Week 10: Reading Diary B

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Action
Based on the chapter title, I'm going to assume that the war will begin in this chapter! Although, I think that war is definitely necessary in this situation, I do understand where Yudhistira is coming from. If only they could just fight Duryodhana, but to have to fight all of these elders and people that you grew up with as well would make the decision very difficult. I'm guessing we will have to see those elders die later in the story, and that makes me sad. Krishna is a wise character. He knows Duryodhana's character well, and that he will never agree to peace.
I also wanted to mention how much I love the character of Vidura. He always has such good advice for the king, even if the king never listens to a word of it. Personally, I appreciate how truthful he always is with the king, no matter what.
Although I knew Duryodhana's character to be very evil, even I was surprised that he would stoop to the level of keeping Krishna as a prisoner! I love Krishna called Duryodhana out as soon as he got there for being such a villain!
Duryodhana is such a rotten egg. I can't believe how disrespectful he is of his parents.
I did not really expect Krishna to pull Karna aside. Karna appears to have more quality of character than I thought. I was surprised at how respectful and appreciative he was of Krishna. I understand why he feels that he must remain loyal to Duryodhana, although I disagree with it.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Hesitant Hero
If I were Duryodhana, I would feel pretty anxious after all of those bad omens. He is so foolish for thinking it is in the cards for him to win the battle. I feel so sorry for the Pandavas since they have to fight people they love. That is so terrible. I agree with Krishna though, the war must happen. I think it's interesting in this book that Krishna is so aware of his godly status, while Rama was so unaware of it in the Ramayana. I also found it interesting that they were able to put the war on pause basically. That is so different than war today. Battles fought today use the element of surprise in their attacks, while these battles are set to happen during only restricted times when the armies are gathered in a specific location. That would be a relief to be able to truly rest without fear of attack after each day of battle.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Delirium of Destruction
Bhishma's death was not quite what I expected, but I am glad that he was able to die on his own terms. I was also impressed that Karna asked for his forgiveness.
Duryodhana is crazy! Does he actually think that the war could be ended by capturing Yudhistira and forcing him into another gambling game? That idea is about the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Duryodhana is also incredibly unappreciative of all of the people fighting for him. I can't believe he is complaining about how bad Bhishma and Drona are fighting. He should appreciate the fact that they are fighting for him at all!
I thought it was really sad that Arjuna and Bhima both lost their sons. I can't imagine the grief they must have felt.
I actually disagreed with Krishna about lying to Drona. That seems very cruel!
What Bhima said made me feel a little bit better about the Pandavas lying. I did not realize Drona had been so much in the wrong.
Bhima went a little far with the whole blood sucking thing! That was really gross!
Duryodhana seems to think he deserves so much honour, even when he has never been one to be honourable to other. I was glad to see he finally got what he deserved. So many lives were lost because of his evil, envious heart. Of course, he could not even realize how wrong he was, even in the end.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Victory and Sorrow
I didn't even think about how much Dhritarashtra and Gandhari would lose in the war. To lose one hundred sons, I'm amazed they did not just kill themselves honestly.
This definitely would be a very bittersweet victory. As Yudhistira said, so many mothers lost their sons during that war.
I would be pretty bothered too if I were Yudhistiras' brothers. They just lost their sons and so much during this war for their kingdom, and Yudhistira is over there complaining about how he just wants to live a life with no wealth or worry. It's mainly his fault they lost the kingdom in the first place! I definitely thought this ending was much more bittersweet than the ending in the Ramayana. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book though. It's amazing that all of the brothers survived everything they went through!

Week 10: Reading Diary A

CHAPTER NINE: Hundred Questions
Duryodhana is really getting on my nerves, and so is Dhritarashtra. Dhritarashtra is the king and his sons' father, but he doesn't act like it at all. How can he not stand up to his own son, what kind of father is he??
The pandavas are much better people than Dhritarashtra's sons. I was kind of surprised that they went to Duryodhana's aid. Duryodhana has never done anything but try to have them murdered and exiled. Even though they helped him, I'm sure Duryodhana will still be a terrible person and try to fight them.
Poor Yudhistira! Can you imagine finding all four of your brothers dead, having to answer hundreds of questions, and then choosing only one to live? I liked his reasoning for why he chose Nakula though. Although both mother's would have lost sons, at least one from each mother would live on. I also liked what Yudhistira said to the greatest wonder in the world. I never thought about that before, but it is very true. When someone we love dies, we mourn their loss, but seem to think our death is some very far off thing, when the truth is that it is inevitable. I was glad that Yama had come to them and granted them the boon of being unrecognized. They will finally be able to return to their kingdom soon!
I think it's kind of cool that the brothers were all able to create new identities for themselves. Personally, I would want Nakula's identity! I love horses too.
Although the book hasn't said much about Draupadi being closer to any of the brothers, I've found that Bhima and Draupadi seem to be closest. Bhima always seems to be the one protecting her.

CHAPTER TEN: Servitude
Duryodhana is so foolish! Why can't he just leave well enough alone? If he just chose to make peace with the pandavas, all would be well. Prince Uttara is such a coward! Aren't princes supposed to be brave? He is definitely useless to Arjuna. I was surprised that Arjuna revealed himself to Prince Uttara, but I suppose he didn't have much of a choice.

CHAPTER ELEVEN:
I was not surprised to see that Krishna would fight for the Pandavas. I was a little surprised that Krishna gave any support to Duryodhana's army, as he clearly favors the Pandavas.

CHAPTER TWELVE:
The family dynamic of the Dhritarashtra's family is so messed up. Even, Ghandari is willing to stand up to her son, but Dhritarashtra, the coward, cannot. I wish he was more brave. Everything could be avoided that way, but of course Duryodhana is already king basically. I can't wait for the Pandavas to destroy him!

