Literature has always been an integral part of human society, going along with it and promoting the development of various qualities and values, such as spirituality, moral, honesty, etc. It helped various people to express their feelings and emotions and share their thoughts with the next generations. Nevertheless, each period of time could be characterized by a certain approach to literature, writing style and the unique contribution it made to the development of the world literature. Thus, many years of evolution resulted in the appearance of various genres and stylistic devices used by the authors to underline the importance of some events. Every culture has its own vision of literature which is created by various works of numerous writers. Speaking about the eastern literature, it is impossible not to mention such a masterpiece as One Thousand and One Nights, the collection of various stories which contributed to the formation of literature and literary language of the region greatly. The framed structure of the given work and the manner of presentation help to create the fabulous atmosphere and guarantee the continuity of narration.
Before the analysis of the given artwork, it is vital to mention the background which promoted the appearance of the unique set of tales and stories. The fact is that the given region could be characterized by a very ancient history. The culture of people who lived there was formed under the influence of a great number of folks and states that conquered these lands and introduced new peculiarities to the local art and literature. Due to this process, One Thousand and One Nights became one of the most original and bright set of stories which embodied the peculiarities of the culture of the given region as the main narrator Scheherazade “had successfully applied herself to philosophy, medicine, history, and the liberal arts” (Puchner et al. 312), being the bright representative of her age.
Analyzing the given work, it is vital to admit the manner in which it is organized as it impacts the perception greatly. The given book is a bright example of the framed storytelling which means that there are several different storylines connected with the help of a central story. It helps a reader to understand the connections between the plots and their relations better. In general, the given manner of the presentation of the material helps a writer to present several ideas within the same work. Especially important this pattern becomes while dealing with the folklore and tales. Thus, in One Thousand and One Nights, the main frame story is connected with Shahryar, Sasanian King. Having discovered the fact that his brothers wife “is in love with that filthiest of filthy slaves” (Puchner et al. 310) and that his own wife is also unfaithful, he makes the conclusion that all women are the same and prepares a severe punishment for them (Puchner et al. 312). After the night with a woman, he kills her, providing punishment for all representatives of their kind. However, Scheherazade, the viziers daughter manages to avoid punishment, telling various stories every night. The given manner of the organization of the book helps to introduce new lines and to arouse readers interest.
Regarding the structure of the given work, there are some essential concerns. First of all, it could be taken as the collection of stories which had already existed in the oral form and could be taken as the part of folklore. Such stories like Sinbad the Sailor, the Seven Viziers The Tale of the Ox and the Donkey were created by folk and were just added to the given work. Scheherazade just presents the king with the tales that have already been existing for a long period of time, and she is just the narrator. The phrase “so Scheherazade began” (Puchner et al. 316) often precedes the new story and makes her the main narrator. However, Scheherazade also performs a very important function. She structures all these stories, creating the final variant from a great number of many adaptations. Being the part of folklore, these tales did not have a certain canonic structure and from this perspective One thousand and One nights becomes the first work that creates this very canon. Being presented by a single author and in the written form, these stories became the part of the Eastern literature and contributed to the development of literary language.
It is obvious that the process of the formation of language is very important, and the given work could be taken as one of the greatest contributors to the evolution of language. The fact is that the great number of stories presented in One thousand and One nights obtain their written form for the first time. Scheherazade’s was the first to introduce Aladdin, who “had won the hearts of the people by his gentle bearing” (Puchner et al. 345). Being presented in the written form, this story became the essential part of the literature. The language used in the book could be taken as literary, and that is why the given stories become the part of the literary heritage of the region. Moreover, this fact triggered the development of the language and led to the appearance of a great number of other stories of this sort. One realizes the fact that literature is the phenomenon which forms any language, and the process of its development is very important. With this in mind, it is possible to say that the given story is one of the brightest examples of the way in which literature evolved.
Finally, One thousand and One nights has a unique story telling. It has already been stated that the work has a framed structure with one main frame story. However, it should also be said that story within story technique is also used in the given masterpiece. This tool could be found in the early Indian literature; however, in Nights, it is improved. Usually, stories are narrated by Scheherazade, but sometimes there is the narrator who presents some another story within her presentation. For example, the story about the fisherman is introduced from his point of view “I rejoiced at their words and they did with me as they said” (Puchner et al. 354) and he turns into the narrator. At the same time, a reader remembers that all events are introduced by Scheherazade, who is the main character of the framed story. The same pattern is used in The Seven Viziers and some other stories.
For these reasons, One thousand and One Night could be taken as a great example of the framed story. The structure of the given collection of stories helps readers to understand the main ideas of various tales better and feel the atmosphere. Scheherazade helps to present various storylines and develop the structure of the book. The story within story technique used in One thousand and One nights also contributes to the creation of the continuity of narration. Telling her stories, Scheherazade managed to interest Shahryar and “had borne the King three boy children” (Puchner et al. 398). Even nowadays, the stories narrated by the wise woman exited people and make them follow the plot.
Works Cited
Puchner, Martin et al. The Norton Anthology of World Literature, New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2012. Print.