History Literature / HarounAndTheSeaOfStories

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Many characters in the book apply, and even some place names, but "Khattam-Shud" is easy the most notable.

* {{Applicability}}: Invoked ''in universe''. At the end of the novel, Rashid tells a crowd at a political rally the story of Haroun's adventures on Kahani. The listeners see the tale as an allegory for their own situation, and so inspired by it that they rise up and run a corrupt politician out of town. Of course, the story Rashid tells isn't an ''allegory'' for ''anything''; it's simply a truthfull recounting of the previous night's events. But it clearly has ''applicability'' for the people who hear it.

* ArcWords: ''"What's the use of stories that aren't even true?"''
** ''Khattam-shud''.

* DarkIsNotEvil: Played straight with Mudra the Shadow Warrior. See also DarkIsEvil.

--->'''Khattam-Shud:''' The world is not for fun. The world is for controlling.
--->'''Haroun:''' What world?
--->'''Khattam-Shud:''' Your world, my world, all worlds.

* KarmicDeath: Khattam-Shud

* SweetPollyOliver: Blabbermouth.

* RealitySubtext: Undoubtedly the story was inspired by the Ayatollah Khomeini's ''fatwa'' against Rushdie himself, condemning him to death for writing the allegedly blasphemous ''The Satanic Verses.''

* InDefenceOfStoryTelling: Pretty much the entire point of the book.
* InSeriesNickname: Rashid has two: to his admirers, he's the Ocean of Notions, but to his rivals he's the Shah of Blah.

* SillyRabbitCynicismIsForLosers: Haroun's problem is that he has become so cynical he can't accept the reality of the sea of stories despite being beaten over the head with it. Pointed out by Blabbermouth.

* VoiceForTheVoiceless: Rashid becomes this for Mudra, as he understands Abhinaya

* AndYouWereThere: Most of the things and people Haroun encounters on Kahani seem to be somehow "based on" or "inspired by" people and ideas from the real world. Lampshaded by Butt the Hoopoe when he reads Haroun's thoughts on how similar he and Butt the Mail Coach Driver are: "I can't help it if I remind you of someone."

* AndYouWereThere: Most of the things and people Haroun encounters on Kahani seem to be somehow "based on" or "inspired by" people and ideas from the real world.

* VoiceForTheVoiceless: Rashid becomes this for Mudra, as he understands Abhinaya

''Haroun and the Sea of Stories'' is a children's fantasy novel by Salman Rushdie. Haroun Khalifa lives with his parents, Rashid and Soraya, in a city so sad it has forgotten its name. Haroun, however, is happy -- until one day his mother runs away with their neighbour. This event devastates Haroun, who develops a kind of ADHD as a result. Even worse is the effect on his father: Rashid, formerly a storyteller of seemingly boundless imagination, suddenly finds himself unable to spin his marvelous tales.

* BadassBoast: Bordering on BadassCreed since he says it frequently (albeit with various variations, all rhyming), but Mali the gardener, whenever he is attacked, will shout "You can chop an [X], you can chop a [Z], you can chop a [Y], but you can't chop me!"

* BadassBoast: Bordering on BadassCreed since he says it frequently with various variations, all rhyming, but Mali the gardener, whenever he is attacked, will shout "You can chop an [X], you can chop a [Z], you can chop a [Y], but you can't chop me!"

* HeroismEqualsJobQualification: Iff, Mali, Goopy, and Bagha all get put in charge of their respective departments at the end of the story, despite having no special qualifications other than having helped Haroun out.

* AllJustADream: It's implied that the trip to Kahani may have been this, though the balance of the evidence seems to be against it.

** ''Khattam-shud''.

''Haroun and the Sea of Stories'' is a children's fantasy novel by Salman Rushdie. Haroun Khalifa lives with his parents, Rashid and Soraya, in a city so sad it has forgotten its name. Haroun, however, is happy - until one day his mother runs away with their neighbour. This event devastates Haroun, who develops a kind of ADHD as a result. Even worse is the effect on his father: Rashid, formerly a storyteller of seemingly boundless imagination, suddenly finds himself unable to spin his marvelous tales.

* AppliedPhlebotinum: It's a [=P2C2E=]![[hottip:*:a Process Too Complicated To Explain]]

* WallAroundTheWorld / TheGreatWall: Chattergy's Wall, which encircles Kahani, separating the perpetual daylight of Gup from the benighted land of Chup.

* BigBad: Khattam-Shud, the leader of Chup. Arguably also The Walrus, for relegating an entire land and people (most of whom are perfectly decent) into perpetual darkness, conceivably setting the prerequisite for Khattam-Shud's rise to power.

* BigBad: Khattam-Shud, the leader of Chup

** The head of the [=P2C2E=] House is called the Walrus. His underlings are the Eggheads. [[TheBeatles Goo goo g'joob.]]

* WallAroundTheWorld / TheGreatWall: Chattergy's Wall, which encircles Kahani, separating the perpetual daylight of Gup from the benighted land of Chup.

* Applicability: Invoked ''in universe''. At the end of the novel, Rashid tells a crowd at a political rally the story of Haroun's adventures on Kahani. The listeners see the tale as an allegory for their own situation, and so inspired by it that they rise up and run a corrupt politician out of town. Of course, the story Rashid tells isn't an ''allegory'' for ''anything''; it's simply a truthfull recounting of the previous night's events. But it clearly has ''applicability'' for the people who hear it.

** The head of the [=P2C2E=] House is called the Walrus. His underlings are the Eggheads. At least twice in the narrative, someone utters a variation on the line, "We are the Eggheads. He is the Walrus." They stop just short of adding the words, [[TheBeatles "goo goo g'joob"]].

* EmpathicEnvironment: Justified with the Dull Lake, which really does seem to mimick the emotions of the people on it.

* DarkIsNotEvil: Played straight with Mudra the Shadow Warrior

* MeaningfulName: A variety of characters and places:

* ShoutOut: Many, but perhaps most prominently [[TheBeatles the Walrus and the Eggheads]].

* VoiceForTheVoiceless: Rashid becomes this for Mudra, as he understands Abhinaya

Literature/HarounAndTheSeaOfStories is a fantasy children's book written by Salman Rushdie, following the adventures of Haroun Kahlifa as he sets out to restore his father's lost Gift of Gab and save the Sea of Stories from being destroyed forever.

HarounAndTheSeaOfStories is a fantasy children's book written by Salman Rushdie, following the adventures of Haroun Kahlifa as he sets out to restore his father's lost Gift of Gab and save the Sea of Stories from being destroyed forever.