In the introduction, I just wanted to point out that my uncle's name is Shahriar, and my stepsister's name is Sharzad. teehee!
These stories are intricate and fable-like. They are very comparable to Aesop's Fables and The Grimm Fariytales. There is plenty of gore, violence, and morbidity, but there is always magic, princesses and love as well. A moral is always there in the end, they were meant to teach children things about life.
Alright, first I would like to touch upon the introduction, which I found to be very beneficial when I was reading the tales.
One of the parts that I found to be pretty attention-grabbing was the whole bit on "curiosity"(xviii).It states that "what is behind knowledge" is curiosity, and that "Scheherazade's father warns her that she must listen to his warnings, and not risk her life." Scheherazade uses the fact that everyone has curiosity to convince the Sultan into wanting to hear the conclusion to a story or to hearing a better story, just so that she can be kept alive, and help him change his views and opinions. What do you think? Do you agree with Scheherazade’s actions? Does "curiosity really kill the cat?"
Okay...another thing...I like the themes that are mentioned on page xxii: 1. "resists borders and limits" 2. "supernatural element" 3. "human concerns" It’s good to keep these in mind as we are reading the different stories....
Something else...on page xxiii (Love and Beauty), there is a great distinction made between the Persian and Arabic stories, which I believe is good to know.... Persian: "unknown partners... conquered by love" Baghdadi: "realistic detail"
...Moving on to "The History of the Little Hunchback"... I found the whole story to be similar to that of a domino effect...one thing leads to another, and then it happens all over again. Just like how in this story, we are left hanging, as the Christian merchant states that he will tell a story, we are left hanging in the next few stories, as the other members have stories to tell. There is a domino effect IN this story (the body of the hunchback being taken from place to place, as different people find themselves responsible of the murder and try to put it on someone else… they one by one come to defend someone else and take responsibility for the death), just as there is a domino effect with the ENDING of the following stories...a story is told by one of the characters only to be followed by another story from another character.
Well...I have to say that I have one question that's been plaguing me this entire time. So, did the king first catch his own wife and then his brother's wife cheating and then told his brother? I was a little confused at that turn of events. Was he happy in that he found out it was a common practice for other women to cheat as well?
And...from the reading of the book so far and from what BB said of there being a moral, I couldn't help but think that the whole book is a moral in and of itself. It's ironic that Scheherazade tells a story each night to delay her death and in Part One, each man told a story to soften the merchant's punishment of death. Is the book sending out positive messages towards study and education? It seems like the stories are a perfect candidate for the pen is mightier than the sword or something of that type taken literally.
Each person solves their problems with their wit and cunning, they are outsmarting their adversaries. They are combating the violence they are faced with, with their brains. I find this could be very reflective of their Middle Eastern culture (bringing a little bit of history here), since I have learned that the Arab, Persian and Indian empires were ahead of the West for a long time due to their emphasis on education particularly in the fields of literature and most especially science. Even the women in the stories are viewed differently than you would think would be reflective of Middle Eastern culture today, well with all the stereotypes and even some facts surrounding the position and education of women. Scheherazade is described as being very intelligent and cunning and with her survival at the end, she has outsmarted the king. She has outsmarted a man in particular, and she is the heroine of this book. Women did not play such central roles in Western literature for quite some time and even then their roles were not quite flattering. It's interesting to see the difference in cultures and the contrast to a way that a culture or people are perceived to the way they actually are.
Another interesting note is the Bedouin culture's mixture with that of the Islamic faith. There are jinn and fairies, malignant and benevolent spirits, and of course even magic. The Islamic faith condemns witchcraft which the magic would be considered as, yet the "damsel" is rewarded for her use of magic in the transformation of the son back to his regular self. She is also rewarded for her inflicted punishment upon the wife who turned into a cow. It reminds me a lot of the Medieval ages and even the Renaissance age in the West. A time when everyone mixed the local traditions that had been present before the spread of Christianity, with Christianity.
I am totally struck with confusion on this whole cheating issue too...I have been flipping back and forth in the introduction pages looking for an answer, but can't seem to find anything that I can feel confident about...I too thought that they had both found their wives cheating, but again, I am really not sure--we need to discuss this some more in order to hopefully find an answer :)
...It’s pretty cool how Scheherazade continually tells stories that are intriguing in order to save herself, just as the characters in her stories do the same...
Your whole topic on education...I am not sold on that idea. I find this to be more of a "street smarts" rather than "school smarts" book (is that what they would call it.?.? yes? maybe?)...anyways, I mean it in the fact that the characters don't use any of their schooling education, but rather have intelligence that touches on interactions between people, how to get your way, how to overcome situations...its more of a social skills type of thing if you get what I mean...not smart in the classroom, but smart when it comes to the decisions you make.
I completely agree with your point on how Scheherazade is portrayed as an intelligent young woman...
...I also wanted to talk about the stories...so far, the ones that we have read all include this whole "accidental murder" plot...there is always a character who commits a murder by accident, and thus has to be punished...I feel as though it sends this message of "worry," like you should always double-check, or have thoughts like "what if so and so happened because I did this?" It definitely sends this message of constant worrying, at least that’s what I think one would get from reading the stories. The characters are constantly being struck with events that they would never have guessed would happen as they are going along in their daily happy lives.
In response to what Marissa said, I have to agree completely. In Part One and even in the Hunchback it does seem like a domino effect and it's really the same premise from story to story. Someone is going to die and stories are told so prevent that from happening.
After the stories are finished and no one dies, it's ironic that essentially the same thing happens to Scheherazade; she tells a story and saves her life, all the stories she is telling are of people who were going to die and their lives were saved. Hmmm...I wonder if the King has caught on yet? Well, no. He seems to genuinely just enjoy the stories and has no clue she's doing exactly as the characters are.
Sorry Marissa, I basically stated the same thing you did. Your comment hadn't shown up yet and I was just noting an interesting point.
Well, I didn't meant exactly book smarts but just intelligence in general. The characters do not resort to violence against violence, it seems almost like a words are better than your fists kind of thing.
Also, I do agree with you on the accidental murder plot going on with the stories; but then again, it should be viewed as a magickal realism sort of book. It's much like Midnight's Children in that the events are magickally inspired and unlikely to ever really happen. I doubt a genie would have spared a man's life in exchange for three stories and I doubt the favourite of the king in "The Story told by the Purveyor of the Sultan of Casgar" would have hid her love in a chest for her mistress to approve of. I do feel like everyone in the story is full of constant worry in regards to love and even in the story I just mentioned, the debts owed and paid, etc.
Another thing interesting to note would be the relations between the men and then women in this book. Also the position of the women. The women seem to enjoy a better position than I had previously thought in regards to business and their freedom. The women in these stories have gone out on their own to conduct their business (granted they might have had a slave, servant or eunuch) and they speak freely with the men they encounter. One even invites the merchant back to her house for wine! It all seems so liberal concerning the rules that Islam put forth in regards to relations between the sexes. Not only that, but in other Middle Eastern literature that I've read, the family of the man has to come to propose to the family of the woman. Whereas here, these men and women openly declare their love for one another and the men ask without "shame" for the women to lift their veils. I just think it's another example of Bedouin culture mixed with Islam; in the Bedouin culture, women could previously take multiple lovers and enjoyed a high status of position. I've even read that in the times of Muhammad, women still enjoyed great freedom and it was only in the centuries following his death that the position of women seemed to decline. What has anyone else noticed about the position and status of women in the story, and also how they're viewed?
