Last Post!

To say the least Midnight's Children was an interesting book, if not also a little strange. Overall I grew to like the book mostly because it was just so unique and really unlike anything I've ever read before. One of my favorite things about the book was how the author incorporated a lot of the culture and history of India in the book. I didn't know a thing about India before I read the book, but now after I read it, even though it's a fictional book, I feel as if I know a lot more about India than I did before. I also liked the author's unique way of starting the book, with the stories of his grandparents and parents (sort of, because they aren't really his relatives because he was switched at birth). However as Saleem described his life I found myself not really liking him as much as I did in the beginning of the novel. In my opinion, he became very self-centered as he grew up and that bothered me. I also didn't like the ending of the book because the author just kind of left us hanging because Saleem doesn't actually die, he only predicts his death. Obviously since he's the one "writing" the book, if he dies he can't "write" about his death. However I still wish that in the end of the novel we got to hear how he actually died instead of a prediction because what if that really didn't happen? We know that without a doubt Saleem will die, but I'd rather have the author wrap up all the loose ends in book so we know what happens and don't have to keep on wondering. However overall I really liked the book because of how different it was and there was always a new adventure happening to Saleem as he grew up. There were never any dull or slow moments in his life, which made the book that much more fun to read.

Will - Opinion

Though I have not quite finnished the book yet, I can still formulate an oppinion of it. I am enjoying the book overall so far, Salaman Rushie has a unique qriting style and it was a nice change of pace from the books we read as a class. He did a very good job of using imagery that helped me visualize the scene and understand the situation. However, because it was so frequent, I often found myself skipping entire passages of description because I was impatient and wanted the plot to move forward. I really have liked the plot so far as well, it is very interesting and it makes me want to read more. I also am enjoying how he gives a lot of background information about the events at the time and things like that, it's really helping me understand what's going on. I think if we had had the same in Things Fall Appart it would be much easier to understand the situations. Overall, I am enjoying the challenge and the novel.

Last blog post!

Midnight's children was an interesting novel to say the least. It definitely was not what I expected it to be from the get go because I thought it would have a more magical and fantastical feel to it, and I had no idea it would have so much detail. What I really enjoyed was how every detail fit into place and had importance in the novel like a puzzle being put together. The cultural elements were refreshing to read and I really liked having the opportunity to better understand different ways of living. The historical twist played a fairly big part in the overall picture. I always like it when books can intertwine bits of history within them. Even though Midnight's Children is a pretty long book compared ot some, the fact that it was composed of many little stories and histories of characters made it flow better so it didn't seem so treacherous...if that's the right way to put it. At times stories seemed a tad overdone when Saleem would go on and on and on about one story while you're itching to get at a part that he's hinted at. I found it funny how much I related with Padma's feelings in a sense that I enjoyed the parts she did and was also frusterated and surprised at similar points. The book has so much more depth and perspective because we did this blog and were able to discuss many aspects. I would probably not have caught on to all of the literary elements/aspects had we not had this blog up and running. I think it opened my eyes to the fact that maybe some books are better to read AND analyze and pick apart. Prior to doing all of this, I was the type of person who thought all books should just be read when you feel like it for your enjoyment and that you should get what you do out of just doing that. Though I may not always enjoy piecing apart novels, I now realize and have a better understanding of why it can be a good method. I have to say I much prefer reading down here in FL on the beach. Every book would be much more enjoyable if read this way. Overall, I'm glad to say that I read this book and it really gives you a lot to think about.

Opinion

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Salman Rushdie has a writing style different from what I usually read, and it was a nice change. The descriptive passages were vivid and detailed, which helped me be able to picture exactly what I was reading, which I definitely enjoyed. I like how nothing was told blankly, it was all described, like how we're told to "show" things, not "tell" them. I feel like this will influence my writing, especially if we do a creative writing project for TFA. I also really liked having a background for the story before the "main event" started. It really helped me to place what's going on in the story, gave me a greater understanding of the characters and whatnot. I didn't know very much about Indian history before this book, but I was still able to understand most of the cultural aspects of the story. I would definitely recommend this to others. I know it's been on several lists of great books, and I can understand why. It wasn't the rip-roaring adventure story I was expecting, but that didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying it.