Week 9: Reading Diary A

Chapter 1: THE EIGHTH BABY
Talk about love at first sight! How crazy that the first thing that Santanu to say to the woman was asking her to marry him! In modern times, that would really freak a girl out! This story definitely starts out rather strange! Murdering babies that you carried for 9 months by drowning? That's horrific! I feel much better after learning that their spirits went straight to heaven. Poor Devavratha! I think it's rather sad that he will never be able to marry and fall in love. That is definitely much different than our previous protagonist in the Ramayana. Based on the knowledge that Prince Devavratha must remain celibate, it seems like the logical decision for King Santanu should be to go ahead and marry the fisherman's daughter. Prince Devavratha may be the successor, but he will never be able to provide a successor for after he is dead. It's interesting how fate and destiny are portrayed in this story, just like the Ramayana. Everything seems to already be set out and people always seem to make the decisions that lead to the fate that has already been prophesied. Another common theme that I have noticed is how important it it to keep your promises. This was very important to Devavratha, just like it was very important to Rama that his father keep his vow to Kaikeyi.
I felt sad for Ambika in this story. Although the book didn't make a big deal out of it, it sounds like she was basically raped, and because of that her child will be born blind. How terrible would it be to find out that your child will never be able to see colors, to see your face, but instead will be condemned to a world of darkness. I felt equally sad for Ambalika too. These women did not have a say in whether they has sex with Vyasa, and they clearly did not want to have to do that.
I found it kind of humorous that Pandu died while having intercourse, What a way to go out!

Chapter 2: ENTER-- THE PLAYERS
I'm a little confused about how Dhritarashtra and his wife conceived one hundred children? That would definitely not be possible!

So just to keep track of who is who, I wanted to make a list of Pandu's five sons so I don't get confused!
The Pandavas
1. Yudhistira: truthful, courageous, and strong
2. Bhimasena: endowed with extraordinary strength
3. Arjuna: knowledgeable about weapons
4. Nakula: twin brother of Sahadeva
5. Sahadeva: twin brother of Nakula
*Also, Karna, the offspring of the Sun god

Sons of Dhritarashtra
1. Duryodhana: eldest son
2. Dussasana: second eldest son
3-100

It definitely seems like a quality over quantity thing here. Although Pandu's wives only bore 5 children, they were all blessed with special skills that made them stand out. Dhritarashtra's many children on the other hand all just sort of blended together, none of them sticking out. This must have really bothered Dhritarahstra. I thought it was interesting that Karna seemed to favor the sons of Dhritarashtra, even thought three of the Pandava brothers are his half brothers. Of course, none of them know that except for Kunthi.
King Drupada is definitely one of those examples of power going to a person's head. That's terrible that he would be so kind in childhood, but be corrupted by power in adulthood.

Chapter 3: HOUSE OF JOY- AND ASHES
I can understand why King Dhritarashtra would be upset that his nephews are being noticed so much more than his sons, but I'm worried that he will go too far in trying to change this, Also, why would he name one of his nephews as the heir, that is his own stupid fault! I think he will end up exiling all of them. This minister character seems like a weasel. I'm glad that Yudhistira can see through their devious plan. I'm curious to see how Yudhistira handles the situation. I can easily say that I find myself liking the Pandavas the most in this book so far. Yudhistira was very clever in faking their deaths. King Dhritarashtra would not have given up until he believed they were all dead.

Chapter 4: BRIDE FOR FIVE
Bhima, with his extraordinary strength, has taken up the role of the protector of the group. The five sons with their mother seem to make up a very tight-knit group who all care deeply for each other. For my storybook, I actually considered writing about Ghatotkacha, who is half human/half rakshasa. Although he has some rakshasa in him, he is a very noble character. I think that it is very strengthening to the characters of the Pandavas to live with nothing. They grew up with privilege, but to truly be able to understand how other people live gives them a lot of perspective. I loved reading about Bhima standing up to that bully of a Rakshasa. I think I could definitely use this for my storytelling post and modernize to a story about a bully in high school taking kids' lunches

I wonder how the princesses felt about these competitions for their hand in marriage. I mean, yeah it's cool and all that a bunch of guys are competing for you, but then you're stuck with the winner, even if you don't want to be with him. I'm glad that Karna did not force her to be with him. I hope that Arjuna will treat her well. I think he will.
Well I definitely did not expect that she would become the wife to all of her brothers. I guess it is the exact same concept of a man taking many wives, but you definitely don't usually hear of a woman taking many husbands. Interesting gender reversal!

Reading Diary Assessment for Week 8

For my reading diaries over the first half of this semester, I would start reading the book and take notes as I read. I did not read the reading guides before or during as suggested in the instructions, but I did like to read them afterwards. For length, I just took notes over what I had definite reactions to in the readings and that always seemed to be long enough. I separated my notes based on the chapters. I would put the title of each chapter and then take notes in paragraph form and then start another paragraph at the beginning of a new chapter. I thought the instructions given to us were helpful. I think it really helped me to take notes while reading, rather than after reading, because I was able to talk about what bothered me or made me happy right in that moment, reading it for the first time. The length of my posts varied from about 400 words to 800 words depending on the content of the reading assignment. For example, when Rama sent Sita away, I was very upset, so that reading diary was probably pretty long.

Overall, I would say that the length of my reading diaries is just about right. One thing that I may start doing in my reading diaries is including an image. I think this would help me remember certain events when looking back at the post. Previously, I did not include images except for in one of my diary posts. I also included a favorite quote in one of my diary posts.

