Reading
I have really enjoyed the readings thus far, though sometimes the PDE versions of the Epics that I chose to read seemed to be a little muddled. That is to be expected, however, when there are so many different authors writing their own interpretations of a series of epic events. My favorite reading that I've done so far was Nagpal's Sita, as I found it to be the most engaging. It also answered the question "Why does Sita let Rama treat her like this?" by proving that she is more than able to end an abusive relationship when needed. I wish I could read without doing a reading notes post, but it is certainly helpful in terms of story writing.
Writing
I love the freedom that I have to create stories and narratives that I find to be personally compelling. So much of the writing that I do is academic in nature; I'm far more focused on citations and counterarguments than prose and polishing. I don't often have any immediate questions or problems when writing, but very much appreciate the feedback that I get from both the instructor and my classmates.
Connecting
I'm constantly impressed by how people are able to weave their own interests and stories into their writings. It provides an excellent window into their experiences that I find to be both edifying and fascinating. However, I think that many of my classmates can lack clarity in their writing; I've read many pieces that leave me more confused at the end than when I started. In order to avoid this, I intend to focus on making my exposition clear and concise in order to create a more realistic piece of writing.
This week has been a great lesson that, even when life doesn't work out exactly like you want it to, it's still going pretty well. After pouring countless hours and significant effort into my application for the Ewing Fellowship, I got an e-mail yesterday that I was not selected for the award. I wasn't particularly happy; months of hard work appeared to be for not. However, as I talked to some other people, I realized that this award might have been out of my reach to begin with. This year, every recipient of the Fellowship was a Junior. In fact, I believe that I may have been the only sophomore even interviewed. I firmly believe that if you aren't attempting to do things that are slightly outside of your grasp, you aren't pushing yourself. Maybe this rejection was just what I needed to become re-energized as we approach scholarship/award season here at OU. Luckily, I don't think that the Ewing was my only chance to go to DC this summer... the LGBTQ Alum Club offers a scholarship to fund an internship relating to queer issues, and the DC Alum Club for OU offers a scholarship for internships in DC. There are clearly still options for me, and even if I don't end up working for the Human Rights Campaign this summer, I might study abroad or do something similar. I need to figure out when I'm going abroad, actually... I have to do it for my major, and I still haven't found the time to do so. Oh well. For now, I'm just focused on having a super relaxing weekend, doing some work, getting ahead on some things, and just spending time with friends. As we are half-way through Day 1, I have to say that it is a success.
Scene: Arjuna and Karna meet in the middle of a clearing. All fighting between their respective armies has ceased.
ARJUNA- Karna, this fighting is senseless. Let us settle this battle ourselves; there is no need to endanger the lives of others in order for us to solve our own issues with each other.
KARNA- It shall be so.
The skilled warriors consulted with brahmins and other holy men on how they should proceed, and the following rules were established:
1.Celestial weapons and other boons of the gods would not be allowed.
2.Each participant would only be allowed a single weapon of their own choosing.
3.Each participant would be outfitted with the same basic armor.
4.The duel would be over when one participant either conceded or died. There would be no other way for the duel to conclude.
5.Victory in this skirmish would mean victory in the war.
6.By the powers of the gods, the terrain would change at different intervals in order to ensure that neither participant was given an advantage.
7.Violation of these guidelines in any way would anger the gods to such an extent that the individual would be condemned to never ascend to the heavens.
With the rules in place, each of the warriors drew their weapon. Arjuna, to the surprise of no man, drew his bow to do battle with his brother. Karna drew his sword. Everyone else drew a deep breath, silently praying to anyone that would listen.
A brahmin drew a circle around Arjuna and Karna, and with the clap of Krishna’s hands, the circle became a jungle.
The warriors began.
Arjuna quickly scaled a tree, firing volley after volley. Karna, moving with an almost inhuman speed, easily avoided the deadly darts and bided his time in the brush.
The circle became a desert.
Unhindered by trees and plants, Karna came charging at Arjuna with his full force, while Arjuna fired a single, solitary arrow into Karna’s shoulder. Karna felt a searing pain, but was otherwise unperturbed. When he finally reached Arjuna, he swung desperately and was able to slice off Arjuna's legs.
The circle became an ocean.
Bleeding out from his midsection, Arjuna used his arms to recover some seaweed that he proceeded to wrap around his wound in order to stem the flow of the bleeding. As he did this, he observed that Karna was drowning. Arjuna fired more arrows, albeit imprecisely due to his precarious position, and was able to hit both of Karna’s hands.
The circle became a field.
Karna, now unable to wield his sword, ran straight at Arjuna with murderous intent. Before he was able to reach him, however, Arjuna fired a few more arrows into Karna that prevented Karna from using his arms at all (Arjuna was a master of pressure points). Karna ultimately fell at Arjuna’s side, but not before kicking his arms so hard that they broke. Fully incapacitated and close to totally decapitated, both participants merely lay there until their wounds bled out and they moved on to the next life. The war was over. No one had won, but it was over. There was no celebrating, no singing; both sides had lost a valued and strong leader. The armies solemnly took the bodies and burned them with the dignity due to a ruler. There was much to do in the coming weeks, but this, this was a time for mourning.
Author’s Note- After reading the 67th section of the PDE version of the story (the section involving the showdown between Karna and Arjuna), I was struck with the thought that, if it was all going to come down to these two, why would we need to have the rest of the war? Couldn’t these two just battle it out themselves? I was already frustrated when I learned about the wars that have been fought in history over a spat between two rulers or people, so this story is also me being a somewhat angsty human being who doesn't understand why people force other people to fight for them. It is in that spirit that I wrote the above story. I chose the picture above because it represents a point in the battle where either could've won... with both aiming at the other, the story is still largely unwritten (until now). I included the song that I did below both because the video is heavily influenced by Indian culture and because its melancholy melody seems to be a great "post-fight" song. The "Dog Days" of the war really are over. In the original source, Arjuna is able to slay Karna in a minute of weakness, but I love writing/reading stories where the "good guy" doesn't win in the end just because they hold the title. If art imitates life, then we should be telling stories where the person with the moral high-ground only wins some of the time.