Opinion

I think that Midnight's Children is an interesting book. I was quite surprised by the long exposition describing Saleem's family. Starting off with Aziz's struggle with religion and then his conflict with his wife before the book continues on with Saleem's mother. She forced herself to love her husband and then she worried about the prophecy about Saleem. Rushdie uses a lot of descriptions and imagery to help the reader image the story and make it seem like Saleem is directly telling the story to the reader. I loved the little comments that Saleem makes about various things that makes the story seem that much more like Saleem is directly telling the story. Throughout the long beginning Rushdie puts in a lot of foreshadowing elements such as Saleem's prophecy. Rushdie also switches a lot to short scenes between Padma and Saleem that help characterize Saleem and Padma and remind the reader to keep thinking about the effects of Saleem's family on Saleem. Since the point of the beginning is to help the reader understand Saleem better and understand more about the conflicts of India. This book is very unique and though it is interesting, I have to say that it is only okay and not great. I was expecting a story about a guy who had superpowers and not a story about that guy's family beforehand, but it was still interesting to learn about Saleem's family.

Opinion

This is a very interesting and unusual book. I would recommend it. Although it contains very long descriptive passages, they are full of vivid details that prevent them from being dull. There is a very long exposition before the main plot starts, but Rushdie maintains suspense during that section by providing perplexing hints as to what will happen later. I read a review that called Midnight's Children a "richly woven tapestry," and I think that phrase describes the book perfectly. It is full of different storylines that intertwine in interesting ways, and Rushdie tells the stories in very colorful and intriguing ways. People have told me that this is a difficult book to read, but I disagree. I do not think the vocabulary is particularly challenging, and the story flows in a way that is easy to read. The only caution I would give to potential readers is that it's helpful to have some background knowledge about Indian history before reading it. Overall, Midnight's Children is a captivating book.

Opinion

I thought Midnight’s Children was an interesting story. It is however a difficult read with a need for a large vocabulary. Rushdie uses very descriptive and advanced language to tell his story. The plot itself seems to have no conflict at first. It’s just a very long description of Saleem’s relatives. Though not very interesting it does help the reader to understand Saleem better. The book is definitely not what I expected it to be. I expected a story about magical people saving the world but instead I got a lengthy description of a family tree. The book isn’t bad and it isn’t good. In my opinion it could be offered as reading but I wouldn't recommend it.

Week Five

Welcome to Week Five, and our last week week of blogging. This week's post should be on your overall thoughts about the book. It must be a ten sentence summary. You do not need to comment on anyone else's blog, but your post should be up here by Sunday, March 29 You should have made up any missing work by then as well.

Will - Question

Salaman Rushdie uses a lot of imagery and figurative language. How would the novel be affetcted if he did use it at all or as much? Use specific examples. Also, would it improve or worsen the story?

Like I forgot to post this...Question.

Salman Rushdie has written two other best selling novels that are a couple of the most controversial and opinion arousing. He always includes culture and crucial historical political events. Why do you think he'd add them? We know that these aspects effect the story and characters of Midnight's Children; but how? Why is it that he would add those elements when this novel is essentially supposed to be about "super heros" born at midnight?

QUESTION!

I have a question related more to the text than the story itself. On page 126 Rushdie clumps the words "talldarkhandsome" together at the bottom of the page. He does a similar thing with "higherhigher" on page 135. Assuming these are not type-os, why do you think that Rushdie chooses to do this at particular parts in the book?

Question

Later in the story you find out that Mary switched Saleem with another baby born at midnight. The parents they have weren't the ones that gave birth to them. How would the story change if this hadn't happened?

Discussion Question Post

In the book there is a lot going on in India. The conflict and culture really help set the scene in the story. How do you think the plot of the book would change if the setting wasn't in India and how have the historical and political events influenced the character's lives in the book?

