Haroun and the Sea of Stories

by

Salman Rushdie

Rashid Khalifa Character Analysis

Husband to Soraya and father to Haroun, Rashid is a professional storyteller who's known as the “Ocean of Notions” by his admirers and the “Shah of Blah” by his rivals. When Soraya runs off with Mr. Sengupta, Rashid loses the Gift of the Gab and turns from his usually happy, imaginative, story-filled self into a sad and self-pitying man who can only say "ark" when telling stories. Rashid finds himself transported to Kahani with Haroun and is instrumental in defeating Khattam-Shud. Rashid uses his storytelling powers to overthrow Mr. Buttoo and his government by telling his and Haroun's story of their adventures on Kahani, illustrating the importance of stories as forces for good in the world.

Rashid Khalifa Quotes in Haroun and the Sea of Stories

The Haroun and the Sea of Stories quotes below are all either spoken by Rashid Khalifa or refer to Rashid Khalifa. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Language, Words, and Naming Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

"What's the use of stories that aren't even true?"

Related Characters: Mr. Sengupta (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa, Soraya Khalifa
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

"It was a figure of speech," Mr. Butt replied. "But but but I will stand by it! A figure of speech is a shifty thing; it can be twisted or it can be straight. But Butt's a straight man, not a twister. What's your wish, my young mister?"

Related Characters: Mr. Butt (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa
Page Number: 33
Explanation and Analysis:

"'Need to stop?' he bellowed over his shoulder. "'Need to go so quickly?' Well, my sirs, I'll tell you this: Need's a slippery snake, that's what it is. The boy here says that you, sir, Need A View Before Sunset, and maybe it's so and maybe no. And some might say that the boy here Needs A Mother, and maybe it's so and maybe no. And it's been said of me that Butt Needs Speed, but but but it may be that my heart truly needs a Different Sort of Thrill. O, Need's a funny fish: it makes people untruthful. They all suffer from it, but they will not always admit. Hurrah!"

Related Characters: Mr. Butt (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa, Soraya Khalifa
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:

"Khattam-Shud," he said slowly, "is the Arch-Enemy of all Stories, even of Language itself. He is the Prince of Silence and the Foe of Speech. And because everything ends, because dreams end, stories end, life ends, at the finish of everything we use his name. "'It's finished,' we tell one another, 'it's over. Khattam-Shud: The End.'"

Related Characters: Rashid Khalifa (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Khattam-Shud
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:

"Do those names mean anything?" Haroun asked.
"All names mean something," Rashid replied.

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa (speaker), Rashid Khalifa (speaker)
Page Number: 40
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

When Haroun heard his father say only a story, he understood that the Shah of Blah was very depressed indeed, because only deep despair could have made him say such a terrible thing.

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa
Page Number: 48
Explanation and Analysis:

He knew what he knew: that the real world was full of magic, so magical worlds could easily be real.

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa, Mr. Buttoo
Page Number: 50
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

—"I don't know," panted Iff as he struggled to keep up with the charging boy. "We've never caught a spy before. Maybe we should scold him. Or make him stand in the corner. Or write I must not spy one thousand and one times. Or is that too severe?"

Related Characters: Iff (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa
Page Number: 98
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

"But but but what is the point of giving persons Freedom of Speech," declaimed Butt the Hoopoe, "if you then say they must not utilize the same? And is not the Power of Speech the greatest Power of all? Then surely it must be exercised to the full?"

Related Characters: Butt (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa, Iff, General Kitab
Page Number: 119
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

"All my life I've heard about the wonderful Sea of Stories, and Water Genies, and everything; but I started believing only when I saw Iff in my bathroom the other night. And now that I've actually come to Kahani and seen with my own eyes how beautiful the Ocean is, with its Story Streams in colours whose names I don't even know, and its Floating Gardeners and Plentimaw Fishes and all, well, it turns out I may be too late, because the whole Ocean's going to be dead any minute if we don't do something. And it turns out that I don't like the idea of that, sir, not one bit. I don't like the idea that all the good stories in the world will go wrong for ever and ever, or just die. As I say, I only just started believing in the Ocean, but maybe it isn't too late for me to do my bit."

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa (speaker), Rashid Khalifa, Iff, General Kitab
Page Number: 137
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

"Happy endings must come at the end of something," the Walrus pointed out. "If they happen in the middle of a story, or an adventure, or the like, all they do is cheer things up for a while."

Related Characters: The Walrus (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa
Page Number: 202
Explanation and Analysis:

"Don't, Dad," said Haroun, his good mood deflating all at once. "Don't you get it? It isn't real. It's just something the Eggheads got out of a bottle. It's all fake. People should be happy when there's something to be happy about, not just when they get bottled happiness poured over them from the sky."

