Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamo

This is my first time reading the "original" story of Aladdin and I remember watching the Disney version of Aladdin a long time ago. From what I remember, the Disney version is very different from the "original" source and by this point it is to be expected. I am surprised to know that the story of Aladdin seems to have a very troubled past per say. I was surprised to know that the story has had a lot of controversy from where it comes from and how it has gone through different translations to satisfy different audiences. For a fairy tale I actually really enjoyed reading Andrew Lang's version of Aladdin. It does not seem overly fantasized ( if you ignore the the genies haha ) and has a good story line. With out reading Mari Ness's piece I came down to many of her conclusions and agreed with all of her own. Aladdin indeed seems like a story based around rebellion while yet maintaining that sense of righteousness. Aladdin is humble and loving to the princess ever from the time he laid eyes on her. With seemingly unlimited power, Aladdin could have easily asked for the princess from the start, yet he decided to go about things as his culture indicated him to. He sent his mother to ask the sultan for his daughter and provided him with all his requirements.  Further down the story, Aladdin does not scold or punish his wife for getting tricked and nearly ruining their lives twice. Each time, Aladdin took matters into his own hands and calmly resolved the situation. I think this story's intentions become a whole lot more complicated when you take start to take into consideration where it comes from. If the story indeed was created by the French then you have to consider the French's own values and culture and try to understand the story under those lens. If the story can be traced back to the Middle East then you have to read the story under the lens of their culture and values. Under the French lens I find it incredibly interesting that the story includes a lot of pieces about rebellion since I believe that at the time that this story might have been created, sentiments about rebellion must have been at an all time low. With my limited knowledge on French history I would guess that Europe in general would be more lenient towards absolute obedience to their respective monarchies. However, the release of this story could have been created by a French author ahead of his time and that would explain the insistence on crediting the story to Middle Eastern roots. I find stories like these incredibly interesting because every story has a hidden meaning. The meaning always correlates with the beliefs of the author and the intended audience. I believe that the strongest messages are often found within stories which we now perceive to be for children, and that's what makes them stronger. Overall I really enjoyed Aladdin and look forward to watching the movie once again in order to compare the two texts more in detail.