Discussion #4: Question

Book One ends with the birth of Saleem and the beginning of India's independence. As one of "Midnight's Children", Saleem has a special connection with his country, including a special knowledge of things that happened before his time. In what ways does Saleem use this knowledge throughout his life, in the telling of his story?

Question

The story is told by Saleem Sinai. Though Saleem seems to know everything, the reader only understands the story through the one point of view. What does the descriptions, style of the story, and the story itself tell the reader about the character of Saleem?

Discussion Question- By Laura

Rushdie meticulously describes the lives of Saleem's grandfather and father as he builds up to the main action of the story. After 100 pages, he has hardly gotten to the main character's birth. Why did the author choose to write such a long exposition?

Week Four

Welcome to Week Four!

For this week's blog you will post a thought-provoking question that does not have only one answer. Remember that you must make 10 comments this week, not 5. Please do not leave this until the last minute, you have the whole week to get it done.

Week Two- Setting

I must say that this week's topic of setting is not only interesting because of the literal meaning of the word, but also because the setting itself and the history behind it has an impact on the characters' way of thought and action. It is also interesting to me because India is where my family is from. Rushdie explains Kashmir very accurately. There are lots of compact, closely-knit, friendly, warm villages scattered across the plains and mountainous terrain of Kashmir. They're isolated and fundamentally archaic, yet serene. And I know exactly how Saleem feels living there. The major cities in India however, are a bit tempestuous and disorderly. Through Aziz's story, we see the ugly side of India during this time (the 1900's). The riots and the furor that took place during Aziz's life were mostly because of the rebellions against the British, and they were also between the Muslims and the non-Muslims. A clear and most true foreshadowing of recent current events. The setting, as I previously stated, affects the characters way of thought. The Muslims have a very nasty perception of Indians and vice versa. It's kind of funny to read all of the mean comments that come about throughout this novel. They actually happen. All the time. Even now.

Week One

As previously stated several times in this string of blogs, Saleem Sinai, despite being the protagonist and narrator, hasn't been a prominent character in the story thus far. My thoughts when I first began reading Midnight's Children, were because there was a lack of characterization of Saleem, maybe i could receive some form of character traits from the narration. However, all I know about Saleem is that he was born on August 16. 1947. And that Aadam Aziz is, other than being stubborn and slightly arrogant yet misunderstood, is Saleem's grandfather. Aadam vows to never again to bow to any man or god again because he hit his distinguished nose on the ground. His lack of prayer is most likely a substantial contribution to his future nose itches and obstacles that present themselves later on in his life (in the novel). I also know that Tai is a mysterious ferryboat driver man, who is the center of all of the local gossip. Tai plays an influential role in Aadam's life. Yet, I still don't know much about Saleem. I'll find more about him and the purpose of him telling Aziz's story before telling his own, as I continue reading.

Discussion 3

I'm going to have to elaborate on the imagery and vivid descriptions that Rushdie uses throughout the course of Midnight's Children. It is such an important part of the story because it gives such detailed descriptions that really allow you to picture what's going on in the story in a most creative way. It not only does that, but also subconciously gives you access to the character of Saleem. This vital since much of the story is about people of the past, like Saleem's grandfather, father, mother, etc. We get to see little bits and pieces of what Saleem is like and his opinions and feelings are craftily seeped into the text. So you're not only getting to know the characters and the setting described by Saleem, but also getting to know him. I think this is a genius move by Rushdie. He also uses a lot of foreshadowing throught the novel. Much of this alliteration you do not have to derive from complicated text (as a reader) because Saleem usually tells you in a most simple way: by just saying it. This use of alliteration and the up-front way in which it is presented evokes curiosity in the readers, promting them to read on and find out what's to come. This method of alliteration is effective because all readers are now anticipating events. If he'd tried to spin a tricky riddle to foreshadow, only some of the readers would catch on, resulting in only some readers anticipating the outcomes of the story. The only complaint I have about Rushdie's alliteration is that it seems to take him a while to fulfill on actually elaborating on what he'd foreshadowed (hinted at) and it's a bit of a drag. You're anticipating and anticipating and anticipating and at a certain point you just want him to get on with it and by the time he does, you've forgotten you were even anticipating it in the first place, and it's not as exciting when he actually follows through. One other thing I noticed when I was reading was his use of rhyme in the riddle that the fortune teller character tells. It really stood out and entertained me. It makes the riddle that much more exciting because you already want to know what it means (from a foreshadowing standpoint) and using the rhyme is crafty and cunning, which adds to your desire of wanting to know what it means.

