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. 

Feedback Thoughts

 Article #1: Make Good Art

    I have always liked Neil Gaiman as an author, so seeing this article, I had to click. Gaiman did not disappoint. I had never seen this speech before, but really liked what it had to say. There is no way to control what slings and arrows we are given by life, but we can control our response. Either we can become beaten down or we can "make good art." As my grandfather would say: "Its only a mistake if you don't learn from it."

(Trying Again. Source: Feedback Cats)

Article #2: Why It's So Hard to Hear Negative Feedback

    Classical Voice is a major in which it is important to both be able to give and receive negative feedback. While I always try to be cognizant of how I give critical feedback, I had never really thought about the fact that a big part of why it is so hard to receive negative feedback is that we are so bad at giving it. Honestly, now that i have read it, it makes total sense. I will definitely take care to think even more about my feedback presentation in the future!

Topic Brainstorm

1. The Mothers of the Mahabharata

    As I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, I have always been particularly interested in Gandhari's story. This is largely because I always find it interesting to think about what actions become re-defined as "reasonable" when done in the name of protecting children. I have also been pleasantly surprised by how large a role mothers have played in the versions of the Mahabharata that I have read/watched. I think that in stories, too often. mothers act simply to give birth to the hero, and then play no further role. The fact that mothers have a huge impact on the development of their children is given no heed. I think it would be interesting to dive even further into the stories of the mothers of the Mahabharata- delving deeper into their thoughts and what motivates them.

Link: Ink and Post

(A Rendering of Kunti from the Tropenmuseum. Source: Wikimedia)

2. The Food of the Mahabharata

    This idea came largely from a hobby that I have recently been delving into. Over winter break, I got really into making Moroccan food. My pantry has since become stuffed with preserved lemons, ageing butter, and spice concoctions. I have really gotten into expanding my palate and trying new things. Therefore, when I saw a "food" post in the "Readings and Resources" page, I was instantly intrigued. What new flavors might I find within the pages of the Mahabharata? Could the stories from the Mahabharata be told from the perspectives of a chef?

Link: Readings and Resources

3. The Villains of the Mahabharata 

    Much like I discussed in my author's note for the interpretation of "Goblin City," I have always wondered about the motivations behind villains of stories. Too often, I have found that the "bad guy" in a tale is far to flat to be believable. I think it is so much more interesting when I can understand what is driving a character. While I think it is hard to point to one traditional "villain" within that Mahabharata, there are certainly characters who do acts that I would describe as villainous in nature. What made them choose do do such things?

Link: Medium

4. Free Will vs Determinism in the Mahabharata

    Then there is the age-old question- did they even have the luxury of choosing? How does it change the audience's perception of a character and their actions if the story is told through a deterministic lens vs one of free will? Here, I think it would be most interesting to take a couple of notable scenes from within the Mahabharata and do two retellings of them, one as if the character has free will, and another as if the character does not. 

Link: Boloji

Week 2 Story: The Other Side

 "Sneaking, Slimy, Savage Men

who dare to come into my den!

My eggs, my kin, my only treasure

those stinking men want for their pleasure. 

My children they do seek to steal

so I will have them for a meal!"

     Grashti chanted to herself as she scuttled down the shore, looking for anything that could be of use among the wreckage. The human ship had crashed on the rocks the week before, and their small town needed every bit of salvage that it could get. The disappearance of the husbands two years before meant that labor had to be divided among the few remaining townsfolk. Food was scarce. 

     Grashti was old- too old to be dealing with the humans that had been picked up from the shores. For that at least, she was grateful for her age. Although she took no pleasure in picking through the remains of the ship, it was a far better fate than having to pretend for those beasts. The very idea sent shivers down her spine. And still, it had to be done- the men had to be stopped. Across the Great Sea, goblin eggs were seen as treasure. For years, they had been sought out, stolen, and taken back to the royal courts to be worn around the necks of noblewomen or set into the hilts of swords. The goblin race was slowly dying out while the humans paraded the corpses of her kind's young as their spoils. The ignorance, the brutality of it chilled Grashti to her core. She set her back to the wind and continued on with her work. 

    Just then, she heard the horn blow. The low, gurgling sound grew, signaling with it a warning. Three tolls on the gong confirmed what she had suspected: escape. A shadow fell upon the moon, and as Grashti looked up she saw what looked to be a winged horse. Upon it, she could barely make out the figures of men. Their whoops of victory echoed through the night, but Grasti could feel that none of the children flew with them. This time at least, the young were safe. 

"Off you go and don't come back. 

Return, and I your bones will crack. 

Spread the story of goblins vile,

we may evade your attack a while. 

But I shall not forget your crimes. 

Not now, nor 'till the end of times."

(Grashti muttering her warning. Source: Pixabay)

Authors Note:

    I have always been interested in understanding the motives of the "villains" of stories. I think that black and white representations of good and evil are far too simplistic- real life is complicated. So, when reading about the "wicked" goblins, I immediately wanted to know what was driving their behavior. So, I wrote my own motive. 

Bibliography: "Goblin City." From "The Giant Crab and Other Tales from Old India" by W.H.D. Rouse. Web Source

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.