Imaginary Homelands is a collection of Essay written by Famous author, Salman Rushdie. The main theme of essay, “Imaginary Homelands” is Identity and Belonging. The essay was originally published in 1991.
Imaginary Homelands By Salman Rushdie
Summary of Imaginary Homelands By Salam Rushdie
Salman Rushdie wrote Imaginary Homelands when he was living in England. There is a photograph of Home in Salman’s room. That Photograph is a picture of House which was maybe built in 1946. The writer say, house was built when he was not even born. The Picture’s home remind author about his home. The Picture reminds me that the country I’m living in is a foreign country for me.
The writer say, few years ago I went to Bombay, a city of India which is part of my past life. As soon as I reach Bombay, I take out telephone dictionary to check if my name and number is still in it or not. It shocked me that telephone dictionary still has my home address along with my name and number.
I was feeling as if telephone dictionary is telling me that you are still part of India. Thereafter, I went to see my room’s picture’s home. I went to that home and watched it from outside only as I did not have the courage to look it from inside. I wanted to see the home from inside but couldn’t see it.
Before writing Imaginary Homelands, Salman Rushdie wrote Midnight’s Children. The writer has given lots of reference in Imaginary Homelands about his book Midnight’s Children. If you have read Midnight’s Children where author has clearly mentioned that Midnight’s Children is perfect for Indian environment.
Salman Rushdie, who is living as an Immigrant in England has sense of loss in his heart. An immigrant like Salman Rushdie fulfill that loss by using their memories and creating imaginary homeland in their mind.
When author started writing his novel, Midnight Children, for many months I kept remembering how Bombay was look like in 1950s and 1960s. Not just Bombay, I also remember Kashmir, Aligarh, Agra and Taj Mahal. I was shocked, how I remember all these things in detail. The writer is not just giving reference of his book, Midnight Children, he also talk about other work which follows DIASPHORA theme.
The writer say, I wrote novel by remembering little-little parts from my memories. If you don’t want any political theme in your work or political event then it is not possible to write a novel because politics is also part of work. You can even use your imagination anywhere in your work but politics would come for sure. The writer say, there is a huge difference between official truth and actual truth.
The author say, any immigrant poet whether they live in India, Pakistan or American writer has a full right to write about their culture and country in their novel. You can write anything about your culture in your novel but it should be in imaginative way.