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Personification
Definition of Satire
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of satire, but satirists can take... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians, are often the subject of... read full definition
Satire is the use of humor, irony, sarcasm, or ridicule to criticize something or someone. Public figures, such as politicians... read full definition
Book 1: Methwold
Explanation and Analysis—British Imperialism:
As a postcolonial novel, Midnight's Children satirizes various aspects of colonialism, particularly targeting criticism against the British imperial forces and the colonized Indians who enable the oppression of their own people. This satirical tone comes through in the voice of the narrator, Saleem Sinai, who vehemently opposes the violence of British imperial rule and does not refrain from criticizing any Indian people who attempt to appease or imitate the English—including his own father.
In Book 1, Section 7—Methwold, Rushdie explores this imitation through Ahmed Sinai and his revealing conversations with Mr. Methwold, a British man who owns the house Sinai wishes to purchase. To appease Mr. Methwold and appear more sophisticated himself, Ahmed Sinai adopts an Oxford British accent:
“Tell me, Mr. Methwold,” Ahmed Sinai’s voice has changed, in the presence of an Englishman it has become a hideous mockery of an Oxford drawl, “why insist on the delay? Quick sale is best business, after all. Get the thing buttoned up.”
In the above passage, Saleem refers to his father's fake Oxford accent as a "hideous mockery," contradicting and providing commentary on Ahmed Sinai's unconscious attempt at refinement. Ahmed Sinai himself would not consider the accent a "mockery"—he likely perceives this linguistic shift as a tool that will assist him in appearing more dignified. Saleem deems this a "hideous mockery" not because Ahmed intended to mock Mr. Methwold, but because in imitating the British, Ahmed Sinai unconsciously belittles his own accent and culture. Through satire, then, this passage touches on the idea that oppressed groups of people may sometimes emulate their oppressors (whether consciously or subconsciously).
Related Themes:
