Week 2: Famous Last Words

My best writing for this class came in the form of my storybook, this week. I wrote about the kidnapping of a girl named Emily (who represents Sita). Her husband is Tom (Rama), and I think I did a good job transitioning the characters into their new story and new role.

In another one of my classes, History and Memory taught by Wilfred McClay, I read two great articles. The first is Proust Goes to the Country Club by Willard Spiegelman. It heavily emphasizes nostalgia and its role in human life. In it, Spiegelman tells his story about going to a class reunion while reflecting on many of his memories. Concerning nostalgia, he writes, “What are the pleasures of ‘nostalgia’? The word itself has its etymology in the Greek nostos (homecoming) + algia (pain), but the condition is multifaceted, combined of equal parts of homesickness, self-indulgence, sentimentality, and an alertness to the genuine, confected, or nonexistent pleasures of other times, other ages, and other places.” This description of nostalgia spoke very deeply to me, and I found his exploration of its role to be profound. He also writes, “Youc an go home again, at least to a place – whether Ithaka or a childhood manse – but you cannot go back in time, except in memory.” Maybe it’s because I’m extremely sentimental and I appreciate nostalgia, but I found this article quite compelling.

The second article is The Stories Our Parents Told Us by Britt Peterson. In this article, Peterson claims that stories about ourselves help mold who we are as people. She says, “Storytelling and narrative, namely the autobiographical stories that make up memory, are essential to the ay children from their identities.” To back up this claim, she says that “one group of children did at least have richer memories: the ones whose mothers told stories with greater detail and elaboration…” I think these claims struck me because a lot of my character and person was shaped by the stories told to me by my parents.

Image Information: Willard Spiegelman, SMU Dedman College of Humanities and Science 

Source: SMU

Week 2 Storytelling: The Kidnapping of Emily Kate Smith

Emily loved her new husband very much. He was 6’2 with a sculpted body. He was athletic, cunning, and practically royalty in the state of Tennessee. His family, though quite hectic, was even more prominent. She believed they were destined to be together, and she wasn’t wrong. He was godlike, but so was she.

She was a goddess. She always had been. Even growing up in grade school she knew it. Boys looked at her like they looked at no other girl. No matter where she went, she was considered beautiful. Emily and Tom made quite the couple, and the whole world knew it.

They were young. Tom was 27 and she was 24. Tom’s older brother, Jerry, was 31. He had come on some hard times, and Tom had invited him to live with the newlyweds. Some might consider the situation uncanny, which it was, but it also couldn’t have been more comfortable. The three were quite the party, and they got along extremely well. They were a great family. 

One day, Emily saw the most beautiful horse she had ever seen. It was golden, and though they lived on a large parcel of land outside of Denver, they never saw wild horses. It wasn’t just out of the ordinary; it was unheard of. Emily begged her husband to retrieve it for her. She had desired a horse ever since she was a little girl. She dreamed of having one of her own. Tom was reluctant, but he couldn’t say no to Emily. She was too beautiful, too kind, and too persuasive. He would have done anything she asked.

He climbed up into his Jeep and drove down the street in the direction the golden horse had gone. It was spring, and the top was off. The pre-summer breeze warmed his face, and he set off on his conquest.

Meanwhile, Emily was left at home with Jerry. He kept her company. It was as if he were her brother. She sat excitedly anticipating her precious pony. The clock ticked, and Tom didn’t return home. Emily begged Jerry to go after him and check on him. He put it off for a couple of hours, and finally he decided to go looking for him.

While he was out searching for Tom, an elderly man came to the door. Emily opened it and invited him in. Little did she know that he was quite evil. He kidnapped her.

Golden Dually

Source: Dually

Narayan, R. K. (1972) The Ramayana.

Author's Note: In the original story, The Ramayana, by R.K. Narayan, tells the story of Sita being kidnapped. Rama and his brother are distracted by Ravana's uncle and Ravana kidnaps Sita. 

Week 2: Reading Diary B, Sita's Kidnapping

Rama is exiled  in order to fulfill his father’s terms, and the people are distraught. His brother Lakshmana is extremely upset, but Rama attempts to keep him calm. Lakshmana and Sita accompany him. 

Rama believes that it is his father’s wish for him to leave, but it is really his step-mother’s wish. He was even told that his father was “deeply grieving that you are leaving him” and that he “may not survive the separation, in his present state…” (p. 54). Rama’s father, Dasharatha, dies when he leaves.

Rama’s brother Bharatha is called home to deal with “state affairs” (p. 56). He comes home to oppressive silence, and learns of his father’s death and his brother’s exile.

Bharatha is extremely confused by the events. He despises his mother and her cold delivery of the news.  

Bharatha goes to Rama and delivers the news of their father. He begs him to come back and be the king. They argue for a long time over who is the King, each saying that it is the other’s. Bharatha rules on Rama’s behalf for fourteen years.

Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana move deeper into the forest to escape those who desired Rama’s return.

“Rama’s whole purpose of incarnation was ultimately to destroy Ravana, the chief of the asuras, abolish fear from the hearts of men and gods, and establish peace, gentleness, and justice in the world.” (p. 63).