One more thing...they fall in love at a glimpse of certain parts of the body or certain parts of the person i.e. face, or speech, or only hearing them talk a little bit. Remember Midnight's Children where we had a very big discussion with falling in love with pieces of the person as opposed to a whole?
...looking at The Story of The Merchant and The Genie on page 13, you can see...
1. An accidental murder, as the merchant threw "the date stones," which led to the death of the genie's son (13).
2. Curiosity..."'if the Sultan will let me live this day, and permit me to continue the story...'" "Shahriar, who had listened to Scheherazade with pleasure, said to himself,'...when she has made an end of her story'" (13).
3. Domino effect...with the old men passing by, hearing about the event, and wanting to help...
…I wonder if this takes place in EVERY story?…hmmmm…..
TOTALLY agree with your last comment...you took the thoughts right out of my head!
Okay, to touch on the whole position of women...I agree with one of your earlier comments about how the Persian, Arab, and Indian world was ahead of everyone else when it came to being modern...this could explain why their treatment of women was so great...there is an equal level for both men and women portrayed. It’s really interesting, because in any book you read that has some sort of historical context, there is always this gender issue that arises...and given that these stories take place hundreds of years ago, I love how it is expected to have these completely far from modern ideas...and yet it doesn’t...it makes the text different than others that I have read.
To touch more on the whole "women" topic...I find it interesting how she goes against what her father wants, which is for her not to marry the Sultan...is her dad just too easy?...or is she just one of those "I'll do my own thing" kind of people?...this really is soooo modern with the ideas...a child going against a parent’s wishes...it reminds me of Romeo and Juliet
…the “hehe… thanks” was supposed to be after your second comment…I deleted it because I wanted to add something…It sounds weird being after your third comment…too funny :)
I know exactly what you mean! I thought that if her father didn't want her to do it, she wouldn't. One, because she is his daughter and therefore owes him her obedience, and two, because she's a female and his authority would be greater than hers. At least I thought it would be.
I don't think he's a soft father, but I think that he had faith in his daughter. She told her father of her plan before going to her husband, so I thought her father thought her capable of surviving. I don't think he would have sent his most beloved daughter without thinking that she had some kind of chance at winning the kinds mercy, if not his kindness.
I also thought it was kind of interesting that she was allowed to bring her sister into the room. Sorry to lower the tone a bit here, but I assume he would sleep with her since it's their first and last night together, wouldn't the sister interfere? Wouldn't that be considered inappropriate at all?
Oh gosh...awkward...I am pretty sure the sister would get in the way, but I think because it's not really marriage that is based on love, but rather one that is about a plan to help change another's character, that she doesn't think "oh my sister is going to interfere on my special day," but instead she thinks over a plan of what to do to get what she wants...sounds good?
I was just looking back at the notes in my book, when I noticed that in the introduction of The Arabian Nights on page xviii to xix, it mentions Jane Eyre, which we are reading as a class…
“Finally, the Arabian Nights narrative celebrates the art of storytelling cy celebrating itself: To tell a good story is to put yourself in the way of great rewards…..Women writers noticed this mechanism and made use of it, as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847) demonstrates. Like the Arabian Night’s Shahriar, Brontë’s Rochester is divested of his imperiousness and admits his resignation as follows ‘I never met your likeness. Jane, you please me, and you master me’ (chapter 24).”
This is good to know…plus it is going to be interesting reading these two books at the same time...one book may help us understand the other/bring out interesting points...it will be nice with this connection that the two texts have.
What a coincidence, because Arabian Nights is subtley mentioned in Jane Eyre as well! (Jane Eyre p.35)
Ok the whole deal with the cheating goes like this: There were two brothers. One was a king, and the other a sultan. The king caught his wife cheating, and killed them both. Then, while visiting his brother, the sultan, he notices that his sister-in-law is cheating as well. He tells his brother, the Sultan-- Sharyar-- and this is how the chain of slaughtered brides begins.
I think that these stories are really trying to say that wit is the thing that seperates you from another person, as opposed to race, class, or gender. Scheherazade's father didn't use full force against his daughter because her intelligence was equal to or far greater than his. When one thinks of Middle-Eastern countries today, daughters must obey their father's commands, regardless. However, this story within a story, within a story is teaching a many layered lesson. It's all in the brain, not the brawn. All these stories that Scheherazade tells mirror her situation in some way, and this is how she'll teach him the error of his ways.
Another thing! When Scherazade's father told the sultan that this wedding was to occur, the sultan almost refused. I think this is very interesting. The sultan obviously holds her father in high respect, but told him he wouldn't change his ways. But she teaches him eventually, teaching him a lesson, defying gender and class expectations.
What Nivele mentioned about magick was very interesting as well. It seems that in every religion, witchcraft is highly frowned upon and chaotic riots ensued over the topic of magick. Yet in every culture, magick is a whimsical and delightful addition to childrens' stories and literature. IT is hypocrisy that magick is a column one of the Middle East's most famous book, yet the Islamic Faith condemns witchcraft or magick of any kind.
Okay, so while reading "The History of Sindbad the Sailor," I first found myself struck by interest with their names...Hindbad and Sindbad...the similarity...significance? maybe? maybe not?
What I noticed about this story, was that it touches on "complaints"...on page 475, Hindbad says "'....What has he done to obtain so happy a destiny, or what crime has been mine to merit a fate so rigorous?'" This is the same as the typical complaining that goes on today with "why this" and "why that," when people complain about how horrible their lives are, and why someone else’s life is obviously way better. The story goes on to address the act of complaining with a moral on page 477, with Hindbad saying "You appear to suppose that the riches and comforts I enjoy have been obtained without any labour or trouble. In this you are mistaken." This sends out a great message, which still very much applies to today's world: the good life is achieved through hard work...
Well, I don't think that it was really attained through hard work but rather through trials and tribulations and of course luck. Had Sindbad upon his first voyage reached the island without any misfortune, the prince would not have given him others of "greater value"(pg. 480). Even though he stopped on several other islands and earned more money, he had to trade the items of greater value given to him by the Prince.
I'm not sure if this is even called anything but these stories are told in a fashion to that of the Bible and the Koran; obviously with a moral as we've discussed before. But with the incredible stories and the trials that they have gone through. I'm not saying it's an allusion or if this is the way most Middle Eastern literature is written(as the Bible and the Koran are of Middle Eastern origin), but I"m sure there has to be some kind of name for the way in which these stories are written.
Anwyays, on your original question. I do think that it conveys a message of hard work even though it doesn't seem like Sindbad really worked hard. In today's society, hard work is regarded as very important and those who do not work hard do not succeed; they get by. Hard work brings success or riches in the case of Sindbad.
