« Week 3 Discussion

Shelby Lowery

Week 3 Discussion

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I automatically have found the women in the Ramayana to be very interesting characters. Kaikeyi and her early role in this story was very interesting. Kaikeyi did have Rama exiled because she wanted her son to be king but it seems like Rama was as much of a son as her biological son so I'm not sure why Manthara had such a huge impact on her. Also, the fact that she had 'two boons' given by the king which means she obviously helped him out a lot. She helps the king and has a huge impact on him. Rama is the main character but throughout the book so far it seems that women have a large role which I haven't seen in many religious stories/traditions. 
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  1. Post by Rachel McKelvy
    Re: Week 3 Discussion
    I also have really been interested in the women of the Ramayana, Shelby!  As we were preparing to read the story, I kept assuming that Kaikeyī came to the decision to ask Daśaratha to make Bharata king on her own.  I guess the lectures/videos to that point had not put as much emphasis on Manthara influencing that decision, but then reading the narrative I came to like Kaikeyī a lot more than I was expecting to.  She isn't really the evil step mother I had come into the story expecting to read about.  
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  2. Post by Hollis Medley
    Good point
    Now that you mention it, you're right.  Women are not usually large characters in religious stories.  Specifically in christianity I only know of a handful amongst hundreds of stories with male-lead roles.  I agree though, the story of Rama seems to be heavily rested on women and their roles in the story.
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