Salman Rushdie embodies in his own life and in his writings the conundrums of the postcolonial author, writing within the tradition of Indo-English literature while simultaneously appealing to the conventions and tastes of a worldwide, especially Western, audience. The condemnation and support surrounding the death sentence issued against him by Iran epitomize the postcolonialist's delicate and constant battle to balance the demands of conflicting cultures. Not only must the postcolonial writer contend with these external struggles, but he must also deal with the interior conflicts of colonial identity, living as a permanent outsider, searching for personal authenticity in one or many cultures. In the role of the South Asian expatriate author Rushdie also finds himself a spokesman for the peoples of the subcontinent, whether he or they would wish it so. Throughout his career Rushdie has struggled to speak to the mainstream in both Britain and Asia while mimicking and critiquing that same mainstream from the margins.