By the way, why is it Sindbad? I thought it was Sinbad? I know it's a weird question and not really relevant, but I always thought that it was without a d, or is the d just not pronounced and I was wrong all along? Probably.
To comment on “The Three Apples,” this is again another story with a very important moral…so far I think that we have found so many morals in this book…I was not even aware that there were so many out there, but every time I read another story, I find myself struck with another important moral in today’s society.
On page 464, the grand vizier says, “’…I will not load my conscience with such a deed; I will rather die than save my life by such means.’” He obviously made a good statement, in that he does not want to blame the murder—which leads to death, on any random person, just to save himself.
Relating to other stories in the book, “The Three Apples,” also has that domino effect, except this time it’s more like a seesaw, going back and forth between the old and young man taking blame for the murder.
The young man swore to God that he had “killed the lady” (466)…is he telling the truth? I am guessing that it must be him, given that they took his claim seriously, since he swore to God. What do you guys think?
It’s so funny, because I feel like another person that Scheherazade is telling the story to…I get so into the story, and then all of a sudden am struck with a concluding sentence that leaves me hanging, wondering what will happen next…
I am a firm beleiver of the fact that easy living is achieved through hard work. I've often heard arguements that people who are born into it don't have to work at all, and they live a life of luxury always. This may be the case, but someone in the family worked their fingers to the bone to make life easy for the rest of their lives, as well as their childrens' lives.
Okay, so, you went back and added your question...to respond...
I too was curious about this earlier when I was reading, so I had looked it up, and online they had stated that the named could be spelled either "SINBAD" or "SINDBAD."
Moving on to pronunciation, I am not sure (I couldn't find it online), but I AM thinking that it would definitely still be pronounced as SIN-BAD, since that's his name...it’s just a different style of spelling.
In regards to the old and young man taking the blame, to me it didn't really matter who committed the crime (although for the record I think it was the young man). What strikes me most in these stories is the honesty of these characters. Sure, some may lie and steal, but they admit to it! Even knowing that they could end up with a worse punishment than if they had lied. I guess it's just another moral to teach children; always be honest, even when you've just committed murder. But it seems like these people really took the "do not lie" part of their Holy Books seriously.
To comment on the story of Aladdin, I have to start out by saying that it's so different than the Aladdin story that we know. Or the Disney version that is. I knew that Disney distorted things, but I didn't think that it would be half as bad as this. For one thing, I was surprised to find out he had parents and that the story begins in China! and while it's shown that he lies and steals in the cartoon, it's really emphasized here, "he was obstinate, disobedient, and mischievous, and regarded nothing his father or mother said to him"(pg. 522).
Also, Aladdin's upbringing strikes a chord with me. It's shown here that Aladdin was brought up in a "negligent and careless manner". I think this really speaks for the way children might have been raised properly. We learned in history that the West until the 17th century did not regard children as individuals; they were either infants or adults and not much attention was paid to them. It seems as if in the East, more attention was paid to children. Aladdin learned his bad habits through the negligence of his parents which leads me to assume that had they brought him up properly and paid him attention, he would have learned good habits. Really, it seems to me such a modern idea but from reading the book it really does have ancient roots. In History class I also learned that the East, be it Arabia or India especially, was very fond of nurturing children and feeding their imaginations and leaving them as pure and innocent as possible. Aladdin did have time to play with his friends and to live the life of an "idle boy" so this period of childhood is recognized, but he simply didn't wish to grow and become a man.
However, with that idea thrown out there, it's also a contradiction in that child marriages were common around that time and era especially for women, with the age of marriage set at 9. Off topic I know but I just wanted to put some of these ideas out there since we've talked about the role of women and gender roles in specific, but since Aladdin is a boy or young man, I wanted to talk about childhood a little bit.
To respond to your comment about Sindbad and Hindbad being foils, that definitely is the case. Hindbad is described as being "a poor porter," while Sindbad is this "famous voyager" (475), who lives this extravagant lifestyle, while Hindbad is outside on the streets working, "carrying a heavy load from one extremity of the city to the other" (475).
However, it is important to remember that both of them are hard workers...Hindbad is currently working hard, and has not reached his goal yet, while Sindbad has worked hard and is now enjoying his success.
I'm not really sure if I agree with them being foils since Hindbad receives riches from Sindbad and while Hindbad is poor, so too was Sindbad in the beginning. I see Hindbad more of another Sindbad; he is poor and through his tribulations and also luck, he attains his riches. He has worked hard previously through his money, but by a stroke of luck, he was bestowed with a great amount of money from Sindbad, just as Sindbad was bestowed with great amounts of money through the recounting of his tale to the prince. None of them really worked hard for their current riches; although they worked hard previously when they were poor.
Also...who can totally relate the African Magician to Jafar? I guess Disney wasn't so far off after all...Oh, and Aladdin grew up in such a short span of time, does anybody else agree? He seems to have taken on the mind of a man overnight with his "pretended uncle's" deceit.
Religion is humongous in these stories, so when one "swears to God" they are completely telling the truth. Unless the man himself is going to hell. Whenever God or religion is mentioned, the story teller, Scheherazade, is emphasizing what the true intention of her chracter is.
And yes, I saw a connection between the apple story and the hunchback story, considering the repetition and the "see-saw" effect.
I completely agree with your statement about everyone admitting to their crimes…this book definitely does hold honesty on a podium. This book does not just seem to be like any ordinary book, I definitely agree with your previous post about this having the same sort of weight as a religious text… I can see how that would be.
Aladdin’s childhood conflicts with what you stated about the East, historically, being more nurturing towards kids. Why do you think this happens? Why would his lifestyle—the way he was treated be different from most children of that time?
Nivele, I'm not really sure what you're saying about the differences between the West and the East in the treatment of children. Culture is a vital part of how children are raised, but I've found that wealth also greatly affects a child's environment. There are many Western stories set in the 17th century that focus on children, and almost always speak of them as if they were playthings. Those of course, are only when the family of the child is rich and can afford to. Otherwise, I have read other western stories where the child was disregarded and abused, simply not recognized at all.
It's really interesting that Aladdin isn't the big hero that Disney made him out to be. He was just a bad kid, due to his careless upbringing. I know that in Eastern culture, your parents are GOD. Anywhere, in China or the Middle East, it is blasphemous to disrespect them- not so much in Western culture. This says a lot about how children turn out, and what they are viewed as by the public. Aladdin's bad habits were from his parents.
As for becoming growing up, girls and boys had very different standards. Yes, girls could be married as early as the age of 9 (!!!!!!!!) but their betrothed would take them home and basically raise them until they were ready to really be a wife. Men truly had it way easier.
Okay, in "The History of the Barber"...what I found interesting was when the narrator says "...the Caliph...a prince famous for his great liberality towards the poor..."(177) and then goes on to tell us that there are "ten robbers who infested the roads...and...made themselves famous by their great depredations and horrible cruelties" (177)...what I have been noticing is the whole "opposite characters" deal...this book has a lot of characters who are portrayed as fair/honest/everything good at the start, and there are the people who go against everything they support or don't take advantage of the kindness shown by others... just some thoughts.
