Indolence

Aladdin's laziness at the beginning of ``Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp''[1, p. 165] is a testament to the stress placed on ``becoming a man'' by obtaining a vocation and working hard. Leaving out the details of the story for now, suffice it to say that Aladdin's ``headstrong and incorrigible good-for-nothing'' ways were shown, by the narrator, to be negative traits. The father eventually died, due to the grief that the son would persist in his ``idle and unruly ways.''

Laziness as a vicious trait can also be seen in the story of ``Judar and His Brothers''. In fact, Judar stands at exact opposites of his brothers: Judar is hardworking, casting his net every day trying to get food for his family. Returning empty handed, each day he goes farther and farther out, hoping to catch something new. His brothers on the other hand, squander their inheritance, and any amount of money they get their hands on. They only visit their mother (and brother) when they need food or money: they do not engage in any hard work.