Paper

Melissa Pié

Paul Gleason

Non-Western Lit.

December 4, 2008

Stories

            Within Salman Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories, I felt strangely connected to many of the characters the most prominent being Haroun. This may seem strange, but I could actually put myself into his position of non-belief of stories. For a great while I never understood the importance of fiction and was completely disconnected to anything pertaining to this strange genre. Perhaps it was because I never fully understood it, I can never be fully sure. I am sure that now it is the only genre that I can connect with because it takes me away from my own reality.

            Haroun never understood the importance of his fathers story-telling; he wondered, “what’s the use of stories that aren’t even true” (22). For many years I could be found reading numerous books on events in history, normally pertaining to World War II, I still don’t know why I was so incredibly interested in this specific time period in history. Perhaps it dealt with the fact that I was simply baffled that anything so horrific could have taken place, and yet I always wanted to learn more. Many of the stories that I read in grade school and even part of high school were mostly fiction. I found myself asking the exact same question that Haround shouts at his father-“what’s the use…” (22).

            The world that Haroun enters is like nothing he has ever known and this catches him completely off guard and is extremely skeptical of it all and close-minded to the entire concept of a distant world in which stories come from. Haroun makes a valid point and one that I myself used to make: “Why should I believe a word you say…when I can’t see anything…” (58). I never wanted to believe in anything that I could not directly see. If I couldn’t see it how could it exist? I went through a great deal of my life this way with just this type of skepticism.  However, as my life started to change and my reality started to become slightly more horrific I found myself truly enjoying fiction, especially that pertaining to fantasy. It became an escape from my own reality. Although I did not actually travel (obviously) to a distant realm such as Haroun, I did travel in a sense. I became immersed in the world that was created on the pages that I read.

            Haroun is also able to relate things that he has seen and experienced in his own life to things in the fantastic world. When Iff and Haroun are traveling he notices that he has the same sensation “when the Mail Coach Driver, Butt, was rocketing up the Mountains of M” (65). He also realizes that the “Hoopoe with its crest of feathers reminds me [Haroun] quite a bit of old Butt with his quiff of hair standing straight up on his head!” (65). By relating what he experiences within his life in the realm he has known for so long it makes this new realm seem comical. Within my own life I have had the same reaction only reversed. While reading certain stories I have noticed the world around me things that jump out such as character traits of people. This is interesting to me because it shows that no matter what type of story I’m reading by whomever the author is or what realm the story is set in the character traits of all creatures are somewhat the same. To me this is all rather comical because it brings a tie in to writing and the telling of stories with the “real world.” There are times that I’m even able to escape when things get too difficult to handle without having a book in my hand because I notice similar things. It makes certain things slightly more bearable and easier to escape from the chaotic world that we all at times live in.

            I did thoroughly enjoy this text because it became my own escape. I found it easy to put myself into Haroun’s place and was able to feel as though I was on this mystical journey with him. Rushdie creates a world that is mystical yet also serves to explain a great deal about the “real world” and where such fantastical stories originate. When I think of fiction stories, fantasy in particular, I think that it serves of a way to explain things that we are not able to. There is so much that transpires in this world that is simply horrific such as wars, famine, crime and even the falling economy currently. It was nice to read fiction that explained something that seems so miniscule compared to all of those, yet is needed so greatly, the telling of stories. I can honestly say that I don’t know where I would be if I could not escape into a book every chance that I get. They seem to be such a huge part of who I am as a person, I can actually find different ways to describe myself when words fail to escape my mouth. I found it so easy to escape within this book and the fantasy that it entails. Again, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and one that I actually won’t sell back at the end of the semester!

            For literary theorists I thought about using Rushdie, which is slightly ironic, but I thought back to last semester in Literary Criticism and Fredric Jameson came to my mind in some of the first discussions of this book. Jameson deals a great deal with pop culture and the combination of high and low culture. Within Rushdie’s novel Haroun and the Sea of Stories, this is evident with the combination of myths and the newer spins that he is able to put on these myths. He brings in the elements of fantasy that can be found in both Star Wars and The Wizard of Oz. Haroun travels to a distant magical realm in an almost twister like circumstance such as is present within The Wizard of Oz. He goes there in order to help his father which reminded me a great deal of the final (and best) Star Wars Episode VI Return of the Jedi. Luke travels with his friend for much of the movie, but when realizing that he must face his father he has the idea that he can “save” him if he only “let’s go of the hate” because he can “feel the conflict within him.” He has no intention of letting his father pay with his life to a cause that he is not fully committed to. Haroun travels with Iff in order to save his father’s lively hood and something that makes his father’s character, which is his ability to tell stories. Rushdie is telling of myths that have been passed down, but telling them in a way that many people are able to relate to a different type of work of their choosing.

