Haroun and the Sea of Stories

One characteristic of magical realism worth discussing in relation to Haroun and the Sea of Stories is hybridity. Hybridity refers to blending elements from more than one tradition—in the case of Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Rushdie blends European and Indian traditions.

What are some examples of this hybridity in Rushdie’s novel? Do both traditions contribute magical elements to the novel, or does one of the two traditions seem more heavily represented in this way? What does this balance—or lack of balance—say about Rushdie’s relationship to these two traditions?

Teaching Suggestion: Answering this prompt effectively requires students to generate a wide variety of examples of both European and Indian traditions reflected in the novel. Even if they are answering in written form, it may be helpful to them to brainstorm examples as a class. This also creates an opportunity to remind students to think of more than plot and character details—beyond the inclusion of things like water genies to elements of the novel such as its structure, use of allusions, and so on.

As they move on to an analysis of the balance of these elements, it may be helpful to remind them that they are being asked about the balance of “magical” elements only.