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa (speaker), Rashid Khalifa, The Walrus
Page Number: 208
Explanation and Analysis:
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Rashid Khalifa Quotes in Haroun and the Sea of Stories

The Haroun and the Sea of Stories quotes below are all either spoken by Rashid Khalifa or refer to Rashid Khalifa. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Language, Words, and Naming Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

"What's the use of stories that aren't even true?"

Related Characters: Mr. Sengupta (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa, Soraya Khalifa
Page Number: 20
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

"It was a figure of speech," Mr. Butt replied. "But but but I will stand by it! A figure of speech is a shifty thing; it can be twisted or it can be straight. But Butt's a straight man, not a twister. What's your wish, my young mister?"

Related Characters: Mr. Butt (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa
Page Number: 33
Explanation and Analysis:

"'Need to stop?' he bellowed over his shoulder. "'Need to go so quickly?' Well, my sirs, I'll tell you this: Need's a slippery snake, that's what it is. The boy here says that you, sir, Need A View Before Sunset, and maybe it's so and maybe no. And some might say that the boy here Needs A Mother, and maybe it's so and maybe no. And it's been said of me that Butt Needs Speed, but but but it may be that my heart truly needs a Different Sort of Thrill. O, Need's a funny fish: it makes people untruthful. They all suffer from it, but they will not always admit. Hurrah!"

Related Characters: Mr. Butt (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa, Soraya Khalifa
Page Number: 36
Explanation and Analysis:

"Khattam-Shud," he said slowly, "is the Arch-Enemy of all Stories, even of Language itself. He is the Prince of Silence and the Foe of Speech. And because everything ends, because dreams end, stories end, life ends, at the finish of everything we use his name. "'It's finished,' we tell one another, 'it's over. Khattam-Shud: The End.'"

Related Characters: Rashid Khalifa (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Khattam-Shud
Page Number: 39
Explanation and Analysis:

"Do those names mean anything?" Haroun asked.
"All names mean something," Rashid replied.

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa (speaker), Rashid Khalifa (speaker)
Page Number: 40
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

When Haroun heard his father say only a story, he understood that the Shah of Blah was very depressed indeed, because only deep despair could have made him say such a terrible thing.

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa
Page Number: 48
Explanation and Analysis:

He knew what he knew: that the real world was full of magic, so magical worlds could easily be real.

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa, Mr. Buttoo
Page Number: 50
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 6 Quotes

—"I don't know," panted Iff as he struggled to keep up with the charging boy. "We've never caught a spy before. Maybe we should scold him. Or make him stand in the corner. Or write I must not spy one thousand and one times. Or is that too severe?"

Related Characters: Iff (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa
Page Number: 98
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

"But but but what is the point of giving persons Freedom of Speech," declaimed Butt the Hoopoe, "if you then say they must not utilize the same? And is not the Power of Speech the greatest Power of all? Then surely it must be exercised to the full?"

Related Characters: Butt (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa, Iff, General Kitab
Page Number: 119
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 8 Quotes

"All my life I've heard about the wonderful Sea of Stories, and Water Genies, and everything; but I started believing only when I saw Iff in my bathroom the other night. And now that I've actually come to Kahani and seen with my own eyes how beautiful the Ocean is, with its Story Streams in colours whose names I don't even know, and its Floating Gardeners and Plentimaw Fishes and all, well, it turns out I may be too late, because the whole Ocean's going to be dead any minute if we don't do something. And it turns out that I don't like the idea of that, sir, not one bit. I don't like the idea that all the good stories in the world will go wrong for ever and ever, or just die. As I say, I only just started believing in the Ocean, but maybe it isn't too late for me to do my bit."

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa (speaker), Rashid Khalifa, Iff, General Kitab
Page Number: 137
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

"Happy endings must come at the end of something," the Walrus pointed out. "If they happen in the middle of a story, or an adventure, or the like, all they do is cheer things up for a while."

Related Characters: The Walrus (speaker), Haroun Khalifa, Rashid Khalifa
Page Number: 202
Explanation and Analysis:

"Don't, Dad," said Haroun, his good mood deflating all at once. "Don't you get it? It isn't real. It's just something the Eggheads got out of a bottle. It's all fake. People should be happy when there's something to be happy about, not just when they get bottled happiness poured over them from the sky."

Related Characters: Haroun Khalifa (speaker), Rashid Khalifa, The Walrus
Page Number: 208
Explanation and Analysis: