Advocacy for Free Speech in Rushdie’s Haroun and the Sea of Stories
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Faculty Arts in English
Abstract
This thesis is a study in Haroun and the Sea of Stories, a novel by Salman Rushdie. The research
work deals with the magic realism and the allegorical aspect in the novel at different levels. Khattam-Shud, the fundamentalist ruler of Chup allegorizes Ayatollah Khomeini in particular
and all the totalitarians, who do not tolerate ensured individual right of expression, get threatened
with imaginative power of language and want to censor and poison the stream of expressions and
stories. On the contrary, Gupland permits people’s right of free speech, free narrative and thus
celebrate the imaginative and creative power of language. Guppees, Rashid and Haroun
collectively represent moral and peace loving people who show their courage and honor to
rescue the Kahani from the murderous hands of Khattam-Shud. Rashid’s experience with the loss
of storytelling gift is similar to that of Rushdie’s experience with censorship. Ayatollah
Khomeini imposed a Fatwa upon Rushdie after the publication of The Satanic Verses. Instead
of silencing a creative writer such as Rushdie this declaration of death punishment fuels to the
creative response which boldly resist the censorship. Through the allegory Rushdie is turning
spotlight on the evil qualities of dictators. Rulers are supposed to be protective towards their
citizens but Khattam-Shud is destructive one. Rushdie uses this ironic note to criticize the
fundamentalist rulers of the world. Through magic realism and allegorical perspective, the thesis
concludes that the novel’s meaning and essence lies in its anti-censorship narrative, stressing that
a society that allows free speech is always far ahead than the one restricting it.