Before starting a new reading diary, I would always read the previous reading diary to remember where I left off. This was very helpful in reminding me of the recent events that had occurred in the previous reading. One thing that I think I could do to make my reading diaries more helpful for my storytelling posts would be discussing ideas I have for that assignment while I write my reading diary. Overall, I think I have been doing a fairly good job with the reading diary posts. In general, I remember most of the reading. I think it helped that we read two versions of the same story. For my other classes, I am pretty much always reading about biology. In all the different biology classes, many of the same concepts are reinforced, so I think I remember quite a bit of what I have read for those classes simply because I have read some concepts over and over again. For long-term memory, re-reading is most effective for me. I think that doing these reading diaries also helps with my memory of the book because it makes me read more actively!

Week 7: Reading Diary B

THE WONDERFUL RETURN
I love that Rama took the time to visit his friends and allies as he journeyed home, like Bharadwaja and Guha, although I do wish he would hurry home so Bharata doesn't try to kill himself! I'm glad that he at least sent Hanuman ahead to send a message to Bharata.
Wow, Hanuman's story of what happened in the fourteen years is so much more condensed! Basically, Ravana stole Sita, so Rama fought for her and won, so Ravana is dead. Why would Hanuman think that would please them? Although, for someone to ask you to sum up fourteen years is a pretty crazy question to ask anyway.
I love the lyrics of Valmiki's about Ayodhya and what it is to Rama returning home after fourteen years. It sounded beautiful! Bharata's reunion with Rama and Lakshmana was wonderful. Even after fourteen years, you can see how much the brothers care for each other.
It sounds like such an amazing celebration!I was surprised that Manthara came to apologize to Sita and make mends. While Manthara did what she did out of bad intentions, you can't really upset when it was obviously meant to happen. It also made me happy that Lakshmana was finally reunited with his wife. How lonely she must have been! The coronation and telling of what the world was like during Rama's rule seemed like the happily ever after, so I am interested to see what happens in the last book and why in the world Sita was sent away!

IN WHAT DREAM
It seemed kind of strange to me that Pushpaka could talk since it is supposed to be a chariot, but then again how many chariots have you heard of that can hold thousands to millions of people!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME???
Rama is seriously going to send Sita away because the people are saying that Ravana touched her! She was nothing but loyal during that time, and clearly she didn't want to be there, she was kidnapped! This is ridiculous! How dare he send her into the forest? She is about to have their children! If I were Sita, I would never ever forgive him! Literally, this part bothers me so much! And that whole thing about "this is what must be, even though we have no idea" is not helpful at all, I mean it's like "well.. people are saying Sita's a whore for being kidnapped and held against her will even though she was completely loyal the whole time.. so I think I'll abandon her in the forest, but obviously this is part of destiny, so it's okay.."
Seriously, who thinks like that??

Well I was kind of surprised by the story about Lord Narayana, who is one in the same as Lord Vishnu. The craziest thing is that Vasishtha knows Rama and Sita, and he is the one who made this happen, although I still believe in the whole free will thing, so I don't really think that Rama had to do it.

FAREWELL AGAIN, MY LADY AND MY KING
No one else would probably take note of this, but since it applies to my storybook, I found it interesting that the book mentioned that Vibhishana and Trijata both came, because in some versions, including my storybook, they are said to be father and daughter. I love that all of Rama's allies came together for this festival, at a much happier time than during the war against Ravana.
I would definitely believe that it took Lava and Kusa a year to tell this story, especially with all the imagery and excessive details! I think it's wonderful that Valmiki's poetry is what brought Rama and Sita and their twin sons together after twelve years!
I found King Janaka's offers humorous in this chapter. He's starting at a billion dollars and going down to a hundred dollars.
Well so much for Rama and Sita being reunited in this life, but at least they will be reunited as Vishnu and Lakshmi.
The death of Lakshmana was definitely not what I expected. It wasn't really fair because that hermit was going to curse the whole city if Lakshmana did not interrupt! It seems that the end of Rama's rule is near.
I think Hanuman must be Rama's most loyal servant. He truly lived to serve Rama. It was interesting how many of Rama's supporters went with him into afterlife. Aside from Rama never really spending time with Lava and Kusa, I was very pleased with the conclusion of this book!

Week 7: Reading Diary A

RAVANA AND TIME

Malyavan was fortunate to be taken away before the impending battle. His story seemed very peaceful, and I think that he ended up somewhere very nice 

You definitely would not want to be in Ravana's army right now, especially with all of the bad omens showing up! Man, Jambavan is brutal! The way he kills them sounds very gruesome, indeed! Also, the corpses in the sea is also extremely creepy. The thought gives me the shivers! 

The names that they came up with for Ravana were quite humorous to me. This guy is not "the Defender of Love and Enemy of Hate", nor is he "the Protector of Heaven and the Guardian of the truth". He is literally like the complete opposite of those things! 

I was kind of surprised at how gentle Ravana was with Suka. Suka basically told him everyone blamed him and thought he was stupid for getting them into this mess, which is very true. Although Suka said those things, I think Ravana really appreciated his honesty and loyalty. Although Ravana clearly does not have good character, I like that he finally spared his people and chose to take on Rama alone. I also can't imagine him just dancing before the battle. What a funny sight! 

It's interesting to me how invincible Ravana believes himself to be, even after all that has happened! He goes around taunting Time, acting as if it has no power over him. Time will get us all someday, and Ravana's clock has just run out of time. Although it appears that Ravana overpowers Time, in the long run I think that Time will come out victorious.
I think that Indra's chariot definitely helped level the playing field. This is going to be such an epic battle! It really showed Rama's character that he displayed so much empathy and appreciation for his charioteer, Matali. I'm glad that Rama took the time to help him. I believe in Narayan's version, Ravana actually spoke everything, and there was not a letter. I think I like this version with the letter better though. It's interesting that he knew all along who Rama truly was, and still chose to go up against him. I almost forget that all of this story was supposed to be told by Lava and Kusa. The end of this chapter definitely sounded more like something that would be sung by them though.

