Week 6 Planning - Kamadeva

Kamadeva and Rati
wikipedia.org

Kamadeva and Rati Wikipedia Article:

 - I think it is fascinating that the God of Love's female counterpart is Rati, the goddess of love. In Ancient Greek Mythology Aphrodite is married to Haphaestus, the god of fire, and had an ongoing affair with Ares, the god of war. I think that who the deity representing love is paired with says something about the culture that these myths developed in. In my next story I may try to have Kamadeva interact with the Aphrodite and either Ares or Hepheastus along with his own mate Rati.

 - I also didn't realize that Rati is supposed to almost always be with Kamadeva. I will make sure to have him mention her more in my next diary.

- If I ever dive into Kamadeva's backstory, I will make sure to reference the legend that has Kamadeva as Brahma's son rather than Vishnu's so that it doesn't seem odd that Kamadeva only refers to Vishnu as a friend.

- The incineration of Kamadeva is a very interesting story. I think if I can find any parallel story in one of the readings, I will try to have Kamadeva commentate the story, or at least a part of it and then tell his own backstory through his commentary.


Other Articles/ Legends
 - Another article I read went more in depth with the story of Shiva incinerating Kamadeva. In this version the world was in grave peril because Shiva was mourning and refusing his duties. So Kamadeva snuck into his chamber and shot him with an arrow to make him fall in love with Pavarti (who was really the reincarnation of his dead wife). Shiva incinerates Kamadeva but the arrow hit and makes him fall in love with Pavarti. This version of events gives more weight and a more sacrificial nature to Kamadeva's death. It could also symbolize the idea that love is both powerful enough to save the world, and requires sacrifice.

Bibliography:

Various Authors, Kamadeva Wikipedia Page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamadeva
Various Authors, Rati Wikipedia Page. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rati
Unknown Author, Lord Kamadeva Article. http://www.rudraksha-ratna.com/articles/lord-kamadeva

Reading Notes Narayan's Mahabharata Part B

Draupadi and her five husbands
iereadingguides.blogspot.com

 - I am consistently intrigued by the mixed messages these epics send in regards to what the role of women was expected to be in ancient indian culture. Based on the Ramayana and the very begining of the Mahabharata, I would expect a women like Draupadi having multiple husbands to raise the same concerns with purity that Sita and Ampa faced. I'm curious if the difference lies solely in whether or not the men in question agreed to the multiple partners? Or if the Ampa was a special circumstance in the Mahabharata and that belief was only really an issue in the Ramayana.

- The idea of Shakuni getting his revenge by trying to beat Yudhishthira in a game of dice could be read as a warning not to indulge in gambling. That warning would prove wise when Yudhishthira loses everything in the first game. Yudhishthira is easily a representation of an obsessive, if unskilled gambler, whose foolishness could destroy his life and the lives of everyone he loves.

 - Draupadi shows a lot of her character when Dhritarashtra offers her one wish. The fact that she wishes only for her current husband's freedom, and with a subsequent wish the freedom of her other husband clearly impacts Dhritarashtra. She not once wishes for her own freedom, even after Duryodhana attempts to humiliate her.

 - Yudhishthira is, once again, an idiot. How he didn't learn from his first mistake is beyond me. I'm also intrigued by the fact that the son was able to override his mother to re-invite Yudhishtahthira. I don't think that would have happened in the Ramayana. The only time I remember a child overriding a parent was in the interest of another parent.

- I can definetely see how this story is more comparable to a narrative like Game of Thrones than the fairytale like story of the Ramayana. I have not decided which one I like more yet.

Bibliography

Narayan's Mahabharata, Link to Reading Guide B.

Reading Notes Narayan's Mahabharata Part A

Ganga leaves
iereadingguides.blogspot.com

 - I had to laugh at the marriage condition that Shantanu's future wife gives him. Its a nice flip from the other ancient stories where the male love interest sets the conditions of the relationship. Also the picture shown above is my favorite image that I have come across for this class so far. I think Ganga's little wave is very funny for some reason.