            Iff reminded me (although I know that not everyone in the class agrees) very much of Yoda from the Star Wars saga. Rushdie uses Iff in the beginning much as Lucas portrays Yoda in the first entrance of him into society within Episode IV. He is a slightly neurotic and mischievous. Acting as though he knows nothing of the person whom Luke is looking for. Yet, he is extremely knowledgable and a great help and teacher to Luke. The picture that Rushdie paints of Iff also put the image of Yoda into my head automatically. This is using the idea of Jameson to combine high and low cultures. Within all of the old myths and legends there has always been a teacher and an apprentice that gets slightly off course every once in a while. Rushdie combines pop-culture adding in characteristics of characters from movies that everyone, even if they have not seen the movie, is familiar with. Throughout the story Rushdie combines these two a great deal this is why Jameson is the theorist that I felt connected well with this story.

            The War, or rather conflict as some may call it, going on within Iraq is a topic of great debate especially recently with the elections. Many feel that we should not be fighting a War for someone else when we have so many problems on our own soil, while others feel the polar opposite. Within Rushdie’s novel there is also War and can be applied to what is transpiring now with the U.S. and Iraq. Rushdie creates Shadow Warriors as the force that is to be feared and fought. They have a great deal of military background and not much is known about them for they keep to the dark shadows. On the other hand the characters that create the stories are in the sun and seem to be a peaceful group of creatures. Depending on ones views of the War and how it began depends on which side is which. War always has a side in which there are the “good guys” and the “bad guys.” During World War II Germany was the “bad guy” whereas everyone fighting against them was the good. However, in this war it is not exactly clear which side is which. In the beginning the U.S. seemed to be the “good guys” fighting to protect our land, our freedom and also fighting for the freedom from tyranny for citizens of Iraq. Yet as time rolls on it seems that we have become the shadow warriors.

            The United States invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003. We entered in with a mission, but through the years that mission has been compromised and run into numerous roadblocks along the way. It is now that the Iraqi government has voted us out of the country and our own country is falling deeper and deeper into a recession/depression. Yet, we are still over in Iraq fighting and not only losing our own soldiers, but also Iraqi innocents along the way that are on the U.S. bases to help with repairs. We have become the shadow warriors first mentioned who have “temporarily lost control” of our voice (129). “How many opposites are at war in this battle”, we fear things that we do not understand and as time grows on this conflict will only deepen as it has (125).

            By Rushdie placing a fantastical spin on War bringing out concerning issues that are current to this time period it creates the idea that no matter what time period a book is written in it can still be relevant today.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Rushdie, Salman. Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Penguin Group, Hudson Street New York, New York. 1990

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredric_Jameson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War_(2003)

 

           

 

Memory

Memory is an interesting thing and the conversation that we had on Tuesday intrigued me. We were actually talking about about events that would be happen to a person and how one person could remember something completely different than another. On Thursday though the question was posed why had she returned home. I put this question posed on Thursday together with what we were talking about on Tuesday dealing with memory. We are all going to remember things differently, especially places that we have lived and things we've experienced at this places. The cliche' that the "grass is always greener" I think applies to both this story and many other things within the world. The main character acts like a rebel in her home country as though she only wishes to get out because the world is so much better on "the other side", then when she is out she only wishes to go back. I think that she remembers things slightly different than when she was actually living in the midst of it, and that is because she felt comfortable there. The idea of comfort and memory goes hand in hand, the memories that one is going to keep, especially when you leave and dislike a place or the people, you're going to look back fondly on comforting memories that may have not really been there. 

Traits

The concept of nature vs. nurture is one that has been argued for decades. After class ended I started to think more about this concept because recently I have been thinking a lot of about identity in general and how involved the family truly is. 

All of the children (for the most part) have the same basic name, they also carry many of the same traits. Some of this of course is how they are raised and how they are treated, but I also believe that a great deal of it has to do with their genes. Family members share a bond, even though it may be very slight at time. How can is simply be the way that you are raised that makes you who you are. For example, genetics can affect a great deal one in particular is the brain. There are many disorders that can be passed on genetically that affect a persons mood and/or behavior. When this happens it has nothing at all to do with how a person is raised. I'm not saying that the characters within this story are insane or anything like that, simply stating that there is no way that characters are all so similar simply by the rule of "nurture", it logically doesn't work to be so similar. 

The name, although can be very powerful, I think is still working with the nurture part of that argument. I don't believe that it is simply one of the arguments at work within the story or within life instead it is both. A child can already be born with the characteristics in place, but they are brought about the environment that he lives in. Sometimes these traits will come out regardless of who is around if they are genetically in place and the person has no control over them. This is the sick, weird and twisted bond that families can hold over us. 