PART THREE: THE DHARMA WHEEL
I thought it was sweet how impatient Rama became after the battle to see Sita! I also think that Vibhishana will be a wonderful king for Lanka. If anyone can turn things around there, it is him. Mandodari's story all kind of seemed a little confusing to me, like a riddle, but I am glad that her father took care of her.
I would have been so confused if I were Rama when Indra and Agni talk in all of these riddles about who he really is! I don't think he was ready for the truth just yet. I was happy to finally see Sita and Rama reunited, and this time Rama did force her to walk through fire or whatever that test was in the last book. Their reunion was very sweet.
I also thought the friendship that had formed between Vibhishana and Hanuman was really special. It was very lucky that Hanuman had been so trusting of Vibhishana the day that he had left Ravana and came to Rama's camp. I definitely would have wanted Hanuman as a friend as well. It was amazing that Hanuman was able to revive all of those that had died fighting for Rama. This chapter definitely ended on a happy note. I am very curious to see what happens in the last section of the book! I am especially curious to learn why Rama ends up sending Sita away, and also his reaction when he learns who Lava and Kusa really are! 

Week 6: Reading Diary B

THE NEW MOON (cont'd)
I thought it was interesting how much more detail this version of the Ramayana went into telling us how the troops crossed the ocean. Samudra, the Ocean Lord, appeared to be new character. Rama definitely seemed a little over aggressive at first with him. The little story about the squirrels and the mark on the back was also interesting.

THE BUILDING OF THE BRIDGE
It definitely makes sense that this book is so much longer than the previous book that we read. There was barely a mention of the building of the bridge in the previous book. I love how matter of a fact Vibhishana is when he speaks to Ravana. You can definitely tell how frustrated Vibhishana has become with his brother's foolish decisions. He finally reached his breaking point with Ravana. I was really glad that Rama accepted Vibhishana. Vibhishana is such an interesting character to me, because he was the brother of Ravana, but still chose to follow Dharma. He definitely proved himself when he caught Sardula and Sarana.
I love how Ravana gets caught in his lie about Rama's death. It was actually kind of humorous when General Prahasta came in talking about how Rama is crossing the ocean. I thought the idea of receiving what you believe to be your husband's head was very ghastly though. I can't even imagine how Sita must have felt before she realized that it was all an elaborate lie. Again, we get to see more of Trijata which definitely gave me more material for my storybook. She seems so kindhearted. It's so interesting how she can shape shift into whatever she wants! Malyavan was an interesting character. I really liked the idea that his devilish features faded, and I'm hoping to use that idea in my storybook.

THE SIEGE OF LANKA
The battle between Nala and General Prahasta was rather epic and intense. It seems that this version of the Ramayana is gonna talk about the battles in much greater detail which I like. It was really creepy what Ravana did with his dead. I thought it was very wrong, because he should have appreciated their loyalty and willingness to die for him.
I thought it was funny how Kumbhakarna immediately asked Ravana what he had done wrong and then just tells him in a matter of fact tone, well just give her back.  That would seem like the smarter solution, wouldn't it? It seems that he knows his brother well. I love how all of Ravana's brothers think he is an idiot. I don't know why Kumbhakarna fought for Ravana though, if he so strongly felt that Ravana was in the wrong. It must have been out of some loyalty to his brother. It was kind of sad how willing Ravana was to risk the lives of all of his warriors. Kumbhakarna's death kind of reminded me of the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" where the character has each limb cut off one at a time, but somehow continues going, even saying, "'tis but a flesh wound",when his arm gets cut off. I thought it was nice to see a little bit of remorse from Ravana at the end of this chapter.

THE INVISIBLE WARRIOR
It definitely seems unfair that Indrajit can just go around being invisible in the battle. How is that honorable? Good thing they had Vibhishana on their side! It was really sad to see some of the characters we had come to care for die in this chapter, like Angada and Nala.
The part about Hanuman having to retrieve a plant in order to revive Rama and Lakshmana was new. I was surprised that they changed this part, because in the last book it just seemed like Rama and Lakshmana only looked dead, but were not. In this book, they actually die. I can't believe that Hanuman was able to pick up the mountain! What a crazy idea!
I did find myself liking Indrajit during his discussion with Rama, but then I really disliked him again when he cut that poor woman disguised as Sita in half. I feel like Ravana should feel incredibly guilty over Indrajit's death, because Indrajit didn't even think it was a good idea to continue fighting, but he did it anyway for Ravana.

Week 6: Reading Diary A

HANUMAN'S JUMP
What a terrible way to hear the news of your brother's passing! Poor Sampati! Jatayu was such a wonderful character, I was definitely sad when he died. It's so interesting how so many characters in this book have these supernatural powers, like Hanuman being able to grow large enough to just cross the sea in one giant leap. I also think it's interesting to meet characters in this book, that were not included in Narayana's retelling, like Mainaka. Her story kind of made me think of the new movie, Maleficent, with all the other people of her race getting their wings cut off. I think it would be interesting to retell Mainaka's story in my storytelling,
Sinhika sounded like such a terrible creature. The shadow thing made me think of Peter Pan. Her death seemed pretty gruesome. What a terrible way to die!
I thought it was weird how they described Lanka to be such a beautiful place. I would have thought it would have been dark and dreary since it is Ravana's kingdom. I couldn't help but think of Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter when Hanuman turned into a tabby cat. It was so weird how Lanka was both a city and a person, I was surprised at how diverse the asuras were described to be. Handsome, gruesome, pink, pale, dark, and anywhere in between!
How many beautiful wives can one man have! Goodness gracious! And he still feels the need to steal another man's wife? That's ludicrous!
It's was nice to see that Vayu, the wind god, was looking out for his son, Hanuman!

HERE I AM
I can't imagine how terrible things must have been for Sita! Hanuman's description of her is so sad. I love her attitude toward Ravana though! She has not given up hope on Rama and his ability to destroy Ravana! Those wives are terrifying! I think it's funny how they act like they're trying to be nice, but then threaten to "eat her up". Trijata was so kind and helpful to Sita! I'm so excited to include her in my storybook! I'm disappointed that her story is not longer than that, but she did save Sita! I love how Hanuman was so encouraging to Sita, and really lifted her mood. I'm sure she really needed that. I thought it was wonderful how Hanuman wreaked havoc on Lanka before he left!
Indrajit is such an interesting character. Definitely much different than his father! I thought it was interesting how he could take two such different forms.

THE NEW MOON
Vibhishana will be such a great character for my storybook! I love how he refuses to follow Ravana's orders in this chapter! Dadhimuska was not a very nice character! No one goes around kicking Hanuman, like he's better than him! I loved Hanuman's little pep talk at the end of the reading!

Week 5: Reading Diary B

THE GOLDEN DEER
Ravana is so foolish for not listening to Maricha's advice. It is Ravana's foolishness that leads to his destruction, nothing else. I really liked that this story gave us more dialogue with Maricha than Narayan's version, because Maricha is one of my characters in my storybook! Although in this story, he still turns out to make the wrong decision, he really did strive to follow Dharma before Ravana approached him. I thought it was interesting what Maricha said about it being better to be killed by the better man. I don't think I agree with this, because in this case, it means that you are helping the more evil man succeed. I definitely found myself feeling sorry for Maricha.
Lakshmana was definitely more wise than Rama and Sita in this story. He sees through the illusion so easily. Although I like Sita, she is so stupid in this story! How could she not see through Ravana's plan! For both Rama and Lakshmana to be drawn away and then for some mysterious man to show up? Her gut instinct should be telling her that something is wrong with the situation!
I loved how bravely Jatayu fought to get Sita back. Although Jatayu was not a major character, I thought he was one of the most valiant characters in the whole book, and I felt very sad for his death.

HANUMAN
Ravana is such a crazy psychopath! I will kidnap you so that you will love me? How does that make any sense? Wouldn't that be great if what Indra said was true, that anyone who desires an unwilling woman burns himself. Rape is such a problem in our world, and I think men who think they can touch a woman when she resists should be punished to the full extent of the law. The story about Rambha was so incredibly sad. I felt so bad for her.
The story of Riksharaja was a little bit weird to me! What was the sex change after going into the water? And then after having babies, returning to a male? Definitely a strange story! Do Sugriva and Vali call Riksharaja, mom or dad? Just curious.
I thought Vayu's bonding with Hanuman was so sweet, especially after his mother abandoned him in that cave!
It was really interesting how Savari went into the fire to be returned to her younger form and taken away with Indra! It's like Savari was just waiting for Rama to fulfill her purpose in that life and could finally move on after telling him about Sugriva, Vali, and Hanuman.
I think that Rama was so sensitive to Sugriva's problems because he also had been separated from his wife. I wonder if that was not the case if he would have killed Vali the way he did. This chapter made me really sad, especially when Queen Tara killed herself after Vali was murdered. The way that Rama killed Vali definitely did not seem noble to me.

THE SEARCH
The imagery in this chapter is so incredibly vivid! It's amazing how descriptive this author can be. I didn't know that anyone could describe things so much.
I didn't realize in the last book how many people came to help Rama! It seems like all the different monkey species came to assist them, along with a bunch of bears!
The idea of a search party for the entire world seems so crazy to me! Searching the whole world for one person would be impossible!
What is with people being so willing to commit suicide and die?! I don't understand why everyone promises to end their life in this book if things don't happen at exactly the right time!

Week 5: Reading Diary A

BHARATA RETURNS
Bharata's dream, described in this chapter, was incredibly symbolic. It's like his subconscious could sense that something was wrong. It's amazing how strong human's intuition and subconscious can be in sensing when something terrible has happened. How ominous it must have been for Satrughna and Bharata when entering their city, but yet not knowing what had happened. I'm sure that there were so many different scenarios running through their heads!
I can't believe that Kaikeyi has the nerve to ask, "Why are you not delighted?", after telling Bharata that his father is dead and his dear brother has been banished! Is she mental?? Of course he is not delighted, that is his family, and he actually cares about them! What a terrible person, Kaikeyi is!
I like that in Buck's version, they give Satrughna a little more dialogue, I always thought it was weird how little he was involved in the story. I also like that in this version, everyone immediately trusts and consoles Bharata. This seems more appropriate because they all knew his character before he left, so why should they believe he would do something so out of character like they did in Narayan's version?
I thought it was interesting that Bharata was able to forgive his mother for her wicked actions. I did not quite expect that. I thought he disowned her permanently. I noticed that this part of the book deviated from Narayan's version. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Bharata was able to perform his father's pyre burning. I don't know how I felt about Kaikeyi being able to participate in mourning the loss of Dasaratha with his other two wives, because she caused his death. I thought she would have been banished.

