Tales from the Thousand and One Nights (Penguin edition)

Invocation, Prologue, The Tale of the Hunchback (24-76), The Donkey,

the Sinbad tales (113-162), The Historic Fart (163-164),

The Dream (328-329), Epilogue (405-407)

INVOCATION What is the significance of the Invocation? What does it tell us about the tales as literature? their function?

PROLOGUE–why the elaborate lead-in to the basic frame situation? What about Shahrazad?

How do these tales show their origin in oral culture/ popular literature?

Where does the unity come from?

What is the significance of the frame story? What is the function of the frame story? Is it necessary?

How are the several narratives linked?

How do Sinbad’s travels differ from those of other voyagers this semester and last? What are the connections/ similarities?

Why does Sinbad travel? Why doesn’t he stay home?

What kind of a society do these tales tells us about?

Who tells tales? Who doesn’t?