In “Haroun and the Sea of Stories,” Salman Rushdie examines the ideas of censorship and gender roles, giving us a point of view that allows us to examine Indian culture. The novel was Published in 1990 and shows Rushdie’s account of how young Haroun Khalifa goes on a wonderful, adventurous mission to restore the creativity of his dad, Rashid. The story occurs in a fictional country and blends Indian culture with the fantasy tale. Although “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” conveys a captivating illustration of the problems with censure and male privileges, the authenticity of the representation of Indian culture must be queried more, especially regarding the intricacies and shades of these cultural characteristics. This essay casts a critical eye on the credibility of Rushdie’s portrayal of censorship and gender roles within the Indian culture. It also explores the cultural integrity intertwined in Rushdie’s narrative by delving into the novel’s represented culture and examining literary critics’ viewpoints.
Salman Rushdie, who was born in 1947 in Bombay, was a British-Indian writer who is renowned for his literary works. In 1988, Rushdie suddenly got into the limelight with the publication of his book “The Satanic Verses”, which was criticized by some as blasphemous towards Muslims (Stadtler 2). The book dealt with such topics as religions, cultural identity, and the conflict between the Orient and Occident. The aftermath of the publication of “The Satanic Verses” was a wave of backlash from the Muslim community, which reached its climax in 1989 when the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini not only denounced Salman Rushdie as a blasphemous writer but also declared him a subject of fatwa for assassination (Rushdie 8). This danger turned Rushdie into permanently hiding under constant police protection for about ten years while his shadow of fear lasted. These challenges prompted Rushdie to enter into literary work and continue to write where his experiences and emotions were reflected in his works. One notable example is the Haroun and the Sea stories, which was published in 1990. The novel revolves around children, which is a fantastical narrative that truly reflects on the difficulties and the power of sharing stories when faced with oppression and exploitation. Through imaginative characters and symbolism, Rushdie builds a story that explores the plot of censorship, freedom of expressing oneself and the changing nature of storytelling (Stadtler 2). In the story, Salma’s life is mimicked in the book when Rushdie establishes a rich allegorical world where the protagonist, Haroun, goes into the sea, which is believed to be the source of stories but has been polluted by dark forces (Rushdie 59). He does this to silence creativity and imagination. By doing this, the novel serves as a captivating adventure for young readers and a poignant commentary on the importance of preserving the freedom to express oneself, even in the face of adversity, just like the same way he experienced. Rushdie’s personal experience with the questions of religion, identity, and freedom of speech is also depicted in his characters’ internal struggles. Rushdie weaves his personal experiences into the narrative using complex layers of the story and metaphorical storytelling.
Censorship is reflected in a broader historical reality as it is in India. In the novel, it is depicted through the character of Khatam, who is the antagonist and seeks to silence all the messages in the novel and control the story. This action aligns with the occurrences of censorship in Indian history. These activities revolving around censorship in India include the banning of books and the destruction of dissenting voices in a given period of time (Rushdie 93). Rushdie’s reflection on censorship offers the importance of the right to expression and the difficulties of the oppressive powers looking for a chance to control the narratives. Through the examination of certain instances in the novel with the aid of historical examples, the effectiveness of Rushdie’s depiction of censorship in Indian customs becomes evident. In reflecting on the book and relating it to the Indian culture in the 1990s, Rushdie brings out a similarity between the rein of creativity in his novel and the actual censorship in India. In the novel, Rushdie became the target of a book ban and religious censure. In the Indian culture, this reflected how Indian artists and writers suffered from political and religious censorship, which was a very contentious matter in India (Sethi 3). Therefore, Rushdie’s depiction certainly shows the essence of the suppressive tendency of censorship, but it undeniably reduces the complexity of social censorship in India.
In reflecting on Indian culture, Rushdie carefully incorporates historical references to instances of censorship in Indian society, thereby underscoring its ubiquity. Though the novel traces censorship, it may overlook the complexities of censorship in the functioning of contemporary censorship in India, such as internet censorship, government surveillance and the oppression of marginalized voices (Sethi 14). This was clearly evidenced in the Indian culture, where the history of the Indian state showed various instances of enforcement of censorship by rulers and regimes to manipulate narratives and silence discontent. The variety of censorship issues in India ranges from British-era colonial censorship to post-independence gagging of political speech (Sethi 8). Even though Rushdie’s representation exemplifies the ferociousness of censorship, a careful discourse on the intricacies underlying censorship in India could spice up the novel’s reality. Rushdie portrays the theme of censorship through characters like Rashid, the father of the protagonist, Haroun (Rushdie 8). Rashid, better known as the Shah of Blah, is a well-known storyteller whose tales mesmerize people and take them to imaginary worlds.
