The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic
R.K Narayan
Link
Part C: Pages 89-131
The way women are viewed in this epic I find interesting and unsettling. They're treated as commodities, almost like prizes to be won or something, objectified completely for their beauty. The way Ravana is like "I must have her" with respect to Sita, it's crazy how obsessed he becomes from only a vision with her, because to him she's not a person at all, just this beautiful object he wants to make his. And I've gotten that feeling throughout this book, whenever women are described and desired it's entirely for their appearance.
"She had no business to become his wife. She should have met me first." oookay.
When Lak is deciding what to do, eventually his faith turns to "Dharma alone should protect her," showing the trust in fate and that what should or needs to happen will happen, and it allows him to make a decision he feels conflicted about and move forward with it
"Have you lost both a home and a wife?" Well, yes. Sugreeva's story:
-older brother Vali was extremely powerful and ruled over the land.
-In pursuit of a demon disappeared to the netherworld for 28 months
-Presumed dead, they sealed off the entrance to prevent the demon from coming back
-When Vali did come back he saw it as his brother trying to take his place and flipped out
-Sugreeva ended up at this one mountain that was magically safe
-Vali took over ruling again and also took Sugreeva's wife
This next part is told as the saddest and most controversial parts of the epic, and I'd agree with that.
-Vali has a lot of trust in what he knows of Rama so far. Even as his wife warns him against Rama, he doesn't listen- not because he feels he's so much more powerful than Rama, but because he trusts in Rama's goodness and says he would never take sides in a family quarrel that he has not part in
-However, Vali is proven wrong, as Rama chooses to stay in the shadows and let the two brothers fight it out, shooting Vali fatally in the critical moment
-Vali goes through a lot after being shot. First, this immense surprise that it was Rama's arrow, and feeling bad that his wife was right all along. He goes on a huge rant about how Rama's lost his virtues, and how when strong men commit terrible crimes, they're known as heroic, and asks why he would kill an unarmed stranger. (honestly at this point I was pretty solidly on Vali's side)
-then Rama responds: he explains what Sugreeva had been unable to communicate to Vali the original story of how Sugreeva had never meant to try and take over or banish Vali. He also says that Vali should have known it was wrong to take Sug's wife (to which Vali responds that in his culture of monkeys it's okay, that the code of honor is different than with humans)
-Then, Rama shoots down Vali's arguments that he is only a monkey, saying that the difference between animals and humans is intelligence and understanding right from wrong, and that Vali deserves to be judged by the highest standards of conduct
-Finally, Lak jumps in and says that Rama couldn't have come out and confronted Vali honorably because it would have confused his purpose and he had promised to help Sug first.
-Vali apparently sees this and understands and his whole attitude completely changes, as he accepts his death, practically thanking Rama for it, and says that he's proud and happy and to take care of his brother and all these things
I chose this scene to seek out an image for, because it was such an impactful scene in this segment and the one I spent the most time on in these notes:
Random connection but the rainy season reminds me of the rainy season in the novel Once A Runner. The way he feels trapped in the house, living in the woods on his own, caught in the dreariness of the ever present rain and dampness, and getting over the girl who recently broke up with him--the mood is just incredibly similar.
R.K Narayan
Link
Part C: Pages 89-131
The way women are viewed in this epic I find interesting and unsettling. They're treated as commodities, almost like prizes to be won or something, objectified completely for their beauty. The way Ravana is like "I must have her" with respect to Sita, it's crazy how obsessed he becomes from only a vision with her, because to him she's not a person at all, just this beautiful object he wants to make his. And I've gotten that feeling throughout this book, whenever women are described and desired it's entirely for their appearance.
"She had no business to become his wife. She should have met me first." oookay.
When Lak is deciding what to do, eventually his faith turns to "Dharma alone should protect her," showing the trust in fate and that what should or needs to happen will happen, and it allows him to make a decision he feels conflicted about and move forward with it
"Have you lost both a home and a wife?" Well, yes. Sugreeva's story:
-older brother Vali was extremely powerful and ruled over the land.
-In pursuit of a demon disappeared to the netherworld for 28 months
-Presumed dead, they sealed off the entrance to prevent the demon from coming back
-When Vali did come back he saw it as his brother trying to take his place and flipped out
-Sugreeva ended up at this one mountain that was magically safe
-Vali took over ruling again and also took Sugreeva's wife
This next part is told as the saddest and most controversial parts of the epic, and I'd agree with that.
-Vali has a lot of trust in what he knows of Rama so far. Even as his wife warns him against Rama, he doesn't listen- not because he feels he's so much more powerful than Rama, but because he trusts in Rama's goodness and says he would never take sides in a family quarrel that he has not part in
-However, Vali is proven wrong, as Rama chooses to stay in the shadows and let the two brothers fight it out, shooting Vali fatally in the critical moment
-Vali goes through a lot after being shot. First, this immense surprise that it was Rama's arrow, and feeling bad that his wife was right all along. He goes on a huge rant about how Rama's lost his virtues, and how when strong men commit terrible crimes, they're known as heroic, and asks why he would kill an unarmed stranger. (honestly at this point I was pretty solidly on Vali's side)
-then Rama responds: he explains what Sugreeva had been unable to communicate to Vali the original story of how Sugreeva had never meant to try and take over or banish Vali. He also says that Vali should have known it was wrong to take Sug's wife (to which Vali responds that in his culture of monkeys it's okay, that the code of honor is different than with humans)
-Then, Rama shoots down Vali's arguments that he is only a monkey, saying that the difference between animals and humans is intelligence and understanding right from wrong, and that Vali deserves to be judged by the highest standards of conduct
-Finally, Lak jumps in and says that Rama couldn't have come out and confronted Vali honorably because it would have confused his purpose and he had promised to help Sug first.
-Vali apparently sees this and understands and his whole attitude completely changes, as he accepts his death, practically thanking Rama for it, and says that he's proud and happy and to take care of his brother and all these things
I chose this scene to seek out an image for, because it was such an impactful scene in this segment and the one I spent the most time on in these notes:
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| Vali Dying (Source) |
Random connection but the rainy season reminds me of the rainy season in the novel Once A Runner. The way he feels trapped in the house, living in the woods on his own, caught in the dreariness of the ever present rain and dampness, and getting over the girl who recently broke up with him--the mood is just incredibly similar.
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