What's the use of stories?

"What's the use of stories that aren't even true?" I had a similar reaction more than ten years ago. When I first started reading books in earnest - that is, when I began reading without needing to be prompted by a homework assignment - I began reading non-fiction. I wanted to learn something from my reading, not just be entertained. So I read about the economics of the environment and history, biographies and travel journals. But reading still felt mostly like a chore.

Somewhere along the way, I found myself reading fiction. The next thing I knew I was an English major. Now I'm convinced that there is as much to learn from a good story as there is in a manifesto or an essay. As I believe we will explore in this class, stories get to the very heart of what it means to be human. Whether true, mostly true or completely fabricated, stories are a survey of humanity, a snapshot of our lives.

"No man is an island," and no story is entire of itself. I think John Donne would agree that all stories, like people, have a connection. And, just like making friends, finding lovers or just being able to get along with your family, to find that common thread is how we truly enjoy each other. It helps put our own lives into context. It gives us purpose and meaning. And it makes our limited time on this planet a little more enjoyable.

Haroun and the Sea of Stories approaches this idea in a novel way. Rushdie not only gives us a great story, but he also uses many of the storytelling archetypes to drive home his message. Rushdie dips his own cup into the great Ocean of the Steams of Stories in order to teach us that stories do have purpose and that all stories are connected in some way and come from the great oral traditions from centuries past.

One example of this is the weaving into Haroun's story of the themes often portrayed in Greek romances. In such works of fiction, there is often a man and a woman who fall, or are already, in love, and who quickly become separated. At the end of the story, they are reunited. What happens in the middle are a series of struggles and victories that eventually lead to the lovers rejoining. Oftentimes, it is this "middle part" of the story that distinguishes it from all other stories that have been told, or will someday be told.

But even in the middle of Haroun, we see the footprints of stories past. There are obvious references to the Arabian Nights. And the naming of the houseboat in which Haroun and Rashid begin their true journey is, of course, no accident. Since I just read Aladdin, I couldn't help but find the reference to Iff to be comparable to the genie in the lamp. Haroun retains control over Iff in the same way that Aladdin controls his destiny through retention of this object. Though Iff is a reluctant genie, he is beholden to Haroun and their path through Kahani is mainly determined by the wishes of Haroun.

There is also a very stark line drawn between good and evil in Haroun. I can't help but see references in this story to religious teachings. The fact that Kahani is divided in half by light and darkness illustrates the very prevalent viewpoint shared by many religions that there is right and wrong and perhaps only a very thin strip, in the text referred to as the "Twilight Zone," that represented ambiguity. Of course, I believe that Rushdie here sees this as representative of hope and compromise and, perhaps even peace between warring ideologies.

Very specifically, Rushdie refers to "Wishwater" as a way to bring about the end to conflict and a the return of a cycle of light and dark on Kahani, if only Haroun can concentrate long enough to make it work. This could be interpreted as prayer, and the use of Wishwater is an allusion to holy water. This idea is central in the story, as there are always forces greater than ourselves shaping our lives, though through concentration (prayer or meditation) we can cause great things to happen.