Arabian Nights and Disney Days

The Unspoken Hero

FYS: Formal Essay Final Draft

There are many stereotypes about Arab women. For example, it is often thought that women were not to speak up to men unless they were spoken to, and they were to be submissive to their fathers or husband. This stereotype was amplified in “The Arabian Nights,” translated by Hussin Haddaway, a compilation of stories that together make up the book. In the introduction, Haddaway writes about the stories being passed down from generation to generation, often through the women of the family. He acknowledges that the details of the stories have changed over time, but the ideas have stayed consistent. He writes about how these stories would be read to children as bedtime stories and how they would tell the stories when they grew up. Despite the stereotypes that we think of, when we think about Arab women, the character Sharazad acts as an independent woman who stands up for what she believes. This poses the question of why there was a strong female role in this story. What was it trying to teach the future generations? The story teaches that the existing stereotypes are untrue, and Shaharazd is the true heroine in the story. 

The book starts with a story about King Shahraya being betrayed by his wife. In anger, he has his wife killed and decides that from then on, he shall sleep with a new woman every night, and in the morning, he will kill them so they can not betray him. After many nights of doing this, the kingdom is running out of women. The Vizier’s daughter, Sharazad, watches this happen night after night and decides to do something about it. In the story of “The Arabian Nights,” Sharazad is overlooked and not appreciated for the heroic role that she plays in the story. Sharazad saw what the King was doing to these women and decided to stand up for them. She went to her father and said, “I would like you to marry me to King Shahraya” (15). This shows that she still respects her father. By saying this, it is perpetuating a stereotype that Arab women always seek their father’s approval. However, if you read this quote in context, Sharazad makes it seem that she will do this with or without her father’s approval. The Vizer was hesitant, but Sharazad did not stop fighting and convinced her father that she needed to try. She took this courageous step despite knowing the risk that she might be killed in the morning. Sharazad believed in herself and was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save others, making her the hero in the story.

This was not the only time that Sharazad acted as the heroine. With all her knowledge, Sharazad came up with a whole plan with her sister so that she could tell the King a story. She would tell him a story, and at the end, she would say, “Tomorrow night I shall tell you something even more entertaining if the King lets me live” (29). This is a bold statement for Sharazad to make. The King could easily have her executed just for saying this, but Sharazad did not care and continued saying things like this for many nights. This quote shows a different way that Sharazad takes control of the situation to be in her favor. She says that she wants to tell more of the story, and then as an afterthought, she says, “if the King lets me live” (29). By adding the last part, she makes it seem like the King is in control, but she is really manipulating him so that she can stay alive. Not only does Sharazad manipulating the King go against the stereotype that Arab women are submissive, but her actions save many women’s lives. 

Sharazad did not care about what she was expected to do; instead, she paved her own path. Sharazad stood up for what she believed was right. The fact that a character like Sharazad is in the stories of “The Arabian Nights” is shocking because of the stereotype that a strong female character can not be an Arab woman. Time and time again, Sharazad breaks this stereotype, stands up to the King, and helps others by doing so. On the other hand, since we do not know how the book ends, maybe Shahrazad is meant to be a cautionary tale of what happens if you stray from the path. As of now, one can assume this is not the case; otherwise, it would be a very short book. Shahrazad’s character could not have empowered future generations without the stories being passed down. If Shahrazad had not stood up to her father and the King, many more women would have died. Thanks to her, many women lived, and even more learned from her. It is important to remember that you need to fight for what you believe, even if no one else supports you. One should not do something because you are not supposed to. Think of all the women who have broken stereotypes and made the world a better place. What would our world be if women were complacent? 

The Unspoken Hero

FYS: Formal Essay 1st Draft

In the early seventh century in Mecca and Medina, the new religion of Islam was born. Islam was a slow-growing religion that did not take off until after Muhamad died. After he died in the mid-six hundreds, Muhammad’s followers started to spread the new religion. From this religion, many new cultures and stories started to appear. It is often thought that women do not have many rights in the Muslim world. On top of this, it was very rare that women would speak up to men, let alone speak up to the King. They were supposed to be submissive to their father or husband. Despite these stereotypes, Sharazad acts as an independent woman who stands up for what she believes. 

