Characters from The Canterbury Tales

Oxford Cleric- The clearest element of this man's character we receive from Chaucer is his 'one goal' or perhaps 'singular-mindedness' "His only care was study, and indeed/ He never spoke a word more than was need." However to contrast this negative quality, Chaucer provides us with the character's sincerity. The cleric truly desires logic, he is genuine in his love for learning. For whenever he borrowed money for books from his friends he "prayed for them most earnestly, returning / Thanks to them for his learning." The key element of satire provided in Chaucer's characterization of the logician is juxtaposition. The cleric is so focused on the things of life that really matter; he studies logic, Aristotle, and learning. However he cannot take care of the things that matter on a smaller (yet more practical) scale. "his horse was thinner than a rake" "The thread on his over coat was bare" "he was too unworldly to make search/ for secular employment"

The Knight- The knight is a truly surprising character for Chaucer. It is one of the few characters that Chaucer awards and does not demean the Knight's character with any clear satire.

In which ways does Sir Gawain and the Green Knight complicate the idea of Chivalry?

The text complicates the ideal of chivalry through the character of Sir Gawain. Gawain is a "God-fearing knight"(ll. 381) The poet flatters him with the highest praise as a knight; he gives him the five touchstones of a knight. "So these five sets of five were fixed in this knight,"(ll. 656). Not to mention Gawain was a good as the purest gold .... A notable. A knight. (ll. 633,639). However the poem shows that even this perfect knight fails. The green knight states "You're by far the most faultless fellow on earth", yet a few lines late he says "But a little thing more- it was loyalty that you lacked" (ll. 2363, 2366) It is clear that the perfect knight is unattainable.

"The frailty of his flesh is man's biggest fault"
(ll. 2435)

Fitt 1, and observations of poem's setting, characters, language, and meter

Fitt 1 begins by establishing itself upon the literary rock of Troy. The poem is credible-ized. The poet recounts England's flowing history. A setting of wonder and dread is introduced. The majestical mist which tantalizes Britain's atmosphere brings with it a marvelous melody hinted with tunes of foreboding. The poet draws his reader in, through the gates to the castle with seductive language. The poetry is gripping. Our storyteller unsheathes the sword of alliteration; the protruding sounds pop out the page. Alongside, the words demands attention; each carries with it a deep dimension of meaning. As a result, the reader finds himself lost carousing with Arthur's knights. It is Chritmastime and the poetic pace changes. 'Pace' had begun by smoothly and gently grazing past years of history. Now she takes a dive into the joyous hall, and now the pace is quickening and lively. Suddenly the pace halts, and enters in the Green knight. A man of stature and commanding physique. This brute calls out to the knights tempting them with a quest. He declares whosoever should smite his neck is a brave knight, but that knight must receive a similar blow in a year's time. The hall is silent, until kingly Arthur rises up to take this challenge. But good Gawain instead takes the quest, claiming that the court would rather risk loosing humble Gawain than their Majestic Master. Gawain takes the Green man's axe and swings through the fairy's green neck. The Green knight's head flies across the floor, and the monster retrieves it. The Fitt 1 comes to frightening close.

Why do we find so much imagery of eating in Canto's 32-34?

                 And then the hunger had more
Power than even sorrow had over me. (ll. 71-72; Canto XXXIII)

In these final Hell-ish moments, the reader experiences various horrific scenes and depictions of cannibalism. What inspired the poet to focus so graphically on the gnawing of flesh. The reader finds so much imagery of eating in Cantos 32-34 because the sin cannibalism breaks all the categories of sin. Dante's first sincontinence. These sinners lack the will to break desires of sin. The cannibalistic are incontinent, they simply cannot help themselves, so they give into the glutinousness of cannibalism. The second sin category are the sins of violence, and to be a cannibal is definitely to be violent. The final category is betrayal. When the cannibals eat each over they are betraying humanity. They are literally eating flesh, which is man's defining quality. They have in a sense betrayed who they are, not to mention the friend or the human they are gnashing upon.     
in category (stolen from Aristotle) is

Why does Dante tell what appears to be the self-indulgent tale about smashing the baptismal font in Florence?