People always end up being treated unfairly in ALL of these stories…the ones we have read so far anyways...there is always someone at the wrong place at the wrong time, and they end up being dragged into this scary situation. However, for some reason, they end up being saved from the situation because of one little thing…its one of those impossible things. The theme that I could most definitely see, as a great fit for this book is something like…"everything we do, whether a big or small action, affects our lives in some way”…
It’s so interesting how this book switches topics from the beginning of a story to the end…at the start, “The History Of The Barber” is about the narrator watching some well dressed robbers go on a boat…but then it goes to the Caliph talking with the narrator, and then wanting to know about his brothers…the ones whom he separates himself from with his “glorious surname of The Silent” (178)…now the rest of the stories relating to this are about the barber’s brothers.
All of these stories have to do with extremes. Since they are the typical black VS white, good VS evil stories, they deal with opposites in every aspect of life. Rich VS poor, virtuous VS wicked, and so on and so forth. This gives the stories simpler characters to maintain the fact that they have morals.
yeah! I think throughout all of these stories, fate plays a huge part in the outcomes. Especially in Sinbad, every voyage of his was simply a matter of fate. Anyone else in his situation (well, anyone less clever and not so fond of tying themselves to things) would've have died after the first voyage. Everything Sinbad did to get himself out of the terrible situations he was in taught him something new, and affected his outlook on life everytime.
Where fate comes in is that all of his voyages are SO fantastic, it wasn't just his wit that got him out of it. When ever he was stranded, or lost, as a reader I simply knew that it wasn't his time to die.
1. Every decision one makes (big or small) can ultimately have a huge impact on one's life (The History of the Barber)
2. The truth will always resurface (The History of the Little Hunchback)
3. One's conscience always intervenes when one is doing something unjust (The History of the Little Hunchback)
Bahar, you stated that perfectly...the whole "opposite" idea that I was bringing up seems so significant because it deals with "extremes"...the differences between the characters are not small...they are COMPLETELY different, which is what makes these stories have such profound messages...the reader sees these extremely different points of views, and ultimately discovers which attitude/behavior is best…you can either be honest or dishonest, fair or unfair…there is no in between.
conscience is very closely tied in with religion, which is often mentioned in these stories. What is quite interesting is that the bulk of the religious bits is not solely about Islam- (The Hunchback). They are catagorized as entirely different people, and their reactions to the dead hunchback are quite a statement about the people of their religion in general. I feel like the Christian Merchant was the sleaziest, but maybe that's just because he was a merchant...
I definitely don't think that everything always ends up good for the protagonists in the end (The Three Apples) but I think that some sort of karma-esque, fate thing is being played out. Sinbad wasn't meant to die a horrible death, and that dude was meant to slay his wife over a stupid mistake.
Religion is a constant topic...there are Jewish, Muslim, and Christian characters mentioned...although their religions are identified...the writer is aiming at sending across a greater message...based on human behavior...regardless of one's faith.
In The History of the Barber, the barber was watching the robbers being boarded on the boat, and all of a sudden he is one of the now 11 men who are supposed to be executed...but then he is suddenly the only one who doesn't have his head cut off...his innocence prevails...
The protagonists in these stories are really interesting...they are sent into so many different directions...in so many different situations...they are put into so many "heart attack" causing situations...it can really scare a person from living life...a person could start becoming so careful and cautious...over analyzing every decision they make...this book could kind of send that questioning of “are you sure you should…?”
Well, I mean obviously it has to do with the morals. That is essentially what these stories are about. Don't do this or that and be careful of what you do, be very careful that you do not let yourself fall into this situation. Obviously most of these situations presented in the book are fake.
However, I doubt the children or people hearing these stories are going to think that way. For instance, when I was a child and I heard the stories of Little Red Riding Hood or Hansel and Gretel, I wouldn't immediately be afraid to do everything all of a sudden. Though it would definitely feed my imagination a lot. They are mostly just fun stories for children and adults alike.
Although if you think about the time period, these people really believed in djinn and other supernatural occurrences and basically all the happenings in the book, all the stories. Just like in the case of the hunchback and even in Sinbad with his fortune lost and gained again; it seems as if luck and faith in God govern all.
Well...going back to themes as Marissa and Bahar were talking about earlier...
Storytelling!!! How did we miss storytelling as a theme? It's everywhere, and everyone tells a story. Even the people in the story telling a story in the story of another person telling a story and so on.
But in the History of the Barber, something I found very interesting is how the man was found to be a Barber and not a common criminal or thief like the rest. It doesn't say how the executioner knew he was not a thief, but he just knew. It says that Allah would not permit him to cut off his head. But, was it really Allah who did not permit him, or was it something else? I could almost think that wealth would be a deciding factor. I've seen through the reading that the rich are considered very honest for some reason and the poor are to be distrusted and wary of. Wealth and class I also think are other themes throughout the book and how they influence the thoughts of others. It's almost as if the stories are saying that wealth and class buy you trust; for a wealthy man or woman will not cheat you out of your money or health, these people can be trusted.
I thought that very interesting especially because of the supposed Islamic attitude towards the poor. Zakat is even one of the five pillars of Islam; to give charity to the poor. The poor are supposed to be taken care of and be shown kindness, yet in this book, it's quite the opposite. Also, even if they start out poor, the characters usually end up rich, so wealth is quite a deciding factor in the story.
I don't think that storytelling could be considered a theme...it would be more like a technique that the writer uses...the technique is interwoven with what he is doing and what his character is doing...thy are all telling stories. Great point though.
That's a good point to make. But I'm still not convinced if it's a technique or a theme. It shows up a lot throughout the book but I'm not really sure if it's just a technique. If it was just a technique, then I think it would only be Sheherezade who would be using it, but all of the characters are using it which makes me think of it as a theme or at least a motif.
But that's actually interesting that you brought up technique because I noticed the use of the author's techniques in some of the stories. Foreshadowing is definitely one the techniques I thought used. It's very easy to tell that either one or all of the people who are given a chance to live will tell a story and the one after him will tell a story. Not only that, but in terms of the story of Sinbad, I think even his name foreshadowed the future wealth of Hindbad. He had wealth but started off poor as Hindbad did which foreshadows that Hindbad could become rich like Sindbad has, which he did.
Another theme or technique, I'm not really sure, we should discuss this in class, that I noticed is fate or rather destiny. The characters are constantly thwarting their fate or changing their destiny. I'm not sure on what the views towards destiny were at this time, but did Allah not determine your destiny or fate? It almost seems like a rebellion of sorts against fate, which essentially is Allah, almost a rebellion towards God. Which also explains its controversial reaction in the Arabic world and its welcome in the West. But, with the concept of fate and destiny,it's also taught in the book that if you do evil, your fate will be horrible for you and it cannot be escaped. Again, another lesson on morals for children and adults alike.
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One million, Ms. Clapp.
In the introduction, I just wanted to point out that my uncle's name is Shahriar, and my stepsister's name is Sharzad. teehee!
These stories are intricate and fable-like. They are very comparable to Aesop's Fables and The Grimm Fariytales. There is plenty of gore, violence, and morbidity, but there is always magic, princesses and love as well. A moral is always there in the end, they were meant to teach children things about life.
