Reading Notes, Inayat. Twenty Jataka Tales: The Quarrelsome Quails

Bibliography: Inayat. Twenty Jataka Tales. Story: The Quarrelsome Quails

Notes: Well, the moral of this story was not very subtle, now was it. Work together and be successful or quarrel and fail. Honestly, it's pretty hard to argue with that... 

     What initially drew me to this story was the title. I am a huge fan of alliteration, and try to use it in a lot of my own titles. If I choose to write on this story this week, that is something that I would definitely want to keep! 

     I have been really getting into the Jataka tales, but decided to try to mix it up a bit this week by reading the Inayat Jataka tales rather than the Babbitt Jataka tales. I have to say, now that I have read both, I prefer the Inayat tales. They just flow a bit better and the dialogue seems more natural and not spliced in. I am exited to read more of these tales this week!

     Anyway, on to my own plans with this story. Immediately, I want to make it political. Nowadays, I am always so frustrated when I listen to the news and hear how people in government positions are more concerned with arguing with one another than they are with trying to overcome our differences and work together. The result? Congress is frankly ineffectual because people keep fighting one another. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? 

     I did just write a story last week making pointed political commentary on capitalism (or, at least, trying to), so I could just continue on with that story- essentially write the sequel. Since it is Terry Pratchett's birthday today (he is my absolute favorite author) and he excelled at writing political satire, continuing on in this vein only seems fitting. That being said, I am going to have to work pretty hard before I can hold a candle to Sir Pratchett. 

(A quail. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes, Babbitt Jataka Tales: The Ox Who Envied the Pig

Bibliography: Babbitt Jataka Tales. Story: The Ox Who Envied the Pig

Notes: Hmmmmm. I don't know what to make of this story. At first glance, it seems that the story is trying to tell us not to envy the people who have more than we do, because they are destined for failure (or, in the case of the story, food). Yet I think that the meaning of the story might be more sinister than that. If you think about it, the oxen don't actually have some wonderful life. Sure, they are actually alive at the end of the story, but they only reason they are is because they have use as beasts of burden. In return for their labor, they are fed rather poorly. Not that the pig's life is much better. He gets to live high and mighty, but only for a while... 

        Looking at it this way, the moral of the story seems more to be that you can't really win. There is no way, at least in the setting that has been established in the story, to live both well and for a long time. That is, unless you are the farmer. It must all seem rather dystopian to the animals, this way of life. 

        I think that this might be an interesting way to approach a story- a dystopian setting for a dystopian moral. Perhaps there could be tidbits of a revolution thrown in there as well as the characters realize that what is needed in order for them to escape this caged existence is for them to revolt against the farmer character. The real moral could be, essentially, that rampant capitalism is bad. The farmer represents the 1% who literally feasts on and exploits the other 99%. Very Animal Farm..... 

        I just also think that it would be more fun to write this story in a dystopian setting than in the "real world". 

(Storytelling Inspiration. Source: Flickr)

Extra Credit Reading Notes, Babbitt Jataka Tales: The Sandy Road

Bibliography: Babbitt Jataka Tales. Story: The Sandy Road

Notes: I am really intrigued by this story. A number of the Jataka tales that I have read have been somewhat untraditional moralistic tales in that they have not really presented a moral. I don't really know if it is fair for me to be comparing the stories to "moralistic tales" since that may not actually be the point of the stories, but most stories tend to have a deeper meaning, which I have struggled to find in some of the stories (though that may be more of a personal failing than one of the story). This story, however, is unconventional in a different way. Most moralistic tales (I will just continue to use this classification because I think it is the closest one I know to use) have "good" and "bad: characters or "wise" and "foolish" characters (think "The Wise and the Foolish Merchant", though I had thoughts on that that can be seen in my reading notes on the story). This story combines both of those tropes into one character. The merchant is both the foolish one and the wise one. He is the one who makes the questionable decision to throw away the water and firewood before they are out of the desert, but he is also the one who does not give up and finds the place for the well. I really like this actually, since it presents a much more realistic view of how the world works. There are not completely "good" or "evil" people, neither are there completely "wise" or "foolish" ones. People make mistakes. Yet, as my grandfather used to say, "It is only a mistake if you don't learn from it." Perhaps in a re-telling of this story I could have the merchant, now old, telling his grandchildren this story and incorporate my own grandfathers wise words in there as the "moral". 

(A sight that would make most people want to give up. Source: pxhere)

Reading Notes, Babbitt Jataka Tales: The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking

Bibliography: Babbitt Jataka Tales. Story: The Turtle Who Couldn't Stop Talking

Notes: I think I might have heard this story before! I tried to google it to see if an iteration of it also existed as an Aesop fable (I know that a lot of folk tales have a lot of overlap), but I didn't find anything. Maybe I have heard the Jataka tales before and I just haven't known what I was listening to. 

        I am someone who is both quite opinionated and is not afraid to express those opinions. I have found that this can be both a blessing and a curse. While I think it is good to be outspoken and talk about those thing that you are passionate about, there have definitely been situations in which I have found that I think things would have been better off if I had just kept my mouth shut. I think that the turtle in this story can definitely relate.... 

        I think it is a valuable skill to know when to talk- when to make the choice to engage in a conversation or not to and knowing what battles you want to fight and what hills you want to die on. Frankly, if you choose to talk all the time about the things that you feel passionately about, not only is it likely annoying to others, but it is also just exhausting. 

        In a society so fraught with all different kinds of turmoil, I think that the story of the turtle could definitely be relevant. Sometimes not talking about the things that are causing this turmoil is actually the best way to get past it- to just exist in a pleasant manner with friends- to spend time together having fun rather than having conversations with a capital "c". I don't necessarily know that this is the story I will choose to write this week- I am feeling slightly more inspired by my Ganga reading notes, but it's an idea!

(Turtle. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes, Ganga: The Divine Beauty

Bibliography: Random Comic Book. Story: Ganga: The Divine Beauty

Notes: I have never been a big reader of comic books, but for the sake of pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I decided to go with it! I flipped though a couple of the random comic book suggestions (I don't know if that defeats the purpose of random, but here we are) until I found one about Ganga. I have always wanted to lean more about the mythology behind Ganga, so this was perfect! I actually have had the absolute honor to go with my family to Varanasi and see Ganga herself! 

           I actually thought that it might be interesting to, instead of doing a re-telling of the story that was outlined in the comic, explore some of the characteristics of Ganga. She is known to purify, and I know that actually one of the big problems with the River Ganga is that there is a lot of pollution from the Manikarnika Ghats and from people putting other things into the River Ganga to get purified. I think that this irony is something that could be explored in a story. 

            I have always really enjoyed reading the works of Neil Gaiman, and I especially liked his book "American Gods". I think that the concept that he explores in that book of thinking about what deities might be like if they were a part of our society- essentially if they had immigrated and developed along with all of the people who worship them. I think that a similar concept to this could be explored with Ganga. How has the goddess who purifies changed after years and years of pollution? What does she think about people worshipping her somewhat ironically by polluting her? I think that all of these questions and thoughts of Ganga's would be the basis of a pretty interesting story. 

(Ganga. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes, Babbitt More Jataka Tales, Part B

Bibliography: Babbitt More Jataka Tales. Story: The Brave Little Bowman

Notes: I have to admit, I was a little bit worried when reading this story that it was going to take a different turn than it did. I thought that it might end with the small man turning on the big man after he insulted him and leaving him to fend for himself when the other army came. I was then pleasantly surprised when the small man then went out to help the big man anyways. I had just read a couple of other Jataka tales (like Prince Wicked) that I thought had a pretty harsh view of morality. While I understand that there are plenty of morally questionable characters that do questionable things, I just am of the view that there is no situation in which it is OK to take someone's life into your own hands and condemn them to death (I think this viewpoint might be a large motivating factor to becoming a doctor- the whole "do no harm" thing and all...). 

The beginning of the story reminded me of Cyrano de Bergerac. It is one of my favorite plays, and I thought that this story shared some characteristics with it- someone that does not have the "look" acting through someone who does. I think it might be interesting to do a re-telling of this story in that storyline. Taking the story and transferring it to renaissance France would be quite the dramatic change, but I think it would work! Instead of doing battle and hunting as they do in the story, I think it would be possible to stay true to the Cyrano de Bergerac story and have poetry and letters substitute in for battle. As the climax of the story, Cyrano may have to act as an ambassador to the foreign king and write a treatise that appeases him. 

(Cyrano de Bergerac. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes, Babbitt More Jataka Tales, Part A

Bibliography: Babbitt More Jataka Tales. Story: The Girl Monkey and the String of Pearls

Notes: I decided to keep going with the Jataka tales instead of moving on with the stories about Krishna because I was getting distinct Aesop's Fables vibes and I just really love those (I think it has a lot to do with nostalgia- my dad used to read them to me as bedtime stories). 

        Of the stories in part A of the "More Jataka Tales", I thought that a lot of them were somewhat strange in that they seemed like they were set up to have a moral, but then stopped just before telling the audience what that moral actually was supposed to be. This was one of the few stories that I though had an actually deducible moral. From what I could understand, there were a couple of different morals in this one: greed, showing off, ingenuity, and thanking the brains behind the operation. Now, while I think it could be interesting to create a moral for a story that does not (at least at surface level) have one (maybe fodder for the next reading notes?), I was also just more drawn to this story than the other ones, so here we are!

        This story does not have as many side characters that need their own narrative (like many of the Rama and Sita stories), nor does it have elements of the plot that I think need re-analysis (like the Wise and the Foolish Merchant story), so I think this story has the potential to do a re-telling, but in a different setting. This is not something that I have done before, so it ought to be a new experience! I am currently taking a film noir class, so I am feeling inspired by this: perhaps the soldier could be the PI hired to solve the case of the missing pearls....

(Private Eye. Source: Pixabay)

Reading Notes, Babbitt Jataka Tales, Part B

Bibliography: Babbitt Jataka Tales. Story: The Wise and Foolish Merchant

Notes: While I understand what the story is trying to say with regards to being "wise" and "foolish", I honestly viewed the "wise" merchant as being the real antagonist in this story. I mean, he knew exactly what was going to happen to the "foolish" merchant when he let him go first, which means that he willfully allowed him to have a terrible time just so that he could have a smooth road. While I don't necessarily know that I can make the claim that the "wise" merchant knew that the "foolish" one was going to be carried off my demons, stealing the "foolish" merchant's wagons and goods after he had been abducted/killed/possessed was despicable enough. Instead of this story being called "The Wise and the Foolish Merchant", I think it ought to be called "The Inexperienced and the Exploiting Merchant". Because, lets be real here, that is what is happening.  

        If I were to re-tell this story, I would either choose to write an epilogue in which the "wise" merchants ways come back to bite him or one in which the "foolish" and the "wise" merchant work together and achieve significantly better results. As it stands, the moral of this story is that it is OK to lie, exploit, and steal (and perhaps also send people to their deaths) for your own gain. I think it would be much better either to spin the moral either as "lying, stealing, and exploiting may get you riches in the short term, but will lead to unhappiness and self-destruction in the long-term" or that "lying, stealing, and exploiting may get you riches in the short term, but working together and helping those around you will lead to even greater riches". I think I prefer the second moral, because happy endings are more fun!

(Merchants. Source: Picryl)

Reading Notes, Babbitt Jataka Tales, Part A

Bibliography: Babbitt Jataka Tales. Story: A Measure of Rice

Notes: I really like the concept behind this story for a couple of different reasons. First, I great up listening to and reading lots of Aesop's Fables, so I have a soft spot for moralistic tales. What is interesting about this story is that there are actually a couple of different morals that it is possible to identify. There is that of the foolish king who did not appreciate the good work of his subjects and was greedy. There is also something of a moral behind the story of the valuer himself. He is thrust into a position that he is completely unprepared and untrained for, and after he tries to do his best with the situation that he has been put in he is ridiculed and banished from court!

