Preparing for Class: November 29

The Arabian Nights, pp. 150- 206

Questions:
  1. "The Story of the Three Apples" echoes an earlier narrative. Which one?

  2. What can we observe from the interaction of the Sultan and Ja'far in this narrative? Would you like to be the Sultan's vizier?

  3. Who's actually responsible for the death of the murdered girl? Who actually ends up being punished?

  4. "I killed my wife wrongfully," says the young man. Does this imply that there are rightful causes for killing a wife? If so, what are they?

  5. Why does Ja'far tell "The Story of the Two Viziers"?

  6. What makes the quarrel between the two brothers particularly ridiculous? What do they fight about? What is the outcome of the quarrel?

  7. At the wedding of Nur al-Din Ali, described on p. 160-61, who isn't present? Why?

  8. While Nur al-Din Ali is getting married in Basra, what's happening back home in Egypt? Why is this significant?

  9. What kind of education does Badr al-Din Hasan receive? What other skill do we later learn he has mastered during his youth?

  10. Before he dies, Nur al-Din Ali gives his son a scroll and five pieces of advice. What's on the scroll? What is the advice? How does it mix the practical with the ethical?

  11. Why does Badr al-Din fall on hard times?

  12. What is the role of the demon and the she-demon in this story?

  13. Were you at all bothered by the treatment of the hunchback in this story? What has he done to deserve the treatment he receives?

  14. Describe the wedding ceremony of Badr al-Din Hasan and his cousin Sit al-Husn. What role does the bride play in the public ceremony? What is she like in private?

  15. What does Badr al-Din leave behind in Sit al-Husn's room? Why is this significant? Like his father, Badr al-Din is regularly described as a beautiful young man. The storyteller uses physical descriptions of the kind usually reserved for describing wom en in western culture. What conclusions can you draw from this?

  16. What new line of work does Badr al-Din take on? How does that work eventually enable him to meet his son?

  17. Why do the Vizier and his daughter take 'Ajib out of school and set out on their journey with him?

  18. What is the conclusion of Badr al-Din's first encounter with his son? How does the previous history of 'Ajib prepare us for this conclusion?

  19. Eventually, Badr al-Din is found by his family. Does the means by which they originally identify him remind you of any western folk/fairy tales?

  20. What response do you have to the Vizier's treatment of Badr al-Din prior to sending him into the reassembled bedchamber? How does the Vizier justify his tormenting of his nephew? Does his rationale work for you?

  21. What is the Sultan's response to this tale? What insights do his subsequent actions give you into the legal system of his kingdom?

 

Return to Daily Readings and Assignments Page

Return to Home Page