Very true gypsyloo :)
Alright, first I would like to touch upon the introduction, which I found to be very beneficial when I was reading the tales.
One of the parts that I found to be pretty attention-grabbing was the whole bit on "curiosity"(xviii).It states that "what is behind knowledge" is curiosity, and that "Scheherazade's father warns her that she must listen to his warnings, and not risk her life." Scheherazade uses the fact that everyone has curiosity to convince the Sultan into wanting to hear the conclusion to a story or to hearing a better story, just so that she can be kept alive, and help him change his views and opinions. What do you think? Do you agree with Scheherazade’s actions? Does "curiosity really kill the cat?"
Okay...another thing...I like the themes that are mentioned on page xxii:
1. "resists borders and limits"
2. "supernatural element"
3. "human concerns"
It’s good to keep these in mind as we are reading the different stories....
Something else...on page xxiii (Love and Beauty), there is a great distinction made between the Persian and Arabic stories, which I believe is good to know....
Persian: "unknown partners... conquered by love"
Baghdadi: "realistic detail"
...Moving on to "The History of the Little Hunchback"...
I found the whole story to be similar to that of a domino effect...one thing leads to another, and then it happens all over again. Just like how in this story, we are left hanging, as the Christian merchant states that he will tell a story, we are left hanging in the next few stories, as the other members have stories to tell. There is a domino effect IN this story (the body of the hunchback being taken from place to place, as different people find themselves responsible of the murder and try to put it on someone else… they one by one come to defend someone else and take responsibility for the death), just as there is a domino effect with the ENDING of the following stories...a story is told by one of the characters only to be followed by another story from another character.
Let me know what you guys think...Thanks.
Well...I have to say that I have one question that's been plaguing me this entire time. So, did the king first catch his own wife and then his brother's wife cheating and then told his brother? I was a little confused at that turn of events. Was he happy in that he found out it was a common practice for other women to cheat as well?
And...from the reading of the book so far and from what BB said of there being a moral, I couldn't help but think that the whole book is a moral in and of itself. It's ironic that Scheherazade tells a story each night to delay her death and in Part One, each man told a story to soften the merchant's punishment of death. Is the book sending out positive messages towards study and education? It seems like the stories are a perfect candidate for the pen is mightier than the sword or something of that type taken literally.
Each person solves their problems with their wit and cunning, they are outsmarting their adversaries. They are combating the violence they are faced with, with their brains. I find this could be very reflective of their Middle Eastern culture (bringing a little bit of history here), since I have learned that the Arab, Persian and Indian empires were ahead of the West for a long time due to their emphasis on education particularly in the fields of literature and most especially science. Even the women in the stories are viewed differently than you would think would be reflective of Middle Eastern culture today, well with all the stereotypes and even some facts surrounding the position and education of women. Scheherazade is described as being very intelligent and cunning and with her survival at the end, she has outsmarted the king. She has outsmarted a man in particular, and she is the heroine of this book. Women did not play such central roles in Western literature for quite some time and even then their roles were not quite flattering. It's interesting to see the difference in cultures and the contrast to a way that a culture or people are perceived to the way they actually are.
Another interesting note is the Bedouin culture's mixture with that of the Islamic faith. There are jinn and fairies, malignant and benevolent spirits, and of course even magic. The Islamic faith condemns witchcraft which the magic would be considered as, yet the "damsel" is rewarded for her use of magic in the transformation of the son back to his regular self. She is also rewarded for her inflicted punishment upon the wife who turned into a cow. It reminds me a lot of the Medieval ages and even the Renaissance age in the West. A time when everyone mixed the local traditions that had been present before the spread of Christianity, with Christianity.
Nivele,
I am totally struck with confusion on this whole cheating issue too...I have been flipping back and forth in the introduction pages looking for an answer, but can't seem to find anything that I can feel confident about...I too thought that they had both found their wives cheating, but again, I am really not sure--we need to discuss this some more in order to hopefully find an answer :)
...It’s pretty cool how Scheherazade continually tells stories that are intriguing in order to save herself, just as the characters in her stories do the same...
Your whole topic on education...I am not sold on that idea. I find this to be more of a "street smarts" rather than "school smarts" book (is that what they would call it.?.? yes? maybe?)...anyways, I mean it in the fact that the characters don't use any of their schooling education, but rather have intelligence that touches on interactions between people, how to get your way, how to overcome situations...its more of a social skills type of thing if you get what I mean...not smart in the classroom, but smart when it comes to the decisions you make.
I completely agree with your point on how Scheherazade is portrayed as an intelligent young woman...
...I also wanted to talk about the stories...so far, the ones that we have read all include this whole "accidental murder" plot...there is always a character who commits a murder by accident, and thus has to be punished...I feel as though it sends this message of "worry," like you should always double-check, or have thoughts like "what if so and so happened because I did this?" It definitely sends this message of constant worrying, at least that’s what I think one would get from reading the stories. The characters are constantly being struck with events that they would never have guessed would happen as they are going along in their daily happy lives.
…that’s all :)
In response to what Marissa said, I have to agree completely. In Part One and even in the Hunchback it does seem like a domino effect and it's really the same premise from story to story. Someone is going to die and stories are told so prevent that from happening.
After the stories are finished and no one dies, it's ironic that essentially the same thing happens to Scheherazade; she tells a story and saves her life, all the stories she is telling are of people who were going to die and their lives were saved. Hmmm...I wonder if the King has caught on yet? Well, no. He seems to genuinely just enjoy the stories and has no clue she's doing exactly as the characters are.
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Sorry Marissa, I basically stated the same thing you did. Your comment hadn't shown up yet and I was just noting an interesting point.
Well, I didn't meant exactly book smarts but just intelligence in general. The characters do not resort to violence against violence, it seems almost like a words are better than your fists kind of thing.
Also, I do agree with you on the accidental murder plot going on with the stories; but then again, it should be viewed as a magickal realism sort of book. It's much like Midnight's Children in that the events are magickally inspired and unlikely to ever really happen. I doubt a genie would have spared a man's life in exchange for three stories and I doubt the favourite of the king in "The Story told by the Purveyor of the Sultan of Casgar" would have hid her love in a chest for her mistress to approve of. I do feel like everyone in the story is full of constant worry in regards to love and even in the story I just mentioned, the debts owed and paid, etc.
Another thing interesting to note would be the relations between the men and then women in this book. Also the position of the women. The women seem to enjoy a better position than I had previously thought in regards to business and their freedom. The women in these stories have gone out on their own to conduct their business (granted they might have had a slave, servant or eunuch) and they speak freely with the men they encounter. One even invites the merchant back to her house for wine! It all seems so liberal concerning the rules that Islam put forth in regards to relations between the sexes. Not only that, but in other Middle Eastern literature that I've read, the family of the man has to come to propose to the family of the woman. Whereas here, these men and women openly declare their love for one another and the men ask without "shame" for the women to lift their veils. I just think it's another example of Bedouin culture mixed with Islam; in the Bedouin culture, women could previously take multiple lovers and enjoyed a high status of position. I've even read that in the times of Muhammad, women still enjoyed great freedom and it was only in the centuries following his death that the position of women seemed to decline. What has anyone else noticed about the position and status of women in the story, and also how they're viewed?
