Website on 1001 Arabian Nights relating to book

I came across an informative website about the 1001 Arabian Nights. It offers how these folk stories originated and how they have been passed down for generations. It explains in an easily understandable timeline the background of how the original story began along with a description of what happened for the first eight nights. These stories came from all over the world that offered values, spiritually and earthly. The role of certain characters is also touched on during some part of this website. An individual who has no prior knowledge of 1001 Arabian Nights should strongly think about checking out this website for its quick and easy information.
(http://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/eng251/arabstudy.htm)

Arabian Nights and Days

For my second book I decided to stick with the author Mahfouz and chose Arabian Nights and Days. Earlier during the year we read different stories and tales of the 1001 Arabian Nights. I only got to read a few of them and was interested in many more of them. That is the one of the reasons why I chose this book.
This book does not explain in great detail the background story of how the 1001 Arabian Nights originated but it jumps right into a novel. This novel features characters from many of the 1001 Arabian Nights such as: the porter, Ugr the barber, Aladdin, Ma’rouf the cobbler, and Sindbad. In a way the chapters were similar to that of the other story I read of Mahfouz, The Day the Leader Was Killed. What I mean by this is each chapter alternates with the perspectives of each character. Except in Arabian Nights and Days when a new chapter begins you know that the following chapter is going to be about that certain characters story or journey. The first few chapters focus on a man named, Sanaan who accidentally releases a genie who demands that Sanaan kill the governor of his village. The events that lead up to the governor’s murder by Sanaan are very disturbing although it was not as graphic as it led it to be. I plan on writing my final paper on this book although I am not sure what the paper will focus on.

Website on The Day the Leader Was Killed

I came across a website that focused on the book I chose to read which was, The Day the Leader was Killed. The website first gives its own summarization of the book and then it analyzes and investigates what the book is really about. This website explains why the three main characters act the way they do. This article also explains in more detail what the economic policy in Egypt was during the time this book is set. Whoever the author of the article is gives his or her own opinion of the actions that take place within the story itself. I plan on sticking with the author of The Day the Leader was Killed, Naguib Mahfouz because his writing is easy to interpret. The next book I plan on reading of his is, Arabian Days and Nights. The website that this article is found in is as follows: (http://books.google.com/books?id=Hit7oPTOKf0C&pg=PA92&lpg=PA92&dq=the+day+the+leader+was+killed&source=web&ots=gocNfqOVHA&sig=GijUoS6ZBYQosB2T1hlaJKkBDE0#PPA95,M1)

The Day the Leader was Killed

The book I decided to read first was The Day the Leader was Killed. The book is set in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt. The year is 1981 and the lives of the city’s citizens are in a tough time as a cause of the current president’s economic policy. A middle-class family that is facing these harsh times narrates this story. Actually, there are only three people who narrate this story. The first narrative character we are introduced to is Muhtashimi Zayed, who is the grandfather of this family. He often is giving advice to anyone who he comes in contact with and is knowledgeable about life in general. Elwan is his grandson who at the moment is facing some difficult decisions in his life and hopes he chooses the right path. The last character that narrates this story is Elwan’s fiancée, Randa. She is a very opinionated women although too like Elwan has a difficulty with making decisions in her life. The chapters are about five pages in length so it felt like I was accomplishing a good deal of the book in less time. I was skeptical at first about this book in general. I was expecting, with a title like this one, an Indiana Jones type storyline. The book focuses on the day-to-day lives of these three characters and their involvement with family, work, and society. Each character speaks in first person with each chapter being titled as to whom is going to be narrating the story next. For example, the first chapter is titled, Muhtashimi Zayed, then the second Elwan, and the third Randa. This pattern is continuous throughout the entire book with the grandfather of course having the last thoughts.

US vs Iraq (Article and YouTube Website)

The article I researched focused on how the marines would prefer to move their forces out of Iraq and into Afghanistan. This would mean that the Army would be transported to fight the Iraq war while the Marines would take over for the Army and handle the situation in Afghanistan. U.S. officials agree that this tactic would be more effective for both forces as it continues to fight against terrorists. As of October 11th 2007 there was no Marine troops in Afghanistan and there were about 26,000 Marines in Iraq. This idea of bringing Marines into Afghanistan would relieve the pressure on the Army. Also, the Marines are more of a lethal force when it comes to combat and air force showing no mercy to the enemy.
(http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/11/washington/11military.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&ref=world)

The youtube video that I found was a very interesting video. It displayed the U.S. Marines Air Force at work. It shows a great montage of various shots of U.S. aircrafts over Iraq, all this happening to the tune of “Liberate” by the rock band, Disturbed. Also, the video shows us some U.S. forces fighting not only in the air but on the ground as well. This video although short and high in intensity, brings the viewer into the real world of what life is like in Iraq for U.S. forces fighting the battle for all Americans.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uVnN_KBVVQ)

