A discursive analysis of ideologies perpetuated in the “Arabian Nights”

Abstract

This study analyzes five stories "Thousand and One Nights", with a focus on portraying female characters in these stories. The search is carried out in a try to emphasize and examine the ideologies and power relations that are perpetuated and maintained in the discourse of "Arab nights" on women and reveal the hidden ideologies and prejudices associated with them. To achieve this goal, the five stories are analyzed from a CDA perspective using Thompson's (1990) model of typical modes of operation and associated strategies. Through a discursive analysis of the selected data on the representation of female characters in the Arabic and English versions, the findings of this study indicate that women of the "Arabian Nights" are portrayed negatively through specific linguistic traits that perpetuate certain feelings ideologies that serve to maintain and maintain male superiority. By following this study, we are led to perceive that the "Arabian Nights" speech is biased and misogynistic.