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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. For how long was Abu Hasan a bodyguard for the foreign king in the story of How Abu Hasan Broke Wind?

2. What do Omar's two wicked sons do to Judar after their father dies in the story Judar And His Brethren?

3. Who translates the messages on the seven white marble tablets in the story The City of Brass?

4. Who does King Shahryar invite to his wedding of Shahrazad?

5. What does the Persian give King Sabur in the story of The Ebony Horse?

Short Essay Questions

1. How is justice served through the story of Ali Baba And The Forty Thieves?

2. What moral does Shahrazad imply through her story in the story Julnar The Sea-Born And Her Son King Badr Basim of Persia?

3. In The Angel of Death With The Proud King And The Devout Man is described a wealthy man and a poor one. What are the fundamental differences in the reasons for why each man personally lived his life?

4. In The Ebony Horse, the brother Kamar rescues his younger sister from marriage to an ugly old Persian bearing a gift. In the process of helping his sister, Kamar also finds love, so his kindness is rewarded. What is to be learned from this part of the story?

5. What character trait(s) of the men in the story Julnar The Sea-Born And Her Son King Badr Basim of Persia allow(s) them to be ensnared by Queen Lab?

6. What does Shahrazad reinforce to her king through The Sleeper And The Waker?

7. How is Abu Kir's life like his business in Abu Kir The Dyer And Abu Sir The Barber?

8. Consider the saying, "The clothes maketh the man." How is this proven in Alaedddin: Or, The Wonderful Lamp?

9. Consider the saying "One cannot fully escape the past." How is this saying proven in Ma'aruf The Cobbler And His Wife Fatimah?

10. Why might it be in Shahrazad's interests to decide to tell this story to the king in The City of Brass?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In Abu Kir The Dyer And Abu Sir The Barber, the character of goodness in Abu Sir saves him from the evil actions of his false friend Abu Kir. All lies clearly become revealed in time, and as the saying goes, time heals all wounds. Write an essay outlining and explaining the ways in which the lessons stated above are acted out and proven throughout Abu Kir The Dyer And Abu Sir The Barber.

Essay Topic 2

In The Tale of The Three Apples, the circular nature and connectedness of the happenings in Chapter 3 could arguably imply that there is a higher intention or being in power that if tapped, will lead the way to freedom and an improved life. In what way is this kind of fate/faith-based lesson-telling indicative of the times during which these tales were compiled?

Please keep in mind historical background, Islamic culture, and advantages to the author for the purposes of developing Shahrazad and the king's relationship.

Essay Topic 3

Ironically, The Arabian Nights first rose to prominence when it piqued the interest of Western readers, as they were considered to be too "low-lit" to be of interest to Arab literati. Choose three or more tales from the book, and giving examples, explain why the elements of those stories might have been seen as too rough, simple, or rude to the trained eye of upper/class Arab literary intelligentsia.

(see the answer keys)

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