A 1996 Commencement Speech summary and four levels
About the Author Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie (1947-) was born in India. He is a
British-Indian novelist and essayist. He is popularly known for his second
novel "Midnight's Children (1981) and the fourth novel "The Satanic
Verses (1988). His style is mostly based on magic realism and historical
reality. Most of his works are about
diasphoric, imaginary homeland, connection, disruption, and migration between
the people from the East and the West. He is also one of the influential
post-colonial critics.
Summary of A 1996 Commencement Speech
Salman Rushdie, as an Indian writer, shares his bitter
experience with his students at the Bard College, the USA on the occasion of
the Commencement Speech on the Graduation Day. Rushdie was invited to Bard
University for the 1996 Commencement Speech Rushdie addresses the members of
the class of 1996. He criticizes himself and the Cambridge University and
shares his bitter experience of his own Graduation Day of 1968 with his
students and also regrets compromising with falsehood and injustice in the past
In 1968, Rushdie graduated from Cambridge University, the
year of great student protest. He was associated with the protest although he
did not involve in the protest himself. Just a few days before the Graduation
Day, some of his friends threw a bucketful of thick brown gravy and onion sauce
all over the walls, furniture, clothes, and recorder in the absence of Rushdie.
Then, Rushdie was accused of such work and declared to be
disqualified for the degree. The condition was that unless he submitted the
report of the incident, he was not declared eligible for his degree. So, he
says although Cambridge University prides itself on the tradition of fairness
and justice, it solely accused him of the mischief and made him pay up.
On Commencement Day, Rushdie went to the ceremony with a
defiant spirit in brown shoes which were not allowed. He was immediately held
and sent back to alter his shoes. Rushdie altered his shoes and returned a few
minutes later. He decided to surrender in front of injustice. Rushdie paid up
for the damage and compromised with injustice. Rushdie bowed his head to the
feet of the Vice-Chancellor.
There were no other options left for him. He followed and did
whatever they told him because the degree he was going to receive was the
product of his three hard works. He accepted slavery and autocracy. In the end,
he achieved his B. A. Degree from Cambridge University.
In 1996, Rushdie as a Commencement Speaker addresses the
graduated students and shared all his experiences with the students. He tells
them not to accommodate injustice and not to bow down their head to have their
nights. He advises that they should not tolerate if people accuse them of
abusing gravy when they are innocent. He urges them to stand up and fight for
their rights and justice.
We have nothing good to learn from God. The men and women
have made the world. They have made it despite their gods. Human beings have
best expressed their humanity by going against the gods. The gods are weakened
by their show of strength whereas human beings grow stronger even if they are
destroyed. Human beings can be happy, creative, competitive, and loving too.
Finally, Rushdie suggests that we human beings must not bow our heads, rather
we must ignore the gods."
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Application of Four Levels of A 1996 Commencement Speech by Salman Rushdie
Literal Comprehension of A 1996 Commencement Speech
In “A
1996 Commencement Speech”, Salman Rushdie shares his bitter experiences of his own
Graduation Day in 1968, Cambridge University USA on the occasion of the
commencement speech on the Graduation Day of students from Bard College in
1996. Rushdie completed his graduation from Cambridge University in 1968. In
1996, he was invited to Bard College as the chief guest speaker on Graduation
Day. Rushdie reveals his own experiences to the students.
A few days before Graduation Day, Rushdie's friends made
something wrong where he was not involved but he was accused of those things.
At last, he had to pay as well as do everything that they told, ordered him. He
had to bow his head in front of the Vice-Chancellor and make the report as well
as accept injustice. He accepted injustice and surrendered everything just to
receive his B. A. Degree. He feels regret looking at his past experiences. He
tells students not to accept injustice, not to bow down their heads for their
rights rather encouraging them to fight for rights and justice.
He also talks about god. God has done nothing good for human
beings. Human beings can love, help, and unite each other in the absence of
God. Humanity exists in the absence of God. So, we must ignore Gods
Interpretation of A 1996 Commencement Speech
A 1996 Commencement Speech is based on the Commencement Speech delivered by
Salman Rushdie in 1996 where he shares his own bitter experience of his own
Graduation Day of 1968 with his students. When he was accused of not permitted
work to be done, though he was innocent, he was declared to be disqualified
unless he submitted all the reports. He accepted the slavery and autocratic
system of Cambridge University just for achieving his B. A. Degree.
