Salman Rushdie's Myth of Identity

Date

2007-05

Authors

Goodson, Gary Dean

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Abstract

Salman Rushdie writes extensively about identity in both his nonfiction and fiction writings. Identity presented in these writings is a construct, a hybrid of a myriad of influences including history, culture and family. Three of his novels, Midnight’s Children. The Satanic Verses and Shalimar the Clown, help illustrate Rushdie’s use of identity. In Midnight’s Children. Saleem uses history and family to present his identity, a construct prone to errors and exaggerations. In The Satanic Verses. Rushdie explores the migrant identity, a heterogeneous identity, which indelibly changes as it crosses frontiers. In Shalimar the Clown. Rushdie explores identity politics in the Kashmir region and examines the frontier as a place of ambiguity and hybridity. Identity in these three novels will be shown to be non-static, not pure, and not innate.

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Keywords

identity, philosophy, literature, Rushdie, Salman

Citation

Goodson, G. D. (2007). Salman Rushdie's myth of identity (Unpublished thesis). Texas State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, Texas.

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