The document summarizes the narrative techniques used in Salman Rushdie's novel "Midnight's Children". It discusses how the story is told from the first-person perspective of the protagonist Saleem Sinai, allowing readers a intimate view into his personal experiences. This helps explore Saleem's character development and personal growth. The narrative also blends magical realism, oral storytelling traditions, and cinematic elements to create a rich, hybrid story. It discusses how these techniques make for a distinctive storytelling experience that immerses readers in Saleem's journey and India's historical transition to independence.

1. Narrative Technique
'Midnight's Children'
Presented by Upasna Goswami

2. 👉Name : Upasna Goswami
👉Roll no : .20
👉Enrollment no. : 4069206420220012
👉Sem : 3
👉Paper Name : Indian English Literature - Post- independence
👉Paper no. : 202
👉Paper Code : 22407
Submitted to : S. B. Gardi Department of English
👉Email: goswamiupasna339@gmail.com
Personal Information

3. Table of contents
01
04
02
05
03
06
About the
Author
Introduction First Person
Narrative
Oral Tradition and
Storytelling:
Western and Indian Oral
Narratological Methods Magical Realism
07 08
Hybridity:
Cinematic
Narrative
09
Conclusion

4. 1. Salman Rushdie is a British-Indian author born on June 19,
1947, in Mumbai, India.
2. He gained international fame for his novel "Midnight's
Children," which won the Booker Prize in 1981.
3. Rushdie is known for his magical realism, blending history,
and fiction in his works.
4. He faced significant controversy with the publication of
"The Satanic Verses" in 1988, leading to a fatwa against him
by Iran's Ayatollah Khomeini.
5. Rushdie's writing often explores themes of identity,
migration, and cultural clashes.
6. He has continued to write prolifically, producing
numerous novels, essays, and memoirs.
7. Salman Rushdie has received numerous literary awards
and honors throughout his career.

5. Introduction
● Midnight's Children" is described as a faux autobiography that combines
personal farce and political realism.
● The narrator, Saleem Sinai, weaves his own childhood story with the history
of India, as he was born at the moment of India's independence from British
rule.
● The novel explores the idea that to understand one life, you must grasp the
entire world.
● The narrative style is elastic, encompassing Saleem's story, his family, and
the nation.
● The physical description of Saleem reflects grotesque qualities, including
bulbous temples, a bald spot, an enormous nose, and a missing finger.
● Saleem's self-mythologization can be seen as a revenge fantasy of a nobody,
particularly when he observes more popular boys at a school dance, one of
whom has the surname Rushdie.

6. :
1. Subjectivity: The story is told from the viewpoint of Saleem Sinai, allowing readers to delve deep into his personal
thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
2. Intimate Connection: Saleem's narration establishes a strong emotional bond with the reader, as they see the world
through his eyes and feel his joys, struggles, and complexities.
3. Unreliable Narrator: Saleem's account is colored by his own perspective and memory, making him an unreliable
narrator at times, which adds depth and complexity to the storytelling.
4. Personal Growth: The first-person narrative allows for an exploration of Saleem's personal growth and self-discovery
as he recounts his life journey, making it an introspective and introspective narrative.
5. Character Depth: The perspective offers a profound understanding of Saleem's character, his cultural background,
and his inner conflicts, enriching the reader's engagement with the story.
6. Emotional Impact: Readers can empathize with Saleem's experiences, making the novel emotionally resonant and
providing a more profound connection to the historical and political events portrayed in the book.
First Person Narrative

7. Oral Tradition and Storytelling:
● Midnight's Children" blends diverse cultural influences, including European,
Middle Eastern, and South Asian elements, creating a rich narrative like a
potent chutney.
● The novel draws upon both cinematic and literary inspirations, reflecting a
fusion of various artistic forms.
● The use of chutney as a metaphor suggests that the novel's blend is so intricate
that it's challenging to identify each component.
● Saleem's suggestion that children born at midnight on the day of
Independence in India possess magical gifts is a central plot point.
● Saleem himself possesses the ability to enter other people's minds and
see the world through their eyes.
● Other children born at the same time exhibit gifts reminiscent of
common themes in folktales worldwide, such as mirror travel, healing,
prophecy, time travel, and shape-shifting.

8. Western and Indian Oral
Narratological Methods

10. Magical Realism
● The concept of magical realism is complex and has
been defined in various ways since 1995.
● Some, like Terry Pratchett, see magical realism as
more sophisticated than fantasy, while others view it
as having strict rules and specificity.
● A common definition of magical realism is that it is a
genre or visual style where magical elements are
presented in mundane or artistic settings as if they are
commonplace and real.
● The key aspect is that magic is treated seriously and
as a part of everyday life.
● The term "magic realism" originated from a 1925
essay by German art critic Franz Roh, although it
wasn't initially used to describe literature but rather
the New Objectivity movement in art.

11. Hybridity:
● The novel explores various levels of hybridity, emphasizing the blending of
cultural elements in postcolonial India.
● Hybridity contributes to the formation of a new image of India as it transitions
from a colonial to a postcolonial nation.
● Multiple characters from different cultural backgrounds exist in the story,
exemplifying the hybrid nature of Indian society.
● Through this hybridity, characters reinterpret and create their own versions of
Indian history, challenging the British colonial narratives.
● In Midnight's Children, Saleem Sinai's unique identity, born at the stroke of
midnight on India's independence, reflects the hybrid nature of the nation,
where he possesses both Indian and British attributes, symbolizing the
complexity of postcolonial identity.

12. Cinematic Narrative
● Salman Rushdie employs vivid and cinematic
descriptions to create a visual narrative, making the
novel feel like a movie
● The novel uses a montage effect to jump between
different moments in time, akin to film editing,
connecting various events and characters.
● Like in cinema, the book incorporates flashbacks and
flashforwards to enhance the narrative structure and
reveal plot elements gradually.
● The narrative often shifts between different
characters' perspectives, akin to the way film can
change focus between characters, offering varied

13. Conclusion
The narrative technique in "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie, with its first-
person perspective and magical realism, serves to deeply immerse readers in
Saleem Sinai's personal journey and the historical tapestry of post-colonial India.
This technique creates an intimate and emotionally resonant reading experience,
blending personal growth, cultural exploration, and the complexities of memory
and subjectivity, making it a distinctive and compelling narrative.

14. References
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Bidisha. “An introduction to Midnight’s Children.” The British Library, 25 May 2016, https://www.bl.uk/20th-century-literature/articles/an-introduction-to-midnights-
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Habib Bounse. “Hybridity and Postcoloniality: Formal, Social, and Historical Innovations in Salman Rushdieâ•Žs Midnightâ•Žs Children.” TRACE: Tennessee
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“A Study On The Magic Realism In Midnight's Children And Its Impact To The Literary Work.” Elementary Education Online, 2021, https://www.ilkogretim-
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15. Thank You!