Shame Salman Rushdie - Analyse du roman PDF

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Post-colonial literature Literature that comes from fully colonized country How would you define colonialism? • Related to imperialism ◦ Imperialism is doctrine, idea of logical, concept (ok for one country to dominate one another) ◦ Colonialism is one way of doing imperialism, people physically go there and occupy the country ▪ Territory very important in colonialism ▪ Have settlers in the country ▪ Comes from colonus which mean farmers • Idea of land Talking about literature produced in country that has bee colonized, comes after decolonization, after independence But not really true, “post” doesn’t necessarily implies after colonization When we started to talk about PC literature? → Before English literature was mainly British & American, not from other country → Study books that are thought to be valued = canon → Since 80s-90s, lots of scholars, feminists have included more diversity in canon, pushed to open up the canon Salman Rushdie: • Famous because in 1999, wrote the Satanic Verses → novel very satirical, controversial scene of the prophet Mohamed, offended muslin community (is a muslin himself), when published global scandal, had to hide because people wanted him dead by the Iranian government • Because of this story, don’t know what he is most famous for • In 1999, when the scandal occurred, already established author • Very famous when wrote 2nd novel Midnight’s children (1991), won a prize in England, novel about the birth of India, set at the moment of the partition around 1947 • Why does he write in English? Want to be famous? Shame: • About Pakistan, early days of modern Pakistan • About 2 politicians that really existed • Historical context: ◦ Started with trade in early 17th century ◦ British established trading places in India ◦ English East India Company, one of them, supported by local elite Indian, defended by private mercenary armies to ensure security of British ◦ Start to get control of more and more portion of land ◦ British traders wanted to use local resources, not interested in Indian culture ◦ Change around end of 18th century when a new idea began to emerge → Civilizing mission ◦ Idea that it is the West responsibility to civilize place that are considered uncivilized → The white man’s burden

◦ Justifies violence & everything you do to impose your domination, violence imposed is for them, because has to be raised to civilization ◦ Promoted by Christians (seen as Christian mission), people who saw themselves as philanthropist (people who does good action) ◦ 1835 → Act saying there is an urge to provide useful learning to the locals (=education in English), language imposed in Indian schools ◦ Rebellion against rule of England (1853-1858) ◦ 1858-1947→ The British Raj ◦ Rebellion failed, but did bring the British crown to assume direct rule ◦ Everything reorganized ◦ 1st November 1858→ Proclamation by queen, promised that Indians will have same rights as British, British failed to keep this promise, mentioned by Indian nationalists ◦ Industrialization very slow (railways to export agricultural goods) → famine because food taken away ◦ Famine in South (1876) → 5,5 millions died ◦ No help from England ◦ Some British living in Indian took exception from that attitude & helped them ◦ Indian National Congress created 1885, political party, included educated Indian men ◦ After 1st WW, The INC became the spin-head of independence movement, leading to Independence ◦ During 2nd WW, England send Indians to fight in war (2,5 millions) ◦ Early 20th century, Muslim league created (political party), promoted idea of Pakistan (ancient part of India, Muslim country) → 1906 ◦ British were depending on Indian forces during 2nd WW ◦ Muslim League supported it, but INC wanted independence in exchange for helping them ◦ England said no → extreme repression ◦ Major famine in 1943, Churchill refused to help them → anger towards British people ◦ All this lead to Independence (15th August 1947), Pakistan also created then ◦ Major refuge, crises… → up to 2 millions death during that time History of Pakistan since Idependence: • Became religious state in 1947 • Passed Objectives Resolution ◦ Notion of God delegating to people • Made life more difficult for non-Muslim • Democratic constitution • 1969 → Deadly tropical cyclone (500 000 deaths) ◦ Government (president is Yahyak Khan (character of general Shaggidog)) was indifferent to what was happening • Lost election, refused to step down and started military operation Searchlight → massive repression on Bengali movement (East) • Bengali forced to declare independence • During war, Bengali people massacred • Anyone who defected killed • Atrocities on both side but mainly from Pakistan toward Bengali • War resulted in West forces defeated, and Bengali reached independence in 1972 • After war, Zulfikar Ali Buttho came in power (character of Izkander), barrister & diplomat, served as foreign minister under former president Ayub Khan (character of president A or field general A) • Buttoh studied in England & America, wealthy family • Created PPP (Pakistan People Party)

