Midnight's Children is the story of Saleem Sinai, the thirty-year old narrator of the novel. Born at midnight on August 15, 1947, the moment of India's independence, Saleem's story has representative significance, for his birth and upbringing are meant to parallel that of India. The novel, however, encompasses over one hundred years of Indian history, since Saleem feels that his begetting is as much a part of his story as is his birth. The novel covers different periods of Indian history, such as the era of British rule, the struggle for independence, partition, the progress of the two nations of India and Pakistan, Indo-Pakistani wars, the creation of Bangladesh, and Indian politics in the 1970s.

Saleem narrates his story to Padma, a girl who works in a pickle factory and is in love with him. Although autobiographical in mode, the novel partakes of the fantastic, for it is...