The perception of women in narratives produced within different cultural environments

Abstract

In this paper I attempt to see whether different versions of folk tales that are read or told in various gatherings have any determining role in perceiving woman gender. My main focus will be on Layla and Majnun. With particular refererence to Leyla, I attempt to discover how perceptions of women are conceptualized by male audience/reader in communities with different cultural and educational backgrounds. Layla and Majnun as narrated in a traditional coffehouse in a small willage is compared to that version of Layla and Majnun which is read and narrated by educated people. I will deal with the underlying causes of noted smilarites that are prevalent within various groups in their perception of women. Even though the folktale revolves around a woman (Layla) and a man (Mejnun) who display profound love for one another, it is the male character who dominates the tale. In both the mesnevi and folk's version of the story, Layla is never more than an object of desire. Such similarities observed in different versions of the tale serve as evidence that versions here and there may considerably differ, but conceptualizaton of woman most often remain the same.