The power of words
The main theme in the first story analyzes the power words have on another person. Words and the art of arranging them in such a way as to sound beautifully and produce pleasure are seen as being magical. Scheherazade gains power because of her ability to convince the King not to kill her just to listen to her one more night. In this way, the gender roles that existed in those times are switched. Usually, the man was the one who talked and the woman was the one who listened patiently to what he had to say. But in Scheherazade’s case, she took the role of the story-teller and the man became the listener thus leaving Scheherazade to have the dominating role.
Appearance versus reality
Another theme that is found in the first part of the novel is that there is a big difference between appearance and how a person is in reality. For example, the two sisters appear in front of the Kings as being obedient and willing to do what they will be asked to do when in reality they have more courage than many men and plot to kill the Kings. The genie also leaves the impression that he will not be able to help the girls when he first appears but then he ends up saving their lives. Another character that is described as being evil in the beginning and it is proved to be the completely opposite towards the end of the story is Shah Zaman who is not a ruthless killer but rather a hopeless romantic.
Reversed roles
In Chimera, the roles are reversed and the couples are not traditional. In this sense, the novel is modern because it doesn’t cage a character in a certain typology. For example, in terms of characterization, the men are the ones who fall in love unconditionally and the women remain somehow distant and are even cold towards their partner’s feelings. The women are also often sexually driven and they actively search for sexual pleasure while the men are often unable to fulfill their partner’s desire.
