Image of Aladdin in British Literature of the Early Nineteenth Century

Due to the popularity of the Disney cartoon film Aladdin, the image of Aladdin as an Arabian is solidly built in Chinese audience. This paper attempts to argue that this is not true in Britain at the beginning of the nineteenth century. In The Arabian Nights at that time, Aladdin's image has four features: first, Aladdin is Chinese; second, Aladdin is fortunate; third, Aladdin is funny; finally, Aladdin is repentant. On the London stage at that time, Aladdin's image has two main features: first, he is Chinese; second, he is romantic. In the adapted fairy tale of that time, Aladdin's image has two features: first, he is Chinese; second, he is repentant. It can be concluded that in the early nineteenth century Aladdin was taken as a Chinese in Britain. In other words, the story of Aladdin was regarded as a story related to China at that time. Therefore, this paper helps Chinese people know Aladdin more accurately.