Hashim's Greedy Tragedy

            Every week night from eleven to twelve o’clock I get my dose of political satire from Comedy Central’s, John Stewart and Stephen Colbert. I really enjoy the clever way these two men ridicule politicians, news outlets, and their guess.  I find it quite amusing when you see a head political leader being denounced and made a fool of in front of millions by a very smart and sarcastic interviewer.  When I started reading, Salman Rushdie’s novel, East, West I became very aware of the abundance of satire that the author incorporates in his work.

            In the short story, The Prophet’s Hair, there are numerous examples of satire on many levels. The character Hashim, who is the father and moneylender, displays many different types of satire.  He tries to convince himself that he is a good and virtuous man but in reality he is a very greedy man.  Hashim charges a ridiculous interests rate of seventy percent to his borrowers. Seventy percent interest is unheard of, but he feels he is justified to charge such a rate. Hashim says he does it, “to teach these people the value of money; let them only learn that, and they will be cured of this fever of borrowing borrowing all the time- so you see that if my plan succeeds, I shall put myself out of business”(41).  Hashim tries to come off as this virtuous man that is trying to help people but what he really wants is their money.  For example, Hashim hires thugs to threaten and collect from his borrowers.  He even whips and stabs two of his borrowers as well. This seems a little off character for a good man like Hashim.

            Along with being a greedy man, Hashim is also a hypocrite.  For example, “Hashim’s duty as a citizen was clear: the hair must be restored to its shrine, and the state to equanimity and peace. But the moneylender had a different notion. All around him in his study was the evidence of his collector’s mania” (43).  He knows that the right thing to do is return the Prophets Hair, but his greed will not let him. All the material items he has acquired further show his greed. The more time he spends with the relic the more he becomes consumed by it.  Out of reaction, he starts making his family pray and read the Qur’an.  He even burns all the books in the house except for the Qur’an. 

            While Hashim is trying to instill morality and religion in his family, he is doing the exact opposite.  He covets the relics, which is not a very religious thing to do and at the same time morally breaks down the rest of his family.  Hashim’s greed and lust for the Prophets Hair ironically destroys his family and his self.