Week 3 Project Styles - Women Characters

The topic I’ve decided on for my project is strong women characters. I definitely want to incorporate Sita’s story into my project, however I might just tweak a few details. I was thinking about writing about some strong women characters who played a “damsel in distress” but changing the story in the end to where they save themselves. I think I might be able to get some ideas for stories and characters from Devee’s book, Nine Ideal Indian Women. After doing some research, I learned that Suniti Devee was passionate about women’s rights and education. Her ideas about getting girls in school were ahead of their time, as she lived from 1864-1932. (Wikipedia) I also plan to watch Paley’s animated film, Sita Sings the Blues for my week 4 reading assignment. I think this will better help me understand Sita’s character from a different point of view. Other Indian characters that could be a part of my story could be from the Mahabharata which I know we are reading soon. I did some research on one of the main characters, Satyavati who was a fisherman’s daughter turned queen. This could make for a very interesting story, and I look forward to reading more about her character in the coming weeks.

Still image from Sita Sings The Blue,

By: Nina Paley, Year: 2010, Sources: Wikipedia

One possible style for these stories could be a talk show where the damsels tell “the real story” of their lives. They would explain how they were the heroines, and how the plot got twisted into what we know today. The stories would be guided in interview style, as a talk show host goes around the room and allows each character to tell their stories. This would be a type of frametale style where the host would connect each of the character’s stories. Each damsel would tell their story in first person.

I really like the idea of the women characters being the heroes and saving themselves, and re-telling stories we already know to make this true. Another style for these types of stories, besides a talk show, would be to introduce a new character whose journey crosses paths with each of the famous women. The new character would serve as the storyteller who, over a series of events, meets all of these characters at the pinnacle of their heroism. This would again be a frametale, with the new character tying together all of the other stories.

Another possible style could be a set of sequels for the women characters. I’ve noticed from what I’ve read in Indian literature so far that women are often very important characters, but very rarely are they the main protagonist. In these sequels the woman would be the main character, each taking their own journey befitting of their personality. This would be more of an anthology type of style, told by a third-person storyteller.

Another idea is to tell each of the stories of these famous women characters from epic Indian literature as modern stories. This would be an anthology approach, and each epic character could be reincarnated into a person in today’s society. The modern women would face similar challenges as the epic women. Perhaps the modern woman would overcome obstacles in a similar way as the epic character, or perhaps the plot would twist. I think these types of stories could be told effectively in third-person or first-person.

Bibliography

"Nine Ideal Indian Women" by Sunity Devee (1919). Source: here

"Suniti Devi" Wikipedia article by multiple authors (2015). Source: Wikipedia

"Satyavati" Wikipedia article by multiple authors (2015). Source: Wikipedia

"Sita Sings the Blues" by Nina Paley (2008). Source: Youtube

Week 3 Storytelling- Golden Deer, Golden Purse

They were madly in love, and crazy poor. Everyone told them they were crazy for getting married so young. Both were working late nights to put themselves through school. They were exhausted and in an unfamiliar place, but they couldn’t be any happier. Max wanted to give Charlotte everything though. He knew she had given up a lot of amazing things to be with him. She came from a very wealthy family and was used to the finer things in life. Charlotte didn’t care about those things anymore, but she couldn’t help but stop and peak in the window at a few of the boutiques she used to shop at. There was one purse in particular that caught her eyes, it shimmered all over with gold beading. She would quickly look away and wince after noticing the price tag. Max noticed the look in her eyes when she saw that purse. For some reason, he wanted nothing more than to get it for her.

Max started taking on even later shifts at his job to try to save money. He told himself, “If I could just get that purse for her, she would really know how much I appreciate her.”

Image: Pouch-iPurse -gold 4,

Author: Ipurse, Source: Wikimedia

Charlotte was confused as to why Max was gone so late all of the time. The couple started spending less and less time together. At first Charlotte didn’t say anything. She tried to be strong for them, and figured Max maybe just needed some space. Max kept taking up more shifts, and Charlotte kept missing him more and more. Finally, one day he had earned enough money to buy the purse. He couldn’t contain his excitement. He rushed home after his last late shift. He had been working so many hours, he started counting in his head the extra hours he’d put in that week. He was so exhausted. He kept thinking about how wonderful it would be to give Charlotte her present, and fall right asleep. Now that he was thinking about it, he hadn’t actually slept in a few days. His eyelids grew heavy. He knew he was almost home, he could make it. He kept thinking of Charlotte… dreaming of her.

He woke up in the hospital the next morning. Charlotte was draped over his chest weeping. She explained to him that he had fallen asleep at the wheel. Her tears of anxiety were beginning to turn into tears of joy and relief as Max came to.

