Abuse Of Power In Midnight's Children

The Hour of Power “What I fear most is power with impunity. I fear abuse of power, and the power of abuse”- Isabel Allende.

In the book Midnight’s Children, written by Salman Rushdie, the misuse of power is abundantly visible as in India, where the story originates from, is a patriarchal country that remains governed by male dominance. Examining the story through the theoretical psychoanalytic lens, which is the why and how people act the way they do, it is evident that characters in the story behave a certain due to the amount of power they behold. The author utilizes the term “psychobiography”, which is used to analyze his/her life, and the use of text, which is used in order to analyze narrative elements such as symbolism and the role

Ahmed and Amina, husband and wife, are inflicted with power dynamics in a relationship as Ahmed’s misuse of his authority in his family results in his relationship with his family to be destroyed. To explain, the mother of Amina gives suggestions to her as she says, “Go from him; go today, and take your children, whatsitsname, away from these oaths which he spews from his lips like an animal, whatsitsname, of the gutter” (Rushdie 324). Ahmed’s reluctant behaviour towards his wife is being caused by the misuse of power he has over Amina. This misuse of power abiliterates Ahmed and Amina’s relationship as his words result in wrongful events and displays how relationships can be broken by misuse of power as Amina leaves her husband due to his abuse. Furthermore, the relationship between Saleem and Shiva, two children that have opposite mindsets and views, has been negatively impacted by power as Saleem uses his power and banishes Shiva from the conference. To explain, while Saleem is dismissing Shiva from the conference he says, “I resolved that my destructive, violent alter ego should never again enger the increasingly fractious councils of the Midnight’s Children Conference” (Rushdie 323). Saleem misuses his power over the Midnight’s Children Conference and without the knowledge of anyone else in the council he banishes Shiva from future meetings. Thus, this eventually results in the destruction of the conference, but also the relationship between Shiva and Saleem is drastically affected. Power does not only affect important aspects of characters lives, power can directly impact an individual’s social