A 1996 Commencement Speech (Four Levels) Flax Golden Tales:

 

Literal Comprehension

This is a commencement speech delivered by Salman Rushdie during graduation day of Bard College graduates students. Rushdie was happy due to two main reasons; firstly, he was accepted by the students for key speaker after rejecting to Jean Kirkpatrick, secondly all of the people were listening to him very interestingly. During the speech, he shared his own experience of graduation day when he graduated from Cambridge University in 1968. In the speech, he shared his bitter experiences as his room was damaged with a bucket of gravy and onion sauce. Though the mistake was not done by himself, he was imposed to pay the fine of the damage. He paid the compensation before the graduation day because without paying it, he was not eligible to take part in the program. There is next evidence also it is about brown shoes. During his graduation day, he was marching with brown shoes due to which he was plucked out and imposed to have black ones. There, Rushdie bowed his head at the feet of vice-counsellor. These three grate mistakes of accepting injustice in order to receive graduation certificates made him sad, felt guilty at present so that he says two students not to accept injustice, not to obey even to God in some cases. Do not lose humanity and dignity. He suggested to entire youngsters to be joyous, adventurous, creative, demanding and competitive. He also advised not to bow-head, defy God and be guided by his own nature. At last, he concluded his speech with best wishes and congratulations.

Interpretation

Salman Rushdie is trying to motivate graduate students for social justice, personal freedom, rights and democracy. He realized his mistake as he accepted injustice in his student life and here he suggested to the students for not to accept injustice and not to surrender in front of inhumanity.  

Critical Thinking

Rushdie convince us to fight for freedom and to oppose injustice but, some statement lead us to think critically.

·        Is it possible to go against God because God does not exist here,

·         He inspires us to do anything with his own attitude and nature but is it possible to cross the boundaries of social norms and values all the time?

·        While talking about personal freedom, adventure and joy, can we go in against our own parents, teachers and law?

Assimilation 

While Rushdie was talking about the student movement, I remember people’s mass movements-II (2062/63). During the time, I was young enough but I still remember something and realize that people were fighting for justice and democracy although police were dominating, firing and beating too. Ultimately, people achieved their goal of freedom in Nepal.