The difficulty of overcoming life struggles

Mitchell Genereaux

Mr. Allin

December 16th 2013

ENG3U
 Overcoming tough struggles in life helps shape who we are and also who we become.

Comparing the novel Midnights Children by Salman Rushdie and Gandhi by Bhikhu Parekh

displays how when you overcome even the toughest of lifes struggles it makes you stronger as

an individual. Some struggles that were overcame during the time of when both these novels

took place which was the time period of the late 1800s to the mid 1900s were independence,

living in a violent society and also the struggle of poverty in India that caused great pain to

everyone during this time.

In India there were struggles for many but one that is more seen for than others is the

struggle that was overcome to become an independent nation. It wasnt until August 15th, 1947

that India became an independent country. Mahatma Gandhi was the preeminent leader and

freedom fighter who led India to become an independent nation. He said Consciously or

unconsciously, every one of us does render some service or other. If we cultivate the habit of

doing the service deliberately, our desire for service will steadily grow stronger, and will make,

not only for our own happiness, but that of the world at large (Gandhi 55). In this he is talking

about how if everyone in India tried harder and did more services under habit and not force then

it will help not only them but the whole world at a large and this explains how he lead them to

independence by being more independent and fighting for what they want which is freedom then

if they just tried harder they could accomplish just so. Perhaps, if one wishes to remain an

individual in the midst of the teeming multitudes, one must make oneself grotesque. (Rushdie

147). In this the young girl Alia is talking about how individualism is so rare now and that it is

hard to find within people. Although this book took place directly after the time of India becoming

an independent nation this shows how Mahatma Gandhi showed independence within himself

and proved to others he was a leader because of his qualities that many did not posses like

individualism and being able to take on such a role and fight for not only his freedom but the

freedom of his nation. Gandhi said Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the
freedom to make mistakes. (Gandhi 26). Here Gandhi is displaying how he doesnt just want

fake freedom where everything seems easier he wants true freedom, the freedom that lets you

control how you live your own life. He fought for his freedom with passion and not the brutal

violent way.

Mahatma Gandhi didnt fight with violence and is known for the philosophy of

nonviolence pacifism, but it was how many people tried to settle things back then and Gandhi

was against violence and created a movement to stop it all. He dreamed of a nonviolent society

and thanks to his help thats what India became after becoming independent. during 1971, ten

million refugees fled across the borders of East Pakistan-Bangladesh into Indiabut ten million

(like all numbers larger than one thousand and one) refuses to be understood. (Rushdie 349).

In this quote the person describing it, Saleem, Is working now for the Pakistanian army and

finds himself wrongly aiding to a violent repression of the Bangladesh independence movement.

Doing what he found was hurting the society all along which was creating violence. He does

wrong and realizes how a violent society creates nothing but pain and misfortune. Gandhi says

I cannot teach you violence, as I do not myself believe in it. I can only teach you not to bow

your heads before any one even at the cost of your life. (Gandhi 117). This shows how a violent

society creates a struggle for India in its times before it was a independent nation and Gandhi

solved the problem by using his actions without the acts of violence. Gandhi displays how

violence is not something he condemns and instead he actually truly despites it and where as

some people ultimately chose violence as the answer to everything and as a first solution,

Gandhi will however teach you to fight for freedom without violence and by simply using your

actions and voice. I object to violence because when it appears to do good, the good is only

temporary; the evil it does is permanent. (Gandhi). Gandhi explains here that he is against

violence because yes, it may temporarily solve the problem or dispute but the long term effects

like someones death is much more crucial and worse than the outcome of the violence. The
violence also led to those being greedy which led to great poverty in India while the fight for

freedom was occurring.

Poverty in India is a major complication and is still occurring as of today just much less.

Gandhi led many campaigns in his fight for freedom while he was the preeminent leader, one of

which he began to ease poverty in India as it was such a large issue for the times of before and

even still after India became independent which was displayed as the Alia (daughter) and Vanita

(mother) in Midnights Children as they starved for a week due to lack of produce and food.

Midnight has many children; the offspring of Independence were not all human. Violence,

corruption, poverty, generals, chaos, greed, and pepperpots. I had to go into exile to learn that

the children of midnight were more varied than Ieven Ihad dreamed. (Rushdie 333). This

displays the disasters going on to these children of who were all born at midnight when India

was declared an independent nation. These children has to suffer through poverty, violence,

chaos and more and suffering through poverty is one of the big things Gandhi fought for and

these children were born just before his death on Janurary 30th 1948 which is disappointing to

them as he was such a great leader. Gandhi said Poverty is the worst form of

violence. (Gandhi). By this Gandhi meant that poverty isnt actual physical violence but instead

a much worse kind, its much worse because of the consequences and deaths it causes are as

much as the violence did at that time except it wasnt caused to harm it was just simply because

India was fighting for freedom and was too busy with that and wasnt able to keep enough

goods and services for everyone. Gandhi also was very religious and explained how poverty

affected the kids views on god. There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot

appear to them except in the form of bread. (Gandhi 96) This he is speaking of people so

hungry that they forget about their religion and God and they just vision of bread because they

are that hungry and havent ate in days. Its sad and Gandhi ran a campaign to stop poverty

because he feels it is worse than violence because it is harming those who are defenceless.
Poverty in India has caused a great deal of distress and during that time period of the late

1800s to the mid-late 1900s more than others. Its a tough life struggle to get over and conquer

but Gandhi went through and tried to slow it down at least and help the cause.

Overcoming life struggles in life helps define us as who we are. Showing how both

Gandhi and the children in the novel Midnights Children overcame the toughest of life struggles

such as fighting for independence which takes a strong personality with a strong sense of

individuality, the struggle of living in a violent society and through the times of absolute chaos

and also living through poverty and going weeks without food and battling through the tough

times. All of these define who you become as a person and describe how life struggles help

shape who you are and overcoming them makes you stronger in more ways than one.
 Bibliography:

Rushdie, Salman. Midnight's children: a novel. New York: Knopf, 19811980.

Print.

Parekh, Bhikhu C.. Gandhi a very short introduction. Oxford: Oxford University

Press, 2001. Print.