Cause and effect of alibaba and the forty thieves.
Summary
In a town in Persia there lived two brothers, one named Cassim, the other Ali Baba. Cassim was married to a rich wife and lived in luxury, while Ali Baba had to maintain his wife and children by cutting wood in a neighbouring forest and selling it in the town. One day, when Ali Baba was in the forest, he saw a troop of men on horseback, coming toward him in a cloud of dust. He was afraid they were robbers, and climbed into a tree for safety. When they came up to him and dismounted, he counted forty of them.
Cause and Effect
This story was also added to the collection by Antoine Galland in the 18th century, and remains one of the most popular of the tales. It is widely retold, and frequently performed for children (with the more violent parts amended, of course). Many people do not realize the popular, lighthearted phrase "Open Sesame" comes from this story, and that it connects to a tale a lot more grave and violent than we may have expected. Regardless, though, "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" is undoubtedly a classic tale.
Morgiana's role is the most interesting one to examine in this story. Socially, Morgiana is effectively invisible - she is not only a slave but also a woman. Women in these stories often cause messes through their foolishness; Morgiana, however, is the stark opposite. In fact, she is story's true hero, not only because of her cleverness but also because of her loyalty. She is strong, resourceful, and calm in the face of danger, performing all the clever feats we would expect a male hero to.
Analyzed in the context of the frame story, the characterization provides an interesting. The narrative involves a woman earning respect through her natural abilities, in the same way Scheherazade wants to do for herself and her peers through her storytelling. Even more intriguing is the performative aspect of the story, almost cinematic in the way Morgiana integrates a sensual dance into the scheme that finally solves the story's central conflict. Scheherazade, too, is attempting to bring stasis to a troubling situation through art.
On the other hand from Morgiana: Ali Baba, the namesake of this story, is an utter fool. His first minor slip comes in inadvertently allowing his brother and his wife to discover his possession of gold, which leads to the whole issue in the first place. (Of course, the story presents his flaw as trusting his wife, an interesting contradiction.) Worse, he is fooled twice by the robber captain, in two different disguises. Both times, Ali Baba ignorantly invites the impostor into his house, taking no precautions and completely missing the warning signs that Morgiana catches. She is left to clean up the messes he makes, and does so masterfully. Though we would expect Ali Baba to be our hero, he does not act in such a way, but is instead reliant on his slave's vigilance.
This story, just like "Alladin", offers a great example of the common Arabian Nights motif, whereby a poor man rises to riches by means of a lucky break. Ali Baba is simply in the right place at the right time to learn the thieves' secret; he discovers the riches because of fate, not because of anyone else's actions. This supports the idea that even the poorest of men can come across good fortune. Of course, the story then suggests that one must capitalize on that good fortune through vigilance and cleverness.
Once again, we finish with a happy ending. It is interesting to note that Ali Baba is rewarded with prosperity and happiness for doing exactly what made the captain and the forty thieves reprehensible in the first place: stealing. Ali Baba consistently steals from the cave, and allows the greed of others to threaten his safety. At first, the story suggests he will suffer because of greed - but then cleverness saves the day.
An interesting parallel can be drawn between Ali Baba and the robber captain; are they really that different? In this story, the line between hero and villain can become blurred if you look closely enough, or unless you realize you ought to be looking not at the male namesake but at the slave girl in the background.
