Introduction
The influence of “One Thousand and One Nights,” also known as “Arabian Nights,” is a collection of stories attributed to anonymous authors and an uncertain date. It was crucial for the development of modern literature, and this influence was acquired from the strength of the work as a literary text rather than from ideological interests. It reevaluates the significance of the collection and, thereby, the influence of Arabic literature and culture in forming modern civilization, which continues to do so today. The “One Thousand and One Nights,” set in the Middle Ages, is constructed as a “frame story” to which all the other tales are later added. This essay examines the essential functions and features of storytelling in “One Thousand and One Nights.”
The Unifying Purpose of Storytelling
The dialectical storytelling in the Arabian Nights combines a common framework and all stories with a single goal: to influence the minds and souls of the listener or listeners, changing their vision of the situation. “One Thousand and One Nights” storytelling serves several purposes – connecting people across social status, influencing others through a dialectical approach, seeking truth, and navigating life’s struggles.
Scheherazade and the Power of Dialectical Persuasion
The main story, which frames all the others, serves as a general purpose of storytelling – building a genuine interpersonal connection. “One Thousand and One Nights” centers on King Shahryar, whose wife has betrayed his trust, and he concludes that all women are the same. King Shahryar would marry and kill a new wife every day until there were none to marry.
Scheherazade, the daughter of the King’s Vizier, married him and told stories every night in which he spared and kept her alive. Vizier laments and calls his daughter “the oasis in the desert of [his] dry old soul,” hinting to readers about Shaherizade’s ability to create a special emotional atmosphere (Mardrus and Mathers 4). Her task is to touch the heart of the king Shahryar and change his established worldview, thus saving herself from death and gaining an opportunity for happiness (Nayebpour 86).
However, history teaches us that direct pressure, moralizing, or persuasion cannot change another person. For this, a person must have the time and a new experience that will change them and help them rethink some of their beliefs (Nayebpour 86). In the end, this is precisely what Scheherazade achieves, telling emotional and instructive stories without direct pressure. Eventually, she exhausted all her stories and told the king, but he fell in love with her and made her his Queen.
Dialectical Storytelling Within the Embedded Tales
The dialectical approach to persuasion is also used within the collection of fairy tales in individual stories. Different characters use storytelling to communicate their point, convince someone, or illustrate their ideas (Nayebpour 89). For example, “The Porter and the Three Ladies” discusses gender issues and the opportunities and benefits of women in court (Mardrus and Mathers 9).
The male character raises the question: “Don’t you believe that the happiness and good fortune of women cannot be attained without the company of men?” (Mardrus and Mathers 9). The thoughts and questions of the characters clash in search of truth or common ground. As the reader understands, the central theme of the stories is to discover in King Shahryar the ability to replicate the dialectical approach in his own head.
Storytelling, Justice, and the Multiplicity of Truth
Behind the storytelling of “One Thousand and One Nights” is a desire for justice and truth; life stories are a tool to achieve this goal. In “The Tale of the Hunchback,” several characters hold themselves responsible for the death of the hunchback and tell their version of what happened. Through the story, the listeners have conveyed the mysterious, elusive, and ambiguous nature of “one’s own truth,” that is, the vision of each person (Nayebpour 88). This makes listeners think about their own possible cognitive and emotional distortions.
Storytelling as a Fundamental Human Need
One of the main functions of storytelling in the Arabic Nights is the struggle for the characters’ survival. Scheherazade herself tells stories, trying to delay the execution, but other characters in the collection also use this technique. For example, the characters in “The Porter and the Three Ladies” must tell stories that will touch the hostess’s heart so that the executioner does not cut off their heads. This thought is directly articulated: “each of you to tell your story, explain to us what brought you to our home, and if I am convinced by your tale, and feel sympathy, then I shall forgive and free you” (Mardrus and Mathers 42).
Storytelling fulfills a fundamental human need to build a deep emotional connection with others (Faris 813). Personal stories are a means for understanding others and penetrating someone else’s world and experience. Despite the characters’ origin, social status, appearance, and level of wealth, they are all gifted with the power to influence each other with a word.
Conclusion
“One Thousand and One Nights” is a unique collection of magical stories built around storytelling within storytelling. In this collection of fairy tales, storytelling is used in many different ways – to survive, build relationships, open the soul and see the soul of others, and influence other people and the world. The miraculous power of words and stories is available to every character, from a poor fisherman to a magical millennial genie. Various characters, from kings to people with low incomes, appear in stories, revealing their personal dramas or outlook on life. Ultimately, the power of words and storytelling turns the game in favor of an honest, frank, and spiritually rich storyteller.
Works Cited
Faris, Wendy B. “1001 Words: Fiction Against Death.” The Georgia Review, vol. 36, no. 4, 1982, pp. 811–30. JSTOR.
Mardrus, J.C.; Mathers, E.P. The Book of the Thousand and One Nights Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 2013.
Nayebpour, Karam. “Narrativity in The Thousand and One Nights.” Advances in Language and Literary Studies 8.4 2017: 85-90.