Indian Epics: Reading Options for Week 2

I hope you will have fun starting the Ramayana this week! This page has the information about the Tuesday Reading and Wednesday Reading assignments, plus the extra credit / make-up reading if you want to do that later in the week.

TWO READING ASSIGNMENTS EACH WEEK

TUESDAY Reading. This is called the "Tuesday reading" because it is due on Tuesday, but the class will be much easier to manage if you work ahead; you can think of it as "Reading 1" for the week. Depending on your weekly schedule, you might be doing this reading on Monday, or on the weekend before, or even earlier. If you have any questions about the personal schedule you planned for your time in this class, let me know! If you realize now that you want to try using a different schedule, you can let me know and I'll be glad to help you rearrange the week's assignments so that they will fit your preferred schedule. 

Step One: Choose. The first step in the Tuesday reading assignment is to CHOOSE which version of the Ramayana you want to read for Weeks 2 and 3. There are two excellent options: Narayan's Ramayana (a novel-like version of the epic) and a Public Domain Edition of the Ramayana (which is an online anthology drawn from various sources. To find out more about these two options and to decide which one will be best for you, look at this page: Indian Epics Reading Guides Weeks 2-3 Ramayana. If you have any questions about making your choice, let me know and I'll be glad to answer any questions you have.

Step Two: Read and Take Notes. After you have chosen a version to read, start reading! For the Tuesday Reading, you need to complete PART A. In Narayan's book, that is appx. the first 50 pages (there is a Reading Guide with notes), and in the Public Domain Edition, that is the first 20 sections online (each section is equivalent to 2-3 pages of printed text). As you read, you will be taking notes in a Reading Diary blog post. There are details about that assignment here: Reading Diary Guidelines. You do NOT need to do a plot summary; instead, focus on favorite moments in the reading, thinking about which scene you might choose for your own Storytelling post later this week.

After you have done the Tuesday reading, you are ready to move on to the Wednesday reading!

WEDNESDAY reading. Hopefully you did the Tuesday reading, so for Wednesday, you will just carry on, reading PART B of the Ramayana. In Narayan's book, that is appx. the next 40 pages (there is a Reading Guide with notes), and in the Public Domain Edition, that is the next 20 sections online. You will write up another Reading Diary blog post with your notes about Part B.

If you did not complete the Tuesday reading, that is okay; you can do Part A of the Ramayana as your Wednesday assignment! So, if you did not complete Part A for Tuesday, make sure you finish the Part A reading and write up your Reading Diary blog post.

Based on the reading you do for the Tuesday and/or Wednesday reading assignments, you will be able to choose an episode to retell in your own words for the Storytelling blog post.

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MAKE-UP / EXTRA CREDIT READING OPTION

Each week there is an extra credit reading option. This is not required, but it is a really good way to either make up work that you missed earlier in the week or to build up a cushion of extra credit in advance. Here is how it works:

Week 2 Make-Up. If you missed the Tuesday or Wednesday assignment, you should use this assignment to read Part B of the Ramayana. You will do the reading, just like for Part A, and write up a Reading Diary blog post on Part B.

Week 2 Extra Credit. If you did BOTH Tuesday AND Wednesday reading assignments, then you can choose the extra credit option, which means you will do another half-week of reading and write up an Extra Credit Reading Diary blog post. The extra credit reading option is a chance for you to explore some other Indian stories in addition to the Ramayana. For Week 2, choose from these extra-credit options:

• Video online. You can watch Part A of Devdutt Pattanaik's videos about the Indian gods (more about this video series). Just like with reading a book, you will take notes on what you are watching in a Reading Diary post in your blog. Again, you don't have to do a plot summary; just write about the things that make the biggest impression on you from the video. 
• Comic books in Bizzell. There is an amazing collection of comic books in Bizzell for you to choose from, including many comic books about the gods and goddesses, which is what I would recommend for Week 2: Gods and Goddesses. Choose a single comic book to read and then write up your notes in an Extra Credit Reading Diary post. The comic books are available for check-out at the Bizzell Reserve Desk. Learning about the gods and goddesses is PERFECT background reading for the epics.
• Buddhist Jataka Tales. The Jataka tales told by the Buddha in ancient India are some of the oldest folktales in existence. There are some free Jataka books online that you can use for extra credit reading. Read Part A and write up an Extra Credit Reading Diary post; here are the free Jataka books online you can choose from:  Shedlock - Babbitt - More Babbitt - Rouse - Inayat. If you like audio books, the Babbitt options have free audiobook versions at LibriVox, so you can listen to the stories.
• Indian Folktales. In addition to the Jataka story collections, there are two Indian folktale books that you can use for extra credit reading. Read Part A and write up an Extra Credit Reading Diary post for either of these two books: Devi's Indian Fables - Neogi's Sacred Tales.