YMMV / Midnight's Children

• Alternative Character Interpretation: Is Saleem a simple man thrust into greatness by the circumstances of his birth? Or is he a pompous ass trying to take credit for every important event in his country(-ies) histories?
• Complete Monster: Shiva-of-the-knees is Saleem Sinai's metaphorical Evil Twin, the baby with whom he was switched at birth. Possessing extraordinary powers, as with every other child born on the midnight of August 15, 1947, Shiva lives up to his name as a destroyer: even in his childhood, Shiva carves out the eye of a would-be bully and is suspected by Saleem to even be a Serial Killer. In his adulthood, Shiva sells out every single one of the Midnight Children to the colonial government, either out of jealousy, cowardice, or simple spite. Shiva personally spearheads the persecution of his own kind, gleefully riding out into the carnage he causes to find Saleem; ultimately, nearly all of the Midnight's Children who survive the attack are handed off to forced sterilization.
• Harsher in Hindsight: Saleem brings up Muhammed in his narration, then mentions "on whose name be peace, let me add; I don't wish to offend anyone." This line reads like a bad joke to anyone coming in with the knowledge of The Satanic Verses controversies that would start proceeding not even a decade later when Rushie's writings were condemned as "blasphemous."