 - Bhishma reminds me a look of Rama in the scene where he renounces his claim to the throne. Cleary the culture that these epics thrived in promoted children putting their parents above themselves. Both Rama and Bhishma are willing to throw their entire future away to honor their fathers wishes. 

- Another parallel between the Mahabharata and the Ramayana exists in the treatment of Amba. Clearly a woman's word is not given enough weigh to be considered proof of her purity. However unlike Sita, Amba begins to allow her anger to corrupt her. 

 - The story of Kunti setting her son, a very powerful being, adrift in a basket and his subsequent rescue echoes the story of Moses in exodus. I'm curious whether, at the time this story originated, Indian culture had had any interactions with Hebrew culture. 

- I think its interesting that for a society that apparently puts such a high value on female purity and fidelity, everyone seems totally okay which Kunti having children with various gods. I also think it's fascinating that Pandu clearly regards these children as his own and even asks Kunti for more. 

 - I am very intrigued by the similarities between the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The scene where Arhuna strings the bow in order to marry Draupadi is reminiscent of the scene in the Ramayana where Rama strings the bow in order to marry Sita. I'm curious whether stringing a bow to win a brides hand was a common practice in India and the stories are drawing on that tradition? Or, alternatively, if one of the narratives is merely repeating a scene from the other?

Bibliography

Narayan's Mahabharata, Link to Reading Guide A.

Comment Wall

Week 5 Story - Kamadeva's Diary #2

Kamadeva
en.wikipedia.org

Sometime in the Trenta Yuga,

Dear Diary,

WHAT. AN. IDIOT. Seriously diary, what an unbelievably insufferable idiot.  Clearly this incarnation of Vishnu did not inherit one ounce of his emotional intelligence. I really thought that once I gave Rama and Sita that initial burst of passion all those years ago, I would not need to intervene any further. After all, they are divine soulmates. Not everyone is lucky enough to get one of those. Apparently I should have kept a closer eye on the pair because Rama might be more idiotic than the rest of humanity combined.

I will say he started off strong. The appropriate response when your wife is kidnapped by an evil demon overlord is certainly to mount an all out rescue, which, to his credit, Rama did.The inappropriate response when you finally rescue said wife is TO BAN HER FROM YOUR SIGHT UNTIL SHE PROVES HER PURITY BY FIRE.

I asked Rati whether I was just overreacting to the situation. If anything she is even angrier at the situation than I am. Sita still longs for Rama to love her and pursue her as he did in the beginning of their relationship. Rati cannot understand how a husband could grow so cold from his loving wife. She told me that she has  been more consistent than checking in on Rama and Sita than I have. According to Rati, Rama's passion seemed to have dimmed slightly before Ravana kidnapped Sita but not enough to worry her. Apparently she underestimated just how much that passion had faded. 

Honestly, the ideas of trust and respect cannot be absent from Rama's mind. I know they exist because I remember blessing his godly self with them. Maybe it's because my domain is passion, desire, and love, but I cannot contemplate throwing away the wife you just rescued for the sake of your own pride. I must be biased, as all gods are, about my own speciality. However, I feel I am justified in the high premium I place on my gifts. 

I gave humans (and gods) the most powerful gifts aside from their minds. Their capacity to love deeply and wholly, however short their mortal lives may be, separates them from all other beings. I did that. I made them special. What does pride give to a soul that love cannot? Nothing! So why anyone would chose anything over love I cannot comprehend.  I gave humans something lovely and unique and now even the best among them would squander my gifts. 

Well, enough. In Lakshmi's next incarnation she will have the most beautiful love that I could ever bestow on a human incarnation. She will be respected, treasured, and at peace. However, Vishnu is on his own. If he is reincarnated as a human again, I will not assist in his life at all. He will be rejected for another's pride, and wander alone for the rest of that mortal life. Perhaps a dose of what Sita currently feels will make Vishnu reconsider any of his mortal forms ever rejecting my gifts again.

Author's Note:

Narayan's Ramayana, Link to Reading Guide D.