THE SANDALS
How awesome would it be to have Viswakarman build your house and garden! I wonder if Bharadwaja will keep it that way after everybody leaves! Well I read a little farther,, and apparently not. Although I bet Bharadwaja prefers the simpler things. It's so true what Bharadwaja said about Kaikeyi. Although her actions seemed terrible, they were so necessary for the fulfillment of Rama's destiny.
I really loved this quote from Bharata:
"It is true, that nights gone by do not return, and every day shortens our lives. But I think some things endure. Surely love endures beyound our brief lives."
This is such a beautiful thought. While we may look at life as simply an hourglass that runs our leaving nothing behind, this is not accurate. We all leave something behind that remains, especially love.
I found the whole "walking into a fire and dying" sentiment to be a little dramatic! I mean at least give him more than a day to return!
I thought it was interesting how the sandals had a magical property to them.

PART 2: SITA'S RESCUE
It's crazy that all of the action of Rama's exile occurs only in the fourteenth year! I didn't realize that in Narayan's version.
That story about Ilwala and Vatapi was rather disturbing. How terrible and sadistic these two asuras are! I'm glad that they got what they had coming to them at the hands of Agastya.
I liked that the book introduced us to the Valakhilyas. It's nice to see who all Rama is protecting by destroying Ravana and his demon army. I like what they said about war being better than fear, especially when they are living out of fear of someone so powerful, but yet so cruel and immoral. It made me think of the current dilemma in the world with ISIS. People are living fear of these terrorists and I wonder if war would be better in this case.
The story about Garuda was interesting at all, but it definitely seemed quite drawn out when it did not contribute to the actual plot of the story at all. Based on the stories I have read, I don't know how much I like Indra. He kind of seems like he thinks he is better than he is. I liked Garuda though, especially since he went through all of that to free his mother!  
I actually already read the story about Viradha/Tumburu because he will be featured in my storybook! Although his story here is a bit short, I found him to be an incredibly interesting character! He must have felt so much guilt for the things he did while he was trapped in the demon's body!
This version was different in that Surpanakha did not even try to disguise herself. Lakshmana and Rama still try to be nice to her anyways, at least before she goes after Sita. Maybe I'm forgetting, but I don't really remember Khara in Narayan's version. It's not like he lasted long in this story either though!

Week 4: Reading Diary B

Week 4: Reading Diary B

THE TWO WISHES

I thought it was kind of funny how King Dasaratha asked for them to allow him to make Rama the King, but when they happily cheer yes, he becomes all upset that they’re so willing to let Rama become the King. Often, you hear of unjust or cruel kings in stories like these. I think it is amazing that the people of Ayodoyah love their king and his sons so much. It makes me think of the question, would you rather people fear you or love you. I think for Dasaratha and his sons, they would rather their people love them than fear them.

I find it so strange how Dasaratha’s three wives are so content with all being married to the same man. It just seems so unnatural and foreign to me. I also thought it was strange that the woman who was called Kooni in Narayan’s version is called Manthara in Buck’s version. I wonder why that is. After the description of Manthara, I’m rather surprised that she was able to have an influence over Kaikeyi. Kaikeyi was way too easily convinced to change her mind. While I still find it irritating that Kaikeyi forces Dasaratha to make Bharata king, instead of Rama, I now know that it is what was necessary for Rama to fulfill his destiny.

I also found the idea of an angry-room really funny! Maybe we should all have one of those, and the walls could just be covered with pillows for us to punch when we are angry!

It’s amazing how Rama is so carefree about the whole situation, he doesn’t have a bit of anger in him! It was also cool how the city was so loyal to him!

This author definitely uses much more detail than Narayan! I think this detail adds a lot to the story, but sometimes it seems so drawn out!

LORD OF THE WILD TREES

I thought Guha was an interesting new character. I like that there is some new content in this book, as well as the same plot from Narayan’s version. It also was interesting to learn more about Kaikeyi through Guha. She seems to have quite a bit of evil within her. How could she continue to ask him that of her when it would have brought his death! I’m glad he stood up for himself at least then.

Week 4: Reading Diary A

Chapter 1: Born as a Man

The first thing I noticed that was different about this book compared to Narayan's is that the whole book is a story within a story. The storytelling style is of someone telling the story of Ramayana to someone else. I also think it's interesting how Valmiki becomes not just the poet, but also an important part of the story. I like that this version of Ramayana gave us more background on Valmiki.

Now I'm really confused. Last I heard from Narayan's Ramayana, Rama and Sita were still together after Rama defeated Ravana. What could have happened to them to cause Rama to banish her and their unborn children to the forest! After everything she did for him and all the loyalty she showed him, I find that to be really terrible! It makes me sad that Lava and Kusa don't get to grow up with both of their parents, but I think it's wonderful that they will be told all about their father through Valmiki's poetry.

I wish Rama could know that those two boys were his son. I hope that the whole family is reunited by the end of the book!

I thought that the description of heaven after Ravana attacked really helped me better understand the gods' motives in sending Rama to destroy the rakshasas. It was so sad to hear Indra's account of what had happened to his home. I always thought it was weird that Brahma would give Ravana invincibility to the gods, so I am glad this book addressed that.

I have really enjoyed how this book has given us so much more background and explanation compared to Narayan's version. I thought it was really interesting to hear the conversation between Indra and Vishnu before Vishnu takes his human form.

I thought it was interesting how Dasaratha gave two servings of rice to Sumitra and she ended up having two sons.

Chapter 2: The Thorn in the World's Side

I thought the history of the creation of Rakshasas was really interesting, especially how they are conceived and born in one day and reach their mothers' age the day they are born. How crazy would that be! I'm not sure how I felt about the removal of all of the rakshasas from earth. It's not like they were all bad, just the human-eating ones. Why were they all forced out of Lanka City?

