Music, History and the Human Psyche: A Critique of Salman Rushdie’s The Ground Beneath Her Feet

Abstract

Culture and its ramifications, since time immemorial, have been hot seats of debates and negotiations. The myriad nuances which are associated with any culture for that matter glaringly and very rightly finds true expression in various kinds of fiction. Salman Rushdie has always emerged as one of the notable writers who is known for the enticing yet subtle amalgamation of different genres of writing in his so called “cult” pieces of artistic creation. Talking about a cult text, what better can fit in than the ever-popular The Ground Beneath Her Feet which makes one glued to the seat. Starting from the elements of history to the pivotal roles played by different songs and musical notes, the novel encapsulates them, thereby making the text a rich hotchpotch of schemas. However, what elevates the oeuvre of the piece is the inherent dealings with the psychological traits of human beings. This paper is an attempt to bring in the attributes of history and music to the forefront without neglecting the attributes of the human psyche. It also efforts to portray how distorted an individual can turn out to be with an improper psychological state of mind.