Reading Notes: Week 2 Anthology

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Rabbit:

  • Rabbit spooked himself: "What if this should happen? Oh no! It did!"
  • Could relate the animals to gods perhaps. i.e. Ganesha is the elephant, Brahma is the Lion, etc.
  • "They stopped, for they knew the voice of the King of the Beasts, and they feared him.
Turtle:
  • Combine stories?
    • Character flaw developed in first story leads to death in second story
      • Pride in cleverness in first story, "Pride leads to the fall" in second when kids insult him
  • Mistakes it for a demon
  • Being thrown in by a waterfall might actually kill him
Crane and Crab:
  • Neat parallel between fish and crane, and crane and crab
  •  Viciousness of crane, pecking out eye of one-eyed fish
  • Pride and hunger lead to crane trusting fish
  • "Do you suppose I was born to carry crabs about?"
  • "For that beak was made to eat fish, not carry them."
Monkey:
  • Theme of out-witting and tricking
  • Same as Crane and Crab, tricking the trickster
  • "Sir Monkey" and "Lord Crocodile"
  • "By hook or crook, caught he must be. If I don't get him, I shall die."
  • Referring to the crocodile as friend still, even as he tries to drown him
  • Why the wife wants the monkey's heart, and not the crocodile himslef? What does it add to the story?
Crocodile
  • Pregnancy cravings
  • Monkey can get to fruit himself
  • Is suspicious from the start, noting the water level on the rock before jumping to it
  • Convinces crocodile that rock normally responds
    • Immediately asks who "the rock" is, and crocodile just gives up the game immediately, answering truthfully
  • Four virtues
    • Truth - used wit to see through crocodile's trickery
    • Foresight - check depth of rock on way to island
    •  Fixed Resolve - didn't give up when no obvious way out
    • Fearlessness - jumping to crocodiles head
    • Need to demonstrate all four for story to have impact
Lotuses
  • Confidence: "I shall know what to do."
  • Three virtues
    • Dexterity - Jump over lake
      • also to react and change plan quickly
    • Valor - Bold enough to try
    • Resourcefulness - getting flowers
  • Significance of heart breaking into seven pieces?
  • Chosen