“The Arabian Nights,” translated by Hussin Haddaway, is a compilation of stories that together make up the book. In the introduction of “The Arabian Nights”, Haddaway writes about the stories being passed down from generation to generation. He acknowledges that the details of the stories have changed over time, but the ideas have never changed. He writes about how these stories would be read to children as bedtime stories and how they would tell the stories when they grew up. The book starts with a story about King Shahraya being betrayed by his wife. In anger, he has his wife killed and decides that from then on, he shall sleep with a new woman every night, and in the morning, he will kill them so they can not betray him. After many nights of doing this, the kingdom is running out of women.  

The Vizier’s daughter, Sharazad, watches this happen night after night and decides to do something about it. In the story of Arabian Nights, Sharazad is overlooked and not appreciated for the heroic role that she plays in the story. Sharazad saw what the King was doing to these women and decided to stand up for them. She went to her father and said, “I would like you to marry me to King Shahraya, so that I may either succeed in saving the people or perish and die like the rest” (15). The Vizer was hesitant, but Sharazad did not stop fighting. He convinced her father that she needed to try. She took this courageous step because she knew the risk that she might be killed in the morning. Sharazad believed in herself and was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save others. This was not the only time that Sharazad acted as the heroine. With all her knowledge, Sharazad came up with a whole plan with her sister so that she could tell the King a story. She would tell him a story, and at the end, she would say, “Tomorrow night I shall tell you something even more entertaining if the king lets me live” (29). This is a bold statement for Sharazad to make. The King could easily have her executed just for saying this, but Sharazad does not care and continues saying things like this for many nights. Sharazads actions save many women’s lives, making her a true heroine. 

Sharazad did not care about what she was expected to do; instead, she paved her own path. Sharazad stood up for what she believed was right. The fact that a character like Sharazad is in the stories of “The Arabian Nights” is shocking. Interestingly, the author of these stories chose to include a strong female role because this does not align with how women were seen at this time. It is often believed that “The Arabian Nights” was a story passed down from generation to generation. This poses the question of why there was a strong female role in this story. What was it trying to teach the future generations? One can assume that it is trying to teach young women that they need to have their own voice and fight for what they believe is right. If this is the case, it definitely causes some confusion. It is often taught that Muslim women can not do anything without the permission of their fathers or their husband’s permission. This idea directly contradicts Sharazads role in “The Arabian Nights”. Time and time again, Sharazad stands up to the King and does things to help others. On the other hand, since we do not know how the book ends, maybe Shahrazad is meant to be a cautionary tale of what happens if you stray from the path. As of now, one can assume this is not the case; otherwise, it would be a very short book. Shahrazad’s character could not have empowered future generations without the stories being passed down.

If Shahrazad had not stood up to her father and the King, many more women would have died. Thanks to her, many women lived, and even more learned from her. It is important to remember that you need to fight for what you believe, even if no one else supports you. One should not do something because you are not supposed to. Think of all the women who have broken stereotypes and made the world a better place. What would our world be if women were complacent? 

A Theater Experience

This week I went to see the show “We Are Proud to Present a Presentation About the Herero of Namibia, Formerly Known as Southwest Africa, From the German Südwestafrika, Between the Years 1884–1915” at the Baker Theater. This was the first Muhlenberg performance that I have seen. The show left me speechless. I thought that the acting was done very well. The actor’s dynamic was amazing and even when there was a power outage in the theater they stayed in character. As someone who did tech theater in high school, I thought that the use of props and lighting really elevated the show to a new level. On top of all that the storyline of the show was very informative. I had never learned about this tragedy but the play taught me a lot. Overall, I had a very good experience and I look forward to seeing many more shows. 

Reading with a Grain

  1. Ernst’s overarching claim is that Americans and Europeans do not understand or respect other cultures. 
  2.  
    • “Americans are not very good at understanding other cultures” (page 2)
    • “The extraordinary mismatch between Euro-American ideas of Islam and the realities lived by Muslims will form a recurring theme throughout this book” (page 4).
    • “Religion is not a realm of facts, but a field in which every statement is contested and all claims are challenged” (page 8).
  3.  In the second claim listed above Ernst claims that this book will compare how Euro-Americans perceive Muslims and how Muslims actually live. It is often believed that Muslims live a very different life from Americans or Europeans but Ernst uses evidence from Marshall Hodgson to help disprove this. Hodgson says “There has not been a separate ‘The Muslim world’  for more than 200 years” (page 4). This along with many statistics are used to prove that many Muslims live alongside everyone else and do not live in their own world. Ernst continues to point out ways that Muslims live a very similar life to Americans and Europeans. I think that oftentimes when people learn about religion they then assume that everyone in that religion acts and thinks the same way. This is not the case and if people were able to better separate religion from culture then they would have a better understanding. If Ernst is able to prove the smaller claim of how Muslims really live this will help prove his overarching argument that Americans and Europeans do not understand or respect other cultures. In order to make a large claim, you must have smaller claims to back it up and this is exactly what Ernst is doing. 

