This manipulation of the Inferno trope, so that it acts to reveal psychological rather than empirical reality, blurs the boundaries dividing internal and external realities, which is a fundamental conceit to the novel and Rushdie's works as a whole.
This modification of the Inferno archetype, focusing on psychological reality rather than empirical facts, confuses the separation between internal and external realities; both are pivotal elements in the novel and Rushdie's oeuvre.