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Kept the party going outside from his wealth After defeat of Pakistan, Yahyah Khan stepped down and was put under arrest after Buttoh became president 1973 → Became prime minister while being foreign affairs, defense minister Managed to get foreign investment in Pakistan Help modernize the country Organized election in 1997 to be properly elected Won but was accused of rigging the election 6th July 1977 → General Mohammed Zia-ul-Haq (Character of Roza Hyder) is army chief, betrayed him, had Buttoh imprisoned and then executed Zia decribes as dictator, immigrant (family lived in Indian then moved to Pakistan after partition), humble background, studied in Deli, met Buttoh (1975) while expressing his loyalty to him, Buttoh made him chief army, annoyed people around him In power in 1997, imposed censorship for the press, program of Islamisation Rushdie strongly against this (p.227-228) 1979 → Soviet union invades Afghanistan, Zia organized the resistance with Afghan soldier with help of US Soviet army withdrew in 1989 Zia died in 1989 (plane crash) Benazir Buttho (character of Arjummand) 1st female PM in Pakistan Neo-liberal idea, fan of Thatcher, placed under house arrest with father Exile in England, came back when Zia died In power until her assassination (2007)

Shame: Words from Indian languages Self-conscious narrator Long sentences Comments on the writing of the book, and whether what he says is true or not Never assure that he is saying the truth Historical truth never really solid Writing about historical facts and fantastical myths Magic realism → tune used often with association of Latin American authors, write about very specific reality with fantastical elements Rushdie says that an artist can’t change the world but he can disrupt this status quo Rushdie’s biography: • Born in India (Bombay) 1947 ◦ 2 months before partition • Parents were against moving to Pakistan even though are Muslim • Moved to Bombay because of partition, because more multiculturalist, more easy to live here for Muslim • Mother had bee school teacher before her 1st marriage • Father was businessman • Quite wealthy • Parents practising religion • Rushdie lost his faith at 15 • Interested in books of religion and religion in general • Went to elite school in Bombay • Into popular culture (rock, comic, cinema…)

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At 13, father decided to send him to England to pursue education Went to public school there (private school) During his time there, had rough time because 1st time confronted to racism → bullied… Suddenly realize that he had a feature he hadn’t though about before Being away from home, he started to developed sentimental attachment to Bombay Parents decided to move to Pakistan when he was in Pakistan → really angry because felt double homeless, didn’t have proper roots, was disoriented (having lost the East, Orient) Brilliant student Won scholarship to go to Cambridge, but didn’t want to go because of his experience Still went and he loved it because attitude very different Studied history, interested in theatre Then returned to Pakistan Tries to settle down there, to work for TV But didn’t adjust because to rigid Came back to London and to British citizenship Worked as an actor, not really good, so decided he wanted to write Wrote in English 1st publish novel (SF) → Grimus 1975, bad reviews not really a success Went on a trip to Pakistan with the few money he got Then go idea of Midnight’s children 1981, about early day of India Became famous after it → good reviews Won a literary prize in England Criticisms because of the way he wrote about the prophet Mohammed and because named real people and attacked then People furious and attacked back Both books written with magic realism, intrusive narrator Shame was also received very positively, but didn’t get the prize in England so was furious Poor image of him after that The Jaguar Smile 1987 → kind of travel book, visited Nicaragua and attacks the US for interfering in the Nicaragua politics Marked him as ennemy of the US The Satanic Verses 1989 → big scandal About Indian migrants in London, has subplots → series of dream sequences about life of the prophet Mohammed, in one of them, he imagines prostitutes in a brothel impersonating the wives of the prophet Deeply offended a portion of the Muslim community in India and England Created global scandal, book banned in several country Campaign in England to have the book banned → failed but very violent protest of Muslim people because shock that book were allowed Protest to support Rushdie also, because freedom of speech Lot of violence globally Diplomatic crisis because 14th February 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (call for all Muslim zealous to kill) against Rushdie, with a reward Had to go into hiding for several years, but hard because public figure, attempt to negotiate with Iran but not successful Fatwa started for a long time (10 years) came to resolution when president of Iran Muhammed Khatani made declaration saying that the government dissociated itself from the fatwa But some Muslim tried to murder Rushdie, but could return to public life Experience of being pointed out, of being a prey had an effect on him and his fiction Moved to the US (2000), New York, because thought he could be lost in the crowd Fury 2001 → became obsolete the day it was published