One more thing...they fall in love at a glimpse of certain parts of the body or certain parts of the person i.e. face, or speech, or only hearing them talk a little bit. Remember Midnight's Children where we had a very big discussion with falling in love with pieces of the person as opposed to a whole?
hehe :)…thanks…
...looking at The Story of The Merchant and The Genie on page 13, you can see...
1. An accidental murder, as the merchant threw "the date stones," which led to the death of the genie's son (13).
2. Curiosity..."'if the Sultan will let me live this day, and permit me to continue the story...'" "Shahriar, who had listened to Scheherazade with pleasure, said to himself,'...when she has made an end of her story'" (13).
3. Domino effect...with the old men passing by, hearing about the event, and wanting to help...
…I wonder if this takes place in EVERY story?…hmmmm…..
TOTALLY agree with your last comment...you took the thoughts right out of my head!
Okay, to touch on the whole position of women...I agree with one of your earlier comments about how the Persian, Arab, and Indian world was ahead of everyone else when it came to being modern...this could explain why their treatment of women was so great...there is an equal level for both men and women portrayed. It’s really interesting, because in any book you read that has some sort of historical context, there is always this gender issue that arises...and given that these stories take place hundreds of years ago, I love how it is expected to have these completely far from modern ideas...and yet it doesn’t...it makes the text different than others that I have read.
To touch more on the whole "women" topic...I find it interesting how she goes against what her father wants, which is for her not to marry the Sultan...is her dad just too easy?...or is she just one of those "I'll do my own thing" kind of people?...this really is soooo modern with the ideas...a child going against a parent’s wishes...it reminds me of Romeo and Juliet
…the “hehe… thanks” was supposed to be after your second comment…I deleted it because I wanted to add something…It sounds weird being after your third comment…too funny :)
I know exactly what you mean! I thought that if her father didn't want her to do it, she wouldn't. One, because she is his daughter and therefore owes him her obedience, and two, because she's a female and his authority would be greater than hers. At least I thought it would be.
I don't think he's a soft father, but I think that he had faith in his daughter. She told her father of her plan before going to her husband, so I thought her father thought her capable of surviving. I don't think he would have sent his most beloved daughter without thinking that she had some kind of chance at winning the kinds mercy, if not his kindness.
I also thought it was kind of interesting that she was allowed to bring her sister into the room. Sorry to lower the tone a bit here, but I assume he would sleep with her since it's their first and last night together, wouldn't the sister interfere? Wouldn't that be considered inappropriate at all?
Oh gosh...awkward...I am pretty sure the sister would get in the way, but I think because it's not really marriage that is based on love, but rather one that is about a plan to help change another's character, that she doesn't think "oh my sister is going to interfere on my special day," but instead she thinks over a plan of what to do to get what she wants...sounds good?
I was just looking back at the notes in my book, when I noticed that in the introduction of The Arabian Nights on page xviii to xix, it mentions Jane Eyre, which we are reading as a class…
“Finally, the Arabian Nights narrative celebrates the art of storytelling cy celebrating itself: To tell a good story is to put yourself in the way of great rewards…..Women writers noticed this mechanism and made use of it, as Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847) demonstrates. Like the Arabian Night’s Shahriar, Brontë’s Rochester is divested of his imperiousness and admits his resignation as follows ‘I never met your likeness. Jane, you please me, and you master me’ (chapter 24).”
This is good to know…plus it is going to be interesting reading these two books at the same time...one book may help us understand the other/bring out interesting points...it will be nice with this connection that the two texts have.
What a coincidence, because Arabian Nights is subtley mentioned in Jane Eyre as well! (Jane Eyre p.35)
Ok the whole deal with the cheating goes like this:
There were two brothers. One was a king, and the other a sultan. The king caught his wife cheating, and killed them both. Then, while visiting his brother, the sultan, he notices that his sister-in-law is cheating as well. He tells his brother, the Sultan-- Sharyar-- and this is how the chain of slaughtered brides begins.
I think that these stories are really trying to say that wit is the thing that seperates you from another person, as opposed to race, class, or gender. Scheherazade's father didn't use full force against his daughter because her intelligence was equal to or far greater than his. When one thinks of Middle-Eastern countries today, daughters must obey their father's commands, regardless. However, this story within a story, within a story is teaching a many layered lesson. It's all in the brain, not the brawn. All these stories that Scheherazade tells mirror her situation in some way, and this is how she'll teach him the error of his ways.
Another thing! When Scherazade's father told the sultan that this wedding was to occur, the sultan almost refused. I think this is very interesting. The sultan obviously holds her father in high respect, but told him he wouldn't change his ways. But she teaches him eventually, teaching him a lesson, defying gender and class expectations.
What Nivele mentioned about magick was very interesting as well. It seems that in every religion, witchcraft is highly frowned upon and chaotic riots ensued over the topic of magick. Yet in every culture, magick is a whimsical and delightful addition to childrens' stories and literature. IT is hypocrisy that magick is a column one of the Middle East's most famous book, yet the Islamic Faith condemns witchcraft or magick of any kind.
Time to start round two of your discussion...
Hi guys!
Okay, so while reading "The History of Sindbad the Sailor," I first found myself struck by interest with their names...Hindbad and Sindbad...the similarity...significance? maybe? maybe not?
What I noticed about this story, was that it touches on "complaints"...on page 475, Hindbad says "'....What has he done to obtain so happy a destiny, or what crime has been mine to merit a fate so rigorous?'" This is the same as the typical complaining that goes on today with "why this" and "why that," when people complain about how horrible their lives are, and why someone else’s life is obviously way better. The story goes on to address the act of complaining with a moral on page 477, with Hindbad saying "You appear to suppose that the riches and comforts I enjoy have been obtained without any labour or trouble. In this you are mistaken." This sends out a great message, which still very much applies to today's world: the good life is achieved through hard work...
Any thoughts?
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Well, I don't think that it was really attained through hard work but rather through trials and tribulations and of course luck. Had Sindbad upon his first voyage reached the island without any misfortune, the prince would not have given him others of "greater value"(pg. 480). Even though he stopped on several other islands and earned more money, he had to trade the items of greater value given to him by the Prince.
I'm not sure if this is even called anything but these stories are told in a fashion to that of the Bible and the Koran; obviously with a moral as we've discussed before. But with the incredible stories and the trials that they have gone through. I'm not saying it's an allusion or if this is the way most Middle Eastern literature is written(as the Bible and the Koran are of Middle Eastern origin), but I"m sure there has to be some kind of name for the way in which these stories are written.
Anwyays, on your original question. I do think that it conveys a message of hard work even though it doesn't seem like Sindbad really worked hard. In today's society, hard work is regarded as very important and those who do not work hard do not succeed; they get by. Hard work brings success or riches in the case of Sindbad.
By the way, why is it Sindbad? I thought it was Sinbad? I know it's a weird question and not really relevant, but I always thought that it was without a d, or is the d just not pronounced and I was wrong all along? Probably.
