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.