Red Birds by Mohammed Hanif/A Somewhat Philosophical Novel

 

Red Birds by Muhammad Hanif is a novel that contains dark humor because the writer used his exceptional skills to make something funny which is not funny at all. The most captivating fact about this novel is that it is a polyphonic novel (narration of the plot by different perspectives or the characters). The perspective of Mutt (Momo’s dog) is fascinating because he expresses philosophical thoughts on various occasions. Mutt developed this power after getting electrocuted while peeing on a pole. It is interesting to ponder over the thoughts of an intellectual dog because in some instances in the novel, he appears to be more thoughtful than human beings.

 The story begins with Major Ellie, a US soldier who came for a bombing on an unnamed land. The bombs that were placed in his jet named “YES” and “OH YESS” and they were supposed to aim at refugee camps. The name tags of the bombs also show their (American) eagerness to bomb the area. Meanwhile, his plane got crashed and he landed in that area. He remained in the desert for eight days, starved and almost close to death. In this pitiful condition, he was rescued by Momo. A  refugee camp teenager whose brother Bro Ali has disappeared. He wants to make plenty of money but he is not good at many things and most of the time he just wanders around in a jeep.

 

 The building near the area is known as a hanger which is a sort of frightening place for refugees because they think that it is a ghost area where “White” people died while spying. Lady Flowerbody is a USAID consultant who came to the refugee camp to study the brain functioning of Muslim refugee camps. She is a satirical character that represents western media through her thoughts and actions. The idea that has repeated here is that “if you don’t bomb somewhere, how can you save someone?” the writer is particularly criticizing institutions and bureaucratic structures. The author satires on the power structure, by using several variables in this novel. The tone of the writer is mocking and it somewhat varies from the prevalent norm of writing. This peculiarity makes it a great pick to read. How was your experience while reading this novel?