reading journal sheet model (1)
TRANSCRIPT
8/3/2019 Reading Journal Sheet Model (1)
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2. Thematic Focus (10 points)
Select a quote from the text that you found to be particularly meaningful and/or important
to either a theme, character, setting, or important event that we have discussed in class. (2
points) Explicate the quote by providing information about where it falls in the text and
summarizing the context surrounding it. (3 points) Then, write 1-2 brief paragraphs in
which you relate the quote to the theme and explain how its inclusion enhances or improves
your understanding of Rushdie's text. (5 points)
"thanks to the occult tyrannies of those blandly saluting clocks I had been mysteriously
handcuffed to history, my destinies insolubly chained to those of my country." (3)
This quote appears at the very beginning of the novel as Saleem is describing the events
of his birth which occurred simultaneously to India's declaration of freedom on August 15th,
1947 at exactly midnight. By tying the fatalistic events of his birth and life to the "occult
tyrannies" of the clocks, Saleem is suggesting that the time of his birth is not mere coincidence.This ties in to the theme of individuals as figures in history because Saleem is bound to lead a
life that is intrinsically tied to the fate of his country. The quote also suggests the bitter-sweet
way in which Rushdie views the event of Indian Independence. While the event is able to bring
new life into the world, it is coupled with dark undertones of bad things that are to come.
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3. Historical Context (7 points)
Using your Historical Context Note Packet, find one event of historical significance to India
that is featured in the text and summarize it: both in terms of what happened historically
and how Rushdie describes it in the novel. (3 points) Next, discuss how Rushdie's treatment
of this historical event changes or deepens your understanding of it. Why do you think
Rushdie chose to represent the even the way he did? What are the implications of this in
terms of how we, the readers, understand the history of India through Rushdie's lens?(4
points)
Walsh discusses how the idea of an Islamic state was difficult for many Indian Muslims
to imagine because many of them lived sporadically throughout India and were not inclined to
move to Pakistan. They advocated not for a separate state but for a more inclusive India. (Walsh
198) Rushdie chooses to represent this sentiment in the character of Mian Abdullah, the
Hummingbird, who is head of the Free Islam Convocation. Though the character's optimism
inspires a great hope in the Indian Muslims of Agra, his assassination represents the desire of theIndian government to silence and compartmentalize its Islamic inhabitants. (39) Rushdie's
inclusion of the character of Mian Abdullah and the friendship that he is able to form with
Aadam Aziz who has renounced his religion shows the potential for India to be a place that
embraces both secular and religious values. The assassination of this character shows how those
efforts eventually fail and the tragedy of that outcome.