Sayed Elsisi (Assistant Professor, Arabic), "The Heroine with a Thousand Faces: Rethinking the Interpretations of 'The Arabian Nights'"
Project- This is a chapter in a book project that presents a comprehensive scholarly examination of The Arabian Nights through innovative perspectives that challenge conventional readings. The project delves into the feminization of heroism, mystical dimensions of seemingly erotic narratives, comparative journey motifs across cultures, and the influence of the text's narrative structure on modern adaptations. Through meticulous textual analysis and interdisciplinary approaches, this research will provide valuable insights into one of world literature's most significant works, offering both academic rigor and cultural relevance for contemporary audiences. The examination of feminized heroism in The Arabian Nights offers a counternarrative to traditional Western heroic archetypes, highlighting how intelligence, storytelling, and moral education function as forms of heroism that challenge and transform patriarchal power structures. This analysis contributes to feminist literary criticism while illuminating often overlooked dimensions of female agency in classical texts.
January 26, 2026