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We’re holding out for our heroes
E3 Haroun Alice
by kmcqueen

A hero defined as a person noted for feats of courage, nobility of purpose, or one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life. Both Haroun and Alice display heroic qualities throughout their separate journeys. Each character encounters different situations to enact their heroism, but Haroun’s socially directed actions place him above Alice in determining who is more heroic. Haroun’s benevolent wishes contrast Alice’s internal quest, demeaning her as a gallant character.
Haroun’s noble attitude, consideration of others and perseverance in the face of despair classify him as a heroic figure. He realizes “it’s your turn, and it’s now or never” (165) to sacrifice his life and save the Ocean of Stories and the city of Gup from the poison of the Cultmaster Khattam-Shud. He exposes his bravery by physically and mentally defeating the black army, however, I question the true nobility behind his desires. From the start, Haroun’s wishes embody an attempt at personal gain, a quest to rekindle the love and happiness that surrounded his family. His father had “discontinued narrative activities, thrown in the towel, packed it in” (57) and his mother Soraya “had run off with Mr. Sengupta” (21). The personal anguish Haroun has gone through is enough to motivate him to save his family by any means necessary. The initial act of personal heroism was “the most important decision of his life” (59) where he told Iff the Water Genie to “take me to Gup city to see the Walrus, so that I can get this stupid blunder about my father’s Water supply reversed before it’s too late” (59). Without this internal quest to restore the well-being of his family, Haroun would never have been in a situation to save Gup City and consequently ask the Walrus to provide a happy ending. His evolution into a heroic figure is a result of personal motives, distinguishing him as a selfish individual rather than the selfless hero he is glorified as.
Another definition of heroism states that heroic individuals instinctively act without being asked or told what to do. By volunteering to “spy for you upon Khattam-Shud, or his Shadow, whichever of them is down there in the Old Zone, poisoning the Ocean” (136) Haroun defines himself as a hero by acting on impulse to help those in need. He was not expected to volunteer, but by saying “I’ll go” (136) he believes “it isn’t too late for me to do my bit” (137). Rashid says “there’s more to you, young Haroun Khalifa, than meets the blinking eye” (137), taking on this journey as “a slave to Love” (137). This selflessness is carried over to Haroun’s wish after saving the Ocean of Story. Taking his personal problems into account, the loss of his father’s gift of gab and the departure of his mother, Haroun truly is heroic by wishing for “ a happy ending, not just for my adventure, but for the whole sad city as well” (202). He could have wished for a new clock or to the restoration of his family, but his wish places others needs before his own in hopes of bringing good fortune to the people he is surrounded by. If heroic individuals bring happiness to their followers, then Haroun bringing “Kahani” (209) to the sad city, elevates him to a champion status.
As Haroun was the hero of the sad city and the Land of Gup, Alice is a hero to herself, her imagination, and to the looking glass land. The Looking Glass land escapes her imagination and dreams because life is backwards, acting with fixed rules and moves in a grand chess game. Entering into the reflected world, Alice’s actions are dictated by the rules of the Red Queen because “all the ways about here belong to me” (161). Ms. Liddell is stripped of her own individuality and creativity, a feature that distinguishes her life from the mirror world. Her heroism stems from a nobility of purpose, the act of separating herself from rules and actions, allowing a return to her natural state of mind. However, the same controversy that Haroun suffers is valid in Alice’s case. How can a character be considered a hero when their actions are solely based on personal motives. Since Alice’s mission is to return to the other side of the mirror, where is the voluntary action that separates her from other characters? The journey through the Looking Glass land is an internal quest to figure out who is dreaming the story, allowing no room to help others because she is fixated over her cause. “Was it the Red King, Kitty?” (271) is a representation of coming full circle. She travels from one world to the other and then back to the beginning without the knowledge of a central theme, who “do you think it was” (271)? Alice has done nothing to further her or the well being of others, indicating no acts of heroism, questioning her legitimacy as a hero.
Her feats of courage and liberation from rules and demands are enough to glorify her as a hero. When Alice confronts the Red Queen, her internal quest is fulfilled by disregarding the forces that had restrained her throughout the Looking Glass World. Her notion to the Red Queen to “shake you into a kitten” (266) embodies a transformation to an individual who once again has the power to dictate her present state of mind. As the Red Queen’s “face grew small, and her eyes got large and green” (267) her body turned into “a kitten, after all” (268) returning Alice and her companion back to original form. Is rising above restraint and control an act of heroism? In Alice’s case, there was nobility in her cause because her individuality and creativity are at stake and the thought of losing these characteristics is a cause worth fighting for. Her defeat of the Red Queen is heroic since it allows her to break away from the restraint of others and live the life she imagines, the life of a child.
There is no debate as to which character is more heroic. Courage in the face of actual danger, as well as thoughtfulness towards others, separates Haroun from Alice. Contrasting two different motives, an internal quest versus a socially directed wish, Haroun’s wish signifies the importance of a hero benefiting the lives of others. Where Alice is directed towards liberating herself from authority, Haroun is noble in his actions of wishing for a happy ending to the Sad City, placing emphasis on helping the people he surrounds himself with. Both characters are labeled as childhood heroes, but only one embodies the true aspects of heroism.

May 13, 2005, 04:54 PM

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