                                            They seemed to me

Not any wider or smaller than those designed

for the baptizings in my fair San Giovanni-

One of which many years ago I broke,
To save one drowning there:
(lines 14-18) 

Dante describes the 3rd ditch of circle 8 to contain multiple holes the same size of the holes which lie next to the baptismal tanks in the Florentine churches. It is important to note Dante's word choice as he describes these holes.  When Dante talks of these hellish holes, he does not use words such as 'similar to' or 'approximately'; rather he stresses their direct correlation to the Church's holes: "Not any wider or smaller than those designed". They are identical. He is highlighting the exactness of this comparison and saying 'watch reader, watch for this is specific and "not wider nor smaller', but it is exact. Through this line, Dante is saying in bold letters 'I am about to make a direct statement which contains exact significance. It is important to note that every line of Dante's Inferno has purpose. He is highlightind the fact that this line has purpose here by his word choice.

In this Canto, Dante makes some very bold and at worst blasphemous statements about the Church. He casts three popes in Hell, and he declares their very presence has produced fissures in the rocks. In Matthew 16, Jesus declares that "on this rock I shall build my church". With that scripture in mind, Dante is presenting the case that the popes have cracked and broken the rock of the original church. Dante is doing exactly what he did at San Giovanni, he is damaging the elements of the church. However since the reader has already been told by Dante that the above passage is exact and therefore purposeful, then we must take into serius consideration what happened in those above lines. He destroyed parts of the church to save someone. Dante is then also saying that he is breaking the church "to save" it from "drowning". Dante is exposing the dire faults of the church only to save it.

How Does the Geography of the Wood of Suicides contribute to the Meaning of the Text?

The 'total meaning' of the text in this wood of suicides is to show the consequences and dangers of selfishness. The meaning hints at the negation of things (specifically the negation of self). The 'total meaning' strives to represent the cost of things unnatural. Here in Canto XV, the poetry deals with the sin of Suicide.  Suicide is the sin, which is the very embodiment of negation (For you are literally negating the very thing which allows you to have the power of negation) but the root of this sin is selfishness. Also the act of this sin is to defy nature. The landscape of this canto is a barbaric wood with bare trees and thorny thickets. "The leaves not green, earth -hued;/ The boughs not smooth, knotted and crooked-forked;" This landscape is the very inverse of nature. Natural forests are lush and have green leaves. Also as Pinksy's notes so clearly explain the very poetry depicts the idea opf negation "the leaves not green... the boughs not smooth, knotted." The theme of selfishness is explored through the theme of contropasso. On earth above, the suicides were obsessed with self-pity and self-absorption, so as a consequence these suicides are forced to not have a recognizable being. Nobody else can see the 'self' or the identity of these suicides unless they harm these living bushes. This is the inversion of their act of sin. For in the suicide's act of sin, they attempted to exalt themselves and give identity to themselves
by harming themselves.

Close Encounter With Farinata

At the start of Canto X, the poets journey through the haunting sixth circle. In this Canto they reach the heretics, who lie in open graves. Farinata, calls out to Dante from his deep grave. He asks Dante to recount his ancestry, Farinta declares his separation from Dante, as Farinata has a more impressive family line. In this Canto, Dante the pilgrim, learns the punishment of the damned. They are clear about the history of the past and are able to prophecy the shifting future. However these heretics are unable to locate the events. Farinta attempts to once again show his supremacy over Dante by claiming the victory of his party over Dante's Guelf party. Yet Farinata's curse keeps him back from understanding the present, and Dante tells how the Guelfs have exiled Farinata's Ghibellines. The conversation is interrupted by another sinner, the father of Dnate's companion Guido. When their conversation renews, Farinata has had time to contemplate. He asks Dante why the Ghibellines have been outlawed. Dante tells him it was the carnage they brought upon Florence. Essentially the Ghibellines attack and division against their home city brought them exile. Farinata highlights the theme of division once again by declaring that he alone apposed the Ghibelline's plan to siege Florence. Then Farinata explains his curse to Dante, and he hints at Dante's gloomy future in exile. Farintata references some of the other sinners who lie with Him, and on this note... Dante departs.

The purpose of this conversation for Dante and the poem as a whole is twofold. Firstly, this passage highlights multiple divisions. Dante, the poet, stresses the divisions between Dante(the pilgrim) and Farinta in areas of ancestry, political standings, and knowledge of things past and future, Dante is able to showcase the problems with division in politics. Also he exposes the larger picture that heresy embodies and swears fidelity to division. In addition this passage's purpose is to dramatize Dante(the pilgim's) development. In his close encounters to this point Dante has responded incorrectly. He has either sided with the sinner in pity or he has enjoyed watching his enemies experiencing pain However he has not yet seen the righteousness of Divine Justice, he has failed to understand how each sinner experiencing ample punishment is the result of God's character and is therefore just. However after the conversation, the poem exposes Dante's thinking process. "My thoughts at work/ mulling over the words that bore such menace to me." Virgil explains to Dante "when you confront her radiance, whose eyes can see/ everything in their fair clarity, be assured  Then you shall learn what your life's journey will be" Though "the words" which Dante speaks of refer to the prophecy of his exile, still these lines tell that this close encounter deeply affected Dante and have lead to his development as a pilgrim.

Outline the fall of Constantinople in the context of the Fourth Crusade

The city of Constantinople had always marked the Christian (slightly) Western border against the harsh Islamic (Middle) East. However in 1202 western armies gathered for the 4th crusade. They were unable to raise enough funds to reach the Holy land, and took a detour to Venice. IN Venice the crusaders decided to work for money. The Venice politicians hired the crusaders to go to Constantinople and place the desired Venezian candidate up in Byzantium. The crusaders completed the task; yet the Byzantines killed the Prince shortly. The crusades were very upset, confused, and battle hungry. In this confusion they sacked Constantinople for the fist time and set up their own Latin Kingdom. The city which had consistently fought against Muslims now fell to its own Christian brothers.

Augustine to Roland Timeline

http://prezi.com/elno8mha-gjp/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Summarize Dante's journey thus far ...

Dante's journey begins in the middle of his life. Dante fully comprehends that he is lost and is not on the right road. He needs help. He tries to climb up a mountain to reach the illuminating sun. However he is forced back by three majestically beasts. The shade of the poet Virgil appears to Dante and offers to take Dante by another path to reach Dante's goal. On their way Virgil explains to Dante that this journey is divinely Willed. Virgil explains that he was commissioned by the beautiful Beatrice to be Dante's guide. They reach the haunting gates of Hell.
They cross over the River Acheron. Virgil shows Dante his eternal dwelling the place of Limbo. Here, Dante sees many virtuous pagans and becomes one of the six great poets. The poets descend deeper into hell. They reach the beast Minos, responsible to carrying out justice and casting the damned to their rightful place in hell. Here Dante sees the lustful, and talks with the two lovers Paolo and Francesca. Dante reaches the third circle, where the gluttonous dwell. Dante meets his acquaintance, Ciacco. Dante  reveals some political knowledge to Ciacco, Ciacco in-turn talks of a Florentine prophecy.
The poets come upon Plutus, a foul demon. In this 4th circle Virgil shows Dante the souls overcome by anger, and reveals some wisdom about Justice and the Divine. The poet, Dante, spends much time describing the clergy who after a life of arguing are forced to crash boulders into each other.  The poets are ferried across cross the river Styx to the hellish city Dis. Virgil is unable to convince the fallen angles to allow them passage through Dis' gates. The poets wait until heaven sends down a powerful angel, he forces the demons away and opens the gates for the poets' passage. The poets continue through circle 6. Here, Dante sees the heretics buried in their graves. Dante meets Epicurus and Farinata, who know the past and future well but are muddled about the future. This dispels the myth that the damned are omniscient.
In Canto XI the poets pause to become accustomed to the smell. Here Virgil explains the landscape of Hell to be a descending funnel. He lays out the three rings of the upcoming circle, circle 7.In circle 7, the poets meet three centaurs. One named Nessus helps Dante cross the river of blood, where those who committed sins of blood-lust and violence drown. They enter into the circle's second ring to the forest of suicides. All the souls here negated their own being either by suicide or out-spending their own resources. As Dante enters the third ring, he describes its intriguing, dream-like structure, which has some similarities and landmarks of the above earth. The poets descend deeper into the funnel; Dante sees his mentor Brunetto Latini. Among Brunetto are those who committed sodomy. The humanist and the nature-defying character of Brunetto is portrayed as Dante's intellectual father. This exposes how intellectualism has its limits and punishments for Dante. In these last cantos in ring three of Hell's 7th circle Dante meets three sodomites, who were once Florentine politicians. The poets ride the Geryon out of the seventh circle. This awe-full monster is a mix of classical and biblical legend and prophecy. His fearful and disgusting presence chills Dante.
The poets enter the eight circle which consists of multiple evil-pouches. In these pouches lie souls who committed sins of fraud. They lie caked in filth and mud. In the first pouch Dante discourses with an ashamed
Florentine politician.

How do the stylistic figures of Dante's Inferno directly impact the way poetry creates meaning?

In canto X, Virgil instructs Dante to "choose fitting words". Dante is truly a master of language; every word he uses combines the power of specific definition, sound, and symbolism to create truth and overall meaning. Pinsky stays true to Dante's intention and recreates Dante's overall meaning with fitly framed words as well. All over the Inferno readers find examples of literary figures creating deeper meaning with in the poetry. For this blog I will focus on the first three lines of Canto VII.

"Pape Satan, pape Satan, aleppe!"
          Plutus began in a gluttural, clucking voice.
          The courteous sage who knew all reassured me:

The first line is gibberish, yet the words sound as if they resemble the phrase "father satan, father satan, the first one." In the words of Nicole Pinksy, Dante's "skillfully written nonsense" "has succeeded in putting evocative gibberish the poem. This is an example of Dante using word definition to create meaning. He skilfully plays with the words so their exact definition is unclear yet the meaning is clear. In this first phrase certain sounds are repeated such as the 'p' and the 'eh' sound at the end of pape. Also the next line includes onomatopoeia words (clucking) which This provides a "gluttural" sound which causes the demonic words to pop out, and therefore add to the fear and disturbing feeling Dante experiences while in Hell.  Dante also uses a blend of chiasmus and antithesis The beginning of the line begins with confusion. The language is of demonic tongue. Yet it ends with the word "reassured". Instead of the beginning of the line paralleling the end of the terza rhima, instead the end of the line provides juxtaposition to the beginning of the line. This rearrangement of chiasmus gives the first terza rhima a complete feeling which causes this episode to stay inside the reader's mind. It also highlights how Hell is incomplete, or just-not-right, and slightly off-
balance.  

Canto 8 Summary and Analysis of Imagery

Dante and Virgil continue on towards a fire-lit tower. Here, Phlegyas the boatman carries them across River Styx to the city, Dis. As they glide over the cloudy channel, Dante recognizes his political enemy, Filippo. Dante is truly pleased to see him suffering ample punishment. Upon their arrival of Dis, Virgil leaves the boat to discuss their passage through the gates. Dante is forced to wait, guide-less, The rebellious demons refuse Virgil. The Roman poet returns to Dante, and claims as their journey is Willed in heaven they must await divine assistance.

The canto opens with the poets eyes following two small flames (fiammette), towards a tower (Dante Canto 8; ll. 3). These faint lights are answered by a barley visible beacon from far away. A boat travels towards them, as quickly as an arrow through skimming across the sky. All this imagery alludes to something far away... the small lights, the far-away beacon, a boat forced to travel far distances like an arrow. The imagery exposes how something far that "the eye could barely catch" is coming (Dante Canto 8; ll. 6). In line 64, the poets enter the city of Dis, which is where the more intense punishments take place (Dante Canto 8). Also Dis is the place of Virgil's underworld (Aeneid Book 6). The previous landscape of the poem set the tone for the deeper and harsher part of hell.

"The walls of that bleak city, which seemed cast

of solid iron;" (Dante Canto 8; ll. 73-74)

Why does Dante Choose the Roman Poet Virgil as His Guide Through Hell?

"Then you are Virgil? Are you the font that pours

So overwhelming a river of human speech?" (Dante, lines 61-62)

As Dante chooses Virgil as his guide through hell, he is setting his Commedia up as an insta-classic. Virgil's works were highly revered among medieval Florence, and in saying that Vigil is the guide of Dante, the journeyer, Dante is sort of saying that Virgil is the symbolic guide of the poet Dante. Any works done in the guidance of Virgil would be classics (Not to mention Dante borrows Virgil's concept, landscape and characters of Hell). Dante is placing himself amongst the greats by referencing and including Virgil, the great.

In addition when considering Virgil's role in the Inferno, it is important to note the role of a guide. A guide pushes the traveler. The guide helps and well guides... The guide does not create the exact experience of the traveler, rather he sets the journeyer up in a better position to better experience the journey. Dante consatnly places Virgil under "the false gods who lied" . Perhaps by giving Virgil the role of guide, Dante is stating that he is taking off were Virgil left off. Dante's works are the Christian classic and the only way he could have got to writhing the Christian classic was by standing on the pre-established shoulders of Virgil.     

Roland and Olivere

"Describe how the relationship between Roland and Olivere is portrayed in the poem. Do they complement one another? How does their relationship dramatize the view of "knightly" behavior within the text?"

Throughout the poem Roland and Olivere emerge as the two main heros. The poet gives them the most amount of battle time, and the most complements are bestowed upon Olivere and Roland. Also their comments are highly considered during times of council (perhaps even more highly considered than any one else's) "Quoth the Archbishop [...] Valour becomes this knight [Roland] of breed" (ll. 77-78).
As these two key characters become naturally heightened due to their position in the plot, we see picture emerge of bravery vs. wisdom also emerge. "Roland is fierce and Roland is wise." We realize throughout the texts that these characters love each other; we see that they do everything together. They are inseparable. This also rings true for their characteristics. Wisedom needs fierceness (vice versa).
Without Roland fierceness (or pride) the reargaurd would have survived "I asked you [to sound the Olifant] comrade, and you refused for pride, Had Charles been here, then all would have gone right;" Yet with only Olivere's wisdom how would the French have retained their world-wide renown. "Whoso should smite the County Roland dead [...] The wondrous [French] armies would dwindle off and melt [...] Our fathers' land would thus find peace and rest." Through these characters we see that fierceness is useless without wisdom and wisdom is in vain without fierceness  to walk with it.

How does the text dramatize the character, Blancandrin, within the first 40 Laisses of the Song of Roland?

The picture the reader receives from the character, Blancandrin, thus far is a picture of dishonesty, treachery, and remorselessness. An overall opposite of the French "perfection" emerges from this paynim character. 

Dishonesty - We are first introduced to Blancandrin, as he proposes a plan of deceit to fool the French Lords into believing the Paynims have "submitted unto the Christian law. (ll. 38). His opening act is an act of dishonesty.

Treachery - The Song shows Blancandrin to be treacherous and just overall deceitful. Specifically in the text we see Blancandrin hail God (capital 'G') when addressing the French. "God give His grace to you/ The glorious God to whom worship is due (ll 123-124)."  However as Blancandrin, comes before the paynim king Marsilion, he exclaims "Save you, sir, by Mahond,/ And by Apollyon, whose blest faith we extol! (ll 416-417)". Here we find Blancandrin is unfaithful even to his God. Also we learned previoulsy in the Dominick essay that the greatest sin according to the 11th Century Frank was to deny God. Blancandrin takes treachery to a whole new level.

