Techniques of a True "Cock and Bull" Story

Have you ever enjoyed a Saturday afternoon with a group of friends, and engaged in a long story-telling session? You might have shared stories that were either part of your past, or even improvised right there on the spot. Such stories or fables do not necessarily have to be non-fictional either. The fanciful and unbelievable stories are known as "cock and bull" stories. Drunken story-telling in an English Pub may come to mind when the term "cock and bull" is used. Salman Rushdie, the author of our new novel "East, West," does just that in his collection of short stories.

In the short "cock and bull" story, "The Prophet's Hair," Rushdie tells a fictional tale of a wealthy Muslim family that experiences lots of fast- paced action. This Muslim family however, is quite unorthodox compared to the traditional Muslim family that is very strict towards their religion. The outrageous and unbelievable story is based around a strand of hair from the Prophet Muhammed, that is kept in a vile with a silver pendulum. When this vial was discovered in the water, it changed the attitude of the father, also known as the moneylender, Hashim. He became very strict, angry, and religious, and even set new standards and guidelines for his wife and two children. He forced his family to rise early in the morning and begin their first of five prayers throughout the day. He claimed that visits to the cinema were now forbidden, and they must read passages from the Quran for two hours each day. This is where I began to sense Rushdie's "satire" in that he cleverly makes fun of Islam and other religious people who take themselves too seriously. The story wildly ends with the sword stabbing of all members in the family, but the wife barely surviving.

Upon finishing the story, I began to look back on Rushdie's writing style. The whole time I was reading, the voice that speaks to me as I read the text was not a serious tone of voice. Instead, it was a humorous and satirical tone. On page 47, when Hashim was setting religious guidelines for his family, I heard this satirical tone when the father demands, "And if Atta invites male friends to the house, Huma will be retired to her room." Rushdie was poking fun at aspects of Islamic faith. And in regards to making fun of those who take themselves too seriously, the father states on page 48, "there's going to be some discipline around here!" The whole conflict of the Prophet's Hair made fun of the seriousness that exists in that religion. After all, it's a strand of hair that caused so much trouble in the household.

Salman Rushdie has a very descriptive style. On page 38, when describing Huma while attempting to hire a thief for the Prophet's hair, Rushdie writes, "angrily ordering her heart to behave normally, Huma followed the old woman into the gloom-wrapped house." He provides great detail to create quality imagery in his writing. I can picture Rushdie sitting in an English Pub, telling this humorous and compelling story. I picture him trying to get you involved in the emotions of the characters. His story didn't have any meaningless characters, it remained short and exciting, with vivid descriptions of each of the scenes. Rushdie knows how to tell a true "cock and bull" story, and really meets the standard of fanciful and unbelievable with his spectacular ending. Everyone dies!