The incident referenced by Kamadeva happen in the original story. Ravana kidnaps Sita and takes her to his palace. Rama rescues her ,but refuses to allow her back in his presence because she has slept in the house of another man. Sita is understandably hurt. She steps into a fire to prove her purity and is not burnt. Only after Sita is unburnt by the fire does Rama take her back. I was appalled by that section of the story, especially since Rama is suppossed to be the hero. I thought Kamadeva would be equally upset and would probably need to rant about it in his diary.  I wanted to keep the sarcastic flippant tone of my original Kamadeva diary while also giving more depth to the character. I hoped that by reaching outside the bounds of the actual plot and having Kamadeva muse about the importance of love I could give more insight into his mind. I also thought it made sense to have Kamadeva look at appropriate punishments for Rama's behavior. I don't think I will write another diary dealing with the aftermath of his threat. I would prefer to just let it linger as a potential future consequence. 

  

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana Part D

Sita Tested (Unfairly)
blogspot.com

- I think its interesting, and indicative of the author's views, that Hanuman places such emphasis on why he does not think Ravana's wife could be Sita. The idea that Sita was so perfect that she could never sleep sprawled out or snore is absurd.

 - I appreciate the cleverness of Hanuman. Letting the opposition capture you in order to either gain information or give it is a clever strategy. It is a also a fairly common literary trope.

- I again think that it is interesting that even the villains in this story seem to be highly intelligent and capable of providing wise council. I think a lot of times villains are written as one dimensional evil idiots. Giving them depth actually makes the heroes triumphs more impressive since they were not inevitable.

 - I don't particularly love the lack of stakes in the story. When Lakna is burned to the ground I feel it should have a larger impact on the story. Inside it seems only to show that the gods can destroy and rebuild very easily.

- Honestly Vibihishana is the best character in this whole story so far. He consistently gives good advice and Ravana is an idiot for not listening. (Potential story from Vibhishana's point of view would be really fun)

- Predictably, Ravana's lack of wisdom is going to come back to bite him. I was very glad that Rama chose to trust Vibihishana instead of listening to Sugriva and Jambavan. The story about his ancestor was also a nice touch of parallel storytelling similar to the experience of Sugriva.

 - I love that Sita is once again shown to be very smart. She doesn't fall for Ravana's trick with Rama's decapitated head.

 - The reading guide says "the gods were puzzled by Rama requiring Sita to prove her purity" - same, Indian Gods, same. That whole scene is just ridiculous.

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, Link to Reading Guide D.

Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana Part C

Jatayu, Sita, and Ravana
blogspot.com

- I thought it was really interesting that the story of Ravana abducting Sita had some similarities to Snow White. Ravana arrives at the cottage in the guise of a hermit, similar to the Evil Queen arriving as an old hag. (See if you can parallel another myth tradition in your story this week)

 - I enjoy giving Sita a lot of dialogue in this part. Up only now the story has been primarily focused on Rama and his actions and feelings. I think seeing how outspoken and bold Sita is to Ravana helps give her character more depth.

 -I think that Jatayu's conversation with Rama sheds light on a well used writing trope. A lot of times a dying character will use their last moments to share important information. However, they almost always end up dying before they are able to give the most critical piece of information, in Jatayu's case where Ravana was headed.

- I find it interesting that a common theme seems to be the nuanced differences between the heroes/otherworldly creatures and the actual gods. I have trouble distinguishing who is god and who is some other sort of supernatural creature. To the best of my understanding, gods can be reincarnated as humans or other creature but aren't always. Some heroes/powerful humans are gifted with powers that make them just as great or greater than the gods (Ravana) and there are also demons (also Ravana)?

 - I like Sita's intelligence in throwing down her jewelry. This epic has shown several times now that Sita is ever bit Rama's equal.

- The parallels between Rama and Sugriva serve to allow Rama's emotions to be explained through his sympathy for surgriva. I think in my next storytelling or project assignment I will try and give insight to my characters through a parallel story.

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, Link to Reading Guide C.