Literary Elements

What I have noticed in Rushdie’s writing is vivid descriptions and along with those descriptions other literary devices. For example on page 7 Rushdie describes Kashmir, “The lake was no longer frozen over. The thaw had come rapidly, as usual; many of the small boats, the shikaras, had been caught napping, which was also normal. But while these sluggards slept on, on dry land, snoring peacefully beside their owners, the oldest boat was up at the crack as old folk often are, and was therefore the first craft to move across the unfrozen lake. Tai’s shikara…this, too, was customary.” Rushdie goes beyond saying that there was a lake with some boats sitting on the shore, he elaborates and paints a vivid image in the reader’s mind. It helps show the reader the peacefulness that fits Kashmir so well. Not only does he create a clear picture in the reader’s mind, Rushdie also emphasizes it with other literary devices. When he describes the boats on the shore as snoring and sluggish he uses personification. This helps the reader better picture the laid back feeling of the town. With Rushdie you can find numerous examples of this descriptive language. He uses many literary devices to better help the reader see what is happening. I personally like all this description it really helps me connect with the characters.

Literary Elements Posts

In general, in Midnight's Children, Rushdie uses a lot of imagery and foreshadowing. He uses a lot of imagery to help enhance the stories in the novel, especially the setting. The imagery also really adds a lot to his writing and I enjoy the story a lot more because he uses imagery so often. The foreshadowing he also uses helps us understand what's coming next because his plot really does skip around a lot with time periods and different people. Therefore when he tells us, as readers, what's coming next it really helps me sort out the storyline a little better in my head. I also found an example of a metaphor that I really liked in the book, I had to go back a bit to find it, but I had remembered reading about it and I thought it was cool and described the situation in India very well. In this quote the author compares the optimism of the people in India to a disease, "It seems that in the late summer of that year my grandfather, Doctor Aadam Aziz, contracted a highly dangerous form of optimism...He was by no means alone, because, despite strenuous efforts by authorities to stamp it out, this virulent disease had been breaking out all over India that year, and drastic steps were to be taken before it was to be brought under control....It was indeed a resilient virus--the weather alone should have discouraged such germs from breeding" (pg. 38). I really liked this metaphor because I thought it described the revolution in India in a really interesting way. The optimism and idea to break free from Britain is like a disease in that it spreads from person to person until many Indians have caught the disease, or in other words the idea that they can pull off a revolution and get rid of the British. Then there are the authorities that take drastic steps the get rid of the "disease" of optimism by killing all those that have it so it can't spread anymore. However the "disease" of optimism is so strong that people keep contracting it and in the end the disease wins, because we know that the revolution in India succeeds. I really liked this metaphor and there are more good ones like this in the novel that I really enjoy reading because they so much add to the novel and make it more interesting to read.

Will - Literary Elements

There are many literary elements that Salman Rushdie uses very well in this novel. First, foreshadowing is used very often and creates a suspense for the reader. Also, it makes the reader want to keep reading because they want to find out what the passage is hinting at. Salman uses it often to create connections between the time periods and between the characters. My favorite example of this is the theme of noses. Aadam Aziz was advised to follow his nose, and Saleem's special power is an amazing sense of smell. Also, as I have said earlier, Saleem (Salman) uses a lot of imagery and describes each scene in detail and how it is picked up by each sense. This helps the reader understand what the situation is like so we can understand decisions people make and the circumstances of every situation. Also, the way a character describes a scene gives us insight to that character's character. Also, we can understand their decisions because we know what the situation is like. The final literary element that Rushdie uses are those of alliteration, consonance and assonance. He uses all of these to focus attention on certain words, which helps us understand what the intended meaning of a sentence or thought is.