Comes upon a damsel Kamavalli (her real name is Shurpanakha), the sister of Ravana, who abhors his sins and evilness. She is beautiful and wants to marry Rama.

She desires to destroy Sita, but instead of doing so, she is captured by Lakshmana. He mutilates her. She returns to Ravana, who is outraged at her mutilation. However, he falls in love with Sita solely based on Kamavalli’s description of her.

Ravana asks his uncle to help kidnap Sita. His uncle is Maricha (the son of Thataka, the wild energy woman). Maricha poses as a golden dear, and Sita loves the sight of it. She asks Rama to kill it. When he shoots it, Maricha began to die. While dying, he called out in Rama’s voice. Lakshmana chases after Rama to help him, leaving Sita unguarded.

Ravana emerges from his hideout in a saintly hermit disguise, and tells his story to Sita. She talks poorly about Ravana (not knowing it was him) and in his anger he comes out of his disguise. He asks her to marry him, and she replied, saying “how dare you speak thus I am not afraid to lose my life, but if you wish to save yours, run and hide before Rama sees you.” (p. 87).

Ravana runs off with her, only to be stopped by Jatayu, the great eagle who had promised to guard Dasaratha’s children. They fought, but Ravana prevailed. Jatayu’s dying breath was telling Rama and Lakshmana what happened.

Week 2: Reading Diary A, Viswamithra's Journey with his Disciples

On page 3 the countryside is described, as well as a few activities, and the perpetual groan of mills working hard to sustain the life of the people. On page 4 the author describes the descriptions of festivals, weddings, and other celebrations. He writes, “Kamban describes every sound, sight, and smell of the country, even to the extent of mentioning garbage heaps with rows and hens busily scratching and searching them.” Memory is active, and humans construct memory through association. This association can come through setting, smells, and other senses. I think it is interesting that Kamban describes the scene so intricately.

-Vasishtha’s appeal to the Supreme God Vishnu: The ten-headed Ravana and his brothers threatened to destroy “our worlds and enslave us.” (p. 4). So, Vishnu became incarnate as Dasaratha’s son because the ten-headed Ravana and his brothers had not asked for protection from a human.

Viswamithra:

-once a king, a conqueror, and a dreaded name

-renounced his kingly role

-chose to become a sage

-carried himself with a sage’s eminence and a king’s authority

-quick tempered

-positive

-complete mastery of bodily needs , including the effects of heat, cold, hunger, fatigue and decrepitude

He came to the King Dasaratha to request the help of his son Rama. Quite hesitantly the king allows not only Rama but also Lakshmana to become Viswamithra’s disciples.

He is journeying to perform a yagna, and the boys are to be his protection. On the journey, he tells these stories:

Thataka’s Story

-Rama’s arrow pierced the throat of the wild energy, ruthless woman

Mahabali’s Story

-After this story, Wiswamithra performed the sacrifice under the protection of the boys. Asuras assembled in the skies to disrupt the yagna. The demons were armed with deadly weapons, and they flung boiling water on the holy ground. The saints were distraught, but Rama encouraged them to proceed with their prayers.

Ganga’s Story

-After this story, we meet Ahalya. Rama releases her from her imprisonment in a stone.

Ahalya’s Story

-After this story, Viswamithra said to Rama: “O great one, you are born to restore righteousness and virtue to all mankind and eliminate all evil. At our yagna, I saw the power of your arms, and now I see the greatness of the touch of your feet.” (p. 21).

There is a wedding and a coronation. The wedding was between Rama (the incarnate of Vishnu) and Sita (the incarnate of Lakshmi, Vishnu’s consort).

Rama is exiled and everyone is distraught.

Week 1: Famous Last Words

My best writing for this week probably came in the form of my comments on the blogs of other students. I’m in another online class, and the professor is adamant about the respect and courtesy shown by students to each other online. So, I’m trying to be more cordial and polite this semester, while also beneficially critiquing.

I’m also reading something really cool right now for my other online class. Arthur Hertzberg is the author of The Zionist Idea. It depicts the history of Zionism throughout Jewish culture, and I find it fascinating to place a religion / people into a context politically and in world history.  It describes Zionism as an assimilation into outside culture while still remembering the past traditions of previous generations of Jews. I’m also in a class called History and Memory, which observes the relationship of what we remember and what we write down. So, this book is really relevant to my studies right now.

            I’m also reading a book called This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald. He is my favorite author, and this is one of my very favorite books. It’s a semi-autobiography about a boy named Amory Blaine (who represents F. Scott Fitzgerald). He grows up in Minnesota, just like Fitzgerald, and goes to boarding school in the northeast. After boarding school, he attends Princeton, just like Fitzgerald. It’s interesting because it is a fiction book, but it loosely depicts the life of Fitzgerald. I’ve often thought about writing one myself, mostly for my enjoyment in my later years. But this is also a discussion from my History and Memory class. How much of a semi-autobiography is embellished? How much of a regular autobiography is embellished? Is it deliberate, or is it simply the dreamlike state in which we remember things? These are all interesting perspectives on history, memory, and biography.

Image Information: This Side of Paradise by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Source: The Literary Snob