Week 4: Famous Last Words

This semester. Oh my gosh. It's quite the whirlwind. A month in, I'm still in the energetic-busy phase rather than stressed-out-beyond-measure-busy, which is nice. I'm able to focus and stay on top of assignments much better this semester than in some previous ones, and it's reducing my stress level a crazy amount, actually, just to mostly have things done on time. Hopefully this feeling will continue as I get into the time to research and write papers... I keep thinking I'll have time to get ahead, but this semester keeps throwing curveballs, mostly exciting ones. With this being my last semester in Oklahoma, I'm trying to prioritize friends and some extracurriculars over almost exclusively focusing on school, and I think this actually both makes me mentally healthier, to have something fun breaking up the studying, and better at time managing and therefore more efficient.

I enjoy the readings for this class more each week. The Ramayana was a lot of fun to read, and I'm looking forward to starting Narayan's version of The Mahabharata in the next few days. Sita Sings the Blues went way beyond my expectations. It's trippy, creative, catchy, thoughtful, deep -- so much more than the simple visualization of the epic that I expected. I love Nina Paley's open-ended but insightful conclusion that finally brings focus to what Sita is feeling and experiencing during this story that so often centers on Rama's perfection rather than his crappy treatment of his wife. I kept showing one of my friends various scenes from the film as I was writing my Storytelling post this week and kept recalling my favorite parts. I keep getting the song that Sita's sons sing about Rama stuck in my head, with its snarky verse criticizing Rama's behavior. :)

still from Sita Sings the Blues

source: On the Human

Tech Tip: Cheezburger

Naturally, I used a picture of my own darling kitten for this one. I'm pretty sure she was thinking something like "pet me, you silly thing, stop trying to take pictures!" Or maybe something less nice. Sometimes she gets these kind of demon eyes and I wish I had named her Lilith instead of Genevieve.

meme maker: Cheezburger

Week 4 Storytelling: Sita Leaves

“I’m sorry this is how things have to work out, but I don’t understand why you’re this mad.”

“Of course I’m mad! This is infuriating! I threw myself in a fire to prove I was telling you the truth. Why should I have to do anything more?”

“I believe you! It’s not me, it’s – ”

“How can you say it’s not you?! The people should know what I already did. It’s been recorded in detail! I went through my trial by fire, and the very gods declared I was pure. I don’t understand why you continue to doubt what I say! Not to mention I thought you would trust my word – what reason have I ever given you to think that I would lie – but how can you ignore such proof?”

“It’s for the good of the land, Sita! I don’t want to banish you, but as a ruler I simply must!”

“Well then, I’ll make it even simpler for you. I’ll just leave on my own. If you won’t trust me, then I don’t need to stay here any longer. We’re done. I can’t believe I wasted so much of my life on you, just to have you turn away!”

With that, Sita packed her bags (it didn’t take her long; she’d only just begun unpacking after her and Rama’s return from exile) and headed into the forest once again. It was a bittersweet moment. Rama had been so distant since rescuing her from Ravana, and it felt good to leave his judgmental gaze and controlling rules. But at the same time, she’d spent so long in Rama’s company. On first sight, she’d believed them destined to be together forever, as if by divine fulfillment. Their courtship had been a whirlwind in which she hardly knew what was going on before they were married. After that, however, they’d had plenty of time to get to know each other, and she had felt no qualms following him into the forest for fourteen years. It had been an exciting adventure, setting off with her husband and brother-in-law for a humble life in exile. Until she was kidnapped by Ravana, things were going great.

But now all that was over. Those fourteen years had been like a blissful honeymoon, and now that Rama was back in Ayodhya, it was clear that his true heart lay with keeping his kingdom, and his image as ruler, intact. If he thought Sita got in the way of that, then forget their years of happiness – she simply had to go. Well, it was time for her to forge her own life, independent of the men, first her father and then her husband, who had ruled her for so long. She would be Sita-the-king’s-daughter, Sita-Rama’s-wife no more, but her own person, making her own decisions, choosing her life’s path, and deciding fate for herself. She would be in charge of finding her own happiness, living for herself and for the twins growing within her, and show to the world how strong a woman could stand by herself.

 Sita returns to the earth and her mother

Author's Note: I didn't really like the ending of Sita Sings the Blues, where Sita is cast out once again by Rama, only to have him return to claim his sons but not her. I could most ignore how much I disagreed with the portrayal of women in the rest of the epic, but by the end the injustice was too much. I wanted to write a version of the story where Sita at least stands on her own, without depending on Rama or her pigheaded devotion to him.

Bibliography:

source: Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley (2008)

image: Sita BhumiPravesh, painting by Raja Ravi Varma, 19th cent. (Wikimedia Commons)

Week 4 Reading Diary, cont.: Sita Sings the Blues

reading (viewing): Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley (2008)

The film continued to be a mix of humorousness and thoughtfulness. I think the thing I found funniest was Ravana going to concessions to get a drinking cup for each of his heads. I also would love to know more about the music and dancing that occurs after the intermission. It felt like it should be symbolic somehow of what's going on in the story, but I don't know enough about Indian traditions to be able to recognize it.

I was also surprised at the continuation of Rama and Sita's story. In the version by Narayan that I read, I'm pretty sure it ended with them returning to Ayodhya. I'm confused about why people and Rama would still doubt Sita's purity after she THREW HERSELF ON A FIRE to prove she hadn't slept with Ravana. I loved the part where Rama's sons are taught to sing his praises, with a verse that's decidedly un-praising in the middle. Somehow I don't think that was in the original epic...

That scene in the film where Sita first proves her purity. (source: Wikimedia Commons)

I appreciated how, at the end of the film, the storytellers begin questioning their story. Rama's not so perfect after all. He has his faults in the first part of the epic, but his true failings are really revealed when he banishes Sita for years and still questions her when he runs across his sons. It's pretty ridiculous, and I'm glad she finally got fed up and left him. Unconditional love is inspiring and all that, but there comes a point where it needs to be let go of.

Week 4 Reading Diary: Sita Sings the Blues

reading (viewing): Sita Sings the Blues by Nina Paley (2008)

The intro to the film really surprised me. I guess I expected a pretty straightforward retelling of The Ramayana, so the peacock phonograph and jazz music threw me off at first (it took me a little bit to catch on to the "Blues" part of the title). So did the kind of abstract, cosmic music and animations at the beginning, though I liked the rhythm and feel of it and how the image movements fit the music.

I also enjoyed the humorous tone of the Indian storytellers as they recall the epic together and especially how sassy they can get. The further I watch in the film, the more it seems like they end up humanizing Rama's and Sita's decisions and actions. They get more into the dynamics of their relationship than the cliches used in the original epic.


In terms of storytelling assignments, the idea of Ravana not being such a bad guy (except for kidnapping Sita) stood out to me. The Ramayana plays with this a little, offering him a choice between continuing on the same doomed path or trying to redeem himself, but the storytellers in the film go further, portraying this demon as a learned man who can also jam out on a sitar.

Other storytelling things I thought about were the what ifs? of Rama and Sita after Sita is rescued from Ravana. What would the implications be if Rama didn't doubt or test Sita? What if Sita got fed up with Rama and took a different path besides dramatically proving herself? I'm thinking questions like these might be what I pursue in my storytelling post for this week.

I really enjoyed the scene where Hanuman is casually burning down Lanka in the background while Sita sings. (source: Wikimedia Commons)