Traditional vs. Contemporary Love Stories

Every culture and society has a history of love stories. Stories about love have changed throughout time and adapted to whatever the current culture might be. But are these classic love tales better than modern tales of the twenty first century? Traditional love stories such as "Layla and Majnun" by Nizami are far superior to contemporary love stories such as "Middle Children" by Jane Rule. The characters have more powerful emotions of love in traditional love stories and the plot is more touching since the lovers can't be together as opposed to in modern stories, they can be together.

Nizami's traditional love story "Layla and Majnun" has more powerful emotions of love rather than Rule's contemporary love story "Middle Children". The character in Rule's story developed into a loving relationship but there wasn't much evidence of affection or passion throughout the story. The charcters never directly mention their feelings for each other, whereas Majnun spent most of his time singing songs to express his love and Layla could not get her mind off of him. "I cannot recall a single moment in my life that had not been spent thinking of you" p113. Another example to demonstrate their powerful love for each other would be the first moment they laid eyes on each other and had that instantaneous affect. "From their first day at school they were drawn to each other and as time passed, this spark of attraction grew into a burning flame of love" p105. Their love continued to grow more and more as time passed and neither Majnun or Layla could every have someone replace the love they had between them. The love and emotions they had for each other was so powerful that Layla once told her new husband, which was arranged by her father that "I will never be a wife"p112 and made it clear to her husband that she "could never love him" p112. Even though she married another man, she wasn't able to get her mind off Majnun and that is when she wrote to him saying: "I have endure spending my life with one man when my entire soul belongs to another" p113. Their emotions towards each other were mind-blowing and in Middle Children, no powerful emotions was shown to demonstrate their love for one another.

Niami's love story "Layla and Majnun" has a more touching plot that involves a lot more obstacles rather than Jane Rule's "Middle Children". One of many obstacles the two lovers had to go through was dealing with the fact that Layla's father didn't want them to be together. In contrary, Rule's story involves two lovers that had a hard time coming out of the closet because of their same-sex relationship, but never had any obstacles that permanently held them apart. When Layla's father found out about her and Majnun, he kept her away from him and even kept her home from school to cut off the communication between the two young lovers. Once Layla stopped going to school, "Qays became so distressed that he left school and began to wander the streets in search of his beloved, calling out her name" p105. Majnun was so emotionally hurt by the loss of his love that he would resort to anything just to see her again. Majnun and his friends came together to make up a plan just so the two lovers can see each other again. "Their plan was a clever one. They and Majnun approached Layla's house disguised as women" p106. Majnun went to all measures just to be able to see Layla, although they never got to officially be together again. In middle children, both partners lived together, but didn't need to overcome any obstacles that held them apart. This is why Nizamis story "Layla and Majnun" is more powerful, and deals with several obstacles so that "the two lovers, who had been united in eternity, now were united in body as well" p114. Finally, with all the obstacles Layla and Majnun had to go through to be together, they both finally got what they had been wishing for and praying for.

What better way to understand true love then to read a traditional love story? Traditional love stories are far more superior than contemporary love stories. The characters in traditional love stories potray more powerful emotions of love and the is plot far more touching than contemporary love stories.