Author’s Note

This story is based off of a portion of R.K. Narayan’s The Ramayana A Shortened Modern Prosed Version of the Indian Epic. In one story, Rama chases after the golden deer that Sita found and asked for. Rama wants to give Sita everything she asks for, since she has done so much for him- Sita chose to follow Rama out into the forest when he was wrongfully exiled. Unfortunately, the deer turned out to be a trap set up by Ravana. Once Rama was lured away by the deer, Ravana was able to kidnap Sita.

Max is like Rama, but instead of leading his wife out into the forest Max had led his wife to a poor life. I tried to think of ways that people today have pure motives for their actions, and want to please the one they love, but end up doing more harm than good. In this story, Max would never feel good enough for his wife until he could provide a worthy present for her. By the end of the story, however, you can imagine that Charlotte wished she had never even laid eyes on that purse. Both Max and Rama just wanted to make their wives happy, but in the end it wasn’t worth the price they ultimately paid.

Bibliography

Narayan, R. K. The Ramayana A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic. London: Penguin Classics, 2006. Print.

Week 3 Reading Diary B- Respect and Honor

I think my page numbers are slightly different from those presented in the reading schedule, however, this week I finished Narayan’s modern version of the Ramayana. Although I realize that what I read was a much shortened version of the original epic, I feel as though I was taken along every twist and turn in Rama’s journey. Ultimately, the reader finishes with a great sense of pride in Rama’s purpose and his faithfulness in the execution of his mission.

One theme that I noticed throughout the book, however particularly towards the end, was respect for one’s opponents. One example is when Rama defeats Vali. As Vali is dying, the book recounts his wonder at the idea of being killed. He can’t even begin to fathom the greatness of the one who ended his life. In is dying breaths he shares a dialogue with Rama, so that he might understand who has killed him and what his motives are. By the end of their conversation, Vali essentially considers it an honor to have been killed by Rama.

Fight between Rama and Ravana

between the 16th and 19th century, Author: Unknown, Source: Wikimedia 

This type of thing happens again between Rama and Ravana in the ultimate and final battle. Rama gives Ravana a type of "break" in the middle of their battle to essentially recollect himself. This mercy was given to his enemy out of respect and because of Rama's own honor. The battle also recounts Ravana's amazement towards Rama towards the end of the battle. This is interesting because he has tremendous respect for Rama, yet also wants to kill him with every fiber of his being. In the end of their battle, when Ravana is defeated, Rama is concerned that he had shot him in the back. Apparently, shooting someone while they are turning away is very dishonorable. Instead of celebrating the destruction of evil, Rama is more concerned about winning in an honorable way.

The honor code that is maintained by Rama, and the respect he has towards others despite the many ways they have wronged him is incomparable. The respect he has for his step-mother is another example of this. In the end, Rama asks that his father forgive her for the terrible wrong she did taking away Rama's crown. This type of forgiveness is incredibly honorable, in my opinion. It is these virtues of respect and honor that make Rama a true hero. Sure, he has strength and capabilities, but it is willingness to do the right thing (even when the wrong thing seems so right) that take him to the next level and make him epic. 

Week 3 Reading Diary A- A Human and a God

In this portion of the reading, we realize that Rama is as much a human as he is a god. It has been noted throughout the story that he is in possession of super natural strengths and talents that could only come from a higher power. However, in this portion of the reading we realize that those abilities are in a way constrained by his current human form. For example, he does not have the foresight to see that the golden deer is a trap presented for him. He has a hard time forgiving himself for being lured away from his wife. This one moment of human error, although it is the first and only instance mentioned in the story, causes Rama to be temporarily separated from the love of his life.

In this way the character of Rama could be compared to Jesus Christ. Christians often have a hard time wrapping their heads around how Jesus was fully man and God at the same time. However, both pieces of his being are critical to understanding the story of his life. Jesus wept, like a human. He pleaded with God in the garden of Gethsemane, although he himself was God. It is crucial that Jesus was fully human, so that he could set an example for human followers and set himself up to be the ultimate sacrifice. However, this human-God combination is often difficult to fully understand.

Agony in the Garden

between circa 1380 and circa 1390, Author: Master of Wittingau, Source: Wikimedia 

Perhaps, in a similar way, it was crucial for Rama to be human. In Rama’s case, had he not lost Sita temporarily, he may have never had the opportunity to defeat the evil Ravana. Although his earthly human form could not comprehend the reasons for the trials he had to go through, in the end all of the painful events of his life played out so that Rama could be a part of a much greater good.