![]() ![]() While there have been many editions and translations of The Arabian Nights, Mushin Mahdi’s 1984 Arabic-language edition and Husain Haddawy’s corresponding 1990 English translation are among the most celebrated. Byatt, Edgar Allan Poe and the entire comic book industry, just to name a few. (There is not, as pop culture has led us to believe, a tale of Aladdin, nor of Ali Baba and the thieves.) Without The Arabian Nights-and its genies, sea monsters, automata with life breathed into them, demons commingling with humans and more-it’s hard to imagine certain elements of works by H.P. There are tales of horror, crime, sci-fi and, of course, fantasy. There are stories within stories (within stories, sometimes) there are unreliable narrators there is foreshadowing there are plot twists. It’s also impossible to ignore the tremendous influence on storytelling these tales have had, far beyond the Islamic Golden Age in which they were initially compiled-the earliest known printed page dates back to the 9th century. And it’s rife with racism toward dark-skinned Africans and casual discrimination of Jews. (In other words, Scheherazade invented narrative television.) It’s hard to ignore that, from the start, this book of short stories is deeply misogynistic the problematic gender dynamics of its time are pervasive and often stomach churning. ![]() He marries the Princess Badroulbadour and lives in a large palace.Nearly everyone is familiar with this collection of folktales, also known as One Thousand and One Nights, and its infamous framing device: Scheherazade, the vizier’s daughter, is set to be married and then killed by the king she forestalls this destiny by convincing the king to hear a story, which she then draws out for 1,001 nights by ending each evening on a cliffhanger. Aladdin uses the powerful genie and the lamp to become rich and powerful. An even more powerful genie appears, who will do whatever the person holding the lamp desires. The Arabian Nights Entertainments have been published in hundreds of editions, with various translations from various sources. His mother tries to clean the lamp so they can sell it. He inadvertently rubs the ring and a genie appears. The genie releases Aladdin, who is still carrying the lamp, from the cave, so that he can return home to his mother. The sorcerer asks Aladdin to wear a magic ring for the task. A sorcerer recruits him to fetch an oil lamp from a magic cave. In “Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp,” Aladdin is a poor troublemaker. Finally, after seven voyages, he has decided to settle down on land with his wealth. The thrill and excitement of the sea kept Sinbad coming back. Over the course of these voyages he faced shipwrecks, strange beasts, and the supernatural. Sinbad has survived seven adventurous and dangerous voyages. In “The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor,” the famous sailor Sinbad tells a poor porter about the challenges of his life on the sea. Ali Baba remains the only person to know the secret of the cave and how to enter it. In gratitude, Ali Baba gives his son to Morgiana in marriage. She plunges a dagger into the thief’s heart, killing him, and saving Ali Baba’s life. He is saved by his quick-thinking and faithful slave Morgiana. The only way to enter is by saying the secret phrase “Open Sesame.” The thieves find out that Ali has broken into their den and try to kill him. The entrance to the den is protected by magic. He stumbles upon a den filled with treasure, hidden there by thieves. In “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” Ali is a poor woodcutter. He cannot kill her, as he wants to know how the story ends. But she does not end the story she leaves her husband in suspense. ![]() So, she weaves an enchanting tale to entertain her husband and to keep herself alive. On her wedding night, Scheherazade knows about her murderous husband. Her father fears for his daughter's life, but he reluctantly agrees. He tells his daughter Scheherazade his troubles. Eventually, he cannot find any more virgins. His vizier, a high-ranking officer, finds him the women he marries and kills. This way his wives will not be able to cheat and dishonor him. He is such a jealous man that he has all the women executed the next morning. He decides to marry a different virgin every day. He becomes a bitter and grief-stricken man. Shahryar discovers that both his brother's wife and his own wife have been unfaithful. The main frame story of Arabian Nights tells the tale of the ruler Shahryar and of Scheherazade. ![]()
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