Storytelling Quote by Salman Rushdie
““But despite these signs of ill-omen, the city was poised, with a new myth glinting in the corners of its eyes. August in Bombay: a month of festivals, the month of Krishna's birthday and Coconut Day; and this year - fourteen hours to go, thirteen, twelve - there was an extra festival on the calendar because a nation which had never previously existed was about to win its freedom, catapulting into a world which, although it had five thousand years of history, although it had invented the game of chess and traded with Middle Kingdom Egypt, was nevertheless quite imaginary; into a mythical land, a country which would never exist except by the efforts of phenomenal collective will - except in a dream we all agreed to dream; it was a mass fantasy shared in varying degrees by Bengali and Punjabi, Madrasi and Jat, and would periodically need the satisfaction and renewal which can only be provided by rituals of blood. India, the new myth - a collective fiction in which everything was possible, a fable rivaled only by the two other mighty fantasies: money and God.””
About This Quote
Source Novel: Midnight’s Children, 1981
A new nation’s birth is imagined as a collective myth, intertwining history, culture, and fantasy, driven by shared belief and ritual.
In simple terms: Nation building as a shared myth.
Key Takeaway
Embrace collective belief to shape identity.
Themes
identity
myth
nationalism
culture
ritual
Mood
reflective
hopeful
Type
literary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- political rallies
- cultural festivals
- nation‑building campaigns
Key Concepts
collective imagination
historical narrative
political mythmaking
Questions to Reflect On
- What role do myths play in uniting societies?
- How can myths be balanced with reality?
A Different Perspective
Myths can obscure practical challenges and dissent.