Feedback Strategies

Try Feedforward Instead of Feedback

I loved this article. While I enjoy getting and giving feedback, I have never thought that being berated by knowing everything I did wrong that I can't change was a particularly effective means of criticism. I like that in this article feedforward is characterized as specific suggestions for the future. I also appreciated the emphasis the article placed, especially since it will be applied to a creative writing setting, on not trying to prove the person you are providing feedback to wrong.



How to Give Students Specific Feedback That Actually Helps Them Learn
Overall I really liked this article. I thought its strongest points were that feedback should be consistent, goal oriented an transparent. Nothing bothers me more than taking a paper into a professor and getting feedback, applying their suggestions, and then having them criticize the application of those suggestions. I also think that having a goal contributes to motivation in a very palpable way. As for transparency, no matter the actually difficulty of the paper I find it much easier when I know the expectations.

Growth Mindset Cat
growthmindsetmemes.blogspot.com

Week 3 Story - Kamadeva's Diary

Edit: new version of this story is now available at elizindianepicsportfolio.blogspot.com

Vishnu and Lakshmi
commons.wikimedia

Date  October 1^st, 10495BC

Dear Diary,

       This is my first attempt at journaling my thoughts, but supposedly it will help my decision making. Personally I think my choices are excellent. True, as the God of Love and Desire, sometimes I can wreck a little havoc on people’s lives. However, what is life without a little craziness? 

    Today was one of my personal bests. My dear friends Vishnu and Lakshmi are currently reincarnated as mere mortals, Rama and Sita. Vishnu and Lakshmi’s love is one of my greatest achievements. They respect each other greatly and are the epitome of fidelity and passion. I couldn’t just let their mortal forms miss out on each other!! So, I made sure to infuse the purest breath of desire into both Rama and Sita. True, I probably breathed a little to heavily in Sita’s direction but it will be fine. 

Right diary? 

What harm could possibly come from making Sita alovelorn to the point that she is almost suicidal? 

It’s fine. 

    The extreme desire will die down in the coming years. In that time I’m sure Vishnu and Lakshmi’s souls will have recognized one another through the guises of Rama and Sita. I’ll be honest though. It was complete luck for me that Rama could string that bow. If Vishnu’s human form hadn’t been strong enough then Rama and Sita could not have married and the desire I gave them would most likely have driven them insane. Whoops. Oh well, I’ll just have to be a little more careful with my next couple.

      I suppose I should find someone for Lakshamana. Heroes tend to want worthy partners and I aim to please. I’ll make sure not to infuse as much desire though. The last thing someone as hot-tempered as Lakshamana needs is more passion. I’ll get started on that first thing tomorrow. For now I think its time to get some rest, creating true love does take a lot out of me.

Authors Note/Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, Guide A

The major plot points of my story stay true to the original story. Rama and Sita see each other and instantly are obsessed with one another. Sita is almost inconsolable. Rama is allowed to marry Sita because he can string a god's bow. My story is Kamadeva (the god of love's) commentary on their love story's origin. I wanted to play with different tones for Kamadeva and will probably go more serious next time. 

Reading Notes - Narayan's Ramayana Section B

Rama, Sita, and Lakshamana
commons.wikimedia.org

-       The contrasting characterizations of Rama and Lakshmana add to their believability as brothers and give depth two the two heroes.  Lakshmana’s quick temper makes it apparent why he was not ever even considered to be king, but his loyalty to Rama explains why Rama allows him to come into exile with him.

-       I liked that Sita was finally given a little bit of agency in her decision to follow Rama into exile. Thus far all of her choices had been made for her, but in this scene we see her actually win an argument with Rama.

-       The debate between Bharata and Rama is a really interesting moment. You get to see a little of bot brother’s personally and values as well as their love for one another. They also raise an interesting debate as to whether ultimate authority is derived from the house or the state.

-       I thought it was interesting that both Ravana and his sister claim that the god of love is influencing their desires for Sita and Rama respectively. Especially since Kamadeva is never met as a character thus far.

-       Lakshmana continues to develop as a character when Sita spots the deer and he warns Rama that it is an illusion. We see a great deal of discernment and wisdom in an otherwise hotheaded character.

