The Satanic Verses

by

Salman Rushdie

The Satanic Verses: Part 7, Chapter 2 Summary & Analysis

Summary
Analysis
London is in the midst of a dangerous heatwave. During this time, Mr. Billy Battuta—a famous actor noted for his mistreatment of women—and his companion, Mimi MamoulianSaladin’s former co-star—announce their “grand coming-out” party. They recently returned to the city after dealing with legal troubles in New York. Billy’s business connections helped him get a lenient judge, and his charm convinced several wealthy women to sign a clemency petition. They believe Billy has genuinely repented and deserves a lighter punishment than prison. The judge agrees and gives Billy a lenient sentence of deportation and a fine. Mimi, seen as merely an accomplice, receives a suspended sentence.
Billy’s manipulation of the legal system and society’s readiness to forgive him due to his charisma and influence showcases how fame corrupts justice. Despite Billy’s reputation, he is still one of London’s most popular figures and everyone wants to attend his party. Billy’s experience can be telling contrasted with the of Dr. Uhuru Simba, who is being framed with crimes he did not commit. The way the legal system treats these two characters exposes its racist and xenophobic tendencies.
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Billy and Mimi return to London and immediately start celebrating at Crockford’s, a private club. They send out invitations to their big party, which is planned to take place on a giant sound stage at Shepperton film studios. This location has been transformed into a recreation of Dickensian London, for a movie adaptation of Charles Dickens’s last completed novel. The party is expected to be filled with celebrities, socialites, and important figures.
The choice of a Dickensian London set for the party is a clever metaphor for the blend of hypocrisy, wealth, and spectacle. It’s a nod to the dualities in Dickens’ works—poverty versus wealth, morality versus corruption—mirroring the social dynamics at play in this story. The recreated city setting serves as a stage where the characters’ conflicts as the stage is finally set for a reunion between Saladin and Gibreel.
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On the night of the party, the heat is unbearable. Pamela and Jumpy arrive together in Pamela’s car, while Saladin, who prefers to travel alone, takes a coach that the hosts provide. The party setting is impressive, with various famous locations from Dickens’s London condensed into the studio space. The guests, including society grandees, fashion models, film stars, and minor royalty, mingle with hired extras dressed in period costumes. Saladin spots Gibreel in the crowd, surrounded by admirers with Allie by his side.
The stifling heat parallels the hidden animosities simmering under the surface at the party. Meanwhile, the grandeur and artificiality of the setting, filled with important guests and actors dressed in period costumes, emphasize the fabricated reality in which many actors live. When Saladin spots Gibreel and Allie with Gibreel’s admirers it sparks his jealousy and makes him think that Gibreel has been living an angelic life while his own life has quite literally gone to hell.
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Saladin makes his way through the dense crowd, determined to reach Gibreel. However, the crowd suddenly parts as loud music starts, and Saladin is pushed back into a fake building, the “Curiosity Shop.” Inside the fake building, a woman approaches him, flirtatiously talking about the cast’s romantic escapades during the show’s run. She exposes her breast, revealing a map of London drawn on it. Saladin, overwhelmed, escapes back into the chaotic street.
The “Curiosity Shop” is a surreal space that reflects Saladin’s inner chaos. The woman’s flirtatious behavior and the bizarre tattoo on her body show how reality and fantasy blend in Saladin’s mind. The map of London on her breast may represent a kind of distorted navigation, echoing Saladin’s lost sense of direction—both literally and figuratively—amidst his desire for revenge against Gibreel.
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Quotes
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Gibreel, standing on a replica of London Bridge, looks directly at Saladin and raises his arm in greeting. Saladin, filled with resentment, recalls how Gibreel stood by silently while the policemen humiliated and captured Saladin. Saladin realizes that he blames Gibreel for everything that has gone wrong in his life since boarding Flight 420. Still, Saladin approaches Gibreel and exchanges pleasantries with him. Despite Gibreel’s friendly demeanor, Saladin’s anger quickly grows because Allie’s presence reminds him of the English wife he lost. Gibreel talks extensively about his sex life with Allie, which is quite active. Saladin quickly gets the sense that Gibreel does not actually love Allie. Rather, he simply enjoys having sex with her. As he listens, Saladin drinks heavily, trying to numb his pain.
Saladin’s interaction with Gibreel on the replica bridge is loaded with unresolved anger. Gibreel’s casual bragging about his sex life reveals his insensitivity and reinforces Saladin’s perception of him as shallow and self-centered. Saladin’s drinking is coping mechanism and an indication of his spiraling state of mind, as he decides what to do next. The more Gibreel talks, the more Saladin feels like Gibreel has managed to get everything that Saladin has always wanted for himself, even if this is not true in reality.
