Storybook Favorites
The first blog I liked was Letters from Sita. Baylie, the creator, did a great job of setting up the intro page. Sita's story does not end when the Rama banishes her. Her ability to love did not go away, which is why I appreciated this elaboration on her and her relationship with her sons. I like how her retelling of her past marriage and deeds is less regretful and more liberating. Her life seems more free. She is able to live with her sons and not be tied to a man she did not voluntarily marry. Although she obviously loved Rama, she doesn't have to live under his thumb.
The second one was The Karma Diaries. Their courthouse-like setup was an amusing illustration of karma. Although I thought representing karma as a judge outside of the affected person was misleading, it lead to entertaining stories. To me, karma is more like a word for the natural consequences of someone's actions, which originates within their own thoughts and deeds. In this storybook, Karma is treated as more of a god determining everyone else's fate. However, this was a clever way for the author to voice their personal judgements of the story in a creative way. I also liked her the author put Karma's thoughts in italics because they helped me follow the story.
My favorite storybook was definitely Women's Epiphanies. I used to read a lot of classic literature in high school but got so fed up with the subordinate position of every woman that I lost enthusiasm. Taking these stories that revolve around men and giving the woman a new direction and more understanding attention was an excellent way to make them relevant to the modern world. The author demonstrated compassion for all the disenfranchised characters by taking the time to understand and care for them in her stories.
The second one was The Karma Diaries. Their courthouse-like setup was an amusing illustration of karma. Although I thought representing karma as a judge outside of the affected person was misleading, it lead to entertaining stories. To me, karma is more like a word for the natural consequences of someone's actions, which originates within their own thoughts and deeds. In this storybook, Karma is treated as more of a god determining everyone else's fate. However, this was a clever way for the author to voice their personal judgements of the story in a creative way. I also liked her the author put Karma's thoughts in italics because they helped me follow the story.
My favorite storybook was definitely Women's Epiphanies. I used to read a lot of classic literature in high school but got so fed up with the subordinate position of every woman that I lost enthusiasm. Taking these stories that revolve around men and giving the woman a new direction and more understanding attention was an excellent way to make them relevant to the modern world. The author demonstrated compassion for all the disenfranchised characters by taking the time to understand and care for them in her stories.
Demon like mist found on J. Michel's flickr
I am so glad you looked at the Epiphanies Storybook, Jessica: that was one of my favorites last year! As you'll see, the epics very much revolve around men, but there are remarkable women characters in there too (much more so than in the Homeric epics of Greece, for example) -- and there are all these women writers in India today who are re-examining those stories, retelling them in new ways, much like students do for this class! One of my favorites is Samhita Arni; maybe you will want to read one of her books this semester! Featured Author: Samhita Arni
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