The Prophet ’ s Hair

1. The Prophet’s Hair By Salman Rushide Presented by Daphne, April, Hector & Yvonne

2. Salman Rushdie 魯西迪 • Born Ahmed Salman Rushdie on June 19, 1947, in Bombay India, now living in NYC. • Cathedral and John Connon School in MumbaiRugby School in Warwickshire then King's College, Cambridge in England. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:SalmanRushdi2.jpg

3. 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

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

5. Salman Rushdie 魯西迪 • 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

6. Rushdie’s Works • Grimus (1979) • Midnight’s Children(1981) • The Satanic Verses(1988)— • best known criticized book

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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, Hashimbecomes a religious hypocrite from a secular person. His son, Atta, tries to return the hair back to Mosque, but fails.

11. 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.

12. Characters Hashim • self-satisfied hypocrite • “… he was not a godly man he set great store 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)

13. Characters Hashim • self-satisfied hypocrite • prides himself on inculcating “the virtues of 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)

14. 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)

15. 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 interest of installment. (2848)

16. Characters Atta Huma–smart, careful, cool, brave desperate 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)

17. Genre • Parable • Magical Realism • Parable: to check human desire & follow natural cause

18. Magical Realism • 2 conflicting perspectives: • based on a rational view of reality • acceptance of the supernatural as mundane reality • set in a normal, modern world with authentic descriptions of humans and society

19. Theme • To mock at idol worship religion: a powerful tool in the hands ofrulers • Superstition-- deities or objects: Similar to Dh Tyuo (舍利子), Matsu palanquin (媽祖神轎) • superstition, extremity

20. Hazratbal, Mosque

21. Entrance of the Sacred Relic Chambers

22. Entrance Door of the Sacred Relic Chambers

23. Interior View of the Sacred Relic Chambers

24. Some hairs from the beard of the Prophet Muhammad

25. 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 )

26. 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).

27. 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)

28. 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)

29. 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)

30. 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)

31. 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?

32. 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>.

33. Works Cited • 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>.