How we cite our quotes: (Book.Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
('Her?' Padma guesses. 'That hussy is your mother?' But there are other mothers-to-be, other future fathers, wafting in and out through the silence.) (1.4.7)
Why do you think Saleem makes us guess who his parents are, when later he will tell us how people die as soon as we meet them?
Quote #2
'In the end, everyone can do without fathers,' Doctor Aziz told his daughter when he said goodbye; and Reverend Mother added, 'Another orphan in the family, whatsitsname, but never mind, Muhammad was an orphan too; and you can say this for your Ahmed Sinai, whatsitsname, at least he is half Kashmiri.' (1.5.6)
It's true—Muhammad was an orphan. His father died before he was born, and his mother died while he was a child. The other orphan in the family is Aadam Aziz, whose parents died shortly after he got married to Naseem, a.k.a. the Reverend Mother. Interesting that Saleem has tons of parents, while his parents have none.
Quote #3
Inside the green tin trunk: silver samovars, brocade saris, gold coins given to Doctor Aziz by grateful patients, a museum in which the exhibits represented illnesses cured and lives saved. And now Aadam Aziz lifted his daughter (with his own arms), passing her up after the dowry into the care of this man who had renamed and so re-invented her, thus becoming in a sense her father as well as her new husband... he walked (with his own feet) along the platform as the train began to move. (1.5.6)
First of all, that's gross. Second, we thought Saleem was the only one with the power to make new parents?