-       We also see wisdom in maricha as he tries to talk Ravana out of capturing Sita. Maricha knows that following Ravana’s lead will not only mean his death but Ravana’s as well. It is clear that Maricha loves Ravana which I think is really fascinating. In most stories the “villains” are depicted as incapable of really loving others and thus far that hasn’t really been true in this epic

Bibliography

Narayan's Ramayana, link to Reading Guide A.

Reading Notes - Narayan's Ramayana Section A

- I liked that the first scene between Dasaratba and Viswamithra set the stage well for the rest of the story. You can clearly see a divide in the personality of the king that the boys had been raised under and their new guardian Viswamithra.

- Viswamithra mentions Shiva reducing the god of love to ashes. (Look up when working on project)

 - Ahalya's story was definetely not my fave. She literally did nothing wrong and ended up as stone for who knows how many years only to be ordered to return to the service of the man who cursed her. (Potential story: have god of love narrating the story + new ending with role reversal)

Ahalya bows down to Rama
blogspot.com

 - The beginning of Rama and Sita's story is interesting. It is fun as a reader to know that part of the reason for their overwhelming attraction to one another is because their divine forms are already married. It conveys a sense of both young passionate love and older more mature commitment.

- Sita seems to have had a rather extreme reaction but to each her own. Rama's reaction made much more sense to me.


- I thought it was really interesting how communal Rama and Sita's wedding was. The detail that every single man, woman, and child from the two capitals was invited gave a lot of insight into the cultures.

- I also liked that the cummination of Rama's time with Viswamithra was his marriage to Sita. The pace of the story gave the reader the impression that all of those tasks were meant to lead to Rama proving his worth to marry Sita.

 - Kaikeyi's sudden change of heart after speaking to Kooni felt unnatural but was an interesting plot twist. It also make her a more complicated character as she did save the kings life, he did promise her father that he would name her son king, and he owes her two promises. The only thing I hold against Kaikeyi is banishing Rama. That feels excessively cruel, especially since Rama has no desire for the throne and views Kaikeyi as his own mother.




Bibliography
Narayan's Ramayana, link to Reading Guide A.

Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

I downloaded the Canvas app onto my phone at the end of last semester. Overall I have liked the app so far. It has a push notification option that I have found really useful. Unfortunately, the app seems to glitch a lot. So far it hasn't glitched as bad as some other apps but it still glitches probably once every other week.  

Feedback Thoughts

14 Signs Your Perfectionism Has Gotten Out of Control

I can definetely be a perfectionist so I really enjoyed this article. Not everything mentioned applied to me but I could identify with most of the 14 signs. Some, such as the inability to take feedback, used to be much worse. However, I have been actively working on improving my feedback reception skills throughout college so that is much less of an issue now. The go big or go home mentality definetely still exists though, as does a tendency to procrastinate and to view results in extremes. I always enjoy articles like this one because they remind me of tendencies that I have improved on and ones that I still need to work on.


Eight Things Students Should Do When They Make a Mistake

I really enjoyed this article. I especially liked the advice to strive to find a good balance between work and play. I can remember times when I went week without really spending quality time with my friends because I was so stressed about a paper, or a test. Over the past year or so I have been able to find a much better balance but I definetely do not have a perfect system yet.



General Thoughts on Feedback:
Whether or not I am a good feedback taker has honestly varied depending on what kind of day or week I am having when I receive that feedback. I have had professors tell me I need to basically rewrite an entire paper and readily accepted that criticism. However, I have also had professors inform me they do not like one element of my writing style and felt very attacked. Generally, I have figured out that I appreciate feedback that feels objective and resent feedback that appears to be subjective. For example if someone points out a plot hole or logical inconsistency in my writing, my automatic response will be better than someone saying they just did not like my writing style or how I wrote a certain character. I am currently working on receiving ALL criticism better while still holding on to my uniqueness within my writings.

