Week 6: Reading Diary A

I love the description of Lanka island- green hills, warm white sand, aloe abundant in the lushness of the land… However, the descriptions turn to be not so pretty when describing the Rakshasas and it’s disgusting that Ravana’s wives are all strewn about all over one another sleeping on the floor- they deserve better.  Also, how can each Rakshasa daughter desire him- he has twenty heads! That would disgust me.  Also, his wives aren’t exactly treated super well so I don’t understand why anyone would want to marry him.  I also think it’s weird this whole time that Hanuman chose to disguise himself as a cat- were there lots of cats around or why would that help him blend in any more?  Jumping forward, I wonder why Ravana has drums go off in his room every morning and why there were female demons serving as guards rather than males.  I would have figured he would have made as many females as possible his wives.  I really admire how Sita keeps her composure when talking to Ravana and doesn’t falter or even entertain the things he offers.  She even calls him out a couple times and he loses his temper.  He must have looked absolutely mad and terrifying when his eyes whirred around and he had a fit.  I feel bad for Queen Mandodari because she no longer gets Ravana’s attention like she used to and this must be hard on her as well.  It makes my stomach turn to think the rakshasas wanted to eat her.  I wonder if they were just trying to scare her or if they actually wanted to.  It’s pretty weird that Hanuman refers to Sita as “mother.”  It’s sweet though that he reassures Sita and answers her questions.  He even offers to take her home at that moment.  I wonder why she says no.  Perhaps she doesn’t believe him.  When Ravana wants to cut off Hanuman’s head, I think it’s very noble that Vibhishana refuses to do so.  Not only because morally it’s wrong, but he also knows the laws and knows that’s simply not fair in the face of the law.  And, ohhh karma- Hanuman doesn’t feel the fire, but he is able to set fire to Lanka.  I admire Hanuman for also rushing back where he was just attacked- he thought she would be burned in the fire for sure, but he went on the slim chance she was alive and she was.