Discussion #3: Literary Devices

One literary device that Rushdie uses repeatedly throughout the book is foreshadowing. He constantly tells us what's going to happen, before it actually does happen. The most obvious example of this so far is when the seer Shri Ramram Seth foresees Saleem's birth. "A son" (96), he says, and goes on to prophecy Saleem's life for half a page, "A son, Sahiba, who will never be older than his motherland--neither older nor younger."(96). This will be a great passage to go back to at the end of the book so we can figure out what it means exactly.
Another literary device commonly used is alliteration. When Rushdie is describing action, he tends to use almost onomatopoeia-like descriptions, repeating words and putting them together. When Saleem talks about riding a bike, he says how the wheels go "roundandroundand" (213), and when describing how a monkey digs through bags of money, he says, "See him thear at them: rip! rap! rop!" (93). Rushdie uses devices usually reserved for poetry to call attention to various parts of his imagery. This makes the story come alive, because the reader can tell exactly what he's trying to say.

Literary Elements

Imagery is a prominent component of this book. Salman Rushdie seems to like giving long descriptions to create a vivid image in the reader's mind. Personally, at times I find his descriptions can be distracting, leading the reader away from the action of the story. Never the less, I feel that the imagery is helpful in creating an image of the scene in the reader's mind. One example of imagery is "Methwold's Estate: four identical houses built in a style befitting their original residents (conquerors' houses! Roman mansions; three-storey homes of gods standing on a two-storey Olympus, a stunted Kailasa!)- large, durable mansions with red gabled roofs and tureet towers in each corner, ivory-white corner towers wearing pointy red-tilted hats (towers fit to lock princesses in!)- houses with verandahs, with servants' quarters reached by spiral iron staircases hidden at the back- houses which their owner, William Methwold, had named majestically after the palaces of Europe: Versailles Villa, Buckingham Villa, Escorial Villa and Sans Souci. Bougainvillaea crept across them; goldfish swam in pale blue pools; cacti grew in rock-gardens; tiny touch-me-not plants huddled beneath tamarind trees; there were butterflies and roses and cane chairs on the lawns" (104). This description gives a very detailed picture of the houses. Elaborating more than simply saying what the houses are, Rushdie expands by having Saleem give his own personal comments. Giving the reader a unique perspective of the houses. Rushdie's imagery is unique because it combines many metaphors with Saleem's thoughts and tons of creative details. I think that this imagery can help because the reader becomes more familiar not only with the setting but also with the characters.

Figurative Language/ Lit Elements- by Laura

Here is a passage that I find interesting: "There followed an illusionist January, a time so still on its surface that 1947 seemed not to have begun at all. (While, of course, in fact...)" (69). I really like the mental picture that this paints. The repetition of "s" sounds contributes to the feeling of stillness in the passage. "Still on its surface" is an unusual way to describe a period of time, but it certainly conveys the idea of tranquility or dullness. It also suggests that like a moment of stillness on a body of water, this peacefulness in India is not going to last for long. This point is emphasized by the narrator's parenthetical remark, which eludes that trouble is stirring under the surface. I am also intrigued by the phrase "an illusionist January." It is a very peculiar description, and I am not sure what it means. Perhaps it is another way of suggesting that the moment of peace is superficial and will not last long- it is just an illusion. I enjoy Rushdie's creative use of language. As this passage exemplifies, he uses it in unexpected ways.

Week Three

Welcome to Week Three of the Discussion! This weeks discussion will run from Monday, March 9 to Sunday, March 15.

This week's discussion will be on figurative language and literary elements in your book. Please find an example of these in your book and POST a 10-sentence comment on it. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, please don't wait until the last minute.