From the novel, when Rashid’s storytelling skills suddenly vanish, it means the suppression of creativity and the impact of censorship. Therefore, in reflecting on Indian culture, Rashid’s quest to regain his storytelling mastermind reflects the struggles of artists and writers in India who have been silenced or censored by external forces. Notably, the practice of censorship in Indian culture was not only performed by external forces but also encompassed internal forms of censorship practised by communities and individuals. Social norms, cultural taboos, and religion dictate what can be said publicly, manifesting as self-censorship by artists and writers (Sethi 13). Likewise, to relate Indian culture to the novel, Rushdie brings this self-censorship into the spotlight through characters such as Rashi, who are confronted with their lack of confidence and fear of expressing themselves. The character of Khattam-Shud, the Prince of Silence and the biggest antagonist of the book, symbolizes the oppressive force of censorship in Indian culture (Rushdie 53). It is evidenced that Alifbay’s Khattam-Shud intends to wipe out all stories and ban freedom of speech by imposing uniformity of thought and expression upon everyone. Based on the Indian culture in the 1990s, this truly reflects and acts as a reminder of the dictatorial regime of the despots and theocrats who have ever sought to undermine freedom of expression in India. Telling Khattam-Shud off, Haroun fights against censorship as an everywhere existing danger and the necessity to protect storytelling (Binti and Mohamed 9). Ideally, Rushdie uses these characters to expose censorship’s iniquitous nature on the individual expression of the creative and the collective cultural identity. Rashid’s struggles and the conflict between him and Khattam-Shud represent vivid parabolic situations faced by Indian non-conformist artists, writers, and activists who oppose censorship and defend their right to speak the truth.
All along the storyline, Iff proves to be a significant companion who is helpful in the fight to restore the presence of stories, highlighting the strength and resilience required to overcome censorship. His personality reflects the power of the storytellers to withstand all the endeavours of those who seek control or try to suppress the release of stories (Evans para. 5). With the help of Iff’s contact with Haroun and other characters, Rushdie drives the listeners to the fact that storytelling is a kind of resistance against censorship and oppression. Interestingly, Iff’s transition from the tranquil Ocean of the Streams of Story to the chaos of Alifbay represents the fight for freedom of expression, as evidenced by the Indian culture in the 1990s. On the other hand, Manyatou’s daring to go deep into the territory of dangerousness to help Haroun highlighted how Indian civilians took risks for the right to share the various tales. By examining Iff’s character arc and how he fits into the storyline, readers understand the intricacies of censorship and how individuals can act more freely (Liang,122). From the concepts of Indian culture, Iff represents not only the time for narration but also the means for challenging censorship and consciousness preservation for cultural variation.
The novel “Haroun and the Sea of Stories”, to an extent, shows traditional gender roles when it comes to Indian society and the patriarchy that exists there. Characters like Haroun’s mother, Soraya, are mainly traditional female caretaker characters (Rushdie 7). Soraya, in Rushdie’s novel, portrays a partial perspective of Indian females’ gender dynamics. Females’ characters with their roles in the novel provide enough information to help understand the intricate differences in women’s lives in Indian culture (Liang 121). Rushdie presents a complex picture of gender roles in Haroun’s mother, Soraya, and Princess Batcheat. Besides being a loving and caring mother who takes care of the household and her son, Haroun, Soraya is also a homemaker. According to Bonvillain (10), her representation truly reflects the traditional gender norms that exist in India, where women are most of the time expected to play the role of homemakers and look after their family responsibilities. Instead of her wisdom and skills, Soraya’s character is restricted to the motherly and wifely roles.
At the same time, Princess Batcheat’s character goes against the usual norms due to her daring and adventurous nature. Princess Batcheat, who is the daughter of the Walrus, the most powerful ruler of the Gup land, is breaking the norm by going on risk-taking missions and actively engaging in one’s homeland’s defence (Evans para. 6) . She portrays femininity as an asset rather than a weakness, challenging the prevalent female stereotypes such as passivity and heroism of male protagonists. Nevertheless, even though Princess Batcheat purports a distinct type of femininity, her characterization is somewhat unrealistic and offers a detailed picture of Indian gender relations. She participates in missions and protects her kingdom, which usually shows men-related attributes. This puts into question the stereotype of female roles being passive, and it highlights bravery and leadership, qualities which are normally associated with male characters in traditional stories (Liang, 120). In Indian society, where the gender roles were already very deeply set, Princess Batcheat serves as a novelty to this norm. Therefore, such a depiction might still be somehow romanticized and does not necessarily present the full scope of the social gender concerns in Indian society.