Growth Cat
growthmindsetmemes

Topic Brainstorm

Topic Idea 1:

I think it would be really interesting to retell/embellish some of the major indian "love stories" from the perspective of Kamadeva. I think, flipping the script on some of these stories and portraying Kamadeva's involvement or noninvolvement would allow me to offer something unique in my story telling. For example, last week one of my favorite storybooks was about Rama and Sita going to couples therapy. I have this idea in my head that Kamadeva was not really involved in their story actively, but rather watched in sorrow as Rama claimed he loved Sita while only loving himself. I would love to play around with that idea in the next few weeks. I also think it would be really interesting to play around with the characterization of Kamadeva. I've noticed in Western Mythology the gods or goddesses of Love and/or Desire are often portrayed as very fickle beings who enjoy watching those they influence go through never ending cycles of seduction and heartbreak. I think it would be nice to give more weight or seriousness to these gods and examine how they would really feel about how humans love one another.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sita

Kamadeva
commons.wikimedia.org

Topic Idea 2:

Another project that I think could be really interesting would be a storybook that focused on the immortals. I'm not sure how feasible this would be, but I think I could do an overarching story about the Immortals losing their immortality and have an individual chapter following each of the seven main immortals as they reckon both with their lost immortality along with their complicated feelings about eternal life to begin with. Each chapter would culminate in that immortal finally meeting the god of death and examining how they respond to that fate. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiranjivi

Topic Idea 3:

As we will spend a lot of time on the Ramayana, I think it would make sense to pursue a retelling of the story in some form. Since I don't know very much about Indian Epics but I do know a lot about Greek Mythology, I could see a really great project in retelling the Ramayana with Greek and Roman characters. This project would allow me a fun way to examine the difference in how each culture characterizes their heroes. Additionally, I am interested to see if their are many common denominators between the stories. 

https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/


Topic Idea 4:
My final topic idea is to write a story from the perspective of a seeming normal family in india whose eldest daughter loves to read ancient poetry and epics. Once she turns 18 however, each story she reads begins to actually take place in the real world with her inhabiting the role of one of the characters. This idea is probably the least concrete in my head but I think it would be really interesting to pitch this unassuming girl into the role of a great indian hero or god like Vishnu and examine her responses.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vishnu

Extra Credit Reading Notes

The Foolish Timid Rabbit:
 I really enjoyed two specific elements of this story. I thought it touched on something very real in its metaphor about how easy it is to get swept away by what the majority believes. In contrast, I thought it showcased the importance of wise leaders standing up against majority opinion and asking intelligent questions.

The Turtle and the King/The Turtle and the Geese:
I thought the juxtaposition between the two turtles in these stories was really fascinating. It pointed to the fact that when storytelling, you can have two characters of a similar background take very different paths.


The Cunning Crane and the Crab:
I really liked this story. At first it reminded me of the old story of The Scorpion and the Turtle, except with a surprise twist at the end. I thought it was interesting that the author of the story clearly felt that the crab had been just in his dealing with the crane.


The Crocodile and the Monkey's Heart:
A common theme is emerging amongst the last few stories; Intelligence and cleverness seem to be the most admirable traits as opposed to brawn. I thought it was interesting that the monkey's immediate trusting nature was not as fatal in this story as in the previous ones.


The Crocodile in the River:
What I found most interesting in this story is the respect that the crocodile gives the monkey at the end of the story. Unlike the previous version when the crocodile was miserable because he lost his meal, this version has the crocodile possessing enough wisdom to appreciate being outmaneuvered.

Wise Monkey
maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com

The Monkey who Gathered Lotuses:
This story certainly had the most unexpected ending for me. Most of these stories have followed a logical path to the end, but I was not expecting the father to basically have a heart attack and die before a final confrontation with the son. I did notice that similar to The Crocodile in the River, a potential adversary praises the monkey's intelligence.


The Self Willed Deer/Noisy Out of Season:
I liked both of these stories. They, strangely, reminded me of biblical parables found throughout the Gospels. I am curious how familiar the author was with the Christian affinity for parables when he wrote these.


Goblin City:
This was probably the story I liked least out of this bunch, not because it was not a great story, but rather it felt out of place compared to the previous animal themed stories.