The Two Baghdads

In the story Ramadan, by Neil Gaiman, the old man tells the story of the great King
Haroun who lived in a golden palace. He is a great sovereign: just, wise, and charming, but he
was sad because he feared his glorious city was going to be forgotten, devoured by the dessert,
crushed to ruins. Nothing could make him feel better. Then he decided he had to talk to Dream,
this powerful spirit that lives in the highest dome of the royal palace, and make him buy his
Baghdad. After flying around with a magic carpet, showing to Dream several place, the ruler
gave him his beloved city so it would remain forever undestroyed. The story was told by an old
man to a boy in modern day Baghdad. Water Pape in his work, Happy Endings in a World of
Misery: A Literary Convention between Social Constraints and Utopia in Childrens and Adult
Literature, argues [That] From the very beginning of childrens literature, the structure of
stories for children has generally produced a dominant interpretation of the world, which
anticipated a happy ending (180) This argument can be refuted by looking into Gaimans
Ramadan. Stories for children represent a connection between two time periods, with endings
modified depending on the circumstances in which the story is told to achieve the maximum
attention from the audience.
The city of Baghdad was once a beautiful city. In the Ramadan, it is portrayed as a very
wealthy metropolis, a magical place. The streets were full of luxurious buildings with gold and
silver plated cupolas. The palace had uncountable jewels and richness. There was also a market
place bursting with fruits, silk, and ornaments of all kind. Caravans from faraway lands traded
the best spices and the most exotic animals with the people from the city. It was a city of
treasures with packed markets and busy streets as it can be seen in figure 1. All this wonders are
not from a fairy tale; even though it does not differ much from one, truth is that the city as

depicted above did exist a long time

ago. F. Rofail Farag, in his article
The Arabian Nights: A Mirror of
Islamic Culture in The Middle Ages,
writes, the most famous collection
of Arabian tales provides rich
information on social conditions in the
Medieval East; this aspect is quite
independent of its being a meritorious
work of literature, which concentrates
on certain Oriental modes of life and
thought.

(197)

The

architecture,

Figure 1

splendor and richness from children stories are based on a strong historical background. All the
unthinkable marvels that for years have delighted people are no other than the mark of a
powerful empire that flourished a long time ago. This legacy goes even further, beyond the
things we can touch and see and beyond the feelings and the emotions of the people. Farag adds,
The descriptions of scenes and attitudes, the drawing of characters, the handling of details in
everyday life are all realistic. (199) This argument places the king in Gaimans story in a
more realistic context. He had everything the common man could dream of, yet he disguised
himself as a merchant to understand the common people. He made a beggar a Caliph. He cares
for his subjects, is a wise king. In the castle, there is also a prison for all of those who have
broken the law or just disobeyed the sultan after all there is a hard part in being a ruler. This was
Baghdad hundreds of years ago.

In the present, Baghdads destruction is catastrophic. The once shining and stunning
buildings crumble to the ground. Ruble and stone from the nearby edifications block the streets.
The war has shaken the foundations of the city to a depressing pile of dust and desert sand. In the
article Iraq, War and Morality, David Gordon highlights:
The heavy bombing of Iraq resulted in severe damage to infrastructure - bridges, roads,
water, sewerage and electrical power systems. Most of the deaths of 'innocent' people in
Iraq were a result of the indirect effects of the bombing of these infrastructure facilities
and an inability to repair these facilities due to the economic sanctions. (1118)
Not only the impressive palace and temple have suffered the wrath of artillery; the war
has carved deep into the human feelings and has changed forever the way we see the
Middle East. Death roams the alleys hungry for souls. The economy has been greatly
affected by the political instability in the country which has worsened the life conditions
of the citizens. Markets not attracting as many clients as they once did. Commercials and
trade networks created a deficit in goods and thus an increase in poverty. The rich
historical and architectonical background behind this city attracted a large number of
travelers from around the world. The incomes generated from tourism decreased in the
last past years; it is hard to find a person willing to put his life at risk for the sake of
visiting an old city. The destruction of the city has generated severe sanitation problems
which have increased the risk of diseases, infections and death as Gordon explains:
It is well established that mass poverty causes increased ill health and an increased risk of
death; it is these indirect and unintended consequences of the Gulf War and economic

sanctions that have caused the greatest amount of death and suffering amongst the
ordinary people of Iraq. (1118)
All this harsh conditions have a tremendous impact not only on the city itself but also on the
people. The conflict has lasted for too long. The constant exposure to the battlefield hazards
made the population thirsty for peace. Children dream of a better future, but the more they want
it the more of dream it seems. Mothers dream that their children live to see the light of the down.
Dreaming has given them hope, because in dreams everything is possible.
The understanding and assimilation of a children story depends on the circumstance on
which it is told. In Ramadan, Hassans interpretation of the tale is heavily influenced by the
current situation of his country. The old man planted in his head a clear light to guide him
through the mist of his wasted country. In the story, Gaiman writes, His head is held high and
his eyes are bright. For behind his eyes are towers and jewels and djinn, carpets and rings and
wild afreets, kings and princes and city of brassHe prays to Allah [that] in the darkness of
dreams, abides the other Baghdad (258) All those marvels were stuck in his mind. The hope
that somewhere in this world or maybe in another world there is a city just like his but better,
feels his heart with courage to keep on moving forward to the future. The chaos that reigns on the
city made him see a motivation to survive. Another child, from a different place, might have seen
the tale as pure fantasy, something he even suspects it is not true. Hassan wants to believe it is
real; he needs it to hold his head high. The devastation he witnessed will never fade away and
that horrific image is constantly compared with the old Baghdad. The story pierced the sorrow in
his heart with a moment of happiness; there is a place where children live happy, a place where
the barricades and tanks are replaced with tall edifications which round tops seem to reach the

sky. He dreams that the sound of crying and pain can not be heard. In this enchanted place, the
stomach does not hurt because of hunger; there is plenty of food to eat for everyone.
A story is a great vehicle to help people understand the world and shape the mind of boys
into mature men. A very well told tale can fill the heart with courage and help people take
important decisions in life and help form values and virtues among the young. Children see
themselves in the stories and try to copy them immediately and as they grow they use all the
lessons, collected throughout his childhood, to become a better person. But stories have a
mysterious blend of reality and fiction that can make the mind wander off from the rightful path.
The doing of villains are marked as actions that should not be copied under any circumstances,
failure of doing so will damage the honor, while doing deeds inspired by the good characters will
offer a moral reward. It is important to learn from the stories, and even more those based on
historical background; this could make a difference between today and the future. A child tale
could save us from destruction. The deep understanding of a legend possesses the power to
transform the men into a human being beyond our scope. A fairy tale can make men dream of
cities and men will build the cities from his dreams.

Works Cited

Gaiman, Neil. The Sandman Fables Reflections. Ramadan. New York: DC Comics, 1993. Print
Pape, Walter. Happy Endings in a World of Misery: A Literary Convention between Social
Constraints and Utopia in Childrens and Adult Literature. Poetics Today Vol. 13, No 1,
Childrens Literature ( Spring, 1992): pp. 179-196. JSTOR. Web. 20 Jul 2011
Farag, Rofail F. The Arabian Nights: A Mirror of Islamic Culture in The Middle Ages. Arabica
T. 23, Fasc. 2 (Jun., 2006): pp. 197-211. JSTOR. Web. 20 Jul. 2011
Gordon, David. Iraq, War and Morality. Economical and Political Weekly, Vol. 38. No. 12/13
(Mar. 22- Apr. 4, 2003), pp. 1117-1120. JSTOR. Web. 23 Jul. 2011