Concetti Chiave
- The novel begins with Saleem Sinnai's birth coinciding with India's independence, linking his life to the nation's history.
- Saleem is part of the "midnight children," a group of children born at the same time, each with unique powers.
- The story explores family heritage and political tensions, starting from Saleem's grandfather in early 20th century Kashmir.
- A fateful baby switch at birth leads Saleem to grow up in a wealthy family, although he is biologically the son of a poor woman.
- Throughout the narrative, Saleem navigates personal and national upheavals, forming connections with other "midnight children" and facing identity challenges.
Indice
L'inizio della storia
The novel opens with the narrator Saleem Sinnai describing his birth on August 15th , 1947, the precise moment when India became independent. Saleem is one of the thousand and one children born within one hour of midnight on India's independence day, the "midnight children", all of whom are endowed with special powers.
Il passato di Aadam Aziz
After a few paragraphs the narrative moves backward to the early 20th century in Kashmir, and introduces the narrator's grandfather, Doctor Aadam Aziz . Aadam is a Muslim who has attended University in Germany. Aadam and Naseem, his wife, have five children. One of the daughters , Mumtaz, falls in love with a politically committed young man, Nadir, who supports the cause of the Muslim and must live in hiding in the Doctor's cellar.
Il destino di Saleem
The two get married, but when Nadir is compelled to escape he divorces Mumtaz, who changes her name to Amina and marries the Muslim merchant Ahmed Sinai. She will give birth to a child on the stroke of midnight, at very beginning of this momentuous day for India; at exactly the same moment poor woman, Vanita, gives birth to a child , and Mary Pereira , a hospital nurse , switches the two babies condemning the son of the merchant to a life of poverty and the son of poor parents to a life of comfort.
La scoperta di Saleem
Saleem, ho it is thought is Amina and Ahmed's son, is a very big child and has a hunge nose; he soon becomes aware that he has the ability to listen to the thoughts of people, and thanks to this power he discovers that he is not the son of Ahmed and Amina Sinai, but the result of an affair between a poor Indian woman and an Englishman. He also manages to establish contact with the other "midnight children", and forms the Midnight Children's Conference. Later his family emigrates to Pakistan. During the war between India and Pakistan Saleem's parents are killed by a bomb which causes him to lose his memory. He joins the Pakistan army, while Shiva - the "midnight child" who was exchanged with him - fights alongside the Indians and makes a reputation as a great hero.
Il ritorno in India
A bite from a poisonous snake makes Saleem recover his memory. He goes back to India and in Delhi, in a slum known as the magicians' ghetto, he meets another "midnight child" , Parvati the witch, who falls in love with him. They get married, but Saleem discovers that she is already pregnant, and
the child who is born has enormous ears - like th elephant -god - and is Shiva's and not his own.
Shiva destroys the magicians' ghetto and Parvati, the witch, is killed in the attack. On New Year's Day, 1977, Saleem is made sterile after a vasectomy: such operations are systematically performed on the living "midnight children" in order to prevent them from reproducing. Saleem finally becomes the manager of a pickle factory, and now tells his story.
Domande da interrogazione
- ¿Cuál es el momento significativo en el que nace Saleem Sinai?
- ¿Qué evento crucial cambia la vida de Saleem y Shiva al nacer?
- ¿Cómo descubre Saleem su verdadera identidad?
- ¿Qué sucede con Saleem durante la guerra entre India y Pakistán?
- ¿Qué destino enfrentan los "niños de la medianoche" en 1977?
Saleem Sinai nace el 15 de agosto de 1947, justo en el momento en que India se independiza, siendo uno de los "niños de la medianoche" con poderes especiales.
Una enfermera llamada Mary Pereira intercambia a Saleem y Shiva al nacer, condenando a Saleem a una vida de pobreza y a Shiva a una vida de comodidad.
Saleem descubre que no es el hijo biológico de Ahmed y Amina Sinai gracias a su habilidad para escuchar los pensamientos de las personas.
Durante la guerra, los padres de Saleem mueren por una bomba, lo que le hace perder la memoria. Luego se une al ejército de Pakistán.
En 1977, los "niños de la medianoche" son sometidos a vasectomías para evitar que se reproduzcan, y Saleem se convierte en gerente de una fábrica de encurtidos.