        I also think another interesting thing that would be possible to explore in a story is that of "what are things worth?" While in our current society and our current positions, we may knw what has value to us and to society (dollar bills have value), it is interesting to think about how what has value can change across cultures, with age, and even simple designation (dollar bills only have value because we have all agreed that they do). I think it could be interesting to do a story in which the greedy king is represented by the government, and then to talk about the arbitrary designation of "value." This would be easy to do in the context of inflation (what is "one dollar" actually worth and the fact that it cost more than a penny to make a penny). The similarities do not stop there, unfortunately, as the process of inflation in the United States has made the US dollar much lass powerful globally. This could be a parallel to the other members of the court laughing at the king (other countries and the US). 

(Masked Ben Franklin. Source: Pixabay)

Reading Notes, Public Domain Mahabharata, Part D

Bibliography: Public Domain Mahabharata. Story: Duryodhana Falls

Notes: I am just all over the place with Yudhistira at this point. I can't decide if I think his few good qualities outweigh the massive troubles that he has caused for his brothers and for his people as a whole. I am becoming unconvinced. 

            I am less familiar with this section of the Mahabharata, and wanted to know more about this story, so did a bit of further research online specifically as to why Yudhistira had such a big problem with Bhima fighting Duryodhana. I mean, its not as if Bhima hadn't been making his intentions clear for a pretty long time. It turns out, it was Yudhistira's sense of honor, of dharma, that caused him to initially allow Duryodhana to pick which warrior he was going to fight, but also take issue with the fact that Bhima did not really fight fair. What really galled me about that particular bit was that the only reason that Bhima chose to break Duryodhana's thighs is that he cannot win the fight fairly, meaning that in asking him to fight fair, Yudhistira would condemn Bhima to death. Now, I realize that not all siblings get along equally well, but I'd be pretty miffed if my sister ever asked me to do such a thing, or at least did not try to help me come up with an alternative. 

            During my research of this story, I was pleased to learn that Krishna shared my exasperation of Yudhistira's actions. I think it might be interesting to write a story either from the perspective of Bhima as he is forced to watch again as Yudhistira's actions once again negatively impact his life, or from the perspective of Krishna as he realizes that the leader of the Pandava who he has been actively helping this whole time may not really deserve to be there he is. 

(Battle between Duryodhana and Bhima. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes, Public Domain Mahabharata, Part C

 Bibliography: Public Domain Mahabharata. Story: Riddles at the Lake

Notes: Whenever I have read through or watched other versions of the Mahabharata, this is one of the other stories that I have really enjoyed. First of all, I am just always a fan of riddles, especially in books. Golem and Bilbo's competition in Lord of the Rings, Emma outwitting her suitor through the solving of a riddle in Jane Austen's "Emma," the sphinx's riddle in Harry Potter- these are always favorites of mine, and this tale with the Pandava was no different. 

        I also appreciate that this story allows Yudhistira to get some redemption for the behavior that got them into exile in the first place. I have always wondered about the fact that the Pandava seemed to be ok with him remaining king (albeit king of not very much) after he gambled everything away. I am not saying that I think all monarchs and world leaders always do rational things or are the best leaders, but generally something that phenomenally stupid gets you kicked out. This scene gives Yudhistira a chance to prove that he actually has something that the his brothers do not- he may not have good impulse control, but there is some hidden wisdom there.

        I think it might be interesting to play with this concept in a re-telling of the story- to play up the fact that Yudhistira is actually using his time in exile to learn and grow from his mistakes. This could be the first time that he is forced to put these newly learned skills to use to protect his brothers. There could be thoughts of also drinking the water or simply engaging the god of death in a fight, but then memories of the game of dice flit through his mind and cause him to chose to step back, think, and only then to act. 

(The Pandav Caves- Hypothesized to be where the Panava stayed during their exile. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes, Public Domain Mahabharata, Part B

Bibliography: Public Domain Mahabharata. Story: Draupadi Lost/ Draupadi in the Assembly Hall

Notes: Whenever I have read or watched any version of the Mahabharata, I have always loved the story of Krishna coming to Draupadi's aid. Too often we see women being victimized (such as in Rama and Sita's story), and this is not so much the case here. I have always appreciated that Draupadi stands up for herself when she is gambled away- she does not just sit there and accept her fate (even though she is eventually forced into it anyway). I like this version of a female character who is able to kind of call the guys on their questionable actions (I don't really understand her forgiving Yudisthira so quickly, but I appreciate that she at least seems incensed by his gambling). 