Setting

The setting, always in India, continuously changes from area to area. One second the reader finds themselves in the small peaceful town of Kashmiri. Then they are taken to Saleem’s unnamed location or the bustling city of Amritsar. This creates a very chaotic felling in the reader. Then Rushdie incorporates this feeling of chaos and relates it to the action of the story. He first brings us to the quaint village of Kashmiri. Then Aziz moves and we are taken to a busier city. Tension mounts between man and wife and the point of view changes once again. In a poor town in the chaos of revolution the tension continues to mount. As the setting continues to change so too does the amount of disorder. It’s a very effective technique and is enjoyable to read.

Post 2-Setting!

Onto setting...

Kashmiri is quieter and has your "little village" feel to it. Everyone knows everyone in the town and there's a lake with a man who ferries people across it. I think of it as more rural, quaint, calm and quiet. When you arrive in the bigger city that Aadam lives in later, it definitley has more of a buzz to it. You still get that slight sense that everyone knows everyone's business because of the fact that the three daughters have a reputation among the people, but it's more spread out and it's the immediate people around you who know things about you. Word is spread through mouth rather than being common knowledge. I find it funny that, contrary to this vibrant and colorful image that I get whenever I hear "India", I picture this dark, dank, gray image when it comes to descriptions of settings in Aadam's life. This is partly due to the fact that he had a refuge in his basement and his wife started the whole "silent treatment" deal. I got a brighter scene image when the second wedding (Alia's) occurred. The descriptions made it seem so extravagant, the way weddings should be, as opposed to how it was when Mumtaz married originally. Her area was during the "darker" mindset, and it was very low key and wasn't a very rejoiced period of time. The mood creates the mindset for how an audience percieves setting (or at least it does for me). Aside from that, there's a different feel to this setting than in most books, which reminds me that it's set in India (somewhere I'm not as familiar with).

Setting

The setting of this story is located in India during the 1900s. There are several stories happening at once. We go from Saleem's life to Aziz. We learn that India is very diverse. It is very easy to picture what India looks like since the author does such a great job describing the scenery. We can see the differences between Kashmiri, a simple country town, and Amritsar, a big city. Reading this has made me want to do a little research on India, so I went to this website and found great information and background history that matched up with the story. I enjoy learning about the different cultures and traditions in India, and comparing them to how I live my life. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/in.html

Will Kromer - Setting

This book's setting is very erratic, the time period and location jump around when we switch from Saleem's point of view to Aadam's viewpoint, adn later to Mumtaz's perspective. However, we always remain in India. Salman Rushdie does a very nice job with being descriptive and using imagery. When we are following Saleem, there are many commentaries about the revolution against England. This was kind of cool to read because we have recently learned about this in AP World, and that was the setting of our movie for movie night. When Rushdie changes cities he is giving us a view if the widespread turmoil in India.

Setting Post

In this book the setting jumps around quite a bit as we move from Saleem's point of view to Aziz's, and later to Mumtaz's. However the book at least always remains in India, with varying time periods of course. I think that so far with what I have seen in this book, India is a very diverse place and the different parts of India are all unique. For example in Kashmiri, it's a quiet little town with no political problems to speak of and they are also a little behind on the times seeing as they have (had) an old man still ferrying people across lake instead of an actual boat. On the other hand, the bigger cities, such as where Aziz moved to after he got married and Delhi, seem to be more crowded and chaotic. It also seems that as the characters move into bigger cities in India, the bigger cities are more politically unstable and ready for a riot at any time. I've also noticed that as we progress farther into the book more and more of India's important events leading up to their independence have to do with Saleem's family. So maybe Saleem's powers don't have as much to do with his Grandfather's nose, but with his family's involvement in India's independence? However I really do like reading a story with a setting in a different country because most of the books I have read have all taken place in either the U.S. or England. Reading a story, even if it's a fictional story, that takes place in another part of the world with another culture is sort of a refreshing change of pace and makes the book just that much more interesting.

