Week 3: Reading Diary A

Notes about Sita:

• Sita is always described positively up to the point when she believes Rama is in danger. When she thinks something terrible has happened to Rama, she nags Lakshama and event insults his relationship to Rama in order to manipulate him. This sounds like how Kooni manipulate Kaiyeki. However, Sita is like this because she believes her husband to be in danger, and she truly is scared. 
• Sita's innocence and naivety is very clear when Ravana shows up!
• Sita believes Rama will save her and defeat Ravana and all of the asuras
• Sita threw away her jewelry for Rama to find it (p.104)

Interesting Things I Noticed:

• Lakshama is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters- he is strong, wise, and brave. I liked the way he dealt with Sita's panic, even though he eventually gave in to her desire for him to go after Rama. He wants the best for Sita and Rama, but when Sita threatens to kill herself, he leaves her to dharma and does as she wishes. (p. 91).
• Ravana Logic: "I would have crushed and eaten you, except for the fact you are a woman and I want you and will die if I don't have you" (p. 93). 
• Why was Ravana cursed to not touch a woman? It was cunning of him to get around it by taking the ground along with Sita.
• Poor Jatayu. Yet another example of a character so devoted to Rama and Sita! 
• The story of Vali and Sugreeva could have been Rama's story with his brother, had Rama not been so humble and good. (p.99-101)
• Tara knew better than Vali, but he refused to listen" "Oh, foolish creature, you are betraying a woman's intelligence and a gossiping tongue" (p.105). In the end, Vali was foolish and Tara prudent. 
• Rama defined humanity as a knowledge between right and wrong (p.111)
• KARMA: Kooni was so antagonistic because Rama was cruel to her when he was young. He has since learned his lessoni.
• Tara saving her husband by speaking to Lakshmana reminded me of the biblical story of David and Abigail. Abigail spoke on her husband's behalf to prevent David from attacking her husband.
• Rama describes Sita's feet to Hanuman in order for him to recognize her