        I was waiting for a new incarnation of this story in the Public Domain version, but have to admit that I was slightly disappointed when it kind of just glossed over it. I thought this presented an opportunity for a story! Given how much I already like it, I thought doing some research and expanding on it would be fun. 

         I liked that the "Draupadi Lost" story was written in verse- somehow, things written in poetry have always carried more dramatic weight for me. I thought that I might continue that trend with my version of the story. I also wonder how Draupadi and Krishna's story continues (if it does). Although this is not the first time that a god comes to the rescue of a mis-treated woman (again Sita's story), this time feels different because Draupadi feels more in charge of her own narrative. What must have been going through Draupadi's mind as she is forced to face the court with threat of being stripped and who knows what else. How must she have then felt that Krisha was the one to come to her aid and not one of her so-called devoted husbands?

(Draupadi under Krishna's care. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes: Public Domain Mahabharata, Part A

Bibliography: Public Domain Mahabharata. Story: Ekalavya

Notes: I have read and watched couple of different versions of the Mahabharata, and Ekalavya's story has just always rubbed me the wrong way. I know that the Mahabharata is sort of unique in that there are not really any "good guys" or "bad guys." This story, however, feels different from other cases in which people who fulfill more traditional protagonist roles do acts that are villainous in nature (such is the case when you learn Shakuni's backstory and it makes his actions much more understandable, though no less heinous). In this case, Arjuna and Drona just feel petty in their actions. Perhaps there is an understandable motive behind their asking for Ekalavyas's thumb, but I have to be honest, it would have to be a pretty darn good reason before I think that mutilating a young hardworking boy is ok in any sense. 

        I went and did some research online, but wasn't able to find anything that explained Drona's request. This might be a place to insert a story. I don't know, however, that I might possibly be able to spin that would take the acid out of my mouth. So perhaps the better route to go is to tell Ekalavya's story after he is asked to cut off his thumb. I am generally not one for revenge tales, so I think I would rather go the route of having him achieve victory some other way. Maybe he trains with his middle fingers until he is back up to par. He could then disguise himself and enter an archery competition against Arjuna and win. This would be a way of sticking it to Drona without actually resorting to violence (I am never a fan of answering violence with violence)- proving that no matter what Drona does, hard work and dedication will always win out. 

(Bow and Arrow. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Part D

Bibliography: Narayan's Ramayana. Story: "Interlude/Coronation" (Again, the link is for web research of the story, I am reading from a paper book)

Notes: When I was reading through the Interlude, I was REALLY angry with Rama. There seems to be a common theme in the Ramayana (at least Narayan's version), of victim blaming and mistrust. When tragedy befalls women, they are not welcomed back with open arms. Instead they are viewed as "impure," even if they have literally been kidnapped, tortured, or raped. Truly, its enough to make just about any woman's blood boil. 

           I was somewhat placated that the "Coronation" section of the book started off with the gods acknowledging Rama's hypocrisy. They, at least, recognized that Rama had changed. If not changed, then at least had changed his morals completely when it came to himself. I was fully expecting some sort of scene in which the gods talked to him about this change, but I was disappointed. Perhaps this is again an issue of severe abbreviation, but I thought this would be an area in which I could elaborate with a story of my own. 

           I don't really know what might cause someone to have such a reversal of character. Maybe earlier life experience that would cause such mistrust? What is the story about Rama's mother? If she were to have had an affair, this might be the reason that Rama would have one set of morals for others, but that when it comes to himself he would not be objective. Then there is the question of what the gods might say to deal with this. Perhaps they could arrange for some kind of meeting with his mother in which she were to explain the reason behind her infidelity. While I don't condone the act, I can easily come up with reasons why it might be easily explained and reasonable. Perhaps Rama hearing this might cause him to rethink his morals when it comes to Sita. 

