Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie and the fight for his story – A Magical Realism take on the real
Salam Rushdie has a death sentence fatwa against him. Imposed by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader holds Salam Rushdie accountable for six deaths and countless injuries in Pakistan over his literary fiction book, The Satanic Verses.
Salam Rushdie was born in Mumbai on 19th June 1947. He has been living in New York for the previous two decades. He was allotted American citizenship in 2020. The magical realism writer studied at the University of Cambridge, where he completed his master’s in history. In 2007, Salman Rushdie was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his dedication to literature, which caused civil unrest in the shape of Muslim protests.
The writer vs. magical realism
One must travel a century before to understand Salman Rushdie’s magical realism. Writers throughout the centuries have found it difficult to establish an imaginary world that is extremely real. Modernism was based after the First World War ended. Furthermore, the Second World War questioned linguistic and perceptive capabilities. Lastly, the subsequent wars in the 1960s caused growing civil disobedience in third world countries.
Throughout the periods mentioned above, magical realism was accepted more in other regions. The elements of surrealness and paranormal variables did not flourish in the troubled areas. However, it was dominantly accepted in Latin America, where magical realism was seen as a part of everyday life. It was seen as a mirror into a hidden reality, allowing the readers to disappear chasing after inventions and ghosts.
Correlating magical realism with Salman Rushdie’s account has been a controversial topic. The infamous writer takes a hallucinogenic approach to literary fiction. Salman Rushdie transforms magical realism into chaos which resembles a nightmare or a hellish dream. He builds up strange storylines that climax with unrealistic expectations. Common examples from literary fiction work include an orphan girl who survives by eating butterflies, two men who survive falling from an airplane, and an angelic presence with a tail and horns. The narrator aims to build a narrative with melodramatic components and adventurous dreams. He communicates how captivating human history is while playing with supernatural elements.
Salman Rushdie believes it is the responsibility of the writer to expose the larger societal issues. He insists that the literature of any genre, let alone magical realism, must argue from different perspectives. For an imaginative presence, it must mention the truths, lies, myths, and assumptions. As a result, the literati write great histories with objectivity.
Salamn Rushdie’s Famous work
Salman Rushdie gives the ability of mindreading to Saleem Sinai, the protagonist in Midnight Children. The story showcases the colonial influence on the Indian subcontinent. Saleem narrates the story of his grandfather after entering his mind. He experiences Aadam Aziz’s life through his eyes. The two subconscious constantly conflict over five years in a socio-economic realm.
The Satanic Verses remains the most controversial magical realism stories which hurt Muslims globally. The story mentions Gibreel, who seems to identify inconsistencies in the spiritual realm. He believes there are countless demons inside individuals who believe in God as a single deity. The writers in Europe and Latin America have responded to the heinous literary piece by implementing jail time on Salam Rushdie.
What is next for Salman Rushdie?
The writer remains hidden in Great Britain, where he is believed to be secretly working on his new novel. We are assuming the stories will be grander this time. However, with the latest stabbing attempt on Salam Rushdie, he might face difficulty separating embellishing magical realism from its fundamental elements.
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