Testing the Limits

You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side, yeah

            For many, there is no other side. Life, as it is, merely ends. But for some, the endless visits from personal demons and internal delusions create an alternative existence. Not only is this existence fill an individual’s daily routine, but it influences an individual’s perception about their future and after life. Many who fight these demons have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, but there are those minds, sparingly, who artistically and creatively balance the universe’s spheres by testing the limits.

In Salman Rushdie’s short story, “The Harmony of the Spheres,” the protagonist, Eliot Crane, is a man who suffers from schizophrenia. His crazed ideas truly test the limits of sanity, but his ramblings seem to resonate with the people in his life and his company seems contagious. Khan, the narrator of the story and close friend of Eliot’s, constantly questioned his friendship with Eliot. Khan knew that Eliot was sick and most of his ideas were delusional, but Khan was addicted to Eliot’s ideologies and perspectives of the world. Tragically, Eliot commits suicide due to his dementia, but Khan justifies why Eliot will remain a constant memory. “If I find it impossible to let go of Eliot’s memory, it is perhaps because I know that the seductive arcane which drove Eliot Crane out of his mind almost ensnared me as well” (Rushdie, p. 137).

For Khan, Eliot’s ideas had almost engulfed him into an eternal battle with demons. Through this, though, Eliot taught Khan a valuable lesson. Rushdie uses Eliot as a focal point to illustrate how individuals can have an incredible influence on other individuals. In a world that sometimes seems rather mundane, Eliot Crane is someone extraordinary, no matter how insane. Khan’s addiction to him is relevant to how different Eliot is compared to the rest of the people in Khan’s life. Even if Eliot’s ideas and ramblings are irrelevant or unlikely, the fact that Eliot is floating in different spheres is what attracts Khan. Eventually, this is what balances Khan. Jim Morrison, whose lyrics precluded this entry, is a man and soul who floated in different spheres. A self proclaimed Lizard King and shaman, Morrison could have been schizophrenic, but it was his ability to attract the attention of many individuals that made him seem “unnatural.” For Morrison, his personal journey was to find the other side, no matter what that might be. Like Eliot Crane, Morrison pursued his delusional quests until he finally found the other side. (I truly hope it was what he was looking for). Regardless, real or fiction, both individuals created a balance. When many are living in spheres, one side cannot outweigh the other or there will be an imbalance. Khan was intrigued by Eliot because Eliot helped balance his ideas and life, thus giving him harmony within his spheres.

I found an island in your arms
Country in your eyes
Arms that chain
Eyes that lie
Break on through to the other side
Break on through to the other side

            The extent to which one is considered “mad” can obviously vary among opinions. For Rushdie, being “mad” seems to be an everyday occasion. It is a constant struggle between binary opposites that influence our lives daily. Khan learns from Eliot that testing the limits isn’t a bad thing, as long as one can remain objectionable to those limits. Rushdie uses this to exemplify that thinking irrationally or fantasizing is apart of everyday life. It’s those who allow it to control their reality that becomes “mad.”

           Salman Rushdie is truly a voice of reason, satirizing sacred objects and challenging global status quos. In his literature, he simply highlights the over celebration or worship of people or objects that are absolutely normal. Through this approach, Rushdie can examine and touch on subjects such as religion or insanity. And because of his ability to objectively write on these topics, while unveiling a personal position, Rushdie allows his readers to step back and objectively think about debated issues. Not only that, Rushdie reveals metaphors in his stories that define an entire culture. The auction of the ruby slippers in “At the Auction of the Ruby Slippers” is a clear metaphor to Western culture’s obsession with placing a monetary value on everything. Rushdie’s writing, at its core, is the hidden truth. Whether political or religious, his writing unravels messages and ideas that have been tightly wrapped. He attempts to teach that as people, we need to balance each other by remaining logical, but not to discount the irrational fantasies that sometimes enter our minds. And when we find minds like Eliot Crane or Jim Morrison, don’t label them as insane. Instead, learn from their battles against the demons and use this knowledge to insure the demons don’t visit you. In short, Rushdie seems to encourage the testing of the limits. As long as fantasy can be controlled, then the world one lives in will remain balanced.