Comment Wall
Hello everyone! I hope you all are enjoying a safe snow day. I am currently snuggled under a blanket, drinking my second cup of tea. Being slightly snowed in seemed like a good time to catch up and get ahead on school, so here we are. Last week, I set up the website for my Storybook project: The Apsara Tales. I will go into more detail about my plan for the entire project in a later post, this is just to set up a comment wall for people to talk and ask questions about my Storybook website.
The picture below is what greets you on the homepage of the website; it is a cave painting of two apsaras:
I think that's everything for this post. I am so excited to read and respond to your comments on my project as it takes shape over the course of the semester!
Hi Rebecca! Wow, I am in love with your storybook idea!! While reading the Ramayana and the Mahabharata I found myself reading about the apsaras and being confused about their purpose in life. I love how your introduction clearly describes what they are and yet also showing the gaps in their stories! I am very excited to read the stories about the three different women you have chosen. One thing I am wondering, however, is where you learned about each woman? I think Ramnbha must be from the Ramayana since you mentioned Ravana, but I am not sure. Maybe it would be helpful to future readers to include links or something to where we could read their original stories before reading what you have created? Besides that, I loved the epithet at the beginning of your intro, and I also love the images you have chosen to include. Both of them helped to put me in the headspace of the world these women lived in. Great work so far!
ReplyDeleteI really love the setting that you provided for your storybook. The pictures are very beautiful and really compliment the image you are trying to portray about the apsaras. I adore the idea of you wanting to tell the tales of the apsaras from their own perspectives. The only criticism that I have is that I feel like you are giving away too much of the storyline in your introduction. In the brief overview of Menaka’s story, it feels like I already read the story; however, the only thing I do not know is how Menaka and her child live their lives in the end. I would suggest not making your overviews of the three apsaras so detailed. Perhaps, dialing it down and making them somewhat vaguer. Also, is there any other purpose for the apsara other than entertaining, seducing, and distracting holy men from their prayers? I really appreciated how you took the time to narrate each of the story with cave paintings of the apsaras. I have really enjoyed your introduction and cannot wait for your complete The Apsara Tales Storybook. Overall, you have done great so far! Keep up the good work!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca! I read the introduction for your storybook about The Aspara Tales, and I’m really impressed. The tone and style of writing really drew me in, and I like how you use the metaphor of cracks in the storytelling. It later connects with the image source of the cave paintings of asparas in the Sri Lankan fortress. I also like how you took a new, important perspective for these ancient stories. Far too often, stories are told from a masculine perspective, and the women’s suffering is completely ignored. Asparas were used as plot devices, but their pain and the consequences they faced were omitted from the story. It’s important to tell their stories and consider how they overcame their obstacles. This perspective also sparks new questions. How does Menaka cope with all these changes? What does Tilottama dream of? Does Nalakuvara help and care for his wife after she’s suffered so much? Overall, it’s a great introduction!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca! Wow, your intro hits hard, in a very good way. I am already really into the concept of your storybook and cannot wait to read some of these tales from the point of view of the women involved. Having a different perspective, or in this case the characters own perspective, moved to the forefront can really change things up. And the stories do deserve to be told! Menaka's story is heartwrenching but I enjoyed reading your take on it. You gave her such a voice and really let her process through everything. I don't know if I would have the grace to be as forgiving as Menaka but I love how you address that.
ReplyDeleteTilottama's story is well done. I appreciate your author's note letting readers know that you left your ending vague on purpose. I think sometimes as readers we get so caught up in the idea of wanting everything neatly finished off that we forget that leaving things to our imagination is possible! I hope Tilottama and her blind sage have many adventures.
Hi Rebecca! I really loved reading your storybook. I think you chose an excellent, interesting, and important topic. I’m impressed with how carefully you handled some of the more sensitive issues that you addressed, especially Rambha’s rape. Your author’s notes are in great shape. I love how you explain the feminist issues that you wanted to draw attention to. They’re already very apparent in your stories, but addressing them again in the author’s notes helps make it clear how you’re giving a voice to women who do not have such agency in the original stories. I especially liked how you explained the symbolism/necessity of Tilottama choosing to travel with the blind sage so she would be respected beyond her physical appearance. Your writing is in excellent shape. If you’re looking to improve your storybook in any way, I think it would be a nice touch to add one or two more pictures to each story, perhaps to display the settings or characters. Otherwise, I think your website looks very clean and functional, and I enjoyed reading your work!
ReplyDeleteHey Rebecca! I really love the topic you created for your storybook - different perspectives are always fantastic, especially those that are traditionally under-represented. I also found the apsaras to be interesting all on their own, so it was really cool to read some of those stories from their point(s) of view. It was exceptionally clever to present that as reflections from the characters about past events - it lets you tackle the more contemplative elements of each tale while still staying grounded in the "present" moment. Each story was touching in its own way: Tilottama choosing to be a guide for a blind man, Menaka finding comfort in her inner strength/value, and especially Rambha receiving solace after her trauma. It was exceptionally brave of you to write about something uncomfortably close-to-home, and I think you did a fantastic job with it (I also hope you find some catharsis in this sort of writing.) I wish I had some constructive elements to add, but I don't really see an obvious way to improve any of your stories or the overall presentation of the storybook...which is great. I hope you had a good semester, and best of luck with your finals!
ReplyDeleteHi Rebecca! I really enjoyed the layout of your site! The pictures you used are quite capturing and catch the eye. I admire where your head was at in making these stories and really wanting to bring these different stories to life. I also like that you wanted to empower these different women in the stories and give them a new outlook. I like that you wanted to dig deeper into their characters so we can find out who they truly are. I like how you went on to talk about how these girls were so beautiful and how they would distract the men from their meditations because of their looks. I thought you did a very good job with all your stories and a very good job in describing your different characters. I hope you had a good semester and ended on a high note. I hope you have success in whatever you do after college!
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