Thanks for your comments…
To comment on “The Three Apples,” this is again another story with a very important moral…so far I think that we have found so many morals in this book…I was not even aware that there were so many out there, but every time I read another story, I find myself struck with another important moral in today’s society.
On page 464, the grand vizier says, “’…I will not load my conscience with such a deed; I will rather die than save my life by such means.’” He obviously made a good statement, in that he does not want to blame the murder—which leads to death, on any random person, just to save himself.
Relating to other stories in the book, “The Three Apples,” also has that domino effect, except this time it’s more like a seesaw, going back and forth between the old and young man taking blame for the murder.
The young man swore to God that he had “killed the lady” (466)…is he telling the truth? I am guessing that it must be him, given that they took his claim seriously, since he swore to God. What do you guys think?
It’s so funny, because I feel like another person that Scheherazade is telling the story to…I get so into the story, and then all of a sudden am struck with a concluding sentence that leaves me hanging, wondering what will happen next…
I am a firm beleiver of the fact that easy living is achieved through hard work. I've often heard arguements that people who are born into it don't have to work at all, and they live a life of luxury always. This may be the case, but someone in the family worked their fingers to the bone to make life easy for the rest of their lives, as well as their childrens' lives.
Maybe Hindbad and Sindbad are foils?
Nivele,
Okay, so, you went back and added your question...to respond...
I too was curious about this earlier when I was reading, so I had looked it up, and online they had stated that the named could be spelled either "SINBAD" or "SINDBAD."
Moving on to pronunciation, I am not sure (I couldn't find it online), but I AM thinking that it would definitely still be pronounced as SIN-BAD, since that's his name...it’s just a different style of spelling.
In regards to the old and young man taking the blame, to me it didn't really matter who committed the crime (although for the record I think it was the young man). What strikes me most in these stories is the honesty of these characters. Sure, some may lie and steal, but they admit to it! Even knowing that they could end up with a worse punishment than if they had lied. I guess it's just another moral to teach children; always be honest, even when you've just committed murder. But it seems like these people really took the "do not lie" part of their Holy Books seriously.
To comment on the story of Aladdin, I have to start out by saying that it's so different than the Aladdin story that we know. Or the Disney version that is. I knew that Disney distorted things, but I didn't think that it would be half as bad as this. For one thing, I was surprised to find out he had parents and that the story begins in China! and while it's shown that he lies and steals in the cartoon, it's really emphasized here, "he was obstinate, disobedient, and mischievous, and regarded nothing his father or mother said to him"(pg. 522).
Also, Aladdin's upbringing strikes a chord with me. It's shown here that Aladdin was brought up in a "negligent and careless manner". I think this really speaks for the way children might have been raised properly. We learned in history that the West until the 17th century did not regard children as individuals; they were either infants or adults and not much attention was paid to them. It seems as if in the East, more attention was paid to children. Aladdin learned his bad habits through the negligence of his parents which leads me to assume that had they brought him up properly and paid him attention, he would have learned good habits. Really, it seems to me such a modern idea but from reading the book it really does have ancient roots. In History class I also learned that the East, be it Arabia or India especially, was very fond of nurturing children and feeding their imaginations and leaving them as pure and innocent as possible. Aladdin did have time to play with his friends and to live the life of an "idle boy" so this period of childhood is recognized, but he simply didn't wish to grow and become a man.
However, with that idea thrown out there, it's also a contradiction in that child marriages were common around that time and era especially for women, with the age of marriage set at 9. Off topic I know but I just wanted to put some of these ideas out there since we've talked about the role of women and gender roles in specific, but since Aladdin is a boy or young man, I wanted to talk about childhood a little bit.
Hi Gypsyloo,
To respond to your comment about Sindbad and Hindbad being foils, that definitely is the case. Hindbad is described as being "a poor porter," while Sindbad is this "famous voyager" (475), who lives this extravagant lifestyle, while Hindbad is outside on the streets working, "carrying a heavy load from one extremity of the city to the other" (475).
However, it is important to remember that both of them are hard workers...Hindbad is currently working hard, and has not reached his goal yet, while Sindbad has worked hard and is now enjoying his success.
Hope that helps.
I'm not really sure if I agree with them being foils since Hindbad receives riches from Sindbad and while Hindbad is poor, so too was Sindbad in the beginning. I see Hindbad more of another Sindbad; he is poor and through his tribulations and also luck, he attains his riches. He has worked hard previously through his money, but by a stroke of luck, he was bestowed with a great amount of money from Sindbad, just as Sindbad was bestowed with great amounts of money through the recounting of his tale to the prince. None of them really worked hard for their current riches; although they worked hard previously when they were poor.
Also...who can totally relate the African Magician to Jafar? I guess Disney wasn't so far off after all...Oh, and Aladdin grew up in such a short span of time, does anybody else agree? He seems to have taken on the mind of a man overnight with his "pretended uncle's" deceit.
Religion is humongous in these stories, so when one "swears to God" they are completely telling the truth. Unless the man himself is going to hell. Whenever God or religion is mentioned, the story teller, Scheherazade, is emphasizing what the true intention of her chracter is.
And yes, I saw a connection between the apple story and the hunchback story, considering the repetition and the "see-saw" effect.
Nivele,
Thanks for the fun history lesson!
I completely agree with your statement about everyone admitting to their crimes…this book definitely does hold honesty on a podium. This book does not just seem to be like any ordinary book, I definitely agree with your previous post about this having the same sort of weight as a religious text… I can see how that would be.
Aladdin’s childhood conflicts with what you stated about the East, historically, being more nurturing towards kids. Why do you think this happens? Why would his lifestyle—the way he was treated be different from most children of that time?
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Nivele, I'm not really sure what you're saying about the differences between the West and the East in the treatment of children. Culture is a vital part of how children are raised, but I've found that wealth also greatly affects a child's environment. There are many Western stories set in the 17th century that focus on children, and almost always speak of them as if they were playthings. Those of course, are only when the family of the child is rich and can afford to. Otherwise, I have read other western stories where the child was disregarded and abused, simply not recognized at all.
It's really interesting that Aladdin isn't the big hero that Disney made him out to be. He was just a bad kid, due to his careless upbringing. I know that in Eastern culture, your parents are GOD. Anywhere, in China or the Middle East, it is blasphemous to disrespect them- not so much in Western culture. This says a lot about how children turn out, and what they are viewed as by the public. Aladdin's bad habits were from his parents.
As for becoming growing up, girls and boys had very different standards. Yes, girls could be married as early as the age of 9 (!!!!!!!!) but their betrothed would take them home and basically raise them until they were ready to really be a wife. Men truly had it way easier.
THIRD ROUND OF DISCUSSION!!!
:)
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Hi guys.
Okay, in "The History of the Barber"...what I found interesting was when the narrator says "...the Caliph...a prince famous for his great liberality towards the poor..."(177) and then goes on to tell us that there are "ten robbers who infested the roads...and...made themselves famous by their great depredations and horrible cruelties" (177)...what I have been noticing is the whole "opposite characters" deal...this book has a lot of characters who are portrayed as fair/honest/everything good at the start, and there are the people who go against everything they support or don't take advantage of the kindness shown by others... just some thoughts.
