GOING TO B(H)OLLYWOOD: THE CINEMATIC TECHNIQUES OF RUSHDIE’S MIDNIGHT’S CHILDREN

Abstract

ABSTRACT

In a 1995 essay titled “Taking a stand while lacking a center: Rushdie’s postmodern politics”, Kathryn Hume lists what she thinks is Rushdie’s novels’ basic elements: “deconstruction of dualistic thought, interplay between history and the individual, and the problematizing of identity.” Hume’s main thesis is that “Rushdie’s fiction can by this point in his career be seen to circle around a pair of intertwined and recurring concerns: the decenterment of the individual and the difficulty of getting rid of tyrants”. In keeping with Hume’s understanding of Rushdie’s fiction, this essay will argue that Midnight’s Children attests to Rushdie’s taste for non-cohesive narratives, and will show that its overall fragmentation is accomplished by cinematic devices.

Keywords: fragmentation; cinema; nation.

RESUMO

Em artigo de 1995 intitulado “Taking a stand while lacking a center: Rushdie’s postmodern politics”, Kathryn Hume lista o que ela pensa ser os elementos básicos dos romances de Rushdie: “deconstruction of dualistic thought, interplay between history and the individual, and the problematizing of identity.” A principal tese de Hume é que “Rushdie’s fiction can by this point in his career be seen to circle around a pair of intertwined and recurring concerns: the decenterment of the individual and the difficulty of getting rid of tyrants”. Na linha do pensamento de Hume sobre a ficção de Rushdie, este artigo discutirá Os Filhos da Meia Noite como um testamento ao gosto rushdiano por narrativas fragmentadas e mostrará que a fragmentação geral do romance é realizada por meio de inscrições cinematográficas.

Palavras-chave: fragmentação; cinema; nação.