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In The Satanic Verses, the magic lamp symbolizes Saladin Chamcha’s complicated relationship with his Indian heritage. The lamp, which belongs to his father, Changez Chamchawala, is believed to bring good fortune. For Saladin, the lamp represents the cultural and familial heritage he seeks to distance himself from in his quest to assimilate into British society. This desire to distance himself from India begins, in part, because of how his father treats him, which includes not allowing him to touch the lamp. Over time, the magic lamp evolves into a metaphor for Saladin’s struggle with his identity and the realization that he cannot entirely sever ties with his heritage. It reflects his internal conflict between rejecting his roots to become “English” and the deep-seated cultural inheritance that shapes his sense of self. When Saladin essentially cuts himself off from Changez, Changez tells him that he will not inherit the lamp. However, when Saladin returns to India and reconciles with his Changez, he inherits the lamp, after all, which represents the return of his Indian identity and heritage.
The Magic Lamp Quotes in The Satanic Verses
The The Satanic Verses quotes below all refer to the symbol of The Magic Lamp. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Part 1, Chapter 3
Quotes
The promise of the magic lamp infected Master Salahuddin with the notion that one day his troubles would end and his innermost desires would be gratified, and all he had to do was wait it out; but then there was the incident of the wallet, when the magic of a rainbow had worked for him, not for his father but for him, and Changez Chamchawala had stolen the crock of gold. After that the son became convinced that his father would smother all his hopes unless he got away, and from that moment he became desperate to leave, to escape, to place oceans between the great man and himself.
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The Magic Lamp Symbol Timeline in The Satanic Verses
The timeline below shows where the symbol The Magic Lamp appears in The Satanic Verses. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Part 1, Chapter 3
...in cricket. The one thing Saladin likes about his father is that he owns a magic lamp , which Saladin perceives as lucky. Changez refuses to let anyone touch the magic lamp,...
(full context)
...thinks the devil has possessed Saladin. Changez tells Saladin that he will never inherit his magic lamp .
(full context)
...tells Saladin that he has no interest in continuing their relationship, making Saladin realize that the magic lamp is lost to him forever.
(full context)
Part 9
After the funeral, Saladin visits his family home. He discovers the magic lamp he recalls from his childhood, which Changez left to him along with a substantial inheritance....
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...inside, Gibreel begins telling a confused story about the murders. As he talks, he handles the magic lamp . Saladin notices that Gibreel has hidden a gun inside the lamp. Gibreel retrieves the...
(full context)
