Thoughts on 1,001 Nights

1. While reading The Resolution of the Porter and the Three Ladies I was sometimes confused as to what direction the story was going to take. I had to look over some parts of the tale again to be sure to understand the wording of the sentences. Similarities in the names of the characters and the amount of characters to keep track of also led to some confusion.
2. Bodies play a large role in all of the tales from 1,001 Nights, but I think the idea of bodies is most prominent in The Mistress of the House's Tale. The connection between the three sisters and the two dogs was revealed- the two dogs are two more sisters. This fact connected this tale to The Porter and the Three Ladies. I also thought that the idea of bodies was present through the importance of the feathers. It was important for Azraq Blue's feathers to remain intact and unharmed, otherwise he would lose his powers and not be able to fly. The reference to the feathers I view as a way to show the importance of how body must be a certain way in order to function.
3. The emotional connection to the reader during these tales is more prevalent in the third and fourth readings than in the first and second. Although the "dogs" are whipped in the second tale and many would feel sympathy for the "dogs," when the "dogs" are revealed to be two additional sisters, the emotional connection with the story increases dramatically. When I was reading the story and found out that these two sisters were being whipped by their own other sisters, I felt very negative emotions because I have two sisters. Having two sisters of my own, I felt as though I could connect to the sense of hurt and pain that all of the sisters experienced because I know how bad I feel when my sisters are in any pain.