Paragraph 1

"In the past, credit for telling the tale of Aladdin has often gone to Antoine Galland, the first European translator of Arabian Nights, [which] started as a series of translations of an incomplete manuscript of a medieval Arabic story collection."

Explanation: Antoine Galland, the first European translator of Arabian Nights, is often credited with telling the story of Aladdin, even though Arabian Nights began as translations of an incomplete medieval Arabic manuscript.

"But, though those tales were of medieval origin, Aladdin may be a more recent invention."

Explanation: Although the tales of Arabian Nights originated in medieval times, Aladdin could be a more recent creation.

"Scholars have not found a manuscript of the story that predates the version published in 1712 by Galland, who wrote in his diary that he first heard the tale from a Syrian storyteller from Aleppo named Hanna Diyab."

Explanation: No manuscript of Aladdin older than Galland’s 1712 version has been found, and Galland recorded in his diary that he first heard the story from a Syrian storyteller, Hanna Diyab, from Aleppo.

Paragraph 2

"Despite the fantastical elements of the story, scholars now think the main character may actually be based on a real person’s real experiences."

Explanation: Despite the fantastical nature of the story, scholars now believe that Aladdin’s character could be based on a real person’s real-life experiences.

"Though Galland never credited Diyab in his published translations of the Arabian Nights stories, Diyab wrote something of his own: a travelogue penned in the mid-18th century."

Explanation: Galland never credited Diyab in his translations, but Diyab himself wrote a travelogue in the mid-18th century.

"In it, he recalls telling Galland the story of Aladdin [and] describes his own hard-knocks upbringing and the way he marveled at the extravagance of Versailles."

Explanation: Diyab’s travelogue includes his account of telling Galland the story of Aladdin, alongside descriptions of his difficult upbringing and his awe at the extravagance of Versailles.

"The descriptions he uses were very similar to the descriptions of the lavish palace that ended up in Galland’s version of the Aladdin story."

Explanation: The descriptions Diyab uses in his travelogue closely resemble the lavish palace described in Galland’s version of Aladdin.

"[Therefore, author Paulo Lemos] Horta believes that 'Aladdin might be the young Arab Maronite from Aleppo, marveling at the jewels and riches of Versailles.'"

Explanation: Paulo Lemos Horta suggests that Aladdin could represent a young Arab Maronite from Aleppo, impressed by the jewels and wealth of Versailles.

Paragraph 3

"For 300 years, scholars thought that the rags-to-riches story of Aladdin might have been inspired by the plots of French fairy tales that came out around the same time, or that the story was invented in that 18th century period as a byproduct of French Orientalism, a fascination with stereotypical exotic Middle Eastern luxuries that was prevalent then."

Explanation: For 300 years, scholars believed that the rags-to-riches story of Aladdin was inspired by French fairy tales of the time or was a result of French Orientalism, which romanticized exotic Middle Eastern luxuries.

"The idea that Diyab might have based it on his own life — the experiences of a Middle Eastern man encountering the French, not vice-versa — flips the script."

Explanation: The suggestion that Diyab based the story on his own life, seeing it from the perspective of a Middle Eastern man encountering the French, challenges the previous assumptions.

Paragraph 4

"[According to Horta,] 'Diyab was ideally placed to embody the overlapping world of East and West, blending the storytelling traditions of his homeland with his youthful observations of the wonder of 18th-century France.'"

Explanation: Horta argues that Diyab was in a unique position to embody the intersection of East and West, blending his cultural storytelling traditions with his youthful awe of 18th-century France.

Paragraph 5

"To the scholars who study the tale, its narrative drama isn’t the only reason storytellers keep finding reason to return to Aladdin."

Explanation: Scholars believe that the story’s narrative drama isn’t the only reason it continues to be revisited by storytellers.

"It reflects not only 'a history of the French and the Middle East, but also [a story about] Middle Easterners coming to Paris and that speaks to our world today,' as Horta puts it."

Explanation: According to Horta, Aladdin reflects the history between France and the Middle East, as well as the experience of Middle Easterners coming to Paris, which resonates with contemporary issues.

"'The day Diyab told the story of Aladdin to Galland, there were riots due to food shortages during the winter and spring of 1708 to 1709, and Diyab was sensitive to those people in a way that Galland is not.'"

Explanation: Horta notes that Diyab told Galland the story of Aladdin during a time of riots caused by food shortages in 1708–1709, and Diyab was more attuned to the suffering of the people than Galland was.

"When you read this diary, you see this solidarity among the Arabs who were in Paris at the time."

Explanation: Diyab’s diary reveals a sense of solidarity among the Arabs in Paris during that time.

"There is little in the writings of Galland that would suggest that he was capable of developing a character like Aladdin with sympathy, but Diyab’s memoir reveals a narrator adept at capturing the distinctive psychology of a young protagonist, as well as recognizing the kinds of injustices and opportunities that can transform the path of any youthful adventurer."

Explanation: Galland’s writings lack the empathy to create a character like Aladdin, but Diyab’s memoir shows that he was skilled at understanding the psychology of a young protagonist and recognizing how injustices and opportunities shape their journey.

Paragraph 1 Summary

Antoine Galland is traditionally credited with telling the story of Aladdin, but the tale may have originated more recently, with Galland hearing it from a Syrian storyteller named Hanna Diyab, who first shared the story in 1712.

Paragraph 2 Summary

Though Galland never credited Diyab, Diyab wrote his own travelogue where he described his experiences, including sharing the Aladdin story with Galland. Diyab’s descriptions closely match the lavish palace imagery in Galland’s version of the story, leading some to believe Aladdin could be based on Diyab’s own experiences.

Paragraph 3 Summary

For 300 years, scholars believed Aladdin’s story was inspired by French fairy tales or the Orientalism of the 18th century, but the possibility that Diyab based the story on his own life, seeing the French through the eyes of a Middle Eastern man, challenges this view.

Paragraph 4 Summary

Horta argues that Diyab, with his unique experiences in both the East and West, was well-suited to blend his homeland's storytelling traditions with his observations of 18th-century France, which influenced the creation of the Aladdin story.

Paragraph 5 Summary

Aladdin’s continued popularity is not only due to its narrative drama but also because it reflects the historical and contemporary connections between the Middle East and France, with Diyab’s understanding of the plight of the people of Paris adding depth to the story.