Discussion #2: Setting

The story is set in India, throughout the 1900s. As the author is telling several stories at once, the place jumps around, from big cities to rural villages. He also does an excellent job describing the everyday details things, such as the way the old men play "Hit-the-Spittoon" every day. I recently saw an exhibit at the MIA about India's history, and I like being able to connect the images described in the story with the photographs from the museum.
So far, there are two main places that the story has been. The first is a small village, Kashmiri, I think, and that is where Aadam Aziz grew up and met his wife. It's a picturesque little town, nestled in a valley and surrounded by beautiful mountains. It probably represents the simplicity in Aziz's life when he lived there. He later moved to a large city, loud, crowded, and not very stable. India is at this time in the midst of a major uprising against the British, and Aziz's life is similarly unstable. He and his wife are not getting along well and his daughters are starting to get involved with men.
I think it's interesting how the setting relates to Aziz's life because there is also some sort of connection between Saleem's life and India's history.

Setting

The setting of the book is in India. However the location and time in the book is constantly changing. Aziz moves from Kashmiri to Amritsar. Kashmiri is a simple country town. It is at peace and there are no political distractions that are dividing the city. Amritsar is very different. It is a large bustling city with many people wanting to separate from the British. The time is also changing in the book. It jumps from Aziz's story to the present and then back to Aziz. The book also has a tendency to jump from one story of Aziz, back to an earlier time to tell another story about him. When the story changes to Saleem's mother, Mumtaz, the setting again changes. Mumtaz moves away from her father to live with her new husband in Delhi. There is trouble in Delhi too. There is a group called the Ravana that seems to be causing trouble in town. I think that when a character changes cities in India, it represents a change in the character. When Aziz moved away from Kashmiri he gets involved in politics and is no longer carefree because he is constantly fighting his wife. When Mumtaz moves away from her father she is changed because she has to try and help her husband and is trying to get used to the new city. She tries to leave everything about her previous husband behind her.

Setting- by Laura

I find the setting of this novel intriguing. I'm learning more about India's history by reading it. It's convenient that we've been learning about India in AP World as well so I have some background knowledge regarding the revolution against Britain. Kashmir sounds like a beautiful and tranquil area, but the rest of India seems very tumultuous. I don't think I would enjoy living in one of the bustling cities, and the violent riots would certainly be disconcerting. Aziz's move away from the simplicity of Kashmir seems symbolic. Once he is an adult with a European education, he outgrows the traditional way of life in his home region. He moves to more urban areas where there is more political conflict just as he is experiencing great personal conflict- he is torn between being European and being Indian. This precisely reflects India's status during that time period. It was torn between its British connections and its true Indian roots.

Will Kromer: Character

So far, in the novel, Saleem Sinai, the main character and narator has been almost entirely absent from the plot. Instead, he has chosen to tell the story of his grandfather, Aadam Aziz. Saleem begins by telling the story of how Aadam became non-religious. He was praying and he bumped his nose on the ground and instead of blood there were rubies and instead of tears there were diamonds. He also tells of Tai, a ferryman who shares philosophical interchanges with Aadam on his boat. Saleem also speaks of Aadam's family's dificulties. For example, his mother works by making jewlery, however Aadam is a doctor, and is highly valued in his community. When the daughter of Ghani, the landowner, falls very ill, Aadam goes to examine her. When he arrives, he realizes that Ghani is blind. When he is finally admited to examine her, he is only allowed to examine her through a seven-inch hole in a sheet. He then ends up falling in love with her and they eventually become married. Saleem theorized that this love filled the hole left by his renouncement of his religion. His friends and family begin to drop like flies, and Aadam decides to take a possition at Agra University . He proposes to Naseem, and she accepts. When in Amritsar, Aadam is involved in a non-violent protest and his nose starts to itch(Tai has told him that this is a bad omen), then he sneezes and dodges a bullet. I think that Aadam was a very introverted, mindless person. But after his recouncement of his faith, he began to think for himself. I also beleive that Aadam is a very introverted person because he keeps his love hidden for 3 years.

