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Motifs
Definition of Oxymoron
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal a deeper or hidden truth... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to make a point—particularly to reveal... read full definition
An oxymoron is a figure of speech in which two contradictory terms or ideas are intentionally paired in order to... read full definition
Book 1: A Public Announcement
Explanation and Analysis—Pretty Terror:
Saleem describes Zohra's reaction to Lafifa Das, a Hindu man that Amina Aziz saved from a crowd of angry Muslim people outside of her apartment. Zohra reacts to Lafifa Das with reticence verging on terror, which Saleem describes using an oxymoron:
It seemed that his experience had drained him not only of liquid but also sweetness, because he put four spoonfuls of raw sugar into every glass, while Zohra cowered in pretty terror on a sofa.
Zohra's cowering is referred to as "pretty terror," which would seem to be a contradictory phrase—what about terror can be associated with beauty? In fact, this use of figurative language reflects gender roles and appearances: Zohra is behaving as a good, modest Muslim woman "ought" to. She is, in a sense, "pretty" in her terror because she is displaying a gender-appropriate modesty and vulnerability through her actions.
Amina, on the other hand, acts out of turn according to the gender roles assigned a woman of her position, religion, and time period. Regardless of the social penalty, Amina springs into action, saving Lafifa Das where Zohra likely would have abandoned him to the mob. Amina defies not only gender roles in this moment but also the religious polarization in India at this time, which divided Muslims and Hindus.
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Explanation and Analysis—Indian Disease:
Saleem uses the motif of infectious diseases to refer to many different ideas, concepts, and movements throughout Midnight's Children. One example of this motif occurs in Book 1, Section 5—A Public Announcement:
But this was Delhi, and Lifafa Das had altered his cry accordingly. ‘See the whole world, come see everything!’ [. . .] (I am suddenly reminded of Nadir Khan’s friend the painter: is this an Indian disease, this urge to encapsulate the whole of reality? Worse: am I infected too?).
In the above passage, Saleem ruminates on Lifafa Das, Nadir Khan's friend, and himself—all in relation to the pursuit of art and truth in storytelling. All three men seek to "encapsulate the whole of reality," which Saleem equates to an "Indian disease"—perhaps because, whether in storytelling or art, the pursuit of absolute truth will always fall short, given the subjective nature of creation and narrative.
Later, in Book 1, Section 3—Hit-the-Spittoon, Saleem again likens an idea 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 the authorities to stamp it out, this virulent disease had been breaking out all over India that year.
This particular comparison is also an oxymoron, because the "idea" in question is optimism, which Saleem describes as "dangerous." It would seem contradictory to describe such a positive emotion so negatively. Rushdie utilizes paradox in combination with motif to characterize optimism as a virulent disease—a disease that is dangerous because it undermines institutions of power. The push toward unity and against the Partition of India (dividing the country into India and Pakistan) directly contradicts the goals of the British Empire.
Related Themes:
