to stop praying to God.

Aziz’s nose is important, but we have to skip ahead to see why.

It is August 14, 1947, and we are in Bombay, a big city in India. We see a young couple in a hospital. The man is Ahmed Sinai, the woman is Amina, Aziz’s daughter. She is going to have a baby. The city and the Sinais are waiting for something.

Britain, the country that ruled India, is leaving. Pakistan, a new country for Muslims, is already born. India, a new country for Hindus, will be born at midnight. People are celebrating in the streets of Bombay. The Sinais are waiting for their baby.

The baby is born at midnight. Another baby is born at the same time in the next room. They are the first of 1,001 babies who are born when India is born. Saleem calls them “midnight’s children.”

The two babies have different lives. One is the son of a poor Hindu, the other is the son of a rich Muslim. But a nurse changes them. The poor Hindu’s son gets the Muslim name of Saleem and goes home with the Sinais. The rich Muslim’s son gets the Hindu name of Shiva and goes home with the poor Hindu.

No one knows about the change for a long time. Saleem, everyone says, looks like his grandfather because of his big nose.

Saleem makes many mistakes in his story. He gets the dates and places wrong sometimes.

He does this on purpose. He says memory and history are not clear. They can be different for different people. The things we remember and believe may not be true. Saleem starts his story with his grandfather’s nose, which is true, but it makes him think he is someone he is not. He tells us to be careful with what he says.

Chapter 2: Saleem's Special Talent

Let's travel to a hot night in Bombay in 1977 and find Saleem engrossed in his thoughts above a pickle factory, surrounded by the strong aromas of chutneys. Saleem feels his health deteriorating and believes he's close to death. His companion, Padma, cares for him, cooks, and loves him. Mostly, she listens to his stories. Padma, however, is becoming impatient, urging Saleem to get to the point faster.

Saleem acknowledges the challenge of storytelling, comparing it to flavors blending in chutneys. He promises to avoid unnecessary details. He shares that from birth, he felt "handcuffed to history" as India's first-born son. The burden was overwhelming until 1958 when his family faced difficulties due to religious tensions. Saleem, once an unpopular and talentless child, undergoes a transformation.

One day, hiding in a washing chest, Saleem accidentally hears voices, which he initially mistakes for angels. He realizes later that these voices are the thoughts of Bombayites. His ability to tune into the innermost thoughts of people grows, allowing him to connect with the thoughts of millions. Saleem grapples with the purpose of this gift beyond gathering gossip and cheating on tests.

Reflecting on his impending death, Saleem compares his urgency to Scheherazade from One Thousand and One Nights, who told stories to postpone her execution. Saleem believes he must capture the meaning of his life quickly, even if it risks errors due to a failing memory.

The narrative of Midnight’s Children draws parallels with One Thousand and One Nights, emphasizing the urgency in representing India's diverse traditions and voices. The story reflects Salman Rushdie's concerns during India's state of emergency in the 1970s, highlighting the threat to the nation's vitality posed by a crackdown on dissent and an imposed version of its past and future.

Chapter 3: The Extraordinary Children of Midnight

In the first hour of India's independence, 1,001 children were born, and only 581 survived to the age of ten, each possessing unique powers. Some could walk through mirrors or change their size at will, while others had sharp tongues or green fingers. The strength of these powers depended on how close to twelve o'clock the child was born. Two children born at midnight had the most exceptional abilities: Saleem, who could read minds, and Shiva, endowed with destructive powers.

Initially, Saleem could only hear the thoughts of these extraordinary children, but by the age of twelve in 1960, he learned to communicate with them telepathically. Shiva, a boy with a challenging past, recognized Saleem and became a key figure in their group. Together, they established the Midnight Children's Conference (MCC) with the hope of using their powers for the benefit of India. However, Shiva had a more self-serving vision, believing that people cared only about themselves.

The MCC faced internal conflicts, as Saleem's idealistic view clashed with Shiva's pessimistic outlook. Unable to agree on a purpose, the MCC became an ineffective gathering, losing members' interest by 1963. Saleem, feeling like a failure, tied his disappointment to the broader disillusionment in India during the early 1960s.

The optimism of post-independence India was fading, marked by border clashes with China and unmet expectations of peace. The 1962 general election reflected a growing desire for change, with Nehru's re-election alongside advances by Communist parties. Saleem hints at corruption, revealing that Shiva, one of the extraordinary children, was involved in intimidating voters during the election.

As Saleem's destiny intertwines with the country's fate, his disillusionment mirrors the national mood of disappointment. The collapse of the MCC symbolizes the challenges faced by Indian democracy, and the debates between Saleem and Shiva reflect differing visions for India's future, encompassing altruism and self-interest.

Chapter 4: The Final Battle

In this last chapter of Saleem's tale, we move ahead to 1970, on the brink of a catastrophic war. A lot has unfolded in the years in between, so let's catch up.

In 1963, Saleem's father faced financial ruin, prompting a move to Pakistan. Following a sinus infection and a hospital visit, Saleem lost his telepathic abilities. Instead, his nose gained a unique skill - detecting psychological and moral odors. Seeking guidance, Saleem joined the army and ended up in the Canine Unit for Tracking and Intelligence Activities (CUITA), functioning as a "human dog" to identify traitors.

In 1971, during the war in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Saleem's mission was to track down Sheikh Mujib, the leader of the Awami League. After a challenging journey through dense jungles, Saleem witnessed the devastating aftermath of the conflict, with evidence of the Pakistani army's atrocities. The Indian army joined the war, leading to Pakistan's surrender on December 17, 1971.

Saleem, a member of the Midnight Children's Conference (MCC), escaped capture due to the intervention of a witch named Parvati. However, Shiva, now a decorated war hero with connections to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, eventually tracked Saleem down in 1975. During Gandhi's state of emergency, Saleem was tortured to reveal the names of MCC members, leading to their sterilization to neutralize their powers.

After his release, Saleem returned to Bombay, where he encountered Padma, fell in love, and settled in a room above a pickle factory. Padma cared for Saleem and listened to his stories.

Saleem reflects on the inhuman scale of the atrocities in Bangladesh, emphasizing the dehumanizing nature of large numbers. He advocates for storytelling as a way to bring warmth and meaning to history, avoiding the coldness of abstract statistics. Salman Rushdie, through Saleem's perspective, believes that stories are essential for democracies, as they recognize and celebrate individual experiences, defying the tendency to reduce people to mere numbers.

Final summary

Salman Rushdie tells a story where his main character, Saleem Sinai, is connected to 1,001 special children born at midnight. Through Saleem's experiences, we see how his life parallels the challenges and changes in India after gaining independence.

About the author

Salman Rushdie is a writer who was born in India and later became a British-American citizen. He has written fifteen important novels, such as The Satanic Verses, Quichotte, and Midnight's Children. Midnight's Children won both the Booker Prize and the Best of the Booker. Rushdie used to be the president of PEN American Center, and he received a knighthood in 2007 for his contributions to literature.