Work for Tuesday’s Class

Hi everyone,

Thank you for your posts on different translations of Thousand and One Nights–as you’ve seen no story is the same, and it matters quite a bit if a translator uses words like genie vs. demon, alters the plot, or changes a character’s disposition entirely, especially since this story was read by many in Europe as giving insight into Arab culture, and to this day has (mis)shaped the way in which the “west” sees the “east.” Before we move on to Sakuntala in class on Tuesday, we’ll briefly discuss the influence these stories in their various translations have had on our popular imagination and how they have fueled stereotypes about Arab culture and the “east” (think of Disney’s Aladdin, for example). We’ll discuss Edward Said’s concept of “orientalism” in relation to this.

Then, we’ll move on to Kalidasa’s Sakuntala, and in preparation for class I would like to ask you to read Act I and II (this time we’ll start to read first and find out more about context later). Please write down three questions you have about the text: point to a specific scene or passage and link your question to this (to ground it in the text). I would like these questions to be conversation starters.

Have a good weekend and see you on Tuesday!