This document provides an analysis of hybridity and magic realism in Salman Rushdie's novel Midnight's Children. It defines hybridity as the mixture of two cultures, religions, or races, and notes how the novel illustrates cultural and religious hybridization through its multitude of characters. Specifically, it examines the complicated relationship between Saleem and Shiva, who struggle against each other due to their differing religions and birth. The document also defines magic realism as incorporating fantastic elements into an otherwise realistic narrative. It analyzes Rushdie's use of magic realism in Midnight's Children to describe the imaginary lives and supernatural experiences of post-colonial cultures from their own perspectives.

1. Magic Realism and Hybridity in
Midnight’s Children
: Parmar Darshna V.
Roll No : 6
M.A. : Sem -3
Year : 2017-2019
Paper Name : ( The Post –Colonial
Literature)
Topic : Magic Realism and Hybridity in
Midnight’s Children)
Email Id : parmardarshana1997@gmail.com
Submitted to : Smt S.B. Gardi
Department of English
M.K.Bhavnagar University

2. WHAT IS HYBRIDITY ?
o Hybridity is the mixture of two cultures,
religion or races.
• It can be social political ,lingustic ,
religious ,etc…
• It not necessarily a peaceful
• mixture .

3. HYBRIDITY IN MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN
 The novel’s social and cultural hybridization ,
illustrated through the multitude of differing
characters.
 These cultural and religious divison clearly
highlighted through Saleem’s relationship with
Shiva and Parvati .
 Saleem’s relationship with Shiva remains
complicated because of the nature of their birth
and religion .
 And from those characters we can say that religious
and cultural hybridity present in India .

4. CONTI……..
 Saleem and Shiva remain in contrast battle
with each other, and each struggles
against the other to gain power.
 These three names are also connected
with Hindu mythology.
Shiva Parvati Saleem

6. MEANING AND DEFINITION OF MAGIC
REALISM
 Magic realism is a “kind of modern fiction in which
fabulous and fantastical elements are included in a
narrative that otherwise maintains the reliable tone
of objective ,realistic report.”
 The words ‘ Magic ‘ and ‘Realism ‘do not seem to
be compatible with each other. Realism is all about
events that have happened ,largely dealing with
historical settings. On the contrary ,magic concerns
with the use to fantastic or magical elements in the
narrative.

7. MAGIC REALISM IN MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN
 In post –colonial literture we generally found that
many writer uses this term in their writing .
 In this method of literture in describing the
imaginary life of indigenous cultures that
experience the mythical , magical and supernatural
in decidedly different fashion from western one.
 Rushdie uses this magic realism in his book
“ Midnight ‘s Children .“
He use of magic realism as a narrative technique is
intentional.

8. CONTI…….
 Magic realism as a postcolonial
device in Salman Rushdie’s
“Midnight Children “.
 Salman Rushdie artistically
incorporates the elements of
magic realism in Midnight Children .
 Salman Rushdie’s writing ,and
in particular Midnight’s Children
,provides us with prefectly exmples
of how magic realism can work with
historical postmodernism.

9. CONTI……..
 Salman Rushdie use” magic “ in the Midnight’s
Children .
 In Midnight’s Children ,history is seen through the
eyes of Saleem Sinai ,thus reflected predomaintly
through individual experiences.
 This gives him a storng desire to restore his past
idntity to himself .
 Realism plays a big role here in terms of describing
the significant events that have happened.

10.  Saleem Sinai is a protogonist of Midnight Children .
 He was born at midnight on 15th August 1947,at the
exact moment India gained its independence from
British rule.
 He later discovers that all children born in India
between 12 AM And 1 AM on 15th August 1947 ,are
gifted with special powers.
 Saleem thus attempts to use these powers to convene
the Midnight Children’s Conference.
 In particular ,those children who are born closest to the
stroke of midnight possess more powerful gifts than the
others.
 Shiva of the Knees ,Saleem’s evil nemesis ‘and Parvati ,
called ‘Parvati –the –witch’, are two of these children
with notable gifts and roles in Saleem’s story.