Abstract
This paper provides a Jungian interpretation of the frame story of 1001 Nights. Using a psychodynamic approach, the key characters in the frame story are considered as different pieces of the female psyche during the journey of individuation. This reveals the story's hidden content about inner enemies of the female psyche, such as a tyrannical animus that feeds from an oppressive environment. With a happy ending that represents the union of the ego and the animus, 1001 Nights highlights a path to women's empowerment and social harmony that involves facing inner and outer demons. The essay also argues that with its emphasis on freedoms as a source of individual and social peace, 1001 Nights captures the Zeitgeist of the period from which it emerged, namely 9th-century Abbasid rule, particularly under the reign of Caliph al-Mamun.
Highlights
This paper provides a Jungian interpretation of the frame story of 1001 Nights
A psychodynamic approach allows the consideration of the key characters in the frame story of 1001 Nights as different pieces of the psyche during the process of individuation
While it is possible to interpret the story from the perspective of the male ego, this study explores what 1001 Nights offers for the growth of the female psyche
Summary
This paper provides a Jungian interpretation of the frame story of 1001 Nights. Using a psychodynamic approach, the key characters in the frame story are considered as different pieces of the female psyche during the journey of individuation. The first part considers the central problem in 1001 Nights, namely the oppression of women by hostile forces, such as a tyrannical animus and a patriarchal culture that reinforces it. These studies based their arguments on two observations: 1) Most of the stories in the collection, including the frame story, has a recurring theme of cheating hypersexual women, which leads to social chaos, thereby justifying patriarchal fears, and 2) The only way harmony between the two sexes is restored is when Shahrazad, the hero, proves to her husband, King Shahrayar, that virtous women exist.
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