Reading Notes: Narayan's Ramayana Part D

As with most great epics, a large emphasis is placed on the battle that concludes the story with some wavering mentions of the love story which the entire epic is essentially based off of. Although I know this literary style is bound to frustrate me in the very last part of the story, I continue to love reading epics because it is a very unique literary style that aims to establish several in depth back stories, allowing for character development from sometimes several perspectives.

I was particularly frustrated with this ending because I could hardly believe that Rama would accuse Sita of betraying him, or condemning her if she had been overtaken by Ravana. It seems to go against the main principles established throughout the story and reminds me of the same kind of brash reaction Shiva exhibits in his love story with Parvati. In both stories, the actions of the female characters are seen as secondary, and often undermined by the action of their husband, despite their unwavering faithfulness.

I would like to do more research on Ravana and possibly see if he has more backstory with Vishnu that I could utilize for my project. I think it could be interesting to incorporate a story about the tragic back and forth between the two main characters if I decide to use Karma as my topic.

Bibliography:
Narayan's Ramayana. (Web Source)

Rama and Rava in Battle (Wikimedia)