The Tales from the Thousand and One Nights provide a vivid description of the perspective of the women in the Muslim society. The tales give the reader a great deal of knowledge regarding the role of women in the Muslim society. Some of the stories air perspectives of the women either as beautiful concubines, disobedient wives or slaves who are more than willing to please their male counterparts (Pinault 19). The frame is narrated by a fellow woman recognized as Shahrazad who has the dream of saving her fellow women from the hands of a deceiving husband. Although most critics of the tales assert that the tales act to degrade women, it is evident that women in the society have for long been perceived as objects of pleasure which can be sold,
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This is depicted that their husbands hold them at the Harem (Oliver 116). More so, it is easy for their husbands to divorce them and marry other women at will. In “The Tale of Ma 'aruf, the Cobbler” the cobbler’s wife is described as a wretch and a concubine, and in “The Tale of Young Woman and Her Five Lovers” a heroine is depicted as an unfaithful woman even though her deeds were done in good faith, when she manages to deceive several men in the attempt of saving her husband from the trouble that he had gotten himself …show more content…
The hunchback was a stupid drunk who died by choking on a fishbone and was passed off to different individuals who thought they were the ones who had killed him. These characters are depicted as humorous and also seen as poor, and less intelligent lower value individuals. In this case, the story makes a mockery of people who tries to push their troubles on others, deeming it as a careless behavior. Again in “The Tale of Ma 'aruf the Cobbler” Fatima the cobbler’s wife grossly mistreats her husband, abuses him and even beats him up. “Be gone, thou pimp, and bring me other than this!” Then she dealt him a buffet on the cheek and knocked out one of his teeth”. Individuals often refers to her as a lowlife, slutty and mischievous. Fatimah therefore is depicted as an abuser and has also taken the role of her husband as the head of the house.
Although most of the stories indicate negativity, there is one exceptional story named “Tale of Sympathy the Learned” which featured a young slave girl who was well educated. She was well enlightened in several areas such as syntax, the Quran, arithmetic, poetry as well as civil and canon law. This tale is specifically used to show that women can be knowledgeable, intelligent virtuous and even trustworthy. This is one of the stories that have been read by the Muslim women and is one of the stories that give society a chance to perceive things differently and also give the same opportunities to women in the
This is depicted that their husbands hold them at the Harem (Oliver 116). More so, it is easy for their husbands to divorce them and marry other women at will. In “The Tale of Ma 'aruf, the Cobbler” the cobbler’s wife is described as a wretch and a concubine, and in “The Tale of Young Woman and Her Five Lovers” a heroine is depicted as an unfaithful woman even though her deeds were done in good faith, when she manages to deceive several men in the attempt of saving her husband from the trouble that he had gotten himself …show more content…
The hunchback was a stupid drunk who died by choking on a fishbone and was passed off to different individuals who thought they were the ones who had killed him. These characters are depicted as humorous and also seen as poor, and less intelligent lower value individuals. In this case, the story makes a mockery of people who tries to push their troubles on others, deeming it as a careless behavior. Again in “The Tale of Ma 'aruf the Cobbler” Fatima the cobbler’s wife grossly mistreats her husband, abuses him and even beats him up. “Be gone, thou pimp, and bring me other than this!” Then she dealt him a buffet on the cheek and knocked out one of his teeth”. Individuals often refers to her as a lowlife, slutty and mischievous. Fatimah therefore is depicted as an abuser and has also taken the role of her husband as the head of the house.
Although most of the stories indicate negativity, there is one exceptional story named “Tale of Sympathy the Learned” which featured a young slave girl who was well educated. She was well enlightened in several areas such as syntax, the Quran, arithmetic, poetry as well as civil and canon law. This tale is specifically used to show that women can be knowledgeable, intelligent virtuous and even trustworthy. This is one of the stories that have been read by the Muslim women and is one of the stories that give society a chance to perceive things differently and also give the same opportunities to women in the