Haroun and the Sea of Stories

by Salman Rushdie

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Student Question

Which international work best resembles "Haroun and the Sea of Stories"?

Quick answer:

"Haroun and the Sea of Stories" can be compared to creation myths due to its exploration of origins and storytelling. Salman Rushdie's work interweaves diverse cultural and religious traditions, including Western thought, Islam, and Hinduism, making it difficult to pinpoint a single international work as its counterpart. However, the idea of returning to the origin of the sea of stories may resemble the flood metaphor found in various cultural narratives.

Expert Answers

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The question seems to be a bit unclear to me.  If I could try to take a stab at it, I think that there is a question as to which myth of creation is akin to Rushdie's tale in "Haroun and the Sea of Stories."  I think that this is a bit tough because Rushdie, himself, plays around with so many different expressions of religious and social thought.  He is aware of the Western tradition of thought, but is equally skilled with his understanding of Islam as well as the tradition of Hinduism.  In playing all three distinct modes of thought in an intermingled manner, being able to recognize where one strand of thought starts and where another one ends is highly difficult.  I would submit that the idea of Haroun and his father having to go back to the origin of the sea of stories could be representative of the idea/ creation of the flood, a metaphor seen in all three lines of thought.

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