A 1996 Commencement Speech
-Salman
Rushdie
About the Author
Salman Rushdie (1947-) was born in India. He is a
British-Indian novelist and essayist. He is popularly known for his second
novel, "Midnight's Children (1981), and his fourth novel, "The
Satanic Verses (1988). His style is mostly based on magical realism and
historical reality. Most of his works are about diasporic, imaginary
homelands, connection, disruption, and migration between the people from the
East and the West. He is also one of the influential post-colonial critics.
Summary
Salman Rushdie, as an Indian writer, shares his bitter
experience with his students at Bard College, in the USA, during the Commencement
Speech on Graduation Day. Rushdie was invited to deliver the 1996
Commencement Speech at Bard College. Rushdie addresses the members of the class
of 1996. He criticizes himself and Cambridge University and shares his
bitter experience of his own Graduation Day of 1968 with his students, and also
regrets compromising with falsehood and injustice in the past
In 1968, Rushdie graduated from Cambridge University,
the year of great student protests. He was associated with the protest,
although he was not involved in the protest himself. Just a few days before
Graduation Day, some of his friends threw a bucketful of thick brown gravy and
onion sauce all over the walls, furniture, clothes, and recorder in the absence
of Rushdie.
Rushdie was accused of such work and declared to be
disqualified from the degree. The condition was that unless he submitted the
report of the incident, he would not be declared eligible for his degree. So, he
says, although Cambridge University prides itself on the tradition of fairness
and justice, it solely accused him of the mischief and made him pay up.
On Commencement Day, Rushdie went to the ceremony with
brown shoes, which were not allowed. He was immediately held and sent back to
alter his shoes. Rushdie altered his shoes and returned a few minutes later. He
decided to surrender in the face of injustice. Rushdie paid up for the damage and
compromised with injustice. Rushdie bowed his head to the feet of the
Vice-Chancellor.
There were no other options left for him. He followed
and did whatever they told him because the degree he was going to receive was
the product of his hard work. He accepted slavery and autocracy. In the end, he
achieved his B.A. Degree from Cambridge University.
In 1996, Rushdie, as a Commencement Speaker, addressed
the graduating students and shared all his experiences with them. He
tells them not to accommodate injustice and not to bow their head to have their
rights. He advises that they should not tolerate it if people accuse them of abuse
when they are innocent. He urges them to stand up and fight for their rights
and justice.
We have nothing good to learn from God. The men and
women have made the world. They have made it despite their gods. Human beings
have best expressed their humanity by going against the gods. The gods are
weakened by their show of strength, whereas human beings grow stronger even if
they are destroyed. Human beings can be happy, creative, competitive, and
loving, too. Finally, Rushdie suggests that "We human beings must not bow
our heads; rather, we must ignore the gods."
Selected Question-Answers from A 1996 Commencement Speech
Rushdie says that the Colleges of
Cambridge pride themselves on the "ancient tradition of fairness and
justice." Does he mean what he says or is he being sarcastic? Please
explain your answer.
Rushdie says that the Colleges of Cambridge pride
themselves on the ancient tradition of fairness and justice. In fact, he is
being sarcastic about the traditional system of college administration,
organizing commencement days, and distributing certificates. Rushdie had to pay
the college for somebody else's mistreatment in his room, so he was punished
for not wearing the right shoes and would be disqualified for the degree if he
had not accepted such injustice.
It is the truth that Rushdie credits his experiences
at Cambridge University more than he credits his degree in history. He says,
"Throughout my life, no one has ever asked me what kind of degree I got or
even if I've got one at all. I've to say it's been useless." Rushdie
regrets compromising with falsehood and injustice in the past. He supplicates, bowing his head to the fact of injustice just for achieving a B. A. Degree.
Therefore, he suggests his students never bow their heads before falsehood,
injustice, unfairness, slavery, and autocracy.
What does Rushdie mean when he says that
"Defiance is an inevitable and essential aspect of what we call
freedom?" Do you agree with him? Have you ever defied anyone? If so,
please recount that specific episode from your own life.
I partly agree with Rushdie on defiance as an
inevitable and essential aspect of what we call freedom. Freedom begins with an
act of defiance. We need defiance to enjoy our rights and freedom. We should
defy those who suppress us and force us to comply with injustice. We should
never bow our heads before falsehood, injustice, unfairness, slavery, and
autocracy. Similarly, we should defy God to create love, creativity, and
humanity.
On the other hand, defiance of all the orders, rules,
and regulations of the organization results in anarchy and chaos. Therefore, we
must respect and obey certain rules, laws, and systems that are for all common
people,
I have had a bitter experience in my life when I bowed
my head in front of injustice and the conservative system of the society when I
was studying at the +2 level. I had a good relationship and love with Susmita, my
classmate who was from a lower caste. As we were classmates, we used to go to and
return from college together. On holidays, I used to go to her house, where all
her family members used to love me a lot. I was so pleased with them. One day I
invited her to come to my house, but my family members and society ignored and
criticized our relationship. Later, I was forced to leave that college and join
another college just because of caste discrimination.
Despite his scathing criticisms of
Cambridge and himself, is Rushdie bitter or grateful for the education he
received at Cambridge? Please support your answer with specific passages from
the text.
During his Commencement Speech on the occasion of
Graduation Day at Bard College, the USA, in 1996, Rushdie expresses scathing
criticism of Cambridge Colleges and his own passivity in the face of unfairness and
injustice. He makes a bitter satire against the college run by the traditional
system, injustice, autocracy, and slavery. He inspires his students never to accept injustice and autocracy, but to fight for their own rights and
freedom
However, Rushdie is very much grateful for the
education he received from Cambridge University. He says, "Cambridge
University, where I was so happy for three marvelous years, and room which I
gained so much...." He says that we learn to be tolerant and open to new
ideas. The experiences he received from Cambridge University are more useful
and important. Finally, Rushdie appreciates his experiences more than his
Degree from Cambridge University in history.