He claims that though Cambridge University prides itself on
its fairness and justice, he was made to face such cruel injustice. So, he
tells students not to bow down their heads and accept injustice but rather
encourages them to fight for rights and justice. Similarly, he suggests them to
defy God because there lies in love, help, and humanity in the absence of God.
So, he claims that defiance is an inevitable and essential aspect of freedom
and justice.
Critical Thinking of A 1996 Commencement Speech
A 1996 Commencement Speech by Salman Rushdie is interesting and satirical too. Rushdie suggests that we should never bow our heads to injustice, falsehood, slavery, autocracy, and unfairness. Rather we should always fight for the establishment of justice, freedom and democracy. He also says that we must defy God to bring humanity, unity, and love among all people of the world. However, some ideas in the essay are controversial Is it suitable for the speaker to talk only about his own experience on such a great occasion? What does he want, either pride or sympathy by just expressing his bitter experiences of the past?
Assimilation of A 1996 Commencement Speech
A 1996 Commencement Speech has influenced me a lot. After reading this, I
remember my school age. When I was a student in grade seven, one day I came to
take my exam without dressing the uniform because I was so sick and returned to
house from hospital after a week As I requested all those things that happened
to my class teacher and headmaster, but they did not listen to me rather told
me that I could be expelled by the just cause. Then, I returned to the house
and put on my uniform, and took my exam after half-hour late. I never forget
this incident where I am in
Selected Question-Answers from A 1996 Commencement Speech
Rushdie says that the
Colleges of Cambridge pride themselves on the "ancient tradition of
fairness and justice." Does he mean what he says or is he being sarcastic?
Please explain your answer.
Rushdie says that the Colleges of Cambridge pride themselves
on the ancient tradition of fairness and justice. In fact, he is being
sarcastic about the traditional system of college administration, organizing
commencement days: and distributing certificates Rushdie had to pay the college
for somebody else's mistreatment in his room, so he was punished for not
wearing the right shoes and would be disqualified for the degree if he had not
accepted such injustice.
It is the truth that Rushdie credits his experiences at
Cambridge University more than he credits his degree in history. He says.
"Throughout my life, no one has ever asked me what kind of degree I got or
even if I've got one at all. I've to say it's been useless." Rushdie
regrets compromising with falsehood and injustice in the past. He supplicates
bowing his head to the fact of injustice just for achieving B. A. Degree.
Therefore, he suggests his students never bow their heads before falsehood,
injustice, unfairness, slavery, and autocracy.
What does Rushdie mean
when he says that "Defiance is an inevitable and essential aspect of what
we call freedom?" Do you agree with him? Have you ever defied anyone? If
so, please recount that specific episode from your own lite
I partly agree with Rushdie on defiance as an inevitable and
essential aspect of what we call freedom. Freedom begins with an act of
defiance. We need defiance to enjoy our rights and freedom. We should defy
those who suppress us and force us to comprise with injustice. We should never
bow our heads before falsehood, injustice, unfairness, slavery, and autocracy,
Similarly, we should defy God to create love, creativity, and humanity.
On the other hand, defiance of all the orders, rules, and
regulations, of organization results in anarchy and chaos. Therefore, we must
respect and obey certain rules, laws, and systems which is for all common
people,
I have had a bitter experience in my life when I bowed my
head in front of injustice and the conservative system of the society When I
was studying +2 level. I had a good relationship and love with Susmita, my
classmate who was from Lower Caste. As we were classmates, we used to go and
return from college together. On holidays, I used to go to her house where all
her family members used to love me a lot. I was so pleased with them. One day I
invited her to come to my house, but my family members and society ignored and
criticized our relationship. Later, I was forced to leave that college and join
another college just because of caste discrimination.
Despite his scathing
criticisms of Cambridge and himself, is Rushdie bitter or grateful for the
education he received at Cambridge? Please support your answer with specific
passages from the text.
During his Commencement Speech on the occasion of Graduation
Day at Bard College, the USA in 1996, Rushdie expresses scathing criticism of
Cambridge Colleges and his own passivity upon unfairness and injustice. He
makes a bitter satire against the college run by the traditional system,
injustice, autocracy, and slavery. He inspires his students never accept the
injustice and autocracy but to fight for their own rights and freedom
However, Rushdie is very much grateful for the education he
received from Cambridge University. He says, "Cambridge University, where
I was so happy for three marvelous years, and room which I gained so
much...." He says that we learn to be tolerant and open to new ideas. The
experiences he received from Cambridge University are more useful and
important. Finally, Rushdie appreciates his experiences more than his Degree
from Cambridge University in history.
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