Aladdin and the Magic Lamp

The story centers around Aladdin, the son of Mustapha, a poor tailor. As a boy, Aladdin is lazy and carefree wasting his time away and unwilling to change. One day a merchant appears and claims to be the long-missing, and presumed dead, brother of Aladdin's late father. The stranger who is welcomed into their home is a magician who is after a magic lamp. The stranger asks to take Aladdin away, and the boy is forced to pack his things and leave. After traveling for many hours, the merchant stops in a desolate and empty spot in the desert. The merchant then took out powder from his pocket and threw it at the ground creating a large smoke cloud. As the smoke faded a big opening in the ground was revealed. The merchant then coaxes Aladdin into the cave with the promise of riches only demanding that he return with the old lamp that he is sure to see in the cage. Suspicious, yet still eager at the thought of riches Aladdin entered the cave. Inside he filled up his pockets with gold finally when he could not possibly take any more gold; he looked for the lamp. Once he had found it, he called out to the merchant to let him out of the cave. However, the merchant demanded the lamp first, fearful that if he gave the lamp to the merchant, he would be left behind Aladdin refused. In anger, the Merchant locks Aladdin in a cave with the hope that he will eventually die. After hours of waiting inside and shouting for help Aladdin gave up, and with nothing better to do, he started cleaning the lamp. When suddenly a genie emerged, and after calming down and listening to the being Aladdin learns that the Genie will grant his wishes. With limited options, Aladdin wishes to be home, and the next second he finds himself back at his house. Aladdin then asked the genie for a palace. Now affluent and famous Aladdin gets married to the princess, however, through more trickery the magician manages to have Aladdin's new wife give him the lamp that houses the genie. With this new power, the magician wishes that Aladdin's palace is moved far away. Through some crafty plan, Aladdin manages to find the new location of his palace where the magician now lives and steal back the lamp that houses the genie and wished for him to be sent far away from where he can never hurt another again. I find it very interesting from a story where one is taught to never give up on their dreams, and that hard work is needed to achieve one's goals, that the end goal of everyone is superficial and materialistic desires. To win the Sultan’s daughter’s hand in marriage, Aladdin has risen in material power, to be worthy of a princess, and this seems like a horrible message to promote in a tale that quite literally is stating that one must make the most of their talents and work hard.