Week 4: Reading Diary A

The way the book opens is pretty creative- I like it.  I’ve seen this format before in movies such as “The Princess Bride,” where it is a story within a story, but I haven’t seen it as much in books.  Upon describing Ayodhya, it is very enchanting.  I wonder if it really was supposedly that wonderful or if it was simply exaggerated upon description.  Since it’s a mythical place, it is definitely capable of being “perfect” since it’s not governed by the same natural rules our world is governed by.  When it mentions Sita, all I can think is “poor woman.”  After reading so much about what she went through, it is really sad to see her treated so poorly and see her want to drown both herself and her unborn son.  Rama isn’t as pure and blameless and the story leads on if he exiled her and lets this happen.  Skipping forward, Narayana is in this story?  Isn’t he the author of the last version of “Ramayana” we read?  I wonder if there is another person/supernatural with that name…  Satrughna had dark blue skin?  I feel like that’s a medical problem or maybe he’s just trying to describe with colors his personality?  Anyways, I really like the descriptions of Rama and Lakshmana- I feel as if they are described in great detail and provide a picture into the personalities of both.  In the last version of “Ramayana” we read, I felt as if we knew what Rama did/how strong he was, but I didn’t feel like I necessarily pictured him as a great person until he treated the monkeys so kindly, and then I understood why he was considered to be so great.  Anyways, I feel really bad for Trinavindu- being made pregnant by wandering onto someone’s land.  The story doesn’t mention this, but I wonder if there was a “shun” culture for those who were pregnant out of wedlock or no.  I don’t remember any uber formal marriages being mentioned for other characters besides Rama, but still I wonder.  Her dad seemed a bit shocked (as he should be), but I am not sure whether he is shocked as in disgraced or literally just completely caught off guard.  As for her son, I’m glad he’s so good-natured, but I wonder if the gift of generosity will eventually turn as a curse to him if he becomes a “push-over.”  I hate to think that way, but it seems as if other “blessings” in this book have turned out for the worst.  Anyways, when Ravana was born, is it superstition or something similar to turn left?  I find it interesting that that was the direction the dogs turned when chasing their tails.  Skipping forward, I don’t like that Buck didn’t spend as much time describing Sita and Rama’s first looks at each other and how he strung the bow to marry her.  It was mentioned so briefly that it didn’t describe how much she was infatuated by him.  With that being said, I’m surprised he essentially skipped over that part but chose to describe her in such detail when it describes her appearance on her wedding day.