Israel Lobby

I was not able to read this entire article but from what I did get read made me kind of upset and confused. For part of this article it talks about how the United States feeds Israel three billion dollars each year. 25 percent of that money, it is stated that Israel basically does whatever it wants with it. We have even provided them with three billion dollars to develop weapons systems! Now, I understand that Israel was at one point our ally against nations like Russia and China but this is insane. Has America forgotten that these kinds of people put our nation in a state of panic by killing innocent Americans and destroying our Twin Towers in New York? But, we are providing them with money for defense and F-16 jets, how does this make sense? Isn’t America supposed to be number one in defense against any other nation? Why are we providing and coming to the aid of people that have tried to strike fear into the heart of America? Washington D.C. needs to start thinking clearly and realize that we are actually supporting this country’s war of terror. For God sakes Israel along with other nations have spies on the inside learning the secrets behind America’s defense strategies. This article lit a fire within me because as a natural born American I feel as though we are hypothetically shooting ourselves in the foot. We need to break ties with them effective immediately.

Jimmy Carter

To be honest I do not enjoy reading about the Middle East in any way, shape, or form. Yet, I did not mind Jimmy Carter’s Palestine Peace Not Apartheid. In a way it read as though President Jimmy Carter was present and was speaking to me. The timeline was not very interesting because I had no prior knowledge of the specific dates that were listed. Besides that part of the reading the rest of the chapters actually kept my interest. Carter describes how he met with many people from either Israel or Palestine. I know it’s not just me but it would be difficult to open your door and invite a foreigner especially one from the Middle East into your home. Jimmy Carter, who was the President at the time, graciously invited these people into his home (the white house). He ate and discussed certain issues with these people from the Middle East. The book also explains some of President Carter’s and his wife’s journeys throughout the Middle East. Their was one example where the First Lady at the time went to a hospital and they were not allow to use the ambulances because of the strict rules that were being enforced. I am extremely thankful that I live in America. We have all the freedom that the Middle East does not. I know it goes along with the song, but I’m proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free. After reading all of the required chapters, I learned that the Israelis basically isolated Palestine. The maps in some of the chapters helped me to visually understand what I was reading about. Overall, not a horrible read but I wouldn’t go as far as to refer to it as a New York Times bestseller.

The Koran

This text called the Koran is the main source of religious guidance in the Islamic culture. As soon as I began to read part of this text I discovered names I have read in the Bible before. Names such as God, the prophet, and Adam were mentioned in the Koran. It is stated that the Koran focuses not on the story of religious events but rather the importance of them. Also, instead of praying to God like Christians do, the Koran reverts to Muhammad. I had a difficult time understanding what I was reading from the Koran.

Orientalism

After reading the article on Orientalism on the Wikipedia site I discovered that this study has many theories regarding its origins. It supposedly is the study of Eastern cultures but through peoples of the West. I’m confused by what this article is trying to achieve. If this statement were in fact true then why would people from the West travel all the way to study the cultures of the East. Back then, automobiles and other modes of transportation were not available. It seems like a strenuous hike to one part of the world to another on foot.
I personally, do not know much about the Middle East and or of its cultures. What I do know has come from films and or the news. In some sense, Orientalism reminds me a little bit of the Renaissance era, a time of artistic and literary expression.
Edward Said, the American-Palestinian is claimed to have paved the way for understanding of the Middle East.

Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam

After reading 50 of these 4-lined poems I noticed that the first, second, and fourth lines rhymed with each other while the 3rd line did not. I did not understand this method but I suppose all poems have their own method of how they are constructed. It seemed to me that most of the poems that I read were about love and or celebration of some sort.
I decided to take my own spin on these poems and created four of my own:

Like the lyrics to my favorite song
I would sing for her at sun up and all nightlong
Her lips so soft, her kiss so pure
The girl of my dreams—she’s been here all along


Lace up your skates and jump on the ice
Watch out for the stick it’s their scoring device
Keep your head in the game and don’t commit too early
Cause if so they’ll put it top shelf—make you pay the price


She’s playing these games-messing with my head
When did you turn our light from green to red?
Making me crazy I’ll try to keep hope alive
She’s not worth it I found another girl instead


These college days are winding down but not just yet
I have a plan after school-- my life stage is set
The years have past within the blink of an eye
But as for the memories and friends—those I will never forget

Paper 1 Focus

I took a gamble with this first paper and decided to write about how women are portrayed in 1001 Nights as opposed to how they are treated today. I know for a fact that a woman has a better perspective on this topic than I do but I wanted to challenge myself and see where this paper was going to take me. In full honesty, I am still having some difficulty as to how I am going to conclude this paper but I guess that lies in my hands. Here is a sample from what I have created thus far:
“As I stated before women were considered to be a prized possession rather than a human being. It is mentioned twice that both of the kings expected their wives to be loyal and faithful. They became convinced that all women are the same unfaithful creatures. Even the beautiful women from the golden box did not hesitate to demand sexual pleasure when she discovered the two kings. Could it be safe to say that women during this time would turn their backs on their husbands for a one-night stand? Even after they stated a vow to remain loyal and trusting during the marriage ceremony? Maybe women decided that since their husbands were allowed to marry as many wives as he sought fit that they could engage in their own “fantasy”.”
I would appreciate any feedback on some ways I could add more to this paper focusing on the comparing of women in the 1001 Nights era as opposed to today’s society.

