The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights

by Paulo Lemos Horta

Shahriyar as a powerful symbol of patriarchal violence, and feminist interpretations of the Nights highlight Shahrazad’s intervention in the frame tale as an inspiring tale of courage and resourcefulness in the face of male oppression. Her determination to save her kingdom by offering herself as a bride and weaving a nightly web of stories to distract and reeducate the broken king provides a model of resistance that continues to inspire readers. In this interpretation, Shahrazad must slowly dismantle Shahriyar’s belief that women cannot be trusted by gradually expanding the king’s experience to include the many different kinds of women who people the stories of the Nights: the faithful lovers, the clever slave girls, the loyal sisters, the devoted mothers. Some critics have seen this process as an extended humanistic education designed to sensitize Shahriyar to the intricacies of human behavior. Others have adopted a psychoanalytical model and describe Shahrazad’s storytelling as a unique form of “talking cure” designed to treat a classic case of psychosis.