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A Man’s World

Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, ​translated by Malcolm C. Lyons, is an adventurous

tale with many stories within it; a desperate girl tells stories to a king for 1001 nights in hopes of

saving her own life. At the beginning of the book, before the nights and stories begin, we are

introduced to the characters and get a background of the plot. King Shahriyar and his brother

Shah Zaman are both rulers of different nations. After many years apart they decide to travel to

see each other once again. Shah Zaman makes preparations and sets off for his brother’s country.

He then came out himself, intending to leave for his brother’s country, but at midnight he

thought of something that he had forgotten and went back to the palace. When he entered

his room, it was to discover his wife in bed with a black slave. The world turned dark for

him and he said to himself: ‘If this is what happens before I have even left the city, what

will this damned woman do if I spend time away with my brother?’ So he drew his sword

and struck, killing both his wife and her lover as they lay together, before going back and

ordering his escort to move off. (Lyons 3)

This passage is increasingly interesting as it is interpreted further, and sets up the 1001

nights to come. The phrase “The world turned dark for him…” (3) encaptures the cause of most

conflict throughout the whole book. It brings to light the presence of gender roles and the

assumed superiority of masculinity. Shah Zaman was so deeply convinced that women only

existed for male pleasure that upon discovering his wife in bed with another man his world and

existence turns black. He had conceptualized his wife as being completely submissive to his will,

with no thoughts or desires of her own. His expectation is broken when she is shown to not be

living to only fulfill his desires and this ruins his whole world view. The idea now enters his
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realm of thinking that women are not objects that can be contained and controlled. In his eyes,

men do as they please. He is free to leave the country to visit his brother, but his wife’s free will

is not conceivable. To him, her thoughts are only for the benefit of him, which now is proven to

not be true when she laid with another man. His words, “If this is what happens…” (3), depict

his confusion regarding the ​unthinkable ​concept of his wife’s choices. “This” portrays her affair

as the worst thing possible, something that cannot be comprehended. He is not just distraught,

but his world is dark—his existence is in question after his perceptions were proven false.

A notable part of the passage is the hierarchy shown through word choice, and Shah

Zaman’s attitude and tone. Shah Zaman repeatedly references his perceived superiority and

position of power. This power is used to demote those around him with no respect being shown.

The description of his wife’s lover, “black slave” (3), is one of the power claims in the passage.

By describing him as a slave it implies the existence of a lower and higher people group, placing

Shah Zaman above the slave. The specific choice to use his race and social standing in his

description as opposed to simply saying his wife was in bed with “a man” is purposeful in its

ability to show hierarchy. There is also Shah Zaman’s reference to his wife as “this damned

woman” (3), which plays directly into the lack of respect between genders and the believed male

dominance. While not condoning the action of adultery within this argument, he fronts a shocked

impression that someone who is less-than him would dishonor him. Once again the reader sees

the power structure outlined with the phrase “ordering his escort to move off” (3). Shah Zaman

repeats his belief in his hierarchy, not only as a male but in his place of power. He does not show

any respect across these hierarchy lines and from this placement above others he does not treat

anyone below him with respect.

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Shah Zaman lives in his own world. This is shown based on his perception that his

desires are the most important. He is leaving the country to spend time with his brother, leaving

his wife alone and his country to rule itself. In the passage, after he discovers his wife in bed he

thinks to himself, justifying all of his next actions. Shown in his thought process, he sees no fault

in leaving the country to spend time with his brother, and his wife is the only one at fault. His

thoughts never allude to the existence of anyone else’s perspective but his own.

When faced with this trial, Shah Zaman deems it his duty to fix the issue at hand. The

section says “So he drew his sword and struck, killing both his wife and her lover as they lay

together…” (3), showing his apparent duty to act on the situation. His wife did something he was

not pleased with, so he needed to kill them. The use of “so” places the blame of the murder on

his wife as if the only option he had and they gave him no choice. He proceeds to move on with

his day. The passage continues “...before going back and ordering his escort to move off” (3).

Since it was his wife’s disobedience that caused the murder, he simply continues about his

journey to visit his brother. The fault will never be on him; he is a man, he is in a position of

power, and, in his eyes, this gives him the ability to act as he wishes.

The masculine perspective this passage is crafted in a way that implements tensions

within the reader and makes it uncomfortable to read for those who do not agree with the

hierarchy structure it is based around. The section is shocking; on top of the affair, two people

are killed without much thought of their lives. The author uses specific words matter-of-factly

that force the reader to think of whether they agree with the ideas being portrayed or if they will

go against the suggested viewpoint. The tension provided within the unsettling events gives the

reader the chance to realize something isn’t right. It presents the possibility that Shah Zaman is
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in the wrong and has some flawed thinking. While the story is told from the male perspective,

the author gives the reader the chance to either agree or disagree with the hierarchy through the

tension provided by Shah Zaman’s thoughts and actions.

This passage is vital in the understanding of the rest of the book; it sets up the storyline

that shapes the skewed worldview shared by Shah Zaman and his brother, King Shahriyar. As

the events unfold, Shahriyar sleeps with and kills one virgin a night for years until one of the

women, Shahrazad, saves herself by telling intriguing stories, preventing him from killing her.

“The world turned dark” comes back into significance based on his reaction to the realization

that women have their own thoughts and aren’t only there to please men. To combat this

realization, he takes control of all these women, impeding his will on them. This passage

explains Shahriyar’s mindset and his perceived superiority over women and the assertion of his

power.

When Shahrazad manipulates him with her stories in order to save her life, she is taking

some of his power away. Unbeknownst to him, she is closing the gap between the genders that

he has created. Without this passage, the context of the anger felt when betrayed by a woman

would not be complete and the understanding of the male superiority present in their minds

would not be explained fully. As the reader grasps in the section, there is a deep belief that

women are a controllable object, and the challenging of this idea allows the rest of the story to

unfold.

The larger meaning of this text challenges traditional gender roles and views of

masculinity. Often, superiority is felt within men still demonstrated in the present day. From this

story emerges the understanding of women being their own person and not needing the control of
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a man. Shah Zaman’s wife’s affair reflects the ability women have to fulfill their desires. To a

larger extent, Shahrazad eventually controls Shahriyar’s actions and thoughts through her stories

and her ability to keep him wanting more, not leaving him with the option to kill her. The power

she takes back from him is monumental and changes the tone of the novel. The reader can now

entertain the idea of a woman having power whereas at the beginning of the story this was not a

conceivable thought. Men and women can work together and coexist in a manner that doesn’t

involve superiority over one another.