The Adventures of Aladdin

The Brothers Grimm

Freud

Freud

How was Aladdin’s subconscious represented

through Freudian archetypes throughout the story?

JourneysJourney to parts of personality that he has not yet

faced- Journey to self discovery

Faraway Place Manhole Home Palace Unknown Land Kingdom

Id - Isolation ID can surface in isolation “They were poor and lived form hand

to mouth, though Aladdin did what he could to earn some pennies, by picking banana’s in a faraway place”.

His ID got him to jump down the manhole; impulsive, for a trivial item, a silver coin

Id “A terrified Aladdin left in pitch darkness,

wondering what the wizard would do next” Darkness = Id is in control Proceeds to steeling the lamp for himself,

as well as the ring the wizard dropped

Superego “I want to go home! – In a flash he was back in

his own home, though the door was tightly shut.” Return home from isolation is the disappearance

of the ID

Ego Never returns ring of lamp “Why did you leave me at another’s service for so

long?” This shows that Aladdin claimed to be his rightful

owner Rationalizes; lamp isn’t the wizards, why can’t he

keep it, wizard is bad man, therefore it’s okay to keep his ring.

Yonic Symbol

Relevance “Aladdin grew into a tall

handsome young man and his mother felt that he ought to find himself a wife, sooner or later”

The ring just fell into his palm, like his wife, Halima

“Slipping the ring on his finger, he twisted it round and round”

Needs to save his beloved wife

You can tell the ring is never as important as the lamp…

Psychoanalytical Critic

Looks carefully at images to uncover latent content

Latent content: hidden, symbolic meaning

Lamp? Or Phallic Symbol

Phallic

Relevance “Once upon a time…a widow had an only son

whose name was Aladdin” Lost father at young age – Phallic = Male figure Aladdin missing dominant male figure in life “From that day on, the widow and her son had

everything they could wish for: food, clothes and a fine home, for the genie of the lamp granted them everything they asked him”

Reason Aladdin is so dependent?

More Phallic… “He picked up the lamp, rubbed it harder than ever and

told the genie what he required” Subconscious need or want for a father, thinking one

would provide everything he needed Lamp provided him food, clothes, a fine home, and his

wife, Halima

Feminism

 How is the characters’

portrayal in the story of Aladdin a

reflection of a patriarchal

society and to what effect?

Halima

The Princess is the only main female character in the story. Represented as obedient, emotional, and timid (Example:

“She clutched Aladdin in fear.”)

Both fit the gender stereotypes (Example: "Can we return to our own kingdom?" the princess asked timidly)

Accepts the idea of being married after meeting Aladdin Women didn’t get to exercise their power during this time

period (based her decision of who she married off of what the dad felt)

Uses her sexuality to her advantage

Seen as a commodity Damsel in Distress

(Example: “In a second he whisked away all Aladdin's possessions and magically sent the palace and the princess to an unknown land.”)

Reader would think Halima is dependent (relies on Aladdin or father)

Mother of Aladdin Nurturing Mother Wants Aladdin to have a good life

First wish is to have food for her and Aladdin (“Example: Bring us… bring…" His mother not having yet begun to cook the dinner, went on to say: "… a lovely big meal.”

Believed Aladdin could end up with Halima (Example: Aladdin told his mother and she quickly said: "I'll ask the Sultan for his daughter's hand. He'll never be able to refuse. Wait and see!")

Didn’t fit the gender stereotype (The male usually would be the one to approach the Sultan, assumes the male role)

Aladdin/Father

Primary responsibility for the welfare and authority over their families

Masculine Dominance Working for family Taking care of mother Represented as active, dominating, adventurous and rational Plays the role of keeping the princess safe/save her

Hero Reader would think of the reader as a noble

and caring guy for helping out both his mother and the princess

Decision-makers and hold positions of power and prestige, and have the power to define reality and common situations.

Primary responsibility for the welfare and authority over their families

Marxist

MarxismHow can the division

between the proletariat and the

bourgeoisie be seen in the short story

“Aladdin” and how does this affect the

story?

“They were very poor and lived from

hand to mouth” Meaning just enough to survive. Material circumstances become

very clear. A definite higher class seen in

the royal family and the sultan.(Bourgeoisie)

A lower class seen in Aladdin and his mother.(Proleteriat)

Bourgeoisie

Proletariat

Interpellation The bourgeoisie is royalty and

Aladdin is working class it is impossible for him to become bourgeoisie.

For Aladdin to become bourgeoisie he would have to marry Halima.

Commodification “Every slave must bring a box of precious

stones” These stones have no real value or usefulness

to the sultan but have the power to impress him as they are a sign of wealth.

The sign value of these stones separates the sultan as a bourgeoisie.

How does it affect our story?

Surplus value ( paid for the exchange value not the use value of his labour)

He wanted more for his work. Wanted the silver penny

“From that day on, the widow and her son had everything they could wish for: food, clothes and a fine home”

Revolt? The Marxist theory says that the proletariat will revolt.

Instead of revolting and creating equal classes he assumes the role of bourgeoisie.

Carl Jung

In what way could this story be considered an

archetypal “quest” story?

Involves a search for a magical item that will return abundance to a desolate state. The need to perform a nearly impossible task. Aladdin needs to find the lamp again

to restore his normal life Nearly impossible task: Find where

his wife is hidden, poison the wizard and find the lamp

Quest

Hero A journey where the hero

must retrieve a powerful artefact or battle with superhuman creatures to save someone else. The hero pursues the

quest Aladdin saved his wife and

brought the wealth back to his family

Powerful Artifact: The lamp

Superhuman creatures: The wizard

How do the mythological

symbols in Aladdin affect the story?

Based on folktales in Persia; where they teach lessons about greed, envy or pride

Silver coin: aura of magic and divinity Trees: growth and inexhaustible life Gold: indestructibility Trees, gold and jewels predict Aladdin’s

future

Jewels and jems: wealth Trees, gold and jewels predict Aladdin’s future Three: deals with magic and advantages Supernatural powers: vices or virtues, good or

evil Aladdin = virtue and good Wizard = vices and evil

Ring: wholeness

Seasons Spring: Aladdin overcame poverty,

atmosphere of youth and sexual bliss upon marrying Halima

Winter: once the wizard took the lamp and Aladdin must come up with an idea to save him and his wife, chaos was brought to the kingdom

Thank you!