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Fiction after that is concerned with global flows of people, global politics, terrorism…

Why he has been seen as contentious, why being criticize? • Very famous, praised almost hysterically • But at the same time, issues has been raised: ◦ 1) Being criticize for not looking for way to mobilize people to change, not being practical, engaging in way of changing the world because very ironic, sees himself as someone who can change thing through his books, not his activism ◦ 2) His description of woman, misogyny and sometimes sexism, woman stuck in the place they are, quite passive, a=have to adjust to the role that is given to them, not terribly active ▪ In Shame two characters shows how they shouldn’t be → Sufiya and Rani ▪ Rani very quiet, adjust, makes shawls and that’s all she does, at the end we see she has made extraordinary shawls that describes all the shameful thing her husband did, kind of mise en abyme of he book ▪ Sufiya is called the “Wrong Miracle” because parents expected a boy, birth is absolute disaster, mentally disable early, marginalized character ◦ 3) Accused of pandering to the taste of the West because writing in English, good commercial move for him because became more famous that way

Chapter 1, para 1: • Don’t learn a lot • Don’t know where it sets • Don’t know real names but know nicknames ◦ Doesn’t sound very serious ◦ Describes as in a fairy tale ▪ Unconventional because seems to be a long time ago but is not in fact, sentence interrupted by useless comment ▪ Fairy tale usually straightforward, while here it’s going in all direction • No indication of time ◦ Have one later, but misleading ◦ Why do this? ▪ Because Muslim background ▪ Mockery addressed to wester lectors • Narrator talks a lot, give his opinion • Comparison between names and china ◦ Random ◦ We are manipulated by the narrator who follows his own fancy ◦ Seems to be irrelevant but give crucial information about their tragedy, we know something is going to happened to them ◦ Reminds of the house the sisters live in ◦ Book about rumours about the sisters and what happened in the house ◦ Alert us he is not truthworthy Shame: Post-modernism novel → singular novel but does come in vast movement Modernism & post-modernism → post doesn’t necessarily mean after in

Modernism: • End of Victorian era in England → Science really important, lot of faith in it, faith in power of nation, • End of 19th century → faith not that strong anymore because shake thing people thought they knew (God doubt, people are driven by forces they don’t control) → not reason anymore, not in complete control of what we want we are moved by forces we are not conscious of • Notion that we are in control is shaken • Mid 19th century → Darwin publishes “the origin of species”, saying humans are connected to other animals, hardly any difference • End of 19th century→ Great writers are Thomas Hardy, Dickens, George Eliot = Epic fat novels, give sort of overview on society • What become of interest is individual experience rather than having and overview • Focus on privacy and intimate thing • Much more subjective approach • Comes with anxiety • Wolf writes about subjectivity, enters character’s minds (anxiety, doubt, trauma…) • WWII shake the faith in progress, happened in the West (country of philosophy…) • After WWII, people register what it was to be a human being (Beckett…) Characteristics of PM • Meta-fiction ◦ Reflexive dimension, literature reflects about itself ◦ Tells a story and reflects on its own structure ◦ Idea that you can’t get to the truth immediately ◦ Everything mediatize through literature ▪ In Shame: • Narrator → intrusive, making comments on what he’s doing, never let us thing and be absorb in the novel, shares characteristics with Rushdie, defines himself as a “translated man” = paradox because write in English but seems like it’s already a translation for him, sense that language is always in the way, it’s his condition as a migrant • Claims that story isn’t about Pakistan but it is in fact, presents it as a fiction that speaks a number of facts ◦ HISTORIOGRAPHIC META-FICTION ◦ Work of fiction that talks about true facts • p.69 → about mirrors, Hamlet defines the acting as mirror, actors should presents actual mirror of the word, Rushdie says he can only reflects what is happening over there, can only give pieces of reality and not the big picture • No longer pretends to only reflects reality perfectly • Irony ◦ Sometimes very light, but not the case in Shame which is very comic ◦ Used for satirical purposes in Shame ◦ Define irony → say something while meaning something else, expect the person in front if you to understand ◦ p.69 → form of irony because say he won’t talk about something and then he does = APOPHASIS, way of denying saying what he was saying • Intertextuality ◦ Refer to another text (implicit or explicit) ◦ Several in Shame

