Haroun And The Sea Of Stories Essay

Haroun and the Sea of Stories is all about taking a stand, and stepping outside of the expected frame. Haroun himself defies many customary components of a story: especially the traditional hero pattern. Like the Gup forces, Haroun bonds with others to strengthen himself.
Because the book is all about unity and freedom, it seems fitting that the main character should exemplify these qualities. Haroun follows the hero chart in some aspects and demonstrates his uniqueness in others. He does have an event that sets his adventure into motion: his father Rashid’s loss of storytelling abilities. He also gains friends – but to underline the theme of unity, Haroun depends on and bonds with these friends. They become secondary heroes. They undergo their own perils, and their own accomplishments. For example, they each have a power or quality to offer to the adventurous storyline. Mali’s plantlike abilities even end up being a key part in thwarting Khattam-Shud. Butt the Hoopoe is saved by Haroun when his brain is removed, which shows that Haroun also gains courage. While Haroun accomplishes many achievements, none is greater than gaining his own independence. He steps out of his father’s shadow, out of the shadows of Chup and Khattam Shud, and enlightens himself. When wishing for Kahani to turn, he literally sees things in a new light.
Haroun has many doubles, opposites and parallels. One of his opposites, Khattam-Shud, reveals himself to be embodied in many ways. Khattam-Shud’s double of Snooty Buttoo is also defeated. They are even, though inadvertently, recognized as doubles. Angered attendees of Snooty Buttoo’s political speech chant, “Mister Buttoo, go for good! Mister Buttoo, khattam-shud!” Soraya recognizes Mr. Sengupta as Khattam-Shud when promising that she is done with him once and for all: “I promise you, Mr. Sengupta is khattam-shud!” Khattam-Shud literally means ‘done’. As the opposite of Khattam-Shud and the opposite of being finished, Haroun opens up new...