Category Archives: The Thousand and One Nights

NY Times article Google Sees Rules Violations in Limits on Internet Access closely relates to our readings of The Thousand and One Nights. Governments in many countries now are starting to limit users’ access to internet. China is one of the main countries that is being affected by this issue. Google has recently released a policy that states countries that limiting users’ access goes against their World Trade Organization. Though Google doesn’t specifically point out that it is the Chinese government who is limiting access to internet, there are many clues that Google is directing this policy towards them. Google’s public policy director, Bob Boorstin states “In addition to infringing human rights, governments that block the free flow of information on the Internet are also blocking trade and economic growth.” Here, Boorstin starts saying how the limited access of internet will affect free trade. China is still being investigated to see if they have violated the World Trade Organization.

Similarly, in The Thousand and One Nights, King Shahrayar’s is cheated on. Shahrayar’s wife sleeps with another man before Shahzaman’s own eyes. After acknowledging this, Shahrayar kills his wife and all the slave girls as well. Shahrayar states “There is not a single chaste woman anywhere on the entire face of the earth.” The twenty slave-girls that Shahzaman saw were deceiving because only half of them were girls and the rest were men. The government of China limiting users’ internet access is in comparison to the “girls” that were dressed behind veils. Though the reading doesn’t state the ban of veils, but clearly we can see how many people take advantage of the veil itself because their identities are sealed and are not identified by anyone. This concept relates to the ten black slaves who were dressed in the same clothing as the girls. China may have many users’ taking advantage of the internet in that their identities are not confirmed which can cause an issue.

Though there are many unconfirmed identities behind internet access and the unidentified men behind the girl’s clothing in Thousand and One Nights, the ban of either one is still controversial.

“The Thousand and One Nights” is a series of stories told by Shahrazad, wife of King Shahrayar of the Persian Empire.  Shahrazad is a well educated woman. She has studied literature, philosophy, medicine and history. Kate Middleton, fiancée of Prince William, is also a well educated woman. According to the New York Times, if Middleton does become a queen, “she will be the first queen in British history to have a college degree, or indeed, to have any college education at all.” (A, 14)

Sharazad and Middleton are also brave enough to put themselves in a position where previous women in that position died. King Shahrayar makes his policy “to take every night the daughter of a merchant, or commoner, spend the night with her, them have her put to death the next morning.” (A, 414) This means that Sharazad is almost certain to die the next day. Kate Middleton is putting herself in the position of the late Queen Diana, who died in 1997. The difference between Sharazad‘s and Middleton’s situations is that Sharazad is almost certain to die the next day while Middleton might die if history repeats itself.

Diana’s Ring Seals Prince William’s Marriage Plans

David Grossman, who recently has lost his son has written new novel. “In the End of the Land” Grossman’s book revolves around Ora, a mother from Israel, who has her son taken away because of duty his in war. Ora’s despair brings her to make conclusions of this unfair world of hers.Within the story, many critics have noticed that the story of Ora is the tale of Grossman, himself. “[H]is younger son, Uri, was killed in combat in the final hours of the 2006 Lebanon War” (Bronner) and it rendered him in form of lifelessness. Grossman’s writing was form of returning home, creating the stability that he lost when his son passed.

Similarly there is Shaharazad telling King Shahrayar these exciting mirrored image stories every night that, are intended for him to change what he does to the women he has. She wants him not to hold every woman responsible for his distrust, back to how he was before. Grossman and King Shahrayar both going through strange phases in their lives needed to hear their own told back to them, so that could have a chance to understand what they were going through.

Storytelling

Storytelling is a form of entertainment that is found in every culture. The Thousand and One Nights dates as far back as the ninth century and comes from the Arabic and Islamic cultures. In the book there are numerous stories joined into one that were told through improvisation. These stories purposes were to teach a moral lesson.  

In the New York Times, “An Israeli Novelist Writes of Pain, Private and Public”, is an article that is similar to storytelling. Rather than the author, David Grossman, telling his story to a crowd he wrote his moral lesson instead. “Mr. Grossman referred to the importance of home…” (NY Times C6) and wanted to express in his personal experience how important family is.

The purpose of David Grossman’s story was for a structure of therapy.  He needed to see his family tragedy at a distance and try to cope and understand it. This is unlike King Shahrayar who did not have a healthy form of therapy.  “He then swore to marry for one night only and kill the woman the next morning…”(B531) This was done “…in order to save himself from the wickedness and cunning of women…” (B531). Ultimately this only buried his feelings and did not solve them correctly.

David Grossman ended his interview by saying “It’s about the major fact of my life now,” he offered, cautiously. “In other countries you can create distractions. Not here.” (NY Times C6) This statement was alluding to him moving forward and coping with his unfortunate incident.  

Works Cited

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/books/17grossman.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper

Bronner, Ethan. “An Israeli Novelist Writes of Pain, Private and Public”. The New York Times. 17 November 2010, NY ed.: The New York Times The Arts C1 and C6.