▪ Omar’s name is same as a poet who lived in Persia, translated in English by Edward Fitzgerald, then became known in the West • Created a weird triangle ◦ It resorts to a genre more than a specific writer or work ▪ Ref to tragedy • Greek or Elizabethan tragedy • Why Shakespeare? 3 mothers seen as 3 witches from Mc Beth / Iskander and Raza as Julius Caesar and Brutus • Theme of revenge everywhere in Shakespeare and Rushdie, almost to the point it becomes ridiculous ▪ Ref to fairy tale • Story of Sufiya based on “The beauty and the Beast” • Alibaba and the 40 thieves • p.158 → Interpretation given to the narrator: patriocal reading of the tale, young women should learn to love their husband even in arranged marriage Chapter 7, p.138-139: When is this in the book? So far, novel has been following story of main characters (Raza, Iskander & Omar) Raza & Bilquis has a daughter Sufiya, born after 1st child died Called “wrong miracle” because is a girl and not a boy → Shame of being female Gets fever when very young and becomes “mentally retarded” → mind of a very young child Has a sister “Good News” Naveed Iskander has a mistress called Pinkie Aurangzeb Moment when something bizarre happens Sufiya becomes predominant character, does something incomprehensible Becomes much stronger than supposed to be Coincides with “Beauty and the Beast” seen last week p.133-135 → “Once upon a time” Mother’s shame → Bilquis’ affair, may be Sufiya’s father Bilquis decides that she’s been punished for having had an affair in her daughter’s illness What happens? Family finds Sufiya surrounded by the turkeys’ corpses Provokes laugh, it’s absurd to find a little girl in the middle of a battle field But describe ridiculously But not a joke, some force is being liberated & embodied in Sufiya The act itself, the turning point is not describes → ellipse Discovers afterwards what happened Various kind of responses you can have to this Shift in the story and shift of narrative regime What has a political story becomes a kind of a rewriting of a fairy tail “The best inside the beauty” Showing that if projects shame on someone else, shame is going to come back at some point Going to have consequences Scene seen in horror films Almost become a joke Strategy of the ellipse Narrative strategies Scene of Sufiya’s assault isn’t describe Narrative breaks off

p.137 → Sufiya goes to bed Then we discover what is happening No one, not even Sufiya knows what happened People discovers and tries to make sense of the scene They are all speculating “She must have been sleepwalking” Shahbanou first discovers that she is not in her bed “miracle” → ironic, here is what she did and not her herself Mysterious because soldiers everywhere and didn’t noticed it → something supernatural and unexplained “miracle” given as an explanation Shahbanou describes as simple woman, she blames the wind and narrator is doubtful He thinks it’s Sufiya, says it’s not a good explanation but doesn’t give another one Witnesses arrives → they are choked, so surprised, gaping = incomprehension Trying to make sense of something that will never make sense Narrator thinks it’s Sufiya herself → because only source of information, first time Sufiya is source of power = major shift; 1st time female character is source of power in the novel Verb active → “She had discovered...” p.139 “Path that links sharam to violence” → don’t mess with the people who you think will never respond because they do Moment when humiliation is turned into violence Fact that she has nothing to say, no one asks her, allows everyone else to speculate and to give a hypothesis She has created this horrible spectacle What is revealed to us? Scene of horror and violence Kind of like horror film → over-kill (too much, excess) Strategy used → suspense, mystery, vocabulary (dead birds rotting), idea that the innocent child is the monster Sufiya describes as innocent, stats with close-up on her, then gets back and we see she is surrounded by dead turkeys “Corpses” → humanize the turkeys, even more violent, suggests she is likely to kill humans next, humans became animals and animals became humans, like a battlefield but there is only one person who did it Image is made even more repulsive with the mention of her modus operandi → torn off heads and took their guts out by the neck Why turkeys? Vulnerable because can’t fly, not the most noble animal, quite silly, → absurd Detail of evisceration creates a kind of impossibly disgusting image Narrator uses elevated rhetoric, as is talking about epic battles → going to die anyway, bound to the ovens, crashed to ridiculousness “Ice-hot” → kind of cosmic disorder, everything goes wrong, dimension of something epic Ridiculousness → ayah’s response, she thinks about the wind and started to “ullulate” no...