Stories & Ecology

One of the most interesting themes that I've ran across in Haroun and the Sea of Stories is the importance of stories as an ecological feature. It seems Rushdie found the natural environment of earth, specifically the focus on water, as the best way to metaphorically display the nature of stories. Not only does he create an intimate relationship between the environment and stories he also draws upon the contemporary fear of destroying the planet through pollution. Rushdie notes "and if the source itself is poisoned, what will happen to the Ocean-- to us all?" (Rushdie 87). He continues this argument when the characters look to "the thick, dark poison was everywhere now, obliterating the colours of the Streams of Story, which Haroun could no longer tell apart... 'It's our own fault,' he wept. 'We are the Guardians of the Ocean, look at it... No colour, no life, no nothing. Spoilt!" (Rushdie 146). While we are the "Guardians" of our earth/stories we also are the ones who are causing the damage.

Surprisingly this theme does not only appear in this appealing children's novel but in the theories of noteworthy author/historian/theorist Karen Armstrong. In her book A Short History of Myth (which I talk about in length on my other blog) Armstrong states "we need myths that help us to venerate the earth as sacred once again, instead of merely using it as a 'resource'. This is crucial, because unless there is some kind of spiritual revolution that is able to keep abreast of our technological genius, we will not save our planet" (Armstrong 137). Furthermore, it seems if we do not re-establish stories as "important", an argument against the extermination of stories in what Armstong calls The Great Western Transformation, it appears that we will not save our humanity. With the rise of ecological criticism in literary criticism we must see how these two works are both excellent examples of this rising trend.


The lesson (if you want to call it that) is that there is one great similarity between the nature of earth and the nature of stories-- as Rushdie puts it through the mind of Haroun "It was not dead but alive" (Rushdie 72). This living nature of each appear to be the greatest similarity and makes their existence tied inseparably in each other.