In Salman Rushdie's "Midnight's Children," the quote reflects on the complexity of life and the weight of experiences that shape an individual. By suggesting that to understand a single life, one must embrace the entirety of the world, the author highlights the interconnectedness of human experiences and the vastness of knowledge necessary for true comprehension. This idea can be overwhelming, contributing to the sense of burden carried by the narrator.

The narrator's reflection on being a "heavy child" serves as a metaphor for this burden of understanding. It implies that the weight of the world's experiences, histories, and complexities can be emotionally and intellectually burdensome. This resonates with the theme of personal identity being entwined with larger societal narratives, emphasizing how one's life cannot be fully understood in isolation.