It is amazing how one little word, “ma ma ma ma” escaping an infant’s mouth can elicit highly emotional responses, some to the point of tears. It is evident from these first linguistic encounters and the subsequent responses, that language is an essential part of our human existence. Though language is important us to survive in society, it is also be the vehicle for proper growth and development for the mind’s cognitive abilities. One novel which addresses the significance of language to one’s maturation is, Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie. In his novel, Rushdie illustrates the importance of language through a young boy, Haroun’s, growth as he attempts to save his storytelling father from losing his indulgent linguistic abilities.

With Rushdie’s emphasis on language and water, it is clear that language is nearly as essential to our survival as water. Where our Earth is covered by 75% water, the Ocean of the Sea of Stories covers just as much if not more of Kahani. These stories literally provide many of the creatures of Kahani with their life source as can be seen in the Plentimaw Fishes Bagha and Goopy, who eat the stories and clean and release them as new ones (Rushdie 86). It is this Ocean of the Sea of Stories, which Rushdie describes as being “not dead but alive” (Rushdie 86), for which this child seeking to save his father from indignity ends up believing in the importance of his father’s stories; however, it is through his subsequent journey to the land of Kahani which enables Haroun to see not only the importance of language, but also the importance in balancing the extremes to which language can take shape–constant chattering and complete silence.

It was once believed that a person’s intelligence depended on the size of his/or her brain. One theory to support this was the fact that the brain has nearly doubled in size from 800 ml to 1500 ml from the time of our ancestors the Neanderthals to the present day homo sapiens; yet, despite the obvious development of linguistic and cognitive skills the human brain has remained about the same size for the last 50,000 years (Passer and Smith 280-1). The fact that young Haroun can outsmart the eggheads in Gup City about the P2C2E with his understanding that the extreme opposites of light and dark enabled the powerful rise of Khattam-Shud disproves such a notion (Rushdie 170-171). From this information one must assume when it comes to intelligence, size really does not matter; however, language does.

We use language to communicate complex ideas such as abstractions. Take the emotion love for instance. It is not something for which one could point to something and say that is love. For Haroun, it is his emotions for his parents which his linguistic abilities fail him. From the very beginning, Haroun has trouble expressing his emotions He did not defend his father to his mother when Mr. Sengupta complained about his use of language and he hurt his father the most by repeating “Mr. Sengupta’s line: What’s the use of stories that aren’t even true?” (Rushdie 20-22) Though he is speaking, there is something clearly going on because he speaks before he thinks. Haroun must learn there is more to language and communication than words alone, and it is through his experience on the Moon Kahani that Haroun will begin to mature cognitively.

According to the psychology theorist L. S. Vygotsky, “cognitive development results from an internalization of language” (Butterworth). Using this concept, in order for Haroun to fully mature, he must be able to take the language and internalize it–he must accept his father’s stories as more than just stories. Haroun is trying desperately to make his father happy again. It is not until the moment on the boat in Dull Lake with Mr. Buttoo when Haroun realizes that his father’s stories (language) can be applied to real life and saves the boat from capsizing (Rushdie 49).With Haroun able to begin to comprehend the significance of using even playful language for survival, he is now ready to take on the next challenge of finding that balance which he had not been able to regarding Mr. Sengupta.

The two sides of Kahani illustrate the divide in language. On the one side, there is Gup City with the constant sunshine and free speech (unless you begin to insult the Walrus’ mustache (Rushdie 90). Haroun sees a problem with Gup City because as great as it all seems with all the communication and brightness which can be found, there can be beauty in the silence which the citizens of Chup exhibit and from which they could learn (Rushdie 125). Though language is important, it is important to master its components and know when and when not to use it.

Haroun’s previously mentioned problems with language as well as Bolo’s never-ceasing ungracefulness and Batcheat’s “beautiful” singing are prime examples of what can go wrong in language. Though Bolo and Batcheat do not learn their faults from the communications of their fellow citizens, Haroun begins to understand and learn from his.

Haroun’s statement, “I’ll go,” and save the Ocean of the Sea of Stories, marks the turning point of Haroun’s search of linguistic and cognitive growth. Further evidence of this can be seen when Haroun is first introduced to Bagha and Goopy.

He finds their conversation to be “okay” while Iff must explain that for the Plentimaw Fishes, this “okay” chatter “is like silence” which is “often considered rude” (Rushdie 85). For this belief, Haroun must have found at least a little something in common with the Plentimaw Fishes. Although to him silence is not rude, it is something of an embarrassment. Were it not, Haroun would never have been brought into the Guppee and Chupwala world. Quite the opposite is true for the Chupwalas of the dark side of Kahani.

Silence is utterly forbidden. The Guppees would have found the fact that language existed in Chup City outside speech somewhat discomforting as evidenced by Bolo’s brash remarks regarding Mudra’s attempts at speech following the Guppee’s apparent lack of knowledge of the Abhinaya, the most “ancient Gesture Language of all” (Rushdie 130). Where Bolo sees a man who cannot speak, Haroun, as well as his father, see a beautiful language. It is here that Haroun begins to find the balance between language and silence and to see that they can coexist beautifully as long as all parties are knowledgeable of the same language. Rushdie also creates a more complex world depending on the use of the same language or at least the same linguistic tendencies–which enables Haroun to relate the creatures of this new place with the people of his old one.

There are two main character combinations which enable Haroun Mr. Butt and the hoopoe Butt and Mr. Sengupta and Khattam-Shud. It is through language usage which Haroun gives the Hoopoe his name for his tendencies to speak like the mail driver of the “Number One Super Express Mail Coach” (33) in the triple repetition of words at the beginning of his sentences (Rushdie 66). It is through the apparent hatred of the use of creative language of Khattam-Shud which reminds Haroun of Mr. Sengupta. It is not the associations of the characters within the real world verses the real fantasy world, but the fact that those associations are made through the use of language which remains a central part of the argument for the significance of language enabling Haroun to be able to sort things out, the good from the bad, the chatterboxes from the keepers of silence.

Although Haroun began his journey not believing in the power of the language of his father’s stories or faith in his own linguistic ability, through his adventure in Kahani, the land where language is as essential as water, yet, divided as day and night, he is able to develop his linguistic maturity and in doing so developed his cognitive abilities so much so that he essentially saves two peoples from destroying each other.

Works Cited

Butterworth, George. “The origins of language and thought in early childhood.” [Accessed] 18 April, 2005. http://www.massey.ac.nz/~alock/hbook/george.htm

Passer, Michael W. and Ronald E. Smith. Psychology: The Science Of Mind And Behavior: Second Edition. McGraw-Hill. New York, New York. 2004. 280-281.

Rushdie, Salman, “Haroun and the Sea of Stories.” Granta Books. London, England. 1990.