Week Ten: Famous Last Words

This week I have just been trying to get back on my feet and recover from Spring Break. It can be really tough to get myself back into the mindset of school, learning, and HOEMWORK! In my Jews and Other Germans course, I received my mid-term essay grade and I got a one hundred percent. I was shocked! I was really happy with the grade, obviously. Now, we are prepping for our group presentations, which I am nervous for. The actual assignment does not seem too difficult, but I hate public speaking and I do not trust partners in group projects in general. In my French Advanced Phonetics course, I am struggling a little because the grading has gotten tougher as the semester goes by, but I think I can swing a B so long as I keep working. In my French Culture through Film course, I am doing well. The most recent quiz was actually so easy I worried I had missed something really important, but I do not think I did. I am still awaiting the grade for that quiz. We were supposed to have our mid-term paper—in French!—due today, but it was postponed until next Monday, thankfully! In my Techniques of Teaching a Foreign Language course, I am doing excellent. I have gotten either a ninety or a one hundred on every single assignment, so far. I also feel like I learn something important for my career every single class period! Last week, we had class during the tornado that took place in Moore, just fifteen minutes away. My teacher, who is originally from Russia, was extremely nervous and scared, so we had class in the basement of the library. I was okay with this; better safe than sorry, right? Some students seemed annoyed, which I thought was silly. I am also doing well in my Epics of India course, as you can see. Though, I am rather behind this week, I will be turning this extra credit assignment in with just about ten minutes to spare!

(Image from Crowd Album, Moore Tornado 2015)

Week Ten: Storytelling Post: Draupadi's Dilemma

     That is it. I am done. I should NOT have to put up with this! I am Draupadi, the queen and wife of all five of the Pandavas. It is enough that I am forced to go by a fake name, serving a queen rather than being one myself. I will not accept this mistreatment any longer. Kichaka, the queen’s brother, has been harassing ever since my arrival here. What’s worse, the queen has done nothing to stop her brother’s advances! I do not know how she holds her head up high; I would feel such shame were my own family to act in such a disgraceful manner. Recently, Kichaka’s advances have increased in frequency and forcefulness. I worry what it will come to, if I don’t do something to scare him off soon. That is why I decided to discuss the matter with one of my husbands, Arjuna. I would have liked to seek out the protection of Bhima, but seeing as I would not have any husbands at all for protection if it were not for Arjuna, I felt it was only polite to ask for his assistance first.

     “Draupadi, my wife, what is it? You know we are not supposed to see one another.”

     “Yes, yes, I know. But, this is important. I need your help.”

     “What is the matter?”

     “Kichaka has been harassing me; I fear what will happen if his advances continue to progress sin         the manner which they have so far. He recently tried to remove my sari as I walked down the               hallway to my room! I don’t know what to do, Arjuna…”

      “Did you discuss this matter with the queen, Kichaka is her brother, after all.”

     “Yes, I tried to anyways. The queen would not even listen to me. She is always so jealous of me,          this seemed to just add to her list of reasons for disliking me.”

     “Well, what will you do?”

     “Ugh! Well I had hoped my loving husband would find a way to protect me!”

     “Oh, well… Uh… You know I do not like to cause unnecessary harm to anyone…”

     “’Unnecessary?’ This is your wife’s honor we are talking about! What will people say if it gets out      that I was exposed to another man?”

     “You are married to five men, already, Draupadi… What difference does it make?”

     “How could you!? Have you no sense of pride in your wife?”



     And with that, the conversation between Arjuna and Draupadi was effectively ended. Having tried to go about things in the more polite manner, Draupadi now felt it was acceptable for her to request the help of Bhima. She would discuss matters with him tonight…

Author’s Note: I wrote this story because I wondered how the story would have been different had it been a different one of the Pandava’s helping Draupadi. However, I had a hard time imagining Arjuna actually handling things effectively, considering his commitment to avoiding cruelty. I knew that Arjuna was the one who won Draupadi’s hand in marriage in the first place, so it was logical from my point of view for her to feel an obligation to ask for his help first, despite her reluctance to do so. I like this story because it could easily be a small detail of the original, without actually changing how everything began or ended. I chose the



Bibliography:

Narayan, R. K. (1978). The Mahabharata.





(Image from Wikimedia)

Week Teen: Reading Diary B: The Battle

I found the end of this story a little startling. It seemed like the battle took forever to finally happen and forever to end once it had finally began—and suddenly it was over in a flash and everything has resolved itself and the book is finished. I feel a little dazed, haha. I found it interesting how the book managed to wrap everything up so quickly, though. I had mixed feelings about Krishna’s people and city both being destroyed in one way or another. There was a lot of death in this reading. It was depressing, especially taking into account how much of it was unnecessary. 

(Image from Wikimedia)

Week Ten: Reading Diary A: War Is Coming

I think the most interesting part of this reading for me was when Draupadi was raped, as well as the events that followed. Although it was difficult to read about this—not that there was much detail given—I found it very interesting that such an old story even identified this. Many cultures—past and present—tend to ignore rape, preferring to blame the woman or brush it under the rug, so to speak. I like that this story identified the injustice. I also appreciate that when the woman asked for help and protection from her partner she received just that. I felt this was a pretty progressive story, given it’s age. Below is a picture of Draupadi complaining to Bhima about Kichaka.

(Image from Wikimedia)