Okay...
People always end up being treated unfairly in ALL of these stories…the ones we have read so far anyways...there is always someone at the wrong place at the wrong time, and they end up being dragged into this scary situation. However, for some reason, they end up being saved from the situation because of one little thing…its one of those impossible things. The theme that I could most definitely see, as a great fit for this book is something like…"everything we do, whether a big or small action, affects our lives in some way”…
Any thoughts?
It’s so interesting how this book switches topics from the beginning of a story to the end…at the start, “The History Of The Barber” is about the narrator watching some well dressed robbers go on a boat…but then it goes to the Caliph talking with the narrator, and then wanting to know about his brothers…the ones whom he separates himself from with his “glorious surname of The Silent” (178)…now the rest of the stories relating to this are about the barber’s brothers.
All of these stories have to do with extremes. Since they are the typical black VS white, good VS evil stories, they deal with opposites in every aspect of life. Rich VS poor, virtuous VS wicked, and so on and so forth. This gives the stories simpler characters to maintain the fact that they have morals.
yeah!
I think throughout all of these stories, fate plays a huge part in the outcomes. Especially in Sinbad, every voyage of his was simply a matter of fate. Anyone else in his situation (well, anyone less clever and not so fond of tying themselves to things) would've have died after the first voyage. Everything Sinbad did to get himself out of the terrible situations he was in taught him something new, and affected his outlook on life everytime.
Where fate comes in is that all of his voyages are SO fantastic, it wasn't just his wit that got him out of it. When ever he was stranded, or lost, as a reader I simply knew that it wasn't his time to die.
Some themes that keep showing up:
1. Every decision one makes (big or small) can ultimately have a huge impact on one's life (The History of the Barber)
2. The truth will always resurface (The History of the Little Hunchback)
3. One's conscience always intervenes when one is doing something unjust (The History of the Little Hunchback)
Bahar, you stated that perfectly...the whole "opposite" idea that I was bringing up seems so significant because it deals with "extremes"...the differences between the characters are not small...they are COMPLETELY different, which is what makes these stories have such profound messages...the reader sees these extremely different points of views, and ultimately discovers which attitude/behavior is best…you can either be honest or dishonest, fair or unfair…there is no in between.
FATE
TRUTH
and...
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morals?
conscience is very closely tied in with religion, which is often mentioned in these stories. What is quite interesting is that the bulk of the religious bits is not solely about Islam- (The Hunchback). They are catagorized as entirely different people, and their reactions to the dead hunchback are quite a statement about the people of their religion in general. I feel like the Christian Merchant was the sleaziest, but maybe that's just because he was a merchant...
I definitely don't think that everything always ends up good for the protagonists in the end (The Three Apples) but I think that some sort of karma-esque, fate thing is being played out. Sinbad wasn't meant to die a horrible death, and that dude was meant to slay his wife over a stupid mistake.
Religion is a constant topic...there are Jewish, Muslim, and Christian characters mentioned...although their religions are identified...the writer is aiming at sending across a greater message...based on human behavior...regardless of one's faith.
In The History of the Barber, the barber was watching the robbers being boarded on the boat, and all of a sudden he is one of the now 11 men who are supposed to be executed...but then he is suddenly the only one who doesn't have his head cut off...his innocence prevails...
The protagonists in these stories are really interesting...they are sent into so many different directions...in so many different situations...they are put into so many "heart attack" causing situations...it can really scare a person from living life...a person could start becoming so careful and cautious...over analyzing every decision they make...this book could kind of send that questioning of “are you sure you should…?”
...thoughts?
Well, I mean obviously it has to do with the morals. That is essentially what these stories are about. Don't do this or that and be careful of what you do, be very careful that you do not let yourself fall into this situation. Obviously most of these situations presented in the book are fake.
However, I doubt the children or people hearing these stories are going to think that way. For instance, when I was a child and I heard the stories of Little Red Riding Hood or Hansel and Gretel, I wouldn't immediately be afraid to do everything all of a sudden. Though it would definitely feed my imagination a lot. They are mostly just fun stories for children and adults alike.
Although if you think about the time period, these people really believed in djinn and other supernatural occurrences and basically all the happenings in the book, all the stories. Just like in the case of the hunchback and even in Sinbad with his fortune lost and gained again; it seems as if luck and faith in God govern all.
Well...going back to themes as Marissa and Bahar were talking about earlier...
Storytelling!!! How did we miss storytelling as a theme? It's everywhere, and everyone tells a story. Even the people in the story telling a story in the story of another person telling a story and so on.
But in the History of the Barber, something I found very interesting is how the man was found to be a Barber and not a common criminal or thief like the rest. It doesn't say how the executioner knew he was not a thief, but he just knew. It says that Allah would not permit him to cut off his head. But, was it really Allah who did not permit him, or was it something else? I could almost think that wealth would be a deciding factor. I've seen through the reading that the rich are considered very honest for some reason and the poor are to be distrusted and wary of. Wealth and class I also think are other themes throughout the book and how they influence the thoughts of others. It's almost as if the stories are saying that wealth and class buy you trust; for a wealthy man or woman will not cheat you out of your money or health, these people can be trusted.
I thought that very interesting especially because of the supposed Islamic attitude towards the poor. Zakat is even one of the five pillars of Islam; to give charity to the poor. The poor are supposed to be taken care of and be shown kindness, yet in this book, it's quite the opposite. Also, even if they start out poor, the characters usually end up rich, so wealth is quite a deciding factor in the story.
Any thoughts...?
Nivele,
I don't think that storytelling could be considered a theme...it would be more like a technique that the writer uses...the technique is interwoven with what he is doing and what his character is doing...thy are all telling stories. Great point though.
That's a good point to make. But I'm still not convinced if it's a technique or a theme. It shows up a lot throughout the book but I'm not really sure if it's just a technique. If it was just a technique, then I think it would only be Sheherezade who would be using it, but all of the characters are using it which makes me think of it as a theme or at least a motif.
But that's actually interesting that you brought up technique because I noticed the use of the author's techniques in some of the stories. Foreshadowing is definitely one the techniques I thought used. It's very easy to tell that either one or all of the people who are given a chance to live will tell a story and the one after him will tell a story. Not only that, but in terms of the story of Sinbad, I think even his name foreshadowed the future wealth of Hindbad. He had wealth but started off poor as Hindbad did which foreshadows that Hindbad could become rich like Sindbad has, which he did.
Another theme or technique, I'm not really sure, we should discuss this in class, that I noticed is fate or rather destiny. The characters are constantly thwarting their fate or changing their destiny. I'm not sure on what the views towards destiny were at this time, but did Allah not determine your destiny or fate? It almost seems like a rebellion of sorts against fate, which essentially is Allah, almost a rebellion towards God. Which also explains its controversial reaction in the Arabic world and its welcome in the West. But, with the concept of fate and destiny,it's also taught in the book that if you do evil, your fate will be horrible for you and it cannot be escaped. Again, another lesson on morals for children and adults alike.
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