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Introduction
The story written by Salman Rushdie focuses on the theft of Prophet Muhammad’s Hair, a powerful relic that could offer its possessor a blessing or a curse. Most of the story illustrates the horrible consequences that Huma’s family faced when the head of the family and Huma’s father, Hashim, decided to keep the relic to himself. Despite its fictional plot and fairytale-resembling character, the story features an exceptional approach to the theme of religious fanaticism. Rushdie draws a parallel between the theme of religious fanaticism and being possessed by a curse of an object with religious value.
Main body
First, the story emphasizes how religious fanaticism could lead individuals to self-denial to the point of development of an entirely new persona. The main activity of Huma’s father was money lending, implying his intelligence and thoughtfulness. Moreover, the author emphasizes how the character explains that his income is geared towards educating other people about the value of money and curing them of the “fever of borrowing” (Rushdie 3).
However, when the character becomes possessed by the Prophet’s hair, he tries to attack the moneylenders who remind him about the “Quran’s strictures against usury” (Rushdie 4). The passage emphasizes how religious fanaticism blocks an individual’s self-perception with imposed beliefs. Thus, when people affected by religious fanaticism are reminded about their previous deeds or the true nature of their activities, they express aggression.
In addition to the self-denial aspect of religious fanaticism, the story also conveys the idea of what happens to families of religious fanatics. Rushdie’s piece presents a rather dramatic view of the possible consequences of religious fanaticism in one family, where the only surviving family member is left deranged. However, the story also features a moment in which Hashim humiliated all family members and confessed to adultery, affected by the relic’s curse, implying that religious beliefs could negatively affect family connections.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this essay explored the theme of religious fanaticism in Rushdie’s story The Prophet’s Hair and how the author approached the topic in his work. The author draws a parallel between being affected by religious beliefs and being possessed by a curse of an ancient relic. Two major aspects of religious fanaticism addressed by the author in his work are self-denial and negative consequences for family connections.
Work Cited
Rushdie, S. “The Prophet’s Hair.” London review of Books, vol. 3, no. 7, 1981. Web.
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