The paper "Interplay of Fantasy and Realism in Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children" by Mohsin Hassan Khan, Qudsia Zaini, and Md Jakir Hossain examines how Rushdie blends elements of fantasy and realism in his novel Midnight's Children.
The paper focuses on analyzing how Rushdie employs techniques of magic realism to create a narrative that oscillates between historical fact and fantastical imagination. The authors argue that Rushdie uses this interplay of fantasy and reality to problematize concepts of identity, history, and truth in the context of post-independence India.
The study highlights several key aspects of Rushdie's approach:
1. The use of a narrator (Saleem Sinai) whose life parallels and intertwines with the history of India, blurring the lines between personal and national narratives.
2. The incorporation of magical and supernatural elements, like Saleem's telepathic abilities, that are presented matter-of-factly alongside historical events.
3. The juxtaposition of skeptical, postmodern perspectives (embodied by Saleem) with more credulous, pre-modern beliefs (represented by characters like Padma).
4. The fictionalization of historical events and figures to create an "alternate" or mythologized version of Indian history.
5. The use of fantastical plot devices and coincidences to undermine notions of objective historical truth.
The authors argue that through these techniques, Rushdie creates a narrative that challenges Western concepts of realism and linear history. By blending the real and the unreal, he offers a uniquely Indian perspective that accommodates multiple truths and realities.
The paper concludes that Rushdie's magic realist approach in Midnight's Children serves to problematize fixed identities and highlight the subjective, constructed nature of both personal and national histories. This allows him to explore complex postcolonial themes and offer a nuanced portrayal of India's emergence as an independent nation.