This paper examines the traditional folk tale "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp" through a Marxist critical lens to reveal its commentary on social class, economic inequality, and labor systems. Rather than a simple children's story, Aladdin functions as a historical document reflecting the rigid class structures of Islamic society during the Crusades era. The analysis traces how the protagonist's theft stems from economic desperation, how the genie represents enslaved labor essential to civilization, and how sudden financial fortune enables upward social mobility. By examining symbols such as the magical lamp, the palace, and the conflict between Aladdin and the sorcerer, the paper demonstrates that Aladdin illustrates class struggle and inequality that transcends its historical period, remaining relevant to understanding capitalist and feudal social arrangements across centuries.
"Once upon a time"—these are the words heard at the beginning of many fairytales. Some of the more popular fairytales are those adapted into film by Walt Disney, and they are especially interesting to a Marxist critic. Fairytales like Cinderella, Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin are works that merit closer Marxist analysis. By analyzing "Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp," it becomes clear that Aladdin can be read through a Marxist lens to reveal how social classes affect daily life, even as far back as a thousand years ago.
When watching a fairytale, viewers know the protagonist, or hero, will win and be rewarded at the end. It is customary for such stories to conclude with "and they lived happily ever after." A Marxist would criticize this convention because heroes and heroines end up seeking and receiving personal glory. The original Aladdin is a folk tale composed by an unknown author during the period of the Crusades. Aladdin and many other famous works are gathered in a collection called "The Thousand Nights and One Night." Since this work is so old and incorporated into such a vast book, no one can pinpoint exactly when or who wrote it. However, some facts remain certain. As far back as documented history, Islamic culture has had an extremely harsh class system. The struggle of classes in Islamic society was likely the reason for the writing of Aladdin and the passing on of its lessons.
Aladdin is more than just a children's fairytale. It is an informative work that depicts the struggle and persecution of the lower classes in Islamic society, especially when viewed through a Marxist literary lens.
The tale begins by introducing a boy named Aladdin as a thief. In literary works, a thief is normally not portrayed as a hero unless the stealing is done for the common good of the people, such as Robin Hood. In contrast, Aladdin steals due to his lack of economic assets because of his class standing, and thus, for the good of only himself. From the very beginning of the story, it becomes clear that society is based on social class ranking. The poor live away from the rich and are looked down upon by the community.
Eventually, Aladdin ends up in jail. Through a brief sequence of events, he finds himself trapped in a cave with a magical lamp. This turning point sets in motion the class dynamics that structure the entire narrative and expose the injustice inherent in the social hierarchy.
The lamp is able to summon a genie that grants three wishes. Here a contradiction in normal thoughts about class emerges. The genie represents the lowest of the low in the class structure. Whoever initiates the proper procedure to make the genie appear becomes the absolute master of him, thus making the genie a slave. The irony is that the genie is probably the most important character in the entire story. Without the genie, Aladdin would have certainly come to an untimely death in the cave. This is directly relevant to the time period in which this piece was written and can even be applied to colonial America. Without slavery, the world would not be where it is today. Obviously slavery is absolutely not a good thing, yet it was slaves who committed so much labor into building great works and even nations.
As the story continues, Aladdin falls deeply in love with Princess Badroulbadour, but the emperor would not allow any bonding between the two since Aladdin was not of royal descent. Raymond Williams states, "For most ruling classes have not needed to be unmasked; they have usually proclaimed their existence and the conceptions, thoughts or ideas which ratify it" (Williams, 1977). Essentially, ruling classes, or the bourgeoisie, believe that their position in society is credited to themselves alone, and nothing about their arrangement is anything other than a god-given right. The emperor feels this way, and since no man of any circumstance has interjected into the royal society for a thousand years, there was no reason to start now.
The most critical advent in the tale is the sociological event of sudden fortune. Aladdin finds this within the genie. Since Aladdin could not marry the princess on his own terms, he ordered the genie to turn him into a prince and build him a palace much more expansive and brilliant than even that of the emperor's. According to Kendall, "Social mobility is the way in which one uses life chances, and the various avenues in society to move either up or down in class" (Kendall, 2008). The quickest way to move up the social ladder is through sudden fortune. Before meeting the genie, Aladdin was obviously in the lower rungs of society, which in modern terms would be labeled relative poverty. There is no exact definition of Aladdin's lifestyle in the story, so it could even be assumed that he was living in absolute poverty. After meeting the genie and wishing to be turned into a prince, his wealth and power skyrocketed. The prestige he would attain would come later. In modern times, what Aladdin experienced would be like winning the lottery on a multi-trillion dollar scale and automatically being cast into a position of high authority with relatively very low responsibility.
After this transition, Aladdin is able to marry the princess. It is not made clear whether the emperor knows that the new prince was the former troublemaker. However, seeing as Aladdin is still the same person is the main point being made in the story. Only due to his class standing does the emperor decide that his daughter can marry Aladdin, although he is the same person she fell in love with at the beginning. Eventually, Aladdin does tell the truth, knowing he cannot live a lie, but is rewarded in his actions by still being able to marry the princess.
Class struggle is another aspect of the tale. However, seeing as the story is a myth, it is assumed from the beginning that the protagonist in Aladdin will succeed. Nevertheless, the sorcerer does return and trick Princess Badroulbadour into exchanging the lamp for a new one. In doing so, he attempts to become the most powerful ruler. However, Aladdin still possesses the ring, in which he summons the less powerful genie. Aladdin has the genie transport him to where the sorcerer has built his own palace, and he recovers the lamp and saves his wife. The actual battle that takes place between the two is transparent of the economic and political struggle that goes on between members of all classes on a daily basis and through centuries of history.
Aladdin is full of symbolism that can be analyzed through a Marxist lens in literature. Some symbols are upfront and obvious, and some the reader must analyze and dive deeper into to understand their meanings. Everyone in the story has a different place in the class structure: from slavery with the genies, to poverty with Aladdin, to the upper class with the sorcerer, and finally the royals with the emperor and the princess. This story depicts how classes affect daily life, even as far back as a thousand years ago when this piece was estimated to be written. Aladdin is in fact much more than just a myth. It is a depiction of the differences in class and how it affects everyone from the proletariat to the bourgeoisie.
You’re 97% through this paper. Sign up to read the full paper.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.