As the story goes on, the role of Mali, the girl who accompanies Haroun on his journey, offers more light on gender roles. Mali, a mechanic bird with human features, challenges the gender norms through her non-conforming identity and because she is autonomous (Bonvillain, 9). However, Mali’s unusual appearance, which is demonstrated during their adventures, does not prevent her from being wise and funny at the same time. As she plays a significant role in Haroun’s quest, she adds meaning to his journey. Mostly using Mali, Rushdie denotes that gender is only as rigid as people suppress their own needs and identities, a concept reflected in Indian culture (Binti and Mohamed, 9).
Notwithstanding, Mali’s role is primarily a parameter within Haroun’s narrative journey. Thus, she represents some of the gender constraints in the novel. Mali is challenging gender roles not only through her non-binary identity but also through autonomy and self-determination. As a mechanical bird, Mali does not belong to some gender categories usually used to identify people. Mali’s independence reinforces her power to state her views and make informed decisions, which is a distinction set against traditional gender roles (Rushdie 96). Mali may not look conventional, but she has experience and humour, and with her, Haroun is the same. This challenges the gender-bound stereotypes that equate gender with certain traits or skills. In reflecting on Indian culture, Mali’s acting as a good friend to Haroun shows how gender has nothing to do with individuals’ intellect, bravery, and courage. Through Mali, Rushdie shows the uniqueness and intricacy of people who are not confined by inflexible gender stereotypes, as is seen in Indian culture.
Rushdie uses Mali as a catalyst to refute rigid gender norms and show the flexibility of gender expressions. Surpassing the conventional stereotypes of masculinity or femininity, Mali shows what the complexity of gender really means. This implies how poorly the girl’s experience is portrayed in the tale (Binti and Mohamed, 10). Though Mali strives to overdo gender, she is still very likely to be dominated by her protagonist, Haroun. Thus, the imbalance itself may show that in even narratives that contradict traditional gender roles, there might still be some very unconscious biases that limit the representation as it is seen in the Indian culture.
In Indian culture, gender roles were traditionally very rigid, and there have been many norms and directives on how men and women should be. The current Indian society has witnessed many remarkable modifications as well; women have started to break the multitude of stereotypes and take their place in many spheres of their lives. Through his character of Princess Reverb, Rushdie mirrors the processes of shifting these roles, although in quite a perfect way. Censorship as a subject is also synchronized with Indian culture by its historical record of banning books and barring free artistic expression. With the debates of censorship and gender stereotypes, “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” is a perfect example of how to look into society and its problems in India from a deeper level.
In conclusion, in “Haroun and the Sea of Stories,” Salman Rushdie creates a fantastical narrative that touches on censorship and deals with gender issues, using Indian culture as a reference. The book still provides us with valuable pieces of information about those cultural aspects. However, its validity remains a matter of dispute. The essay conducts the literary criticism of Rushdie’s portrayal in tandem with academic perspectives, which accentuates the complexities of constructing and appropriating cultural authenticity in literature. At the end of the book, “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” calls its reader to ponder the place where culture, creativity and censorship are entangled in the same fabric of creativity.
Works Cited
Binti, Zubaidah, and Mohamed Shaburdin. Decoding Gender in the Selected Works of Salman Rushdie Decoding Gender in the Selected Works of Salman Rushdie.
Bonvillain, Nancy. Women and men: Cultural constructs of gender. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2020.https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZXTTDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=+gender+roles+and+how+they+relate+to+Indian+culture+&ots=X3S_cbN0GN&sig=HVy1Wh8ARJpaClT2uPI6qPWgDrE ( gender roles)
Evans, Jonathan. “How Indians View Gender Roles in Families and Society.” Pew Research Center’s Religion & Public Life Project, 2 Mar. 2022, www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/03/02/how-indians-view-gender-roles-in-families-and-society/#:~:text=These%20norms%20are%20part%20of,with%20their%20parents%20and%20provide. Accessed 10 Apr. 2024.
Liang, Yuying. “The Spatial Imperative: The Need to Read Space in Salman Rushdie’s Novels.” Journal of Comparative Literature and Aesthetics 43.3 (2020): 117–129.https://jcla.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/JCLA-43.3_Autumn-2020_Yuying-Liang.pdf
Rushdie, Salman. Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Penguin Books, 2020.
Sethi, Devika. War over words: censorship in India, 1930-1960. Cambridge University Press, 2019.https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ToOWDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=censorship+and+gender+roles+and+how+they+relate+to+Indian+culture+&ots=XsI9a9uUal&sig=71jhFgFJ1Bt-O7T5CDGa7S8ChCs
Stadtler, Florian, ed. Salman Rushdie in Context. Cambridge University Press, 2023.https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wImzEAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT8&dq=Biography+of+Salman+Rushdie&ots=JTB4SXJxW0&sig=gEisBd8hOicqLHXJPu5HVCbTwDw
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