haroun and the sea of stories

Haroun Khalifa is the novel’s eponymous hero. The opening chapter introduces Haroun and presents the novel’s overarching conflict. Haroun’s family breaks apart because Haroun and his mother both question Rashid Khalifa’s storytelling and perspective on reality. This causes Rashid to lose his ability to tell stories. This gift is his livelihood and his reason for existing. Haroun realizes that he has crushed his father and broken his spirit. The novel’s action revolves around Haroun’s quest to reclaim his father’s storytelling gift.