This paper is about Salman Rushdie and two of his major works. The approach to work on "The Satanic Verses" and his latest publication "Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights" (2015) tries to (critically) reflect Rushdie's development as a writer within the time span of almost three decades.
Twenty-seven years for a writer and his community might be an eternity since the world has tremendously changed since then. Rushdie himself, however, in both novels sticks to major themes of his interest. Among them are the parameters used here. Identity, metamorphosis and (religious) fanaticism can be found in both novels and it is the focus on these three which will be central here.
To do so not only helps to reflect major literary topics Rushdie is concerned about it also shows the development these matters have taken within Rushdie' s literary work and the world it reflects. In is exactly the historical framework which Rushdie uses which helps to understand his literary attempt because he said in an interview with the German magazine "Stern" in 2015 that he understands himself as an author who lives in a certain period of time and who therefore has to write about it. The dualistic concept that links the narrative in both novels analysed here must also be seen in this historical framework. Rushdie sees modern man in a globalized world as homeless, hybrid, bound to metamorphosis, caught between the rational and the irrational yet open for positive options which he can choose provided he uses his freedom. So identity, metamorphosis, religion and fundamentalism are closely connected to personal freedom and it will thus be interesting to see how Rushdie's ideas have been worked into both novels.
The structure of this book is therefore as follows: A first part will consist in some sort of background information on Rushdie and his position in contemporary English literature. A second major part will consist in a short introduction of the postcolonial setting. This helps to place Rushdie's work in a literary background. A next step lies in a closer analysis of chosen parameters such as the use of the hybrid Islamic spirituality, transcendence, identity formation, failure and powerlessness. The next important step lies in a close interpretation of both works. This will be followed by an outlook.
Table of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Preface
3. Salman anRushdie' s position as a post-colonial writer
4. The postcolonial novel after 9/11
5. Islam and Islamic Fundamentalism in Contemporary English literature
6. Forms: Narratological Categories for the Analysis of the Genre
6.1 Preface
6.2 Islamic Spirituality and Transcendence
6.3 Identity Formation as one Central Problem of Islamic Writing
6.4 Identity as a Religious Matter: The Quest for the Meaning of Life
6.5 Failure
6.6 Powerlessness
6.7 The Question for a Meaning of Life
6.8 Hybrid Description and Hybrid Identity under the Focus of Islam and Islamic Fundamentalism
7. Alternative Cultural Memory and Hybrid Existence: Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988)
7.1 Preface
7.2 Cultural Memory and Hybrid Existence
7.3 Religion and Blasphemy in The Satanic Verses
7.4 Conclusion
8. Identity, Metamorphosis and Hybrid Existence: Salman Rushdie's Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-eight Nights
8.1 Preface
8.2 The use of the hybrid
8.3 The use of globalization
8.4 Identity, Metamorphosis and Hybrid Existence
8.5 The specific use of stylistic means in Two Years Eight Months and Twenty- eight- Nights (2015)
9. Conclusion
10. Outlook
11. Bibliography
Objectives and Core Themes
This academic work explores the literary representation of identity, metamorphosis, and religious fanaticism in Salman Rushdie’s novels "The Satanic Verses" and "Two Years, Eight Months and Twenty-eight Nights." The analysis aims to understand how Rushdie integrates these themes within a postcolonial and postmodern framework, reflecting the complexities of the globalized human condition and the evolving role of religion in contemporary society.
- The intersection of personal identity and religious belief in a migrant context.
- The use of "magic realism" as a tool for navigating postcolonial and dualistic realities.
- The representation of Islam and its fundamentalist interpretations in contemporary British literature.
- Narratological approaches to themes like failure, powerlessness, and the quest for meaning.
- The evolution of Rushdie's literary style across a twenty-five-year span.
Excerpt from the Book
Religion and Blasphemy in The Satanic Verses
Rushdie shows that migrant self-identity finally emerges as a matter of appropriate sensitivity to the cultural multicity of one’s own background. The novel involves the revision of national identity in the light of postcolonial migrations and of selves constituted more by displacement or diaspora than by concepts of home or belonging. Like those of other postcolonial writers, one of Rushdie’s basic moves is to switch positions around, as when he writes about the modern-day migration or colonialism – on the contrary: “Native and settler, that old dispute, continuing now upon these soggy streets, with reversed categories” (SV: 353).
It is just in this basic situation where alternative cultural memory and hybrid existence can be found, along with the option of Islam as an identity provider. Pipes (2009) also stresses the religious element and says about SV that “It’s a novel about God. A novel about religion” (ibid.: 55). As has already been pointed out, it is, above all, chapters 2 (Mahound) and 4 (Ayesha) that are connected with religious criticism of Rushdie by Muslims.