I think this chapter was really interesting to me because it explained how Ravana and his siblings came to be. It seems that this book will go much farther into Ravana's family, his siblings, wives, and children. Under Ravana's rule, the rakshasas are out of control! They have no honor or morals! I didn't even know of the Yakshas from Narayan's version, but I thought it was really sad when they were destroyed. I wish that Shiva had kept Ravana as a prisoner, it could have saved so many lives! Who cares if he can sing pretty? He is evil!

I hate to say this, but I have definitely found Buck's version to be much more difficult to stay interested in. I think this is likely because I cannot relate at all to Ravana, and that is all the story has been about so far. It's been frustrating how easy it is for him to go around conquering everybody because they just surrender to him. He doesn't deserve the power that he has. It is interesting, however, to learn how many of the gifts bestowed by Brahma, like the chariot given to Indrajit during the war against Rama, originated.

Chapter 3: Taste This Water

Finally, we get to hear about Rama! I think it's interesting how Thataka is not even in this chapter, only her sons. I also didn't realize that Sita was not born to a human mother! She's actually half-divine. I think it's wonderful that King Janaka informed Rama that "Sita has the final consent." That definitely isn't common in stories like these where women are just given away to men without any thought for how they feel. I liked that in their wedding vows, Janaka said,"Sita, love him well forever, walk with him as his wife and follow him like his own shadow forever." I thought that was really appropriate because she refused to be separated him when he was banished, instead walking with him and following him anywhere.

Week 3: Reading Diary B

MEMENTO FROM RAMA

I was glad to see that Sita remained loyal to Rama, but it was really upsetting to see her frightened and imprisoned like that,wanting to end her life. I can't imagine how terrifying those months had been for her. I'm also happy that Hanuman was not killed by Ravana, because Hanuman has been so loyal and brave for Rama. He even wreaked havoc on Ravana's city.

RAVANA IN COUNCIL

I love how Ravana's commander-in-chief chastised him for stealing Sita while Rama and Lakshmana were away. That was such a cowardice move, and also a stupid move. It's also ignorant of them to continue to underestimate Rama and Lakshmana as simple human beings who can be easily defeated. Their cockiness will surely lead to their downfall. Vibishana is the only smart one in the whole council. He is the only one who realizes that Ravana is in a dangerous spot right now. Ravana really should have listened to him and released Sita. 

ACROSS THE OCEAN

I think this was definitely a difficult choice that Rama had to make. On the one hand, I do think Vibishana truly has a good heart, but that is not an easy thing to know for sure. Vibishana could be fooling them as a double agent, however, based on what I know, I believe that Vibishana came here because he believes in Rama and Ravana threatened to kill him if he stayed. Rama made the right decision in accepting him. 

THE SIEGE OF LANKA

For this chapter, I was imagining a battle in the Planet of the Apes movie. Ravana continues throughout the battle to be arrogant and brash. I was a little surprised that Rama let Ravana go when he could have defeated him. That was honorable, but I also think when someone is as evil as Ravana, maybe he doesn’t deserve the same respect that others do. I also thought about the difference between Rama and his brothers, who have so much respect, loyalty, and love for him, compared to Ravana and his brothers, who have no loyalty or respect for him and fear him.

RAMA AND RAVANA IN BATTLE

Finally, Rama and Ravana will face each other! I thought it was sweet that Rama protected Lakshmana from Mahodara. What an intense battle! It kind of reminded me of a duel in Harry Potter with them attacking and countering the attacks with what seemed like incantations. While I was glad that Rama came out victorious, there was something sad about Ravana’s death.

INTERLUDE

That was ridiculous! How could Rama be so cold after all she had been through, as though she asked to be away from him in a stranger’s house! This chapter definitely upset me. I thought Rama was better than that.

THE CORONATION

What a happy ending, even for Kaikeyi! Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was so easy to read because the characters were so likable. It was amazing how many loyal people Rama had serving him, such as Bharata, Lakshmana, Sita, and Hanuman. All of those characters truly made the story. 

Week 3: Reading Diary A

So I just realized that the book I have is numbered differently, so I’ve already read the beginning of the assigned reading for this week. Last I read, Jatayu valiantly passed away.

VALI

The author has definitely set this chapter up to be dramatic and disappointing. It seems that Rama will make a terrible mistake in this part of the story. Although I have found Rama to be a very honorable character, even the most noble of people can make huge mistakes. This chapter very much reminds me of Planet of the Apes, as the monkeys are highly intelligent beings.

Sugreeva’s Story

Wow, what a terrible story! Sugreeva has suffered so much. The injustice of the situation upsets me. It’s amazing how a misunderstood situation can turn into something so much worse when people don’t give others a chance. It makes me angry that Vali would be so rash.

Dundubi’s Story

It sounds like Dundubi had a death wish! Also, how could two people duel for a whole year. It seems that Dundubi got his wish.

Finally, a mention of Sita! It seemed that Rama had all but forgotten her. He must feel terribly powerless since Sita came with him for his 14 years of exile, but he was unable to protect her. That is definitely something that is still common in modern times. For a man to be unable to protect the woman he loves from harm; it is one of the most terrible feelings he can have.

This was a really sad chapter. Although, it seemed that Vali was still in the wrong in the conflict with his brother, I feel that the conflict could have ended without the death of Vali, especially after seeing how upset Sugreeva was by the death of his brother. I do disagree with how Rama handled the situation by hiding and killing Vali. I do not think this was honorable or noble. Rama should have confronted Vali himself. In these epics, it seems that blood is spilled over conflicts that words could have solved. I wish that Rama had not killed Vali, but I do understand his tendency to help Sugreeva, especially after the story that he was told. There’s two sides to every story though. Each side is naturally biased.