1001 Nights

“Wow” would best describe my reaction to the four stories I read from 1001 Nights. It was interesting to know that the main story revolves around King Shahryar and Scheherazade, the vizier’s daughter. She is the primary narrator of a story but at points a character in a tale will begin telling characters a new story and so on which ends up being a mixture of tales. I’m not sure if I liked each tale starting before the previous one ended. Nonetheless, I became more and more interested in each new tale and although they left the reader hanging at times, they were enjoyable.

The first story I read was that of King Shahryar and His Brother. This one was more novel-like but it introduced and set the mood for the other tales to be told. I think most people could agree that this story involved a good deal of fornication and other sexual material. If there were one thing that could catch a reader’s eye it would be writing about how a woman demanded fornication or else she would have that man put to death. (She seems to be wearing the daddy pants in that relationship).

The second tale was that of the Bull and the Ass. This seemed more of a humorous/revenge tale with the Bull and the Ass going back and forth trying to see who could outdo the other. The third tale was that of the Trader and the Jinni. When I first read this tale I thought that the Jinni’s son was struck down by a piece of date. Then I thought how could a kid get stuck down by a piece of fruit? The final tale that I read was the First Shaykh’s Story. This was the quickest read of them all but left me confused towards the end of the tale. Scheherazade is obviously still alive and hasn’t been taken off to be executed, still, is this the end of part one of 1001 Nights?

Othello: Part 2

After reading different articles on Othello I kept my focus on how the characters developed throughout the play. Beginning with the title character, Othello is described as an honorable, respected, and powerful man. As the play progresses though, Othello seems to have other hidden traits about him that we soon discover. One of these traits is jealousy. We find out that Iago has used deception against Othello, making him believe that Desdemona, his wife, is having an affair. When Othello is told from Iago that Desdemona and Cassio shared a sentimental handkerchief, Othello goes into a jealous rage. I can picture this situation occurring in a real life situation. If Othello would have stayed calm and kept in mind the saying “there’s always a reason for everything” then this tragedy would have never occurred.
Unlike Othello, Iago’s character starts out villainous and never steers clear of that evil path, even at the play’s end. Iago is hell bent on getting revenge on Othello that nothing will stand in his way. He is intelligent and savvy in every move he makes in order for him to complete his disastrous plan. Iago shows no remorse towards the actions he takes towards ruining the life of Othello and watching it crumble before his eyes. Again, in real-life some people deep down have a dark side, a side that if triggered can cause a chain reaction leading to negative outcomes. Othello should have been more aware of where he stood with his “best friend” after Iago was not promoted and not have let Iago take him for a fool and ultimately a character that takes a turn for the worse.

Othello

I have read Othello for a class here at Western a couple years ago but this time I gained a better understanding of the tragic play. I was unsure of what the term “moor” meant but after reading some background information at Wikipedia I found that it refers to what people now call “black”. The term “moor” also referred to Arabs of North Africa. It was stated that this play was banned in the 1930s because the lead role of Othello is portrayed as a black man and being married to a white woman.

Othello is a play by William Shakespeare, which, if you don’t pay close attention, has many sub-plots involved. This is a play about deception, jealousy, and tragic deaths. I guess the old saying “keep your friends close but your enemies closer” would be a perfect fit for Othello. I know our class is focused on the Middle East but how is Othello incorporated into our overall topic of discussion? There are times when a reading is transformed into a film (sometimes easier to interpret), as this is also the case for Othello. I have seen the 1995 film starring Laurence Fishburne, although the dialogue compared to the play is difficult to understand.

Even though Othello is the title character of this play I feel that if he would have stayed calm he could have prevented this tragedy from occurring. His quick reactions caused him to over analyze what Iago had been telling him. Othello should have kept trust in his wife, Desdemona, instead of wrongly accusing her of having an affair with Cassio. Iago is the deceitful villain who ruins the lives of anyone who crosses his path. In the end, characters are knocked off one by one like a mobster movie and tragedy has struck again in Shakespeare’s Othello.

Canterbury Tales

I first read Canterbury Tales, from the Nun's Story, in high school. The Lawyer's Tale was very different. It mentions Christianity throughout. Each line has its own imagery but I had a difficult time with his tale even though it was in modern English.

The Decameron

At first, I found it difficult to read the Decameron but as I kept reading I found it interesting. This tale reminded me of one's quest or a chapter in his or her life. Half-way through reading, the film "Lord of the Rings" and other adventure/fantasy films came to mind.

The Middle East

It seems as though the Middle East before 1400 AD was a time of religious views as well as an individuals life journey or quest. After reading about the Crusades I learned that these religious military conflicts lasted for many years. In these times Christians strongly believed in the Holy Land and were not going to back down.

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