Greed, a Thief, and a Sword

Greed, the selfish desire to possess more, this is the moral of Salmon Rushdie’s short story The Prophet’s Hair.  In the story Rushdie focuses on a greedy moneylender and his family, a daughter, son, and wife.  In the story Hashim, the moneylender, stumbles upon a silver vial containing a hair, Hashim was sure this was the lost vial of the prophet Muhammed.  Hashim was not necessarily interested in the vial’s religious significance, more so just the overall rarity of such an item had him infatuated.  He hid the relic in a safe and told no one except for his only son, Atta.  Soon after finding the vial Hashim began acting harsh towards his family,  confessing to his wife that their marriage was of no importance to him, and also saying hurtful things to both of his children. 

Atta is convinced that the idol has corrupted his father and feels that this vial is the sole purpose of his father recent behavior.  In an attempt to search for a thief in order to steal the vial from his father Atta is badly beaten and finds himself in a deep coma with a blood clot forming in his brain.  Huma, Hashim’s daughter, feels that she can finish the plan that her and her brother had come up with and goes into the city to find the Thief of Thieves, Sheikh Sin.  Sin agrees to steal the item in exchange for all of Huma and her mother’s jewelry.  Just as Sin enters the room of Hashima Atta wakes from his coma, and although he is in the other room oblivious to the current situation begins screaming “thief!”  After three screams Atta dies causing his mother to begin to sream histerically, the screaming eventually awakens Hashima.  Upon being awoken Hashima quickly dr aws a nearby sword from its sheath and runs into the hallway where he encounters a dark figure, he drives the sword in the figure only to find that he has taken the life of his daughter, greifstricken from his actions Hashima turns the sword into his own belly.  The mother, the only survivor, falls into a state of insanity and is locked up, and Sin is eventually killed by authorities. 

 Salmon Rushdie

This story illustrates the negative affects of greed.  This idol, of no monetary value, causes so much grief and tragedy to this family.  I find it interesting how Hashima, treats the relic as if he has been called by a greater being upon the discoverence of the vial.  He seems to feel as if he has acquired a superior status to those around him based on his fortunes of finding this lost treasure.  It is interesting to notice how he almost in a sense worships this relic, as if it was giving off an aura of social stability and personal power.  The satisfaction the Hashima finds in simply possessing this item brews up a greed within him, a greed which goes on to destroy not only him but all those close to him.  Let this lesson be learned greed is one of the world’s greatest evils, and to possess it in ample amounts will lead you to a devastating demise.