The Prophet’s Hair

By Salman Rushide

Presented by Daphne, April, Hector & Yvonne

Salman Rushdie 魯西迪 Born Ahmed Salman Rushdie o

n June 19, 1947, in Bombay India, now living in NYC.

Cathedral and John Connon School in MumbaiRugby School in Warwickshire then King's College, Cambridge in England.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SalmanRushdi2.jpg

Married for the fourth time to an Indian model and actress— Padma Lakshmi.

Salman Rushdie

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/fashion/weddings/25VOWS.html?ex=1398225600&en=74f2b7b35010f09c&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND

http://www.askmen.com/women/models_200/224_padma_lakshmi.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_subcontinent

an author, novelist, essayist and sometime critic

narrative style, blending myth and fantasy with real life, has been described as magical realism magical realism: literary genre in

which magical elements appear in an otherwise realistic setting

Salman Rushdie 魯西迪

Grimus (1979)

Midnight’s Children (1981)

The Satanic Verses (1988)— best known criticized book

Rushdie’s Works

Midnight’s Children (1981) 《午夜之子》

loose allegory for the events in India after the independence and partition of India, which took place at midnight on 15 August 1947

a major milestone in Indian writing.

won the 1981 Booker Prize later awarded the 'Booker of

Bookers' Prize in 1993 - being the best novel to be awarded the Booker Prize in its first 25 years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight%27s_Children

The Satantic Verses (1988) 《魔鬼的詩篇》

caused much controversy many Muslims considered that

it contained blasphemous references

India was the first country to ban this book

Supreme Leader of Iran, then issued a fatwa which called for the death of Rushdie

the book gained great critical acclaim

Fatwa was lifted in 1998, but his life is still in constant threat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Satanic_Verses_%28novel%29

The Prophet’s Hair (1981)

invokes the Prophet un-controversially in early works

“The Prophet’s Hair” is at once a moral fable in the tradition of The Thousand and One Nights.

Summary

“The Prophet’s Hair” is based on story of the theft of the Prophet’s hair. Miraculous but also disastrous events befall whoever comes into contact with it. Hashim found the stolen hair, but he didn’t return it. Under its influence, Hashim becomes a religious hypocrite from a secular person. His son, Atta, tries to return the hair back to Mosque, but fails.

Summary His sister, Huma decides that the relic will have

to be stolen by hiring a thief; then they are able to get out of the curse of it. At the end of story, Hashim accidentally kills his own daughter. The thief is hunted and shot by the police, but the thief’s four crippled sons and blind wife have miraculously been cured by their contact with the relic.

Characters

Hashim self-satisfied hypocrite “… he was not a godly man he set great stor

e by ‘living honorably in the world.’ … ‘to teach these people the value of money; let them only learn that, and they will be cured of this fever of borrowing borrowing all the time …’” (2845)

Characters

Hashim self-satisfied hypocrite prides himself on inculcating “the virtues o

f thrift, plain dealing and a healthy independence of spirit.” (2846 L1)

“… the Prophet would have disapproved mightily of this relic-worship. … I see it purely as a secular object of great rarity and blinding beauty.” (2846-47)

Characters

Hashim intolerant and violent religious fanatic “… the moneylender looked swollen,

distended. His eyes bulged even more than they always had, ...” (2847)

“… he had filled up with some spectral fluid which might at any moment ooze uncontrollably from his every bodily opening.” (2847)

Characters

Hashim intolerant and violent religious fanatic

carelessly destroyed the harmony in the family. (2847)

setting fire to books, except Qur’an. (2848) punish debtors who are not able to pay inter

est of installment. (2848)

Characters

Atta Huma –smart, careful, cool, bravedesperate Atta and Huma’s mom – go insane The burglar - sin - disadvantaged people in the society - crippling his children to ensure their lives with

sympathy from society (2850)

Genre

1. Parable 2. Magical Realism3. Parable: to check human desire & follow natural ca

use

Magical Realism

2 conflicting perspectives:1) based on a rational view of reality2) acceptance of the supernatural as

mundane reality

set in a normal, modern world with authentic descriptions of humans and society 

Theme

To mock at idol worship religion: a powerful tool in the hands of rulers

Superstition-- deities or objects: Similar to Dh Tyuo (舍利子 ), Matsu palanquin (媽祖神轎 )

superstition, extremity

Hazratbal, Mosque

Entrance of the Sacred Relic Chambers

Entrance Door of the Sacred Relic Chambers

Interior View of the Sacred Relic Chambers

Some hairs from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad

Ironies What Hashim says and what he does are

opposite.

He likes to say that he sets great store by living honorably in the world (2845, par 2 from the bottom)

He desires the silver vial more than the hair. (2846 last par )

Symbols– The Prophet Hair the sacred image of the Prophet

Muhammad

a religious relic— sacred image of the Prophet Muhammad(2846 par 5~6)

secular object— the relocation of the relic changes the hair's meaning(2846 last par).

Symbols– Hair as a human heart

the desire of human beings

the great rarity of beauty

the truth of inner parts of human beings (2847 par 5~end)

Recognition

Atta reveals the truth of possessing the relic. (2849 par 2)

Huma realizes the dilemma because of the hair. (2849 par 5 from the bottom)

Climax

While the thief, Sin, was approaching Hashim, Atta started to scream wildly. (2851 par 5-6)

The catastrophe of Hashim’s family (2851 last par)

Ending mixed with irony

Sheikh Sin’s doom (2852 par 4)

The four sons’ fury (2852 par 2 from the bottom)

The regained sight of Sheikh’s widow (2852 last par)

Questions

Why did the relic play such a significant part in Hashim's life?

What did Atta die for? Why did Huma want to hire a thief to

steal the hair? Point out the symbolic meaning of the

hair. If you were Hashim, would you return

the Prophet's Hair? Why or why not?

Works Cited “Against Nostalgia: Rushdie's ‘The Prophet's Hair’.” 12 May 2006 <

http://www.wwnorton.com/nrl/english/nael72/Period3Twentieth/CourseSessions3/PostModernRushdie.html>.

Henderson, Stephen. “VOWS: Padma Lakshmi and Salman Rushdie.” Fashion & Style. 25 April 2004. The New York Times Company. 15 May 2006 <http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/25/fashion/weddings/25VOWS.html?ex=1398225600&en=74f2b7b35010f09c&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND>.

“Indian Subcontinent." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 13 May 2004, 21:22 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation. 15 May 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_subcontinent>.

Liu, Cecilia H. C. Modern/Postmodern English Literature: “The Prophet’s Hair.” 7 May 2006 <http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/iacd_2003S/c_pm_lit/prophethair.htm>.

“Midnight’s Children." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 27 Apr. 2006, 20:16 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation. 15 May. 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midnight%27s_Children>.

Moore, Landsay. “Magical Realism.” Magical Realism. Fall 1998. 16 May 2006 <http://www.english.emory.edu/Bahri/MagicalRealism.html>.

“Padama Lakshmi.” Model of the Week. IGN Entertainment. 15 May 2006. <http://www.askmen.com/women/models_200/224_padma_lakshmi.html>.

Rushdie, Salman. “The Prophet’s Hair.” The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M. H. Abrams, et al. 7th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2000. 2843-52.

“Salman Rushdie.” 12 May 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SalmanRushdi2.jpg>.

“The Satantic Verse." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 12 May. 2006, 02:53 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation. 15 May. 2006 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Satanic_Verses_%28novel%29>.

Works Cited