Chapters 1-4

First Impressions

This book was pretty predictable. I didn't know what to expect at first, but once you get a couple of chapters in, you can tell what's going to happen pretty easily. It's basically a parody of Alice in Wonderland mixed with Peter Pan - a kid follows an unusual creature to a magical land with armies of paper and battles between good and bad, with the good winning triumphantly. Mix in some mystical sidekicks and a bit of awkward romance between kids, and you have this stereotypical type of fantasy story.

Insights: Satire

A satire is a story that uses humor to level the power of that which is deemed "superior." They usually feature irony and sarcasm, and tend to show that which is "superior" as a relating setting, character, or concept.

In the first four chapters of HATSOS, Rushdie uses satire to portray politics in a rather negative light, reflecting his personal views on the subject matter. For instance, a blog that revolves around Rushdie and his work discussed Rushdie's opposition to limitation of free expression. In the story, the dreariness of the City of K affects the attitudes and expectations of characters like Mr. Sengupta, who had told Haroun one of the most influential quotes in the whole book: "What's the use of stories that aren't even true?" His quote shows the limitation of free expression and creativity in the city due to the criticism it receives in this logic-driven fictional community. This would explain why the only people able to really express themselves and be creative in the City of K are those who either drink the Story Water or are consistently around those who do. These positive behaviors and influences rubbing off on surrounding peers makes an atmosphere that sets itself apart from the rest of the city, and attracts others as well, which is why Rashid is so popular, especially with those who wish to influence the public (like politicians).

Discussion Observations

In today's discussion, we talked about a variety of topics. One of the most intriguing (to me, personally) was the more "dominant" discussion of how the entire book may or may not have been composed within the Sea of Stories, one of the most important places in the novel. The conversation started off with talking about how many fantasy stories follow a common "template" - often in a dreamlike setting, good verses evil, wise man + protagonist + sidekick(s), etc. From there, the discussion turned towards the subject of theories, mainly deriving from thinking about the stereotypical fantasy structure and overall story plot through a philosophical lens. These theories were based off of events that occur later on in the text, closer to the conclusion of the story (will be discussed at a later date).

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#exposition #HATSOS #satire #firstimpressions