Compare And Contrast Burton Vs Haddway
The renderings by Burton and Haddway of 1,001 Nights have a slight difference in their way of storytelling/use of frame narrative. Even though both versions ultimately narrate the same story, Burton’s version is narrated to please the English audience. His version of the Frame story emphasized racism towards black race. In contrast, the version of the Frame story by Haddawy was more neutral and pure. The author wrote the story to entertain a general audience. A particular race was not under attack, as he did not offend or be racist in any way. In multiple instances there is difference between two texts where this can be evidently seen. In the original version of the Frame story by Burton, the narrator says that king spotted the Queen sleeping
with a black cook. “But when the night was half spent he bethought him that he had forgotten in his palace somewhat which he should have brought with him, so he returned privily and entered his apartments, where he found the Queen, his wife, asleep on his own carpet-bed, embracing with both arms a black cook of loathsome aspect and foul with kitchen grease and grime” (Burton 3). The narrator specifies the race of the cook as black trying to be racist by specifying the race. The narrator also describes the black cook as loathsome and foul. It shows an intense and crude view of the cook. The way the narrator describes the kitchen that has grease and grime is reflected on the attitude of disgust towards the cook and the black race. A similar example would be when the bad jinniss’ are black. If Burton wanted to target his version to European audience, he can’t make the slaves as white people, so he refers to the slaves as black. Also, during his time period and in Europe the salves were only black. In the comparably newer version of the story by Haddawy, the narrator is very general with the description of the cook which the queen slept with and never mentioned or included the race of the cook. “But when he entered the palace, he found his wife lying in the arms of one of the kitchen boys” (Haddawy 1). The narrator just simply refers as one of the kitchen boy with no detailed explanation. Similar to the above example, the author refers to bad jinnis in various colors. In the Burton’s verision, there is no reference to white slaves, but Haddawy includes white slaves and black slaves in equal proportion. “While he agonized over his misfortune, gazing at the heavens and turning a distracted eye on the garden, the private gate of his brother’s palace opened, and there emerged, strutting like a dark-eyed deer, the lady, his brother’s wife, with twenty slave-girls, ten white and ten black” (Haddawy 5). The author also includes white slaves, so there is no racism and no minority group is targeted. Both authors, Haddawy and Burton, tell the same story in a way that was acceptable for their desired audience. Burton was more specific of his audience and hence wanted to narrate in a way that would please European audience. Racism and slaves was present during the time period he was writing, and there were only black slaves in Europe. Haddway was neutral and rather had a general audience in his mind. That is a reason why no race was identified during his narration. That is one of a huge difference that could be seen in the versions.
with a black cook. “But when the night was half spent he bethought him that he had forgotten in his palace somewhat which he should have brought with him, so he returned privily and entered his apartments, where he found the Queen, his wife, asleep on his own carpet-bed, embracing with both arms a black cook of loathsome aspect and foul with kitchen grease and grime” (Burton 3). The narrator specifies the race of the cook as black trying to be racist by specifying the race. The narrator also describes the black cook as loathsome and foul. It shows an intense and crude view of the cook. The way the narrator describes the kitchen that has grease and grime is reflected on the attitude of disgust towards the cook and the black race. A similar example would be when the bad jinniss’ are black. If Burton wanted to target his version to European audience, he can’t make the slaves as white people, so he refers to the slaves as black. Also, during his time period and in Europe the salves were only black. In the comparably newer version of the story by Haddawy, the narrator is very general with the description of the cook which the queen slept with and never mentioned or included the race of the cook. “But when he entered the palace, he found his wife lying in the arms of one of the kitchen boys” (Haddawy 1). The narrator just simply refers as one of the kitchen boy with no detailed explanation. Similar to the above example, the author refers to bad jinnis in various colors. In the Burton’s verision, there is no reference to white slaves, but Haddawy includes white slaves and black slaves in equal proportion. “While he agonized over his misfortune, gazing at the heavens and turning a distracted eye on the garden, the private gate of his brother’s palace opened, and there emerged, strutting like a dark-eyed deer, the lady, his brother’s wife, with twenty slave-girls, ten white and ten black” (Haddawy 5). The author also includes white slaves, so there is no racism and no minority group is targeted. Both authors, Haddawy and Burton, tell the same story in a way that was acceptable for their desired audience. Burton was more specific of his audience and hence wanted to narrate in a way that would please European audience. Racism and slaves was present during the time period he was writing, and there were only black slaves in Europe. Haddway was neutral and rather had a general audience in his mind. That is a reason why no race was identified during his narration. That is one of a huge difference that could be seen in the versions.