Odyssey, 1001 Nights, The Pillow Book

I appreciate the juxtaposition between the Greek epic, the Middle Eastern tale, and finally the Chinese story. It was a sample of each culture and it provided the opportunity to compare compositional styles. Most interesting perhaps, is the similar themes in the Odyssey and in 1001 Nights. Both feature decidedly human-like gods who regularly insert themselves into drama and intrigue. From this trickery, lessons are learned, a hero is born, or justice is restored. One could even argue that the Pillow Book presents the narrator as somehow superior to people, godlike. She is closeted, reclusive, but still asserts her influence on the people she sees, only she does it through the book. Her judgement rendered on each page is her own intrigue.