Reading Notes: A Different Ramayana A

This week, we read a different kind of the Ramayana, allowing us to see a different telling of the story. I chose to read: Ramayana by Sister Nivedita. The main thing that stands out right from the get go is that this story is told in a very objective manner. There isn't too much emphasis on the rhyming or song like style of the story like there was in the previous version of the Ramayana, and it takes away to some degree the spirit of the story as a whole; however, I do believe that I comprehend this version of the story better. For instance, the beginning sets up very well, and I believe that makes for a more comprehensible story.

This does bring up an interesting question of story of how crucial comprehension is to making a good story. The Ramayana that we read last week had a stronger feeling of spirit, the poetry and the language seemed to immerse the reader in the story. The intuitive flow is more smooth and it doesn't feel as jutted.

However, I can comprehend this version far better based on the first half of the story, because there is a sacrifice of flow for understanding. For stories, the question is whether or not we should be writing our stories with language that is homogenous that allows us to tell stories in a way that transcends words and connects with the reader on more than a literary level, or if we should allow the reader to understand everything about the story, but just the story, and not the background behind it.

As with most decisions, the tradeoff is not merely a dichotomy, bur rather, a sliding scale that each author moves throughout the story depending on the mood that they want to convey. I think the Ramayana is better told as in the Public Domain Edition, because it felt like a story that was moving as I read it, rather than something that I had to read more in order to advance the story.

The Ramayana is the main focus of the week. Source: Wikipedia

Bibliography: Ramayana by Sister Nivedita

Comments

Famous Last Words: Week before Terror

This Thursday, I was proctoring a pre-calculus test when our Complex Analysis professor announced that we would have a midterm in a week. Two days after my Thermodynamics midterm. Two days before my Fluid Dynamics Midterms. All within five days of my Numerical Analysis midterm. While this all seems super stressful, atleast once Fluid Dynamics is over, I can look forward to smooth sailing for a few weeks. This week, in contrast to the next few, is looking to be very peaceful as a whole. I got to play soccer with some friends this weekend. I had not played in a few months, but it was great to get back out on the field and run around a little. Even better, I finally decided on a Halloween costume as well- Russell from Up. The only hard thing has been finding badges. Finally, WE GOT A DOG. This part has been most exciting. She came by at some point this afternoon, a friend had brought her up. She basically explored the house for the first bit of the day, and now, she's getting more u...

Story Lab: TED Talks

This week, I completed a Story Lab, in which I watched two separate TED Talks, the links can be found here . The first talk seems to epitomize the first impressions we develop from stories, while the second one delves into the relationships we make with characters. In the first talk, the idea of a first impression is further discussed, where the speaker notes how she had opinions of a country that had been built up solely from a few stories she had been told, and how when she encountered other people, they already had predispositions based on stories they had been told. This can be broadened to a wider audience to suggest that we often see short amounts of information, and then we make the conclusions ourselves. For example, people often just read the headlines of news articles and believe they know everything about that topic afterwards, as opposed to ever reading the article. The second talk digs into the connections we make with fictional characters, and why we spend so much tim...

Week 11 Reading Notes: More Jatakas Tales Part A

This week, I continued reading more Jatakas tales. Three stories that stood out were The Woodpecker, Turtle, and Deer; The Woodpecker and the Lion, and The Red-Bud Tree. These stories can be found at More Jatakas Tales by Ellen C. Babbitt. The Woodpecker, Turtle, and Deer really stood out because it showed the selflessness of the deer. I feel like I have read many stories where once the deer was free, the turtle would be left to perish in the sack in the tree. But through teamwork, they are all able to survive. I think it's a nice tale about making sure that you always thank those that help you. In contrast, we see the lion disregard the woodpecker in The Woodpecker and the Lion. It is weird that we are suddenly getting so many stories with woodpeckers, but regardless, the lion decides that even though the woodpecker had hedged his bets well with the lion, since the lion did not eat the woodpecker, he has paid his due. This seems somewhat unfair as the lion is telling the woodp...

Indian Epics Blog

Search This Blog