Anticipation Of Democracy And Pluralism: A Textual Analysis Of The Parody In Midnight's Children

Midnight's Children is the masterpiece of British-Indian writer,Salman Rushdie.By depicting the changes of the protagonist's life,the novel mirrors the hardships encountered by Indian people during India's transition from a British colony to a modern state of democracy.After reviewing the previous studies about Midnight's Children at home and abroad,the thesis shows the research gap that few people have concentrated on the technique “parody.” Hence,the research adopts the “parody theory,” especially her “double-coded politics,” put forward by Canadian theorist Linda Hutcheon,and Jacques Derrida's deconstruction to analyze the employment of parody technique in Midnight's Children.By analyzing parody technique from three perspectives: parody of figures,including the narrator Saleem Sinai,and other characters;parody of history,including historical events,and history itself;and parody of narrative technique,including non-linear narrative and adoption of the structure of Arabian Nights,the thesis attempts to uncover the question of totalization,deconstruction of binary opposition,and the constructiveness of history.With the playfulness and deconstruction of postmodern parody,Rushdie not only depicts the difficulties that Indian people have gone through in the process of democracy,but also indicates his anticipation of India's future with democracy,diversity,and pluralism.