Remorselessness - One idea that has always been unchristian is the practice of 'sacrificing children'. The children of Israel were defined by the fact that they never sacrificed their children like other nations. When the text claims that Blancandrin was planning on having his children killed in his deceitful plan of fooling King Charles, this is yet more proof of how the paynims are the opposite of the Christian Franks. The fact that Blancandrin readily states the necessity of his "sureties' heads [being] smited off with an axe (ll 59)" proves Him to be heartless. 

Central Argument of Mark Dominique's 'The Song of Roland and the Mystification of History."

In short Mark Dominique's central argument for this essay is to prove how The Song of Roland was written for two purposes: 1. was written as "a fitting form of propaganda" which inflamed men to embark on Holy War against the Sacreans. 2. was written to give the Royalty of France a history and heritage of moral strength and legitimacy (which would in turn fire up men to find for France which had moral legitimacy)

However in order to get here, Dominique has takes considerable and profound steps. He must provide his reader with significant proofs from the text and give his audience a window into what the culture of the average 11th Century Francian. He shows not only 'what' the average Francian thought, but alos how the average Joe truly thought. 

Dominique begins by showing his reader how The Song defines the Muslims as  a 'pure evil'. However not a pure evil as we know it, rather a pure evil according to the 11th Century Francian. For example, according to The Song the 'Moslems' worship a three separate gods, instead of worshiping the Muslim god, Allah. This was seen as heretical in 11th Century Gaul. Also The Song constantly reminds the listener of how the pagan enemies have committed the sin of Adam in rejecting Christ as Lord. The Song of Roland defines the Sacreans as evil inside the perimeters of evil present to them. Dominique proceeds to shed some light on the 11th Century view of 'what consequences that evil implys.' Mark Dominique then shows how, according to the view of 11 century Christians, that 'being evil' is in fact an opposition to nature. Dominique quotes some Boethius to show us how the Francians truly believed that "to move toward evil is to forsake nature (Boethius)." Therefore the mass murdering of the pagans is justified, for we have discovered that 11th Century Christians saw this as simply obeying nature. Then Dominique uses text from the Song of Roland to show how the key characters of the Song (Roland and Chalamagne) "function as Christ figures." In doing all this, Mark Dominique has established the agenda of  The Song of Roland. The Song showed the Moslems/Scareans to be evil (evil according to the French); the consensus of 11th Century Frankish mindset stated this sort of evil was so perverse that it deserved to be wiped (This justified the Crusaders mass murdering each other); and The Song portrayed the previous Frankish royalty to be like Christ (this caused the French Crusaders to feel as if they were fighting for something which always had been upright).
"The Christians fight a Holy War, and vengeance
against a criminal people is part of their motivation. (v.1015)"

Ali Baba and the forty Thieves

Cunning, concealment, and mystery seem to be the major literary themes of the tale of Ali Baba. Yet this 'midnight tale' does not follow all of Literature's strict rules. Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves Killed by a Slave Girl has no protagonist. The storyteller begins following Ali Baba'a narrative, but as the story continues his thread slowly fades away and Marjana's actions take the lead. This is a purposeful move by Scheherazade. She could not begin her tale with a slave women; we have already learned from the frame-story that male elites deserve the bulk of the action. Therefore our storyteller cleverly begins her tale with a man (though he is still a peasantry). Once the listener is hooked to the intrigue of the tale, Scheherazade uses slight of hand and replaces our hero Ali Baba (who has now gained the title of master) with the slave girl, Marjana. However Marjana  not only holds her own against her predecessor, Ali Baba, she manages to go far beyond his previous achievements. Ali Baba outsmarts the thieves maybe twice at the beginning of the story, but Marjana outwits the thieves 3 times and eventually rids the world of the thieves Al. By placing Marjana at the forefront of the action and portraying her as the hero with the most cunning Scheherazade undermines the view that the malice of  women is great.