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Gibreel, trying to be nice, begins asking Saladin about Pamela. Saladin tells Gibreel that Pamela is pregnant. Not realizing that Saladin is not the father, Gibreel congratulates him and is confused when Saladin grows irate. Eventually, Saladin tells the whole truth: Pamela is pregnant with Jumpy’s child. Jumpy gave Pamela the child that she always wanted, which Saladin could never produce.
This moment is a deep cut for Saladin, further highlighting his feelings of inadequacy. Gibreel’s ignorance about the situation, and his blundering attempt to be polite, only aggravates Saladin more, pushing him deeper into his resentment.
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Gibreel, disturbed after hearing Saladin’s revelation, suddenly disappears. Saladin tells Allie that Gibreel is gone, which causes her to grow frantic. The party descends into chaos when an actor rows down the studio’s fake Thames, carrying the unconscious body of Jumpy, whom Gibreel knocked out. A week later, Saladin finds himself on a journey to Scotland with Allie, who has asked for his help in dealing with Gibreel’s deteriorating mental state. Gibreel’s condition has worsened, and Allie has taken him to a secluded area away from the public eye.
The escalating chaos at the party mirrors the breakdown of relationships and sanity among the characters. Gibreel’s violent outburst toward Jumpy reflects his growing instability, while Allie’s decision to take him away to a remote area shows her desperate attempt to manage the situation. Despite what Saladin assumed, it seems that all is not well with Gibreel—in fact, he seems to be worse than ever.
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Quotes
Saladin, still harboring his own vengeful feelings, pretends to be sympathetic. At the remote getaway, Gibreel confesses to Saladin his fears and frustrations about his mental health, revealing that he has even attacked Allie in a fit of madness. Allie, trying to cope with Gibreel’s worsening condition, feels guilty and responsible for his decline. Saladin listens to their woes and alternates between feeling bad and plotting his revenge.
Saladin’s duality is on full display here—he acts like a confidant but is fueled by a desire for vengeance. Gibreel’s admissions reveal how deep his paranoia runs, while Allie’s guilt shows the emotional toll of dealing with his mental decline. Saladin’s manipulation of the situation shows his capacity for cruelty, as he uses their vulnerabilities to his advantage.
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The next day, Gibreel insists on climbing a nearby hill with Saladin despite the rainy weather. On the hike, Gibreel becomes paranoid and rants about protecting Allie from the lustful gazes of other men. Saladin realizes that Allie cannot continue living this way for long and considers how he might exploit the situation. As they drive back to the train station, Allie talks about her struggles, and Saladin encourages her to stay connected to her own life and not let Gibreel isolate her. He subtly plants the seeds of doubt and fear in her mind, hoping he drive a wedge between her and Gibreel.
Gibreel’s paranoia about Allie highlights his deteriorating grasp on reality. Saladin’s calculated manipulation during this vulnerable moment shows his strategic mind at work, sowing doubt in Allie to further isolate Gibreel. This is another step in his quiet but effective campaign to turn them against each other. Although Saladin was previously a rather sympathetic character in the novel, here, he becomes a sort of villain, which matches his demonic transformation.
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Back in London, Gibreel becomes increasingly obsessed with Allie while Saladin continues to manipulate them. Saladin, using his skills as a voice actor, begins making anonymous phone calls to Gibreel and Allie, using different voices to drive them apart. Over time, Gibreel becomes convinced that Allie is unfaithful. All this culminates in a final, violent outburst. Gibreel destroys Allie’s prized possessions in a fit of rage before leaving her for good. Allie, heartbroken and furious, vows never to take him back.
Saladin’s manipulation reaches its peak as he uses his voice-acting talents to play on Gibreel’s insecurities. The anonymous calls are a psychological attack that preys on Gibreel’s paranoia, gradually pushing him over the edge. Gibreel’s violent reaction and the destruction of Allie’s possessions signal his complete breakdown.
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Saladin, satisfied with the success of his plan, feels a twisted sense of triumph. Meanwhile, Gibreel, now completely unhinged, walks into a store and buys a trumpet, declaring himself the right hand of God. The shop attendants are stunned as they witness what seems to be a supernatural event. Although they initially think Gibreel is crazy, they then see what looks like a halo around his head. After purchasing the trumpet, Gibreel names it “Azraeel.”
Saladin’s feeling of triumph reveals the dark side of his character, showing that his obsession with revenge has completely consumed him. Meanwhile, Gibreel now seems to have fully accepted that he is a divine agent. The vision of a halo reinforces the ambiguity of his condition—is it a genuine miracle, or just another hallucination? Naming the trumpet “Azraeel,” after the angel of death, suggests that Gibreel sees himself as an instrument of divine judgment.
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