All I remembered about Aladdin before reading the original tale
was there had been a genie who was magical, a lamp, a beautiful princess, and some
mystical magic carpet ride. I was truly taken back by the contrast between my
past Aladdin knowledge which embodied more whimsy and magic compared to the
darker and more twisted original tale. The darker aspects of this tale
encompass greed and woman’s subordination.
Let’s begin with the first dark part of this story, the
greed and money. When people see money or opportunity, they make some pretty
bold moves to get what they want. Aladdin
definitely got what he wanted. He got the girl, he got the palace, he got the
fame. Normally, you would say… at what cost? Well, not in this story. IT COST
HIM NOTHING. The lamp/genie gave him everything. He was the classic rags to
riches boy. Also, parts of this story had some kind of transaction process linked
to it. The bride went through a transaction process by basically being bought
for her hand in marriage. The man (Aladdin or the Vizier) who could come up
with the most money would win the girl. Wow. Now, let’s talk about the greed.
Aladdin, a boy who knew poverty and played ball in the dirty streets became a
prince. He tasted what it felt like not to hurt, to not to be begging for food,
to not to be judged. His heart changed with the few simple words spoken to a
dirty, old lamp. Greed and lust became a new niche of his heart.
Now, let’s address the big elephant in the room when reading
this tale. THE TREATMENT OF WOMEN!! The princess and the mother were treated so
poorly. The mother wanted her son to sell the lamp, be obedient to her, respect
her… Aladdin did none of those. She loved her son, but he loved money and his
girl a bit more. Okay, now onto the second girl in Aladdin’s life… the princess.
First, she was basically bought into marriage due to her father’s greed. Second,
she had a sketchy experience with Aladdin sleeping in her bed without her
saying a word… that sounds a bit like a no-consent experience to me. Lastly,
she was looked at as an object with fine jewelry and clothes rather than a
strong woman with dreams of doing special things in her life.
I wondered after reading this tale why Disney would add this
story to their empire? Here’s why, I think... First, Aladdin embodied parts of
Walt himself. The rags to riches and his love of money beginning in his
childhood looks very similar to that of Aladdin’s life. Second, Aladdin got the girl. The classic
prince and princess dynamic adds that special Disney magic. Aladdin, a boy who
didn’t have to work, but received all he dreamt of. It is not reality, but it
is magical. That is why Disney wanted this tale to be a film. It allows people
to dream. To dream about how life could be, to wonder about what magic could
appear in their life, and to give hope to those who feel hopeless in their situation.
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