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Haroun
and the Sea of Stories - Chapter 3
by Conni Buning
::SUMMARY::
In
chapter 3, Haroun and his father are traveling with Snooty Buttoo across
the Dull Lake. The weather changes with different people's moods. This
reminds Haroun of the Moody Land, from one of his father's stories. When
he mentions it to his father, Rashod replies that the Moody Land is only
a story. Haroun realizes just how depressed his father really is.
The Dull Lake gets stormier and stormier as Rashid, Haroun, and Buttoo
get angry at each other. Haroun decides to test his theory about the Dull
lake and the Moody Land and yells at everyone to be quiet. Once he has
calmed everyone down, the weather clears up. Buttoo denies it having anything
to do with people's emotions, but Rashid acknowledges it, making Haroun
happy.
The
boat reaches Buttoo's houseboat, the Arabian Nights Plus One. Servants
lead Haroun and Rashid to their bedrooms. Haroun's bed is a huge wooden
turtle, and Rashid's is a painted peacock. Buttoo asks Haroun how he likes
the room. Haroun politely compliments it, but not sincerely enough for
Snooty Buttoo. He flies into a rage, and when Rashid takes his son's side,
gets even angrier and stalks out.
Haroun
discovers he cannot sleep, and overhears his father agonizing over his
loss of stories. Haroun and Rashid decide to switch beds, each saying
that the other's seems more suitable. Haroun is woken once again by noises
coming from his bathroom. He sneaks in and sees a strange figure grumbling
to itself, with a bunch of tools next to it. Haroun steals one of the
tools, thinking the figure might be a burglar. The figure turns, and Haroun
sees that is it a very strange-looking man. The man demands his "Disconnecting
Tool" back, and Haroun demands information. The man tells Haroun
that he is Iff the Water Genie from the Ocean of the Streams of Story,
Rashid's subscription to Story Water has been cancelled, and he has come
to disconnect it. When Haroun questions why it has been disconnected,
Iff replies that it is a P2C2E-a Process Too Complicated To Explain. Haroun,
upset for his father's sake, refuses to give back the Water Genie's Disconnecting
Tool until he can see the Walrus, who runs the P2C2E House on Kahani,
Earth's second moon, where the Ocean of the Streams of Story is. Iff reluctantly
agrees, and they prepare to leave immediately.
::ANALYSIS::
Snooty
Buttoo proudly claims that he named his houseboat the Arabian Nights Plus
One because 'even in all the Arabian Nights you will never have a night
like this." This is foreshadowing the adventure that Haroun and Rashid
will currently have.
Buttoo offers to let Rashid read his copies of the Ocean of the Streams
of Story, but Rashid ignores the books, instead worrying if Buttoo has
offered them because he knew that Rashid could no longer tell stories.
Kahani's
P2C2E House, and the Processes Too Complicated To Explain are Salmon Rushdie's
way of satirizing governments that censor and control their citizens without
giving them choices or explanations. Iff the Water Genie Waves everything
away as a P2C2E, as do many governments.
© Smelli Notes 2001
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