Week Two

Welcome to Week Two of our discussion. This discussion will last from Monday, March 2nd to Sunday, March 9th.

This week's discussion is on Setting. Please POST a 10-sentence comment on setting. Don't forget to comment on 5 other posts on this blog. You have all week to complete this assignment, but waiting is not recommended!

Main Character

So far, there is little to be derived about the character of Saleem Sinai, who is currently narrating the story in Midnight's Children. He has chosen to reveal stories of others, mainly his grandfather, Aadam Aziz, before he delves deeper into his own. Therefore, I think it is most fitting that I expand upon the character of his grandfather. While Aadam was younger, he seemed to be very open-minded, optimistic, and completely intrigued with life. He spent time with a boatman, Tai, whom everyone thought was completely nuts. His parents didn't like him being around Tai, but something lured Aadam to him. Later, Aadam studied in Germany and became a doctor. When he arrived home, he was different, as were the people around him. They all treated him differently. Tai didn't approve of all the doctoring techniques that Aadam had acquired, and his mother played mind games with him. She complained about her aches and pains and wanted her son to help, but always told him not to bother with her. In time, Aadam got fixated on the task of helping the daughter of a landowner through his healing techniques. During these sessions a sort of obsessive and unexplainable side emerges from Aadam. He's intrigued by this girl and keeps coming back, even though he is requested to do ridiculous tasks. As his story progresses, you see him deteriorate. A loss of passion is evident, and he comes to realizations about choices he made in life (one being blinded by a seeming love for his wife, Neesa, who his is now forever bound to). In a sense, his character is like a child who looses their innocence. 

Character Post

In the book Midnight's Children the main character is intended to be Saleem Sinai, but so far the author has not told us enough about him to make a full blog post about his character. Therefore I am instead going to write about his grandfather, Aadam Aziz, because Saleem Sinai is writing down his grandfather's story in the first part of the book that I have read and therefore I know more about him than Saleem Sinai. The author starts out by telling us how Aadam is no longer religous because once when he hit his nose on the ground while praying, he caused it to bleed and therefore vows never to bow to another man or god again. I think this refusal to bow to another initially shows us that Aadam is very stubborn, yet he also learns from what happens to him. Later we also learn about one of the adults who guides him and is a friend to him when he was younger, a ferryman named Tai. Tai is influencial on Aadams life and one of the things Tai tells him is that if his nose starts to itch then something bad is happening or is going to happen and Aadam being young, believes him. This I think also tells us that Aadam when he was younger and even as he gets older believes in omens even if he doesn't pray to a god. Later when Aadam becomes a doctor he makes a start by helping a blind landowner's daughter and he ends up falling in love with her (or the various body parts that he sees of her's), but he waits 3 years to tell her and her father. Also when he was first going to help the landowner's daughter he was very nevous and comtemplated fleeing, but he ended up staying. I think the fact that he waited so long and that he stayed also supports my belief that Aadam is very stubborn because he stubbornly stays instead of running and he also very stubbornly hides his feelings for so long. I hope to learn more about Aadam in future chapters and a lot more about Saleem Sinai.

Character

Well with little known about Saleem Sinai, besides the fact that he’s 31, deteriorating, and has an amazing sense of smell, I have decided to comment on his grandfather, Aadam Aziz. He’s a very stubborn character; not only does he never listen to his nose he almost kills himself because he’s too stubborn to eat. Although I think I found out why he didn’t trust his nose about Naseem goes back to when he hit his nose on the ground while praying. This caused him to give up religion, creating a hole, a hole only Naseem could fill. This incident also explains his belief that schooling should not be religion based. I’m confident that the praying incident is responsible for the nose itches, his stubbornness in ignoring them, and possibly even Saleem’s powers. If you think about it if the incident had never happened Aziz would probably not have married Naseem and Saleem would be nonexistent. Or perhaps there is some other reason for this. I hope to find out more in the coming chapters about my theories. Well good-bye for now.