some of those discussed in the mother/son
relationship, is susceptible to psychoanalytic and other types of
explanation, the root cause of the conflict in the first part of the
tale stems from the father's overstepping the bounds of authority
that should regulate his behavior toward his daughter.
Natural
brothers from the same mother generally maintain a harmonious
relationship; they have grown up together, and by the time they are
adults they have found their rightful places in the family (Tale 15).
Because they share gender and position in the family, the criterion
of age becomes all important in regulating their mutual
relationships. As a result, the youngest brother must submit to the
authority of his older brothers, who have priority over him in every
respect (Tale 8). They get married before him and dispose of the
collective property of the family according to their own needs. By
the time the father dies and the extended family begins to break up,
the older brothers have children of their own and have allocated to
themselves enough of that collective property to be well established.
Thus, when the family property is formally divided the younger
brother may not obtain his fair share, and he must struggle on his
own - although his older brothers may help him out as a favor.
In
light of our thesis that the Palestinian folktale is a woman's art
form, it is interesting to note that conflict over inheritance among
natural brothers is not an explicit theme in these tales, even though
in the society stories concerning unfair division of property are
remembered for generations. Perhaps this is because conflict over the
father's inheritance, which is one of the major causes of strife
among natural brothers, is an exclusively male concern. Nevertheless,
instances of conflict among half-brothers abound in these tales
(e.g., Tales 3, 5, 6, 7), here because of polygyny, the father
preferring the sons of one wife over those of the other. The
situation at the opening of Tale 5, where the king treats the son of
one wife gently while abusing the son of the other, is a dramatic
representation of what actually does take place. In life, people
understand such treatment; the tales, however, which always vindicate
the youngest son against his older brothers, show it to be an
injustice.
The
relationship among sisters is accurately reflected in the tales (10,
12, 20), though of course not down to the smallest detail. Until they
are married, sisters live together in one household, each having
established her place and relationship to the rest of the family. The
most sensitive question among them, and indeed, the major issue in
the lives of all Palestinian women, is that of marriage. Thus, all
three of the tales cited show conflict among sisters as being caused
by jealousy. In Tale 10, the strife arises from jealousy over the
youngest sister's marriage to the son of the king; in Tale 12
likewise, the older sisters are jealous of the youngest one, who has
a secret lover; and in Tale go the improvident older sisters end up
punishing the younger one. The tales derive from their folk narrative
form - and in this respect they do not accurately reflect the culture
- a high degree of violence inflicted by sisters on one another.
People do, however, recognize that jealousy and envy are potent
motivating forces toward evil, and they attribute the power of the
evil eye to these forces.
Between
brother and sister the relationship is warm and harmonious. It is
certainly the relationship most idealized in the tales (7, 9, 10, 31,
42, and even 8). Generally, the sister's attitude toward her brother
is one of love and respect, and his to her is one of lifelong concern
and protectiveness. An older sister may exercise a nourishing and
maternal role toward her brother (Tales 7, 31), particularly if the
mother is dead (Tale 9); whether younger or older, she willingly
serves him and his family, moving into his house if she remains
unmarried after the parents die.
relationship, is susceptible to psychoanalytic and other types of
explanation, the root cause of the conflict in the first part of the
tale stems from the father's overstepping the bounds of authority
that should regulate his behavior toward his daughter.
Natural
brothers from the same mother generally maintain a harmonious
relationship; they have grown up together, and by the time they are
adults they have found their rightful places in the family (Tale 15).
Because they share gender and position in the family, the criterion
of age becomes all important in regulating their mutual
relationships. As a result, the youngest brother must submit to the
authority of his older brothers, who have priority over him in every
respect (Tale 8). They get married before him and dispose of the
collective property of the family according to their own needs. By
the time the father dies and the extended family begins to break up,
the older brothers have children of their own and have allocated to
themselves enough of that collective property to be well established.
Thus, when the family property is formally divided the younger
brother may not obtain his fair share, and he must struggle on his
own - although his older brothers may help him out as a favor.
In
light of our thesis that the Palestinian folktale is a woman's art
form, it is interesting to note that conflict over inheritance among
natural brothers is not an explicit theme in these tales, even though
in the society stories concerning unfair division of property are
remembered for generations. Perhaps this is because conflict over the
father's inheritance, which is one of the major causes of strife
among natural brothers, is an exclusively male concern. Nevertheless,
instances of conflict among half-brothers abound in these tales
(e.g., Tales 3, 5, 6, 7), here because of polygyny, the father
preferring the sons of one wife over those of the other. The
situation at the opening of Tale 5, where the king treats the son of
one wife gently while abusing the son of the other, is a dramatic
representation of what actually does take place. In life, people
understand such treatment; the tales, however, which always vindicate
the youngest son against his older brothers, show it to be an
injustice.
The
relationship among sisters is accurately reflected in the tales (10,
12, 20), though of course not down to the smallest detail. Until they
are married, sisters live together in one household, each having
established her place and relationship to the rest of the family. The
most sensitive question among them, and indeed, the major issue in
the lives of all Palestinian women, is that of marriage. Thus, all
three of the tales cited show conflict among sisters as being caused
by jealousy. In Tale 10, the strife arises from jealousy over the
youngest sister's marriage to the son of the king; in Tale 12
likewise, the older sisters are jealous of the youngest one, who has
a secret lover; and in Tale go the improvident older sisters end up
punishing the younger one. The tales derive from their folk narrative
form - and in this respect they do not accurately reflect the culture
- a high degree of violence inflicted by sisters on one another.
People do, however, recognize that jealousy and envy are potent
motivating forces toward evil, and they attribute the power of the
evil eye to these forces.
Between
brother and sister the relationship is warm and harmonious. It is
certainly the relationship most idealized in the tales (7, 9, 10, 31,
42, and even 8). Generally, the sister's attitude toward her brother
is one of love and respect, and his to her is one of lifelong concern
and protectiveness. An older sister may exercise a nourishing and
maternal role toward her brother (Tales 7, 31), particularly if the
mother is dead (Tale 9); whether younger or older, she willingly
serves him and his family, moving into his house if she remains
unmarried after the parents die.
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