1001 Nights As a Fairy Tale Essay

1001 Nights As A Fairy Tale
1001 Night may seem to be more like a rated ‘R’ movie than a fairy tale for children.   One would think that the violence in these stories is graphic and would be sure to give any child nightmares. In those times, the children were exposed too much more than modern children, sickness, death, hunger, poverty & war were a part of their daily lives, and it seems like these fairy tales were preparing these children for what their lives would be like, providing them with much needed life lessons.   In the United States, many children are fiercely protected by their parents.   They aren’t exposed to anything deemed scary or violent and taught that everyone lives ‘happily ever after’.   Yet, these same stories are still being told to children for generations.
Many fairy tales throughout history have been violent and cruel because that was how society was at the time they were written.   Some versions were revised and made safer for the audience.   1001 Nights has been softened in children’s books and movies but the message or moral of the story is still clear.   The violence is not so overbearing that the moral is lost to the reader.
Although, 1001 Nights had violence, it also had deeper meanings.   Many of Shahrazad’s stories convey the message of good vs. evil.   There is a demon, a spell, and the voice of regret.   There are many moral’s to her tales.   One such moral of the tales are ‘do unto others as you would have others do unto you’.   In other words, treat others with respect and they will treat you the same.   Shahrazad’s tales also provide the children with a sense of justice or warning; ‘What goes around comes around’.   In other words, all of the bad guys got what was coming to them.   Her stories also tell the reader that the ‘good guy’ still felt sad about what had happened showing the children that no one really had won.   Although the ‘good guy’ in the story eventually triumphs over evil, there is no rejoicing.  
There are also lessons...