War

While attempting to do about 50 million other things last evening I thought about what I could possibly write in a blog...nothing....so went to bed and woke up realizing something strange, even today there is the type of isolation that is spoken of within the book. 

Within class we have discussed and compared it the Garden of Eden, but why not something darker? I look at current Wars or "conflicts" that are taking place around the world. We are one of the lucky countries to not have a war on our own soil. Not having to worry about much of what others are worrying about. Yet, those that are experiencing that must have some type of isolated feeling. A feeling of uncertainty and concern. Some decide to isolate themselves from the problem, yet are unable. So people stand together having a commonality among themselves. I see much of that within book the novel and within certain societies today that are plagued with war. Many that are plagued with war wish to be isolated and have no choice letting people into their country no matter how uninvited they are. 

Isolation can be caused by many things, but the one that is the most horrifying is war. The feeling of isolation is two-fold, wanting to stay under the radar, but also feeling that there is no one else that is living the way that you are. This is a large reason for isolation of an entire city and just seems to coincide with what was going on during the writing of the book as well. A perfect reason for isolation. 

Identity

I have actually been talking about identity in some of my other classes and how important it is to each person. It seems that in this novel many of the characters hold very close to the same name and therefore almost the same identity, or at least shared. Thinking about the background of Colombia during this time period (and still it seems today) there is so much that has transpired that makes it horrible beyond any comprehension. Perhaps the names being so similar in the story symbolize a connection that can only be felt by the people that endure. While sharing things in life it makes them stronger as a person and a group. They are able to ban together in their time of need and be able to lean on others that know exactly what they are going through. As a group as well it makes them stronger than just as one person. I forgot who made the comment in something that I know I have read, but it likes the fingers on a hand. Each finger is it's own, yet they are all connecting on the hand making them work as work and stronger than they are by themselves.

This idea makes so much more sense in my head....

Being One

After leaving class I thought a great deal about the comment made about incest and the concept of being one. This struck me as strange for two reasons. One - I had not given it much thought. Two - this is only in the physical sense. 

Although I cannot claim to have any brothers and sisters for I am an only child, that doesn't mean that there are not moments in my life when I have been completely one with someone, but not in the physical sense more instead in the mental capacity. Is it truly necessary to view "being one" with someone only in the physical aspect of life? Can it not be mentally as well? 

I will not claim to have perfect relationships (as a broken engagement and a called off wedding do tell) but there have been times with my close friends, those I have known for many years, where there is no talking involved yet even being miles away you know when something has happened even though no words are spoken. It is a feeling...when it's something horrible it is a gut wrenching feeling, when it is something good a strange exhilaration when, even though you have no idea why, it brings a smile to your face. Example, my good friend is currently over in Iraq and I'm really not able to talk to him much except via e-mail and I get the occasional call. However, this past week I had gotten a gut-wrenching feeling that literally made me sick that something had happened. I knew that he wasn't dead, but something had happened. I e-mailed the moment this happened and received no response (not too unusual until it went on for 3 days...very unusual). Finally got a call and the feeling subsided, but this is in no way being one with someone in the physical sense because he's literally half a world away. Yet, I knew that something had happened and everything wasn't OK. 

In my opinion (obviously could be way off) the physical sense of "being-one" is important, but I think that on the deeper level it is more important to be one with someone in an emotional/mental capacity. This level is much more personal than physical and although physical is great, I don't think that they stand on the same level. I think that the twins may have jumped into something that (yes I'm sorry still slightly weirded out by the idea) was only being one on a much lower level instead of working to elevate it to the level it once was. 

Idea of Cold

It struck me throughout the rest of the day about the concept of cold within the novel. It brings about many different ideas and meanings. 

The novel begins with death and death is normally represented with cold. As the novel progresses Boku's character in general seems to be rather cold personality wise not wishing to give names to anything and seems extremely detached from the surrounding world. However, as the temperature/climate around him begins to freeze he seems to become more open to ideas and seems to develop as a character. This creating a strange type of balance in his life that was never before felt or noticeable to the reader. 

Growing up as a Christian and later converting to Catholicism the religion itself deals with the idea that in order to find anything within this world one must come to terms with oneself and look for a greater power. Boku seems to be on a quest to find this "sheep" but he is also on a quest to find himself. The cold illusions created within the book can show his journey from a detached young man, to a man that is more in touch with the surrounding world. Obviously since I have not finished the novel I could be completely off base. However, up to this point I find it interesting how it begins with death and his own detachment from the surrounding world, moving into a journey/quest for something he cares little about, to growing to actually becoming interested in the subject matter and the things around him. Climate wise it began warm and cools down as his journey goes on, yet he does the complete opposite creating a strange balance that only adds to the numerous opposites within the novel.