Haroun and the Sea of Stories (1-211)

Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie is a fantastical tale of a young boy who lives in "a city so ruinously sad that it had forgotten its name." (15) Haroun's father is the greatest storyteller in the land, but grief steals this gift away from him after his wife leaves for another man. Haroun then travels to the Sea of Stories to petition on his father's behalf, that he may once again spin the fables that he was once famous for. The story is an allegory for problems with society in India today and, indeed, much of the world. Following is a quotation regarding that allegory:

'[...] -Because it's true what you have heard rumours of: the Land of Chup has fallen under the power of the "Mystery of Bezaban", a cult of Dumbness or Muteness, whose followers swear vows of lifelong silence to show their devotion. [...] In the old days the Cultmaster, Khattam-Shud, preached hatred only towards stories and fancies and dreams; but now he has become more severe, and opposes Speech for any reason at all. In Chup City the schools and law-courts and theatres are all closed now, unable to operate because of the Silence Laws. -And I heard it said that some wild devotees of the Mystery work themselves up into great frenzies and sew their lips together with stout twine; so they die slowly of hunger and thirst, sacrificing themselves for the love of Bezaban...' (101)

Although obviously an example of fiction, this passage is a representation of what may happen and has happened should ignorance, intolerance and fanaticism take hold of a people. "Schools", "law-courts", and "theatres" symbolize intellectualism and the liberal arts, whereas the "'Mystery of Bezaban'" stands for any force or action opposing them, such as censorship, book-burning, purges, etc. The author himself was subject to such forces when, after the publication of his earlier novel, The Satanic Verses, a fatwa was issued concerning Salman Rushdie's life.

Rushdie, Salman. Haroun and the Sea of Stories. London: Granta Books, 1990. Print.