Content Category
Literary Criticism
Abstract/Description
This paper explores truth as it applies to Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, particularly how memory--a fallible human reconstruction of experience--conveys truth. I do so by drawing a parallel between memory and philosophy; whereas the French philosopher Alain Badiou sees philosophy as a locus for truth, I see memory as a locus for truth. Both philosophy and memory as locii of truth create spaces in which truth can expand, can go beyond fact, and can be deeper. I further strengthen the importance of imperfect memory's usage as a locus for truth by relating it to Rushdie's use of magical realism.
Copyright and Licensing of My Content
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Location
B150 JFSB
Start Date
19-3-2015 1:15 PM
End Date
19-3-2015 2:45 PM
Included in
Memory—Midnight’s Children’s Locus of Truth
B150 JFSB
This paper explores truth as it applies to Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, particularly how memory--a fallible human reconstruction of experience--conveys truth. I do so by drawing a parallel between memory and philosophy; whereas the French philosopher Alain Badiou sees philosophy as a locus for truth, I see memory as a locus for truth. Both philosophy and memory as locii of truth create spaces in which truth can expand, can go beyond fact, and can be deeper. I further strengthen the importance of imperfect memory's usage as a locus for truth by relating it to Rushdie's use of magical realism.