WHEN THE WINDS CHASE

I really like that Rama advised Sugreeva to “not hurt anyone’s feelings, not even the lowliest.” I think that shows a person’s true character. There’s a quote that reads this:

Image Information: Quote by James D. Miles

Web Source: Flickr

I absolutely love this quote, and Rama’s words very much reminded me of it.

Rama is very moody in this chapter. It’s interesting to see how the weather affects his moods, just like for us. Rama’s words were overly harsh about Sugreeva. He would destroy every monkey in the world? I think that’s called genocide..

I was glad that Tara and the other monkeys were able to divert the situation when Lakshmana arrived. I really didn’t want there to be conflict there. I also got really worried when the search party almost gave up hope! I was glad to see that Hanuman realized his own powers, however I also appreciate the humility that Hanuman displays. 

Week 2: Reading Diary B

Starting out, I'm just amazed at how peaceful and accepting Rama is of what was asked of him. He seems to be very wise, even without knowing that he is Vishnu. He is definitely an old soul. Lakshmana, on the other hand, seems to be a very young soul. I'm really glad that Lakshmana and Sita insisted on going with him though. I don't think he should have to be alone all those fourteen years.

Although Kaikeyi is a terrible, cruel woman, her son definitely inherited more of Dasaratha's characteristics. He seems much more noble, and I hate that, because of what Kaikeyi did, he may be looked at in the same way as her. 

The author made an excellent point about how interesting it was to see two princes, arguing over who should rule, each thinking the other should. All of the sons in this royal family seem to be good men who care for each other deeply. That is one of the things I am finding myself to like most about this story. The author seems to have a much more optimistic view of humanity than other authors do. I also like how it gives me characters that I want to cheer for.

ENCOUNTERS IN EXILE

I don't think I trust this new Kamavalli character, as she is the sister of Ravana. It seems so weird to me that Rama's excuse not to marry her could not just be that he was already married! It's strange to think of any man being able to have multiple wives. I'm glad Lakshmana was there to protect Sita from that terrible demon. Soorpanaka is pathetic in her attempts to covet Rama. I can’t believe that any woman would be so desperate that she would offer to be a man’s slave.

THE GRAND TORMENTOR

Soorpanaka remains crazy in this chapter. How can she seriously think that Rama would ever want her, especially if she caused his separation from Sita. She is crazy! Also, what is with Ravana thinking that Sita is just some possession for him to collect. What is even more bothersome is that there are guys that I know that think in that same way! Ravana is impossible to please (talk about high maintenance!).

Also, he hasn’t even met her or seen her! He’s wreaking havoc on Earth over some woman he has never even met!

I actually felt kind of bad for Mareecha. There he was trying to turn his life around, and Ravana has to come and ruin it. Also, I was shocked out Rama’s foolishness! He is not usually one to fall for such obvious trickery. I guess love really can make you foolish. Rama and Sita fall for tricks that if had not been for their love for each other, they would never have fallen for. This chapter ended very badly. I was saddened that Jatayu, who had been so loyal, died, and that Rama lost his beloved to Ravana. I hope that Rama and Sita will be reunited. 

Week 2: Reading Diary A

The scenery sounded very beautiful with the description of the river. I already can tell that this is going to be an easy book to read simply based off how the author writes. King Dasaratha seems like a gracious leader, I think I am going to like him. It seems that the story may have a lot to do with his successor, Vishnu incarnated as a human. Ravana and his brothers appear to be the villains of this story. I'm kind of confused about the ten heads thing. Does that make him ten different personalities in one? Does only one head talk? I also was unsure what a sage was, so I looked it up. 

Sage:

1. wise person: somebody who is regarded as knowledgeable, wise, and experienced, especially a man of advanced years revered for his wisdom and good judgment

I'm not sure how I feel about Sage Vishwamithra yet. He just comes in and acts like it is no big favor to ask Dasaratha for one of his children to go and fight demons. I find myself liking Dasaratha more and more as I read the story. He is definitely a relatable character. I love how much he cares for his sons and wants to protect them. 
Rama seems to be a much more central character than his brother, Lakshmana, at least at this point in this story. I'm curious to see if Rama is Vishnu in human form. 

Thataka's Story 

• Thataka and her family are incredibly destructive people. I guess I can understand why Thataka became destructive, but it sounds like Sunda deserved his punishment. Revenge never actually betters anything. Thataka's destruction could not bring Sunda back, but instead left her and her sons cursed. She deserved her fate.
• With the deities of all weaponry at his hands, Rama seems like he will be unstoppable!

Mahabali's Story 

• SO Rama is Vishnu. It seems so weird to me that he is unaware of this. I really like how Vishnu tricked Mahabali in this story. Mahabali was very foolish not to listen to his guru. 

The Wedding
I think that it is really sweet how Rama and Sita find each other and have this epic love story even in human form. It started to sound a little bit like Romeo and Juliet when Sita proclaimed that she would take her life if the man who had won her hand wasn't the same man from the street. It seems that everything actually goes right in this story though. I hope that lasts! 


Two Promises Revived
I wasn't too surprised that Dasaratha chose to pass the kingdom over to Rama. I do wonder if any of Rama's brothers will have a problem with this. 
I really don't like this Kooni character! Kaikeyi would not have caused any problem if it weren't for Kooni. I really found myself strongly disliking Kaikeyi and her selfishness. Dasaratha seemed to be a good man, and for her to force those conditions on him is incredibly cruel. It's amazing how much promises and vows meant in this story compared to what they mean in our world today, which is basically nothing. 
Rama takes his father's orders so graciously. Although, it seems that Rama would have made an excellent king, I think that his journey and purpose in this life did not include being king, at least not for the moment. While I find Kaikeyi unbearable, I have hope that her son Bharatha is actually a good man.