My Reflection on Disney’s Aladdin

*This writing is unedited*

Something I thought was well done:

Something in the movie that I thought was done well was the music. I think that all the songs in the movie helped move the plot along while also enhancing the viewers’ experience. I think that music is a very powerful tool in movies. I know that I just wanted to sing along and that made me more engaged in the movie as a whole. Additionally, the music is now stuck in my head and so I keep thinking back to the movie. Using music is a very good tool to ensure people remember a movie. One thing that could have been added is if there were a few more songs at the end of the movie. I think there needed to be one when Jafar was taking over and one at the end of the movie as a Grand Finale. I felt that the end of the movie was abrupt and one final song could have pulled it all together. Overall the music in Disney’s Aladdin was well done.

Something I thought was problematic: 

Something that I found problematic in Aladdin was how Jasmine was portrayed. I think that Disney could have worked harder to make Jasmine a more developed character. I thought that Jasmine could have had a bigger impact on the story. Instead, Disney chose to portray her as a woman who needed to find a husband rather than following her own path. It was also problematic that a bunch of men were discussing and deciding what her future would be when she was not even present. While this may have been how things were done I do not think that it needed to be emphasized in the movie. Many little girls watch Aladdin and see Jasmine but she is unable to teach them any valuable lessons. To me, it felt like Disney just checked a box by putting Jasmine in the movie. If Disney had really wanted to put Jasmine in the movie for the right reasons they needed to put more effort in. 

Should Aladin be a kid’s Movie?

I think it is important to remember that this is a made-up movie. It is not based on history and the whole plot line is written to be a children’s movie. With that said, I think that while this was intended as a kids movie there are aspects that are not appropriate for children. While there are aspects of the movie that are appropriate for kids I think that they are overlooked by the magic and excitement that Disney uses. I think parents need to be aware of what they are showing their kids and then it is up to the parents to decide.

Summary of “The Dark Side of ‘The Arabian Nights'”

Long Summary:

The article “The Dark Side of ‘The Arabian Nights’” is an article that is intended for a reader of “The Arabian Nights”. Most people when they hear Arabian nights think about the opening song in the movie Alladin. My point is that when you hear Arabian Nights you think of a positive and happy children’s story. This article highlights the ways in which the story of “The Arabian Nights” is negative. For example, the article talks about, sexism, racism, and antisemitism that is portrayed in “The Arabian Nights”. This article shows that there is more than what is on the surface. Often times only the good part of the story is shared and the negative side is hidden. The article shares stories from “The Arabian Nights” that specifically highlight the negative. One example that the article talks about is the story of the “Three princes of China” the story says that “two of the princes are murdered by a Jewish community in Iraq and rolled inside mats, but when the third prince arrives, he tricks the leader of the Jews into killing his own son” (“The Dark Side of ‘The Arabian Nights”). This story is just one example of many that target Jews. The article goes on and gives more examples of anti-Semitism, sexism, and racism. At the end of the article, the author leaves the reader with a very interesting question, “Is it possible that the stories of The Thousand and One Nights fascinate, not in spite of their sinister blemishes, but because of them?”. I think that this is a very interesting question and leads me to wonder why do I want to read “The Arabian Nights”. 

Short Summary:

The article is about the complexities of sexism, racism, and antisemitism that appear in the story of ​​“The Arabian Nights” and why it’s problematic. 

Reflection:

The main difference between the paraphrasing assignment and the summarizing assignment was what you needed to focus on. In the paraphrasing assignment, I needed to find a specific excerpt from the text and put it into my own words. In order to do this, I needed to look at the surrounding context in order to make sure that I did not change the meaning of the sentence. For the summarizing assignment, I needed to look at the article as a whole to ensure that I explained everything in the article. Both assignments made me slow down and ensure that I fully understood the text. 

