Reading Notes: The Ramayana Part A

Narayan's Ramayana:  Reading Guide part A

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Personal Index of Characters: 
Main characters: Rama and Sita
Ravana: evil antagonist
Kosala: setting city
King Dasaratha- childless
Sage Vasishtha- advises king to feed his wives rice
Sage Viswamithra- former king now a sage who convinces the king to let Rama go with him to defeat demons
Sidhasrama: where the brothers travel to with Viswamithra
Kausalya- wife of king/mother of Rama
Kaikeyi- wife of king/mother of Bharatha
Lakshmana- broher of Rama

The Ramayana has been told as a bedtime story, made into a TV drama that people protested for, some study it as a religious experience, it is told as a narrative and performed as plays and dance dramas.

For this portion of the book I really enjoyed reading the background of the story; how popular it is and how people use these readings.  When I began the story I noticed that the plot consists of something similar to Native American Creation stories, where the small tales within the reading tell about how something came to be.  Some of the stories also teach Rama and Lakshmana a new skill or something about themselves or the world, and sometimes through these tales they also affect the lives of others. 

This portion of the book inspires me to write something that contains a Sci-Fi influence.  It would be great to take some of these stories and turn them into a child's bedtime story that they become immersed in and take the place of the hero to help people and learn about growing up.  It could also be interesting to write about a traditional story that has been opened into a portal, so every time someone reads the story, they are sucked into it and they experience the tales as Rama. 

Another interesting take would be if the story was performed and it transported the audience into the world of Kosala or Sidhasrama.  They would have to work together to get out of it, and they may learn some life lessons along the way.  Perhaps the mini-stories within the larger story will be individual reflections of people who have been accidentally taken into this strange world on an impromptu journey.