(The Marriage of Rama and Sita. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana, Section C

 Bibliography: Narayan's Ramayana. Story: "Sugreeva's Story" (Again, the link is for web research of the story, I am reading from a paper book)

Notes: When reading this story, I was mostly struck by the tragedy of it. The brothers Sugreeva and Vali could have had such a chance to form a strong bond, considering that they have both undergone largely similar experiences (both being "illegitimate" sons and being both cast out and cursed by Sage Gautama), and therefore might be truly the only people in the world who could understand one another. However, as is so often the case for people who have undergone traumatic experiences in early childhood, the cycle of abuse continues (in this story, it might be more accurate to say- the "cycle of tragedy") 

            I also thought that this story cloud be easily modified to make some pretty poignant commentary on the horrors of war when veterans return home. It sounds like the two brothers actually started out by having a relatively functional relationship (the Narayan story does not really describe it, but they were at least both inhabiting the same kingdom). Vali's experiences could be modernized and related to time spent at war. The part in which he is presumed dead would not have to be changed much, but I think it would be interesting to spend most of the story dealing with the interactions that Sugreeva and Vali have after he returns. I don't know if this is merely a consequence of the severe abbreviation of the Narayan version, but I thought that a lot of the strife would have been avoided with better attempts at communication. Why couldn't Sugreeva have written Vali a letter explaining what happened once they had been separated? However, if Vali is suffering from PTSD that causes him to not trust anything that Sugreeva says (bringing the battleground and struggle for power/survival home with him) this would provide, at least to me, a better argument as to the falling out for the two brothers and also a better understanding of why Sugreeva might feel that he has no choice but to have Vali killed (though, I have to admit, I can't really think of any fundamentally good reason to commit fratricide...).

(Sugreeva challenging Vali. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes, Narayan's Ramayana, Section B

Bibliography: Narayan's Ramayana. Story: "Encounters in Exile" (Again, the link is for web research of the story, I am reading form a paper book)

Notes: The first thing that I noticed about this passage was one of the "beautiful sentences" that was talked about in the reading notes strategies. When Soorpanaka is pleading with Rama after she has been mutilated by Lakshmana, she says "So, do not hesitate. No one will dare say that I have no nose or ears or breasts. I still have eyes, which can feast upon your broad chest and shoulders, and my arms are intact to embrace you. I love you madly." 

This passage feels almost like a really messed-up Shakespearian sonnet (though, to be fair, Shakespeare was not un-familiar with mutilating his characters). What caught me off-guard was that it was this really strange moment of beauty in a story which was otherwise pretty brutal. 

I thought this might be an interesting basis for a story. If you were to continue the story of Soorpanaka past her time with Rama, you could write a love story. Is her lover also mutilated? Is he not, but loves her with her appearance? One of the things that I have been noticing is that many of the women in the Ramayana are described as "flawless" or "perfect." It could be interesting to have this aspect of what makes a woman "desirable" removed so that the story can expand upon other character traits that make people love one another. Expanding on the idea of the sonnet, this story could include sonnets or be written entirely on sonnet form. 

In researching Soorpanaka's story, I found a resource (the one listed above) that said that Soorpanaka and Sita met and became friends years after the events in the "Encounters in Exile" story. There might also be an interesting story to tell there, considering that they were pretty much pitted against each other in this story. 

(Lakshmana cutting off Soorpanaka's nose. Source: Wikimedia)

Reading Notes, Narayan's Ramayana, Section A

 Bibliography: Narayan's Ramayana. Story: "Ahalya's Story" (Link is for web research of the story, I am reading form a paper book)

(Ahalya and Indra. Source: Wikimedia)

Notes: When I was reading through part A of the Ramayana, this story elicited by far the most emotional reaction in me. I have to admit, it wasn't a good one. Although this story proclaims to be "Ahalya's Story," she seems to be a side character to her own tale. Things are done to her, and not by her. Not only that, but she is judged for the things that she does as though she were the primary actor in these plots. There is a lot of victim blaming that happens, and I thought it was a particular sting that Gautama lessens Indra's curse before Ahalya's curse is reversed, even though Indra (at least in this version) is the real "villain' here. 