First Impressions of 'Arabian Nights'

Three words stick out to me after plunging to the Arabian Nights' Frame Story:

1. Intrigue- perhaps because of the blend of realism and fantasy or perhaps because the Nights posses a diversity which I have never before experienced, however something about these tales keeps one just on the edge of their seat.
2. Difference- the characters must obey a completely different set of cultural and social rules of which I am unacquainted.
3. Accessibility- however above all the Nights seems to me accessible, some element of my own human experience is able to bypass the large chasm of cultural, literary, racial etc. differences and I find myself appreciating Scheherazade's daring, taking part in King Shahryar's rage, and the Wazir's worry. 

Elements which struck me as intriguing, different, and accessible in the areas of...

~PLOT- one moment the two kings are lamenting over their wives' infidelity (quite a reality), and the next the find themselves conversing with a young lady who lives as prisoner in a jinni's coffin (quite a fantasy)

~CHARACTER- character's are defined by their physicality, their race, and their position in the social caste. For instance, in order to highlight the rotten character and overall of the man who the Queen used to betrayed King Shah Zaman the storyteller gives  how the man was black (racial), and 

~FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE- translator Francias Burton gives the Nights a quasi-meter, and employs flowery word choice all for the purpose of highlighting the otherness and magical feel of which the Nights seem to posses. 

In tide of yore and in time long gone before ...

Summarize the Textual History of the 1001 Nights

The history behind successfully translating the Arabian nights is long and complicated, however throughout all the madness certain aspects of this search remain the same. Translators are constantly searching for the oldest a manuscript of the Nights. The Nights have indefinitely received multiple additions since the older versions. Irwin tells us that a purpose of the Nights was to be read aloud by storytellers. And of course the storyteller needed no exact copy of the Nights "he needed only an\ outline of a story on which he could embroider on." Therefore the question of criticism is raised 'should the Nights be criticized as a single work of an ingenious author (for there is evidence stating the Nights  is in fact the work of one man), or should they be treated as a body of tales which differing cultures have all made diverse contributions to? Thus the search for the single oldest version of the manuscript rages on. The diversity of writing style awithin the text makes this a difficult factor in the
Another significant difficulty in translating the Nights  is its the problem of cross-contamination. Many manuscripts which are significant landmarks in our search of the first Nights of the nights have been translated from somewhere else and have flaws of grammar and meaning in them. This means we are often using flawed manuscripts for our own translations. We face many difficulties in the translating of this document however the search rages on and every step we take we are closer to uncovering another seceret in the Arabian Nights. 

All the Right Ingredients ...

What description does Susan Wise Bauer give of the "traditional" Arab ways? What kinds of people populated this land?

"To be Arab meant nothing more than living on the Arabian peninsula," (Wise Bauer pg. 193). In 510 Arabia consists of many differing peoples. The peninsula consisted of mainly desert and uninhabitable oil reservoirs, which perhaps contributed to disunity of the land. Arabia seemed to consist of mainly two people groups who lived in constant competition and disregard of each others lifestyles. These groups were the Bedouins (nomadic tribes) or urban peoples. Many differing religions wrestled for Arabian consensus,such as Nestorius Christianity, or traditional deities. The echo of a common ancestry and ancient history remained the sole connecting factors of the many different Arabian peoples. For example, tribes would venture to an ancient shrine called the Ka'aba. An unwritten code of law respected by all Arabian tribes prohibited war anywhere in a twenty mile radius of this ancient. Some common strand of DNA could be found deep in minds of these seemingly unconnected Arabian tribes.
This scene to me seems as a recipe with all the right ingredients set out, but with no one cook present to put them together. Here stands these large stretch of land, yet there remains no united peoples to defend it. The Arabian tribes seem to be crying out for a strong leader to draw upon their common piece of ancient history and present the peninsula with a common ideology which is strictly Arabian in nature. For you have in every tribe deep sense of 'arab-ness', but one would not have to face the problems of taking over a central form of military.

This disunited people cries out for a uniter...