Essay

Haroun and the Sea of Stories Study Questions. 1. Comment on Khattam-Shud’s remark that inside a story lies a world that can’t be controlled. Why is that important' His belief as the leader of the land of chup is that the world is not made for Fun he believes in controlling the way people speak. Without a use for language, the people become silent and then they are controlled. The people lose their freedom of speech. 2. Is this story for children' Why or Why not' I think depending on the age group to really understand the meaning of the story I would have to say a young child would not understand this. I do believe a 10 year old would probably understand how this story relates to an Individuals freedom of speech. 3. What do you think the Author had in mind with Khattam-Shud and His Silence Laws' To tell us that certain cultures have different laws and or rules that they abide by. Right or wrong. I got a laugh when he states (The world is not Fun) I suspect in certain countries these types of Rules are true. Do we have to know Rushdie’s personal history for the story to make sense, or does the story have a broader application' This reading for me was a little weird. However, t his Reading explores the balance needed in a society between the control of one’s power and the expression of freedom of speech. 4. If you are familiar with the classic Arab collection of stories Arabian Nights, the names of Haroun and Rashid may sound familiar to you. Their last name is Khalifa. What do you think the author meant by creating such a connection' My opinion is that the author wanted to keep the readers interest on the Middle Eastern setting of this culture. It would be really weird for this type of culture to have names like John and Dave for this story line.