Why People Still Read Fables - Essay Example

Humanities Why People Still Read Fables Alexander Romance and Sinbad are the ics of fictional storytelling. Their powerful imagery and storyline make them a favorite among readers even today. They captivate the imagination of the readers and take them into the fantasy world. Their popularity goes beyond the moral lessons of fables. Fate and the power are among the most the inspiring forces for humans. Authors incorporate these themes in their stories and create convincing characters whose stories revolve around these themes. Alexander Romance is built around the idea of power while fate plays hide and seek in Sinbad. Sinbad, the sailor, originated around the 14th century and was added to Thousand and One Nights. Its inspiration can be traced to Homeric epics. The Arab culture and folklore infused with Homeric themes created a powerful unison. The strength of character development is a crucial element for its success. The protagonist, Sinbad starts off as a poor lad complaining about the injustice in life and his poverty. This theme has been used over and over again throughout the history of fiction. Such a theme is universal across cultures and civilizations as it appeals to the masses. Even if someone is not that miserable they tend to relate with the main character (Sinbad) as it provides solace, they can relate. The working class, middle class and the poor find enlightenment and create their perspectives on life from such stories. During his adventures, Sinbad comes across a rich man also named Sinbad. This comparison is a mockery of life and fate itself. The debate that there is a creator who writes fate versus the notion that man makes his fate gets thrown in the pit, and people take sides with the side they find more suitable to their situation in life. A common complaint by a common man is that the ‘other’ (with the better job, position, and life partner) is similar to him but why does the God reward him better? The poor Sinbad meeting the rich Sinbad represents this burning question. It is redundant to debate this question, but authors and story writers can create fictional situations (such as the one in Sinbad) that discuss these themes. People cannot escape these notions as they can be found everywhere throughout the world. It is a different debate as to who controls the fate but the unpredictability of fate is inevitable, the way death is certain. No one knows what will happen tomorrow. Adventures of Sinbad are similar in portraying the twists and turns of fate. The powerless and homeless of yesterday are running great empires today. It inspires the readers to read stories of good fortunes being showered upon someone like Sinbad. His adventures are so strange that the characters in the story also find it hard to believe. On his First Voyage Sinbad comes across a strange situation when he is presumed dead by the captain of a ship, while Sinbad tries his best to convince him that the man standing in front of him is ‘Sinbad’. “Sinbad is dead; I saw the sea take him.” (Swan and Brown, 8)The Sinbad tells him the things that he had said earlier and the things they had done together. Finally, the captain believes him. Another element that mystifies the readers is the concept of God. In Arabic culture, the God is called Allah, and he is remembered as the all-seeing, omnipotent, merciful and beneficent. Many times in the Sinbad stories people try to remember Allah, indicating that good fortunes come from the creator. This might seem like an ordinary cultural element, but its concept reverberates and creates ripples in the psychology of masses. It gives comfort to know that there is a creator watching out for the ‘good people. So, if people obey the laws of Allah, he will reward them with goof fortunes. “You have been very fortunate,’ he said to me. ‘Allah is good!” (Swan and Brown, 7) Alexander Romance is similar to Sindbad in the sense that it is woven around the potential power of a human being. It is a collection of travel and war stories of Alexander the Great. He is considered one of the greatest war generals of all times. The stories of war and romance have always fascinated the human mind. The whole philosophy of life can revolve around war; the need to wage a war, to defend the homeland, to protect the family, to expand the empire and craft war strategies, all of these skills relate to the human need for survival and reproduction. Populations have looked at Alexander the Great with inspiration. The way he governed his soldiers and commanded the battlefield is something that people even learn from in the present day. It is the fear and influence that powerful people like Alexander leave in the hearts of men, and then they control their perspectives on life. When Alexander used to plan a war against an area, the people sometimes didn’t even have the courage to fight and defend their land. They were sure that Alexander was unstoppable. When the people of Jerusalem heard that Alexander was going to invade their land, they panicked and trembled. Onias the Priest said to his people; “Go and fast. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. Let us return unto the Lord and pray unto Him. He will save us from the hands of Alexander and his Army.” (Bonfils and Kazis, 76) They sought refuge in God from a powerful invader that they could not defend against. Power fascinates and inspires people. They might fear it, but they cannot escape it. It is like the power of the sun; the human eye cannot look straight at the sun because it will destroy the eyesight, however, without the sun there cannot be life on this planet. People might hate or love Alexander, but they cannot escape his influence that he left on this earth with his sword and his wisdom. Both the texts Sinbad and Alexander Romance directly appeal to many human emotions and philosophies. The humans are social animals; they respond to everyday things despite the differences in cultures and civilizations. Fear and awe from the source of power or the mysteries of fate and the creator are common among people. Which is why both these texts are read with great interest across time and cultures. References Bonfils, Immanuel Ben Jacob, and Israel Joseph. Kazis. The Book of the Gests of Alexander of Macedon = Sefer Toledot Alexandros Ha-Maḳdoni: A Medieval Hebrew Version of the Alexander Romance. Cambridge, MA: Medieval Academy of America, 1962. Print. Swan, D. K., and Andrew Brown. Adventures of Sindbad the Sailor. Harlow: Longman, 1987. Print. Read More