Introduction: Arabian Nights, Continued
In the winter of the distant 1942, Charles Grimshaw Campbell discovered the Iraqi Shiite tribes, according to what Arfi says. Campbell was excited to learn more about the culture and traditions of the tribe and put down whatever interesting he could find out. Folktales from Iraq was the result.
Often considered one of the most inspiring and the least true to the original material, this book is definitely worth studying. Although the book cannot be denied its numerous flaws, most of which concern the credibility of the source material and the interpretation of the latter, as well as their adaptation into the English culture, the book must be given enough credit for the author’s attempts to introduce the Iraqi culture in general and the Shiite culture in particular to the European world.
A General Overview: The Author’s Intent
One must not deny Campbell’s merits. Diving into the specifics of a different culture is not easy, and, much to Campbell’s credit, he does it in a very successful way. Even though the specifics of the English culture stand in the way of Campbell understanding the key features of the Shiite tribes, the enthusiasm with which Campbell started exploring the newly discovered universe is alone worth giving him credit for. In addition, the huge work that Campbell did in order to gather the folk tales of the tribe is worth appreciating.
Finally, it cannot be argued that, whether right or wrong, the facts that Campbell gathered spurred people’s interest in Iraq and its residents. Even though some of the stories that Campbell put down could have been misinterpreted due to the inefficiency of the communication means, he still managed to capture the spirit of the Arabian world, therefore, helping the readers plunge into the world of exotics.
Concerning the Strengths: Keeping the Atmosphere Intact
The atmosphere created by Campbell is the undeniable strength of the book. Taking, for instance, The story of Hajji Ali, the great sultan, one will see that even the choice of words points at a completely different universe that has nothing in common with Victorian England: “So dense were the crowds that not even a flea could pass through the town”. This is the Asia that Europe wants to read about and to travel to; the closer the setting gets to the Arabian Nights, the better.
The readers clearly do not want to read about the elements of their mundane reality when they hear the word “Iraq,” and Campbell offers them an opportunity to sneak a peek at the Arabian wonders.
Therefore, Campbell’s key achievement is keeping the readers intrigued and surprised, therefore, offering them both excitement and enough predictability. True, most of the stories that Campbell put down to shape people’s opinion of the Shiite culture, reinforce the traditional stereotypes that Europeans have about the Arabian culture, the book still excites and inspires for further research.
Admitting the Weaknesses: Lost in Translation
The book, however, also has its weaknesses. These weaknesses, however, do not concern the tales or the lessons that they teach. Instead, the ideas behind these tales can be questioned. As the history of the book creation says, the given stories were written down by an Englishman visiting Iraq.
As a result, some cultural issues could have been misunderstood, misinterpreted, or told downright wrong. Therefore, the morale behind the majority of the stories can be questioned as being too far from the source material: “The tales of Iraq were thus continuously translated, from one context to another, one language to another, one medium to another,” as Gwendolyn states in his research.
As a result, it could be argued that the stories of the Shiite tribe, which have already been polished to the point where they became fairytales, retold by an Englishman who, in his turn, adapted these tales for the English audience, can bear any significance as a cultural study. It could be assumed that these tales were shaped so that the European audience could perceive them more eagerly and, thus, offer little to those who want to get in touch with the Shiite culture; and, much to Campbell’s credit, they do.
An Overall Impression: Iraq’s Uniqueness, Restored
Despite the aforementioned issue concerning the translation of the stories, the book seems to make a relatively good impression. It sets the atmosphere immediately, preparing the reader for an adventure in a 1001-nights style, helping the reader blaze the trail to the Oriental culture through its most graphic examples.
Even knowing that most of the events described in the books happened well before the Christ was born, the reader can shape his or her vision of the Iraqi culture judging by its folklore and the characters that its representatives prefer to relate to.
However, the issue concerning the ideas behind the stories, as well as the tone of the narration, the characters and their role in the stories, the accuracy of the factual materials, etc., remains unresolved. Thus, the intrinsic value of these stories could be argued. In a number of passages, the repetition of the same tropes and idioms can be spotted, such as many sentences beginning with “and”.
The given phenomenon can hardly be attributed to the lack of expressivity in the Shiite language. Instead, it would be more logical to suggest that Campbell made a cheap move and decided to add the tropes that have been associated with the Asian culture since the 1001 night.
Despite all the issues mentioned above, it is clear that the book represents Iraq in all its uniqueness. The stories told by Campbell inspire the readers for learning more about Iraq. The book provokes the readers for getting to know Iraq, its residents and its culture better, which tones the major misconceptions in the stories down and makes the book worthwhile.
Conclusion: When Fairytale Merges with Reality
Even with a careful analysis of the data represented in the book, as well as the reviews of the given book by various authors, the attitude towards Campbell and his research, for the lack of a better word, remains ambiguous. On the one hand, Campbell clearly made a giant breakthrough in the relationships between Europe and Iraq by representing its culture to the rest of the world.
In addition, the communication with the Shiite tribe allowed for acquiring a number of unique facts. However, the book still seems very sloppy and was put together in a very awkward manner. The stories invite the reader into the colorful world of the Asian culture.
However, the veracity of details of certain fairytales should definitely be taken with a grain of salt. With a lack of translating skills and few chances to get to know the representatives of the Shiite culture closer, Campbell provided a superficial yet rather interesting overview of the Iraqi folklore and culture.
Reference List
Arfi, B. (2005). International change and the stability of multiethnic states. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Campbell, C. G. (2005). Folktales from Iraq. Philadelphia, PA: Pennsylvania Press.
Gwendolyn, L. (2006). Folktales from Iraq. Folklore, 117(2), p. 224–225.