Week 5 Reading Diary A: Arabian Nights (Aladdin)

Reading diary for the Aladdin portion of the Arabian Nights Unit, I am super excited to see what differences there are between the actual story and the Disney version!

Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp
Part 1: 

Image from Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp

This illustration is WAY different from what I would expect after watching the Disney movie based on this story.

• The story starts out different than the Disney version, I thought it was cool that Aladdin basically caused his father's death by being a bad kid. The disney version sort of ignores Aladdin's childhood.
• I wonder what the ring's purpose is?
• It seems kind of odd that the magician goes to so much trouble to get the lamp and then gives up when Aladdin simply refuses to give it to him.
• The genie comes from the ring instead of the lamp in this story! I wonder what the lamps purpose was then!

Part 2:

• Now the genie came from the lamp instead of the ring!
• I like how in this version there is no limitation to "three wishes" but the genie seems to be a much smaller character than I think he should
• I like the role of the mother and how dedicated she is to Aladdin, although he doesn't seem very grateful
• A story might come from the mother's thoughts as she waits in front of the sultan each day without anything happening, until he finally notices her. 
• The way that Aladdin tries to marry the princess is kind of frightening, he doesn't try to win her over, only to lay next to her and say nothing but that she was his.

Part 3:

• The sultan seems very okay with what has happened and doesn't believe his daughter, a much different dynamic than seen in the Disney version. 
• The sultan seems very fickle and the mother seems to obey her son no matter what
• The way that Aladdin approaches the castle reminds me of the "prince ali" parade
• Its kind of odd that no one questions how fast Aladdin was able to build an entire palace
• The end of this part describes Aladdin as modest and courteous, which I didn't find him to be by reading this story

Part 4:

• The magician's plan is very clever and had Aladdin confided in the princess, this would not have happened
• The sultan seems to overreact to the palace being gone and immediately tries to execute Aladdin
• Are there two genies? One for the ring and one for the lamp? I am sort of confused by that

Part 5:

• I didn't know that the story of Aladdin originated from them living in China, not India
• The princess and Aladdin seem more in love in this part than any other
• I like how the magician is killed

Part 6:

• The ending of the story is very odd
• The genie does show loyalty to Aladdin and the princess by refusing Aladdin's wish though