The reader at first is confronted with an aggressive and intolerant Islam. Rushdie presents Islam as a religion that was built on sand and will be destroyed by water, because it cannot stand the contrasts of worldly vs. holy, secular vs. mystical or traditional vs. modern (SV: 83–84; 106; 123; 206–207; 222–223; 239). These contrasts are based on the fact that the power of Islam lies in the ability to identify itself with a truth outside human history. Islam and Islamic fundamentalism for Rushdie do not reflect the past, and their intolerance even destroys the present.
Summary of Chapters
1. Abstract: Provides an overview of the book's focus on Rushdie’s development as a writer and the central parameters of identity, metamorphosis, and fanaticism.
2. Preface: Outlines the scope of the study, which examines two novels spanning 25 years to trace Rushdie's development through identical literary key terms.
3. Salman anRushdie' s position as a post-colonial writer: Discusses Rushdie's literary status, emphasizing his use of hybridity, mimicry, and 'magic realism' to navigate the colonial experience.
4. The postcolonial novel after 9/11: Examines how postcolonial literature, including Rushdie’s, responds to the geopolitical turning point of 9/11 and the internal conflicts between cultural heritage and Western values.
5. Islam and Islamic Fundamentalism in Contemporary English literature: Analyzes the return of religion to literature as a consequence of globalization and migration, framing it through 'applied cultural narratology.'
6. Forms: Narratological Categories for the Analysis of the Genre: Establishes categories such as spirituality, failure, and powerlessness to analyze how Islam is constructed and employed in narrative form.
7. Alternative Cultural Memory and Hybrid Existence: Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses (1988): Investigates the historical and theological tensions in the novel, focusing on blasphemy and the hybrid existence of its migrant characters.
8. Identity, Metamorphosis and Hybrid Existence: Salman Rushdie's Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-eight Nights: Explores Rushdie’s shift towards a more globalized narrative framework, contrasting reason and irrationality against the backdrop of modern apocalyptic fears.
9. Conclusion: Summarizes Rushdie’s enduring interest in religious conflict and his role as a nonconformist writer defending secular freedoms through fiction.
10. Outlook: Discusses the significance of Rushdie's work as a milestone in contemporary literature, emphasizing his call for a critical dialogue between different cultures and religious frameworks.
11. Bibliography: Lists the comprehensive primary and secondary literature used to construct this analysis.
Keywords
Salman Rushdie, Identity Formation, Metamorphosis, Postcolonialism, Hybridity, Islamic Fundamentalism, Blasphemy, Magic Realism, Migration, Globalization, Modern Literature, Narrative Strategy, Cultural Memory, Secularism, Human Existence.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this analysis?
This work examines the evolution of Salman Rushdie's literary treatment of identity, metamorphosis, and religion across two of his major novels, "The Satanic Verses" and "Two Years, Eight Months and Twenty-eight Nights."
What are the central themes explored in the text?
The central themes include the migrant experience, the nature of hybrid identity, the tension between religious fundamentalism and personal freedom, and the impact of globalization on contemporary narrative.
What is the primary research objective?
The objective is to analyze how Rushdie uses specific literary parameters to navigate the dualities of postcolonial existence and to reflect upon the changing role of religion in a globalized world.
Which methodology is applied in this study?
The work employs an 'applied cultural narratology' approach, combining structuralist text analysis with an exploration of cultural and historical contexts, including sociology and religious studies.
What is the focus of the main body chapters?
The main body investigates narratological categories like spirituality, failure, and powerlessness, and applies them to a close interpretation of the two selected novels within their respective historical frameworks.
Which keywords best describe this research?
Key terms include Salman Rushdie, Postcolonialism, Hybridity, Identity Formation, Religious Fanaticism, Magic Realism, and Cultural Memory.
How does the author characterize the role of religion in Rushdie's work?
The author argues that while Rushdie is not a religious person, he uses religion—particularly Islam—as a vital narrative element to challenge dogmatism, explore identity, and reflect on the modern condition.
How is the concept of "blasphemy" treated in the analysis?
Blasphemy is framed not just as a religious insult, but as a central narrative mechanism through which the novel interrogates the rigidity of fundamentalist belief systems and the authority of the word.
- Quote paper
- Dr. Matthias Dickert (Author), 2016, Questions of Identity, Metamorphosis, Religious Fanaticism and Islam in Salman Rushdie's "The Satanic Verses" (1988) and "Two Years, Eight Months, Twenty-eight Nights" (2015), Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/322617