What really gets me about this story though is that Ahalya is essentially creased to be this completely perfect and irresistible being, but she is then punished for being so. She has no real control over her own narrative, as she is both created and (in a sense) trained to be who she is. This leads to another off-putting part of the narrative, which is that Gautama raises her, and then she is given to him as his wife. I can understand, however, that this may simply be a cultural difference that I am reacting to. 

I think it woudl be interesting to do a re-telling in which we see Ahalya take more control. It would be my guess that she didn't want to be married to someone over which she had no control. Some versions of the story have Ahalya be aware that she is having relations with someone who is not her husband, and I think expanding on that narrative (letting a young woman who was designed to be a object of infatuation actually explore her sexual identity) would be interesting. 

Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

 Author: W.H.D. Rouse

Title: Goblin City

Link: Goblin City

Notes: When I read this story, I think immediately of the goblins that I know of from the world of Terry Pratchett. As he is one of my favorite authors, I have read plenty of his books. In them, the goblins are represented as a misunderstood and mistreated species who people both seem to fear and look down upon (how typically human...). Pratchett gives the goblins motive for the actions that others deem as terrifying or strange, and I think it would be interesting to try to do a retelling of this story from the perspective of the goblins. 

            Important questions to answer here might be: What happened to the He-Goblins? What sort of social hierarchy has been established by the She-Goblins? What characteristics do the She-Goblins have in common with human women, and what characteristics are different? What human practices do the goblins distain? 

            Then comes the most important question: what reason could the She-Goblins possibly have to gobble up human men? I think that one of the most intriguing motives that exists in many of the book that I have read is the lengths that mothers will go to for their children (this is part of why I am so interested in Gandhari's story). Perhaps the He-Goblins went to explore the land of humans and were killed (giving the She-Goblins ample reason to distain humans). Since then, the goblins land has become barren, and the She-Goblins turn to man-flesh to feed their children. 

          Alternately, the She-Goblins could be acting to try to protect their children. Although it would be slightly strange for the humans to have come to Ceylon to take the children themselves, if the goblins were to lay eggs this would seem like just the thing that some careless human might view as "treasure." If the He-Goblin part is kept, then that would explain why the She-Goblins have no qualms about just eating the human men rather than imprisoning's them or something similar when trying to protect their eggs. I think I prefer this motive- it feels slightly less strange/forced. 

(A Very Protective She-Goblin Mama. Source: Wikimedia)

Week 2 Reading Overview

Chosen Version: Narayan

    I am most interested in this version because, although I realize that it will be impossible to get a truly authentic version of a story when reading a translation, I want my initial exposure to the epic to be as close to the "real thing" as possible. 

Comic Book #1: Karna: Brave, Generous, Ill-Fated Prince

    I was intrigued by this comic because, when preparing for this course, I watched the Peter Brooks version of the Mahabharata with my family. In that version, Karna is certainly not depicted as "brave" or "generous." Indeed, the movie seemed to portray him as something of a villain. As such, I thought it would be interesting to delve deeper into his character. 

Comic Book #2: Gandhari, a Mother Blinded by Love

    While the Peter Brooks Mahabharata does introduce Gandhari, not much time is spent on her character. I think there is a lot to delve into, not only with her relationship with her sons, but also her relationship with Kunti, and her decision to blindfold herself. 

(Gandhari. Source: Wikimedia)

Video #1: Symbols of Divinity

    When I was 14, my family and I were able to take a trip to India and Nepal. While there, I had the honor of working in a painting workshop, where I learned how to paint mandalas. I still continue to pain them, and always try to remain true to the huge amounts of symbolism that exist within them. As such, this video seemed just my speed!

Video #2: Rama and the Ramayana: Crash Course World Mythology #27

    Man have I ever watched a lot of Crash Course! In everything from chemistry to biology to not mythology- Crash Course never fails to disappoint. I honestly sometimes just watch Crash Course for fun.