Arabian Nights and Days

Admittedly, I found this Naguib Mahfouz’s Arabian Nights and Days to be one of the most laborious books that I have ever read.  From the totally foreign names to the seemingly unconnected storylines of the many different plots that occur throughout, my engagement with the material was strained at best.  However, there was one particular theme that grasped me as I continued through the material.  That lesson was stated best in an encounter between al-Fiqi and Master Sahloul.  Al-Feqi plainly states that “nothing destroys a man like his own self”, to which Sahloul responds “and no one can save him like his own self” (p. 135). 

Through this interaction we are able to see that while man may be his own worst enemy at times, he still has the ability to become his own savior if his heart is in the right place.  Throughout the story, genies have their way with mankind and persuade them to do their bidding, unfortunately often times for mal intentions.  However, there was never an instance where an individual was forced into any particular circumstance.  Because of this, I think that Mahfouz is making a case for the importance of man’s integrity and purity of heart.  When considering Sindbad’s stories to the sultan, we see this lesson repeated in the first and last stories that he tells.  In the first story, Sinbad tells the sultan that he learned that “there is no safety for us unless we dwell on solid land” (p. 211).  This, even though it was presented as a literal within the story, this shows us the importance of having a sturdy foundation that will guide our hearts and potential actions.  The last lesson that Sindbad relays is that even though man may be given divine gifts, “he must also approach [them] with guidance from the light of God that shines above” (p. 315).  This too shows that Sindbad has learned the lesson that even though we may be placed into situations that seem out of our control, we are still at liberty to make the right choices,  and these choices are much easier to make with a steadfast set of principles to rely on.  Upon hearing these lessons the sultan himself undergoes a personal conversion and denounces his reign over the land.  The sultan realized that even though he had made mistakes in the past, he was free to take his renewed self out into the world with a hope of becoming a better man than he had once been.  With his clean slate and an understanding of the lesson we've just discussed, the sultan was confident that he could save himself from his past and a potentially hazardous future.     

Please Look After Mom

Kyung-Sook Shin’s novel Please Look After Mom is a gripping story that works to show the value in what we have, even the things that we often take for granted.  Through Shin’s various and colorful points of view, the reader is given an in-depth look into the lives of three individuals, all of which are going through the hardship of having, quite literally, lost a loved one.  At the end of her piece, Shin then goes to take the viewpoint of the mother who has become lost in the vast and unfamiliar city of Seoul.  Through the interactions between these characters, in both the past and present, the audience is able to see that through having lost their loved one, they have in a way found the woman that they had assumed would always be there.

            

When we consider the interaction that takes place between Chi-hon and her father at the end of the third section, we are given a glimpse into what it means that she has figuratively ‘found’ her mother.  All of her life, Chi-hon had accepted her mother as a constant, never paying her any attention when asked about her work as a novelist.  However, after learning that her mother had asked that her novel be read to her aloud, since she could not read herself, Chi-hon realizes that behind her mother was a caring and very alive individual who had aspired to see all of her children be the best at whatever they so chose to be.  That is why it is such an emotional point of the book when Chi-hon’s father says to her, “Your mom knew what you wrote.  When the women read to her, Mom’s face brightened and she smiled.  So, whatever happens, you have to keep writing well… Please… please look after your mom” (176).  This tells Chi-hon that even if her mother is never found again, she can keep her memory alive and well by doing what she does to the best of her ability.  That would truly have made her mother proud.    

Literary Anxieties

The world of literature is a more complicated entity than many people imagine.  As the world progresses, there a more and more problems that are faced both by and within literature itself.  Today, it seems to be accepted that good literature is that which is willing to push the boundaries and expose the controversial topics that riddle our culture and world.  By bringing to light the societal qualms, authors hope to open the eyes of their readers to world issues, injustices, or merely entertainment on a more aggressive level.  In doing this, the literary world is at constant opposition by groups who demand that the gratuitous materials of these pieces be either revised or removed.  It is the argument that is made between those who call the material overly-grotesque and those who look past the gratuitous content towards the pieces' redeeming social value that causes what I would consider to be the primary reason of concern that faces the world of literature today.  

When one considers what can be considered offensive in today's culture, there truly is little safe room.  With an ever-increasing number of issues that would be considered 'edgy' or 'sensitive', it seems that any type of controversy within the works of literature could by some means be objectionable.  With topics such as abortion, homosexuality, and civil injustices and prejudices at the head of many renowned pieces of literature there has been an increasingly high number of retaliations in attempt to protect young minds and remove content that could be harmful when viewed under the wrong lens.  For example, when we consider Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn, there has been a great deal of controversy that has led to the pieces' removal from many public libraries and schools.  While those who oppose the book would argue that the continuous use of the 'n' word and reference to slavery in general may in some way harden a young reader to the realities of slavery, others may suggest that this piece does well to highlight a much different time in our nation's history.  Through better understanding a piece of literature such as this, promoters of the book would hope that the novel's real themes would shine through and that a reader might not be caught up in the seemingly objectionable materials.  By approaching literature as a tool to further one's understanding of real issues, the promoters of these pieces hope that learning may occur and that the positive aspects of the pieces will outweigh the gratuitous materials.

The concerns that face the world of literature are by no means black and white issues.  While literature concerns itself with inspiring the world for better, it is often met by opposition who believes that there can be less-hazardous approach to doing so.  I am not in any way trying to take a stance on such a difficult issue as I have brought up in this piece, however I do understand that it is important to realize that not everything that we read is as widely accepted as we may think.  There is constant controversy surrounding literature today and it is our duty as active readers and learners to keep informed and open-minded to the opinions of all people who interact with these delicate issues.