Class Summary 9/15

Today in class we discussed two main things: the importance of note taking and the article “The Dark Side of ‘The Arabian Nights’”. In regards to note-taking, we talked about how in a lecture-style class it is very easy to sit and take notes while in a discussion-based class note-taking is more difficult. Professor Albert shared a new way to take notes. She recommended writing down bullet points in class and after class writing a summary of what was discussed. After we discussed that a little bit more we transitioned into a discussion about the article. Based on the article we asked questions such as, why was the book written?, Can you fact-check a book like this?, Are these stories true?, and many more. A big issue that we discussed was racism. We talked about how the theme of racism is already playing a big role in the book “Arabian Nights” and how we will continue to see this theme as we read more. In regards to that, we talked about how race played a role when the text was written. This was a complicated question because the book was compiled over many years. We also discussed how writings regarding race are viewed in modern eyes. Overall we had a very interesting discussion about the complexities of reading a book that was written in such a different time period. I look forward to continuing to read more of “Arabian Nights” and seeing how a modern perspective interprets the text. 

Study Abroad Fair

This afternoon I went to the Study Abroad Fair. There were many different booths with people advertising different countries that I could go study in. As I was walking around picking up pamphlets I saw a familiar face from Israel. It was an admissions person from Hebrew University. I quickly walked over and said hello. We caught up for a bit and then I continued wandering around. The fair gave me an opportunity to see all the amazing possibilities that I have to study abroad.

Thoughts about the prologue

I found the prologue of Arabian Nights very interesting and fast-paced. The narrator would tell a part of the story and just as it was getting interesting he would switch directions. I thought that this was a very interesting method of storytelling. It definitely made me want to read more. I am excited to see how Shahrazad stays alive for so many nights. How will she ensure that the king does not get bored? A question that puzzled me was who has the power in this story. Some say the king, others say Sharazad, and yet others say the narrator. I think that this is a very interesting question. The prologue reminds me of the Jewish story of Purium and Queen Ester. In both stories, the queen does something to upset the king. The women of the story, Sharazad and Ester are able to make it so the king listens to them. I want to know more about what the culture was like when the story of the Arabian Nights was written and I am curious how the story has changed as it has been passed down from generation to generation. Something that challenged me was the language that the narrator used when referring to the characters in this story. I look forward to reading more of the book. What will the stories be about? How will Sharazad engage the King? 

Paraphrasing Assignment

Original 

“a growing interest emerged in what the still fairly nascent field of computing could do to hasten some of this change.” (Chapter 3:Controllling our Own Technologies)

Paraphrase 1:

An expanding interest came to light in the new field of computing due to the quickness of change. 

Paraphrase 2:

People started to get more interested in the field of computing because there was change.

Paraphrase 3:

Emerging regard surfaced in the still relatively developing field of computing could do to speed up some of this change. 

Original: 

“So has the drab fabric of life been transformed into gossamer of romance, as these stories have been spun for centuries in family gatherings” (xii)

Paraphrase 1: 

The dull fabric of life has been changed into bright life of romance, as these stories have been shared for hundreds of years at family gatherings.

Paraphrase 2:

The boring stories of life have been reshaped into exciting stories of romance, as these stories have been passed down from generation to generation.

Paraphrase 3:

So has the simple reality of life been rebuilt into the delicate reality of romance, as stories have evolved for many years when families assemble. 

My Reflection on Paraphrasing:

The first step I took when paraphrasing was to look up any words I did not know or understand. After that, I was able to start reconstructing the sentence. I chose these two passages to paraphrase because they both had words I did not know. By taking the time to do this assignment I was able to understand the passage better and not have to rely on the context as much. As a writer, I found that I could paraphrase the first time fairly easily but by the time I got to the third time, I found it hard to paraphrase. I think I just made it more complicated than it needed to be. I found it more difficult to paraphrase Audrey Watters. I think that this is because her writing is more rigid, meaning it was harder to have my own opinion because she wrote as if she was giving us facts. Unlike Watters, Haddaway’s writing gives the reader some space to interpret the writing in their own way. The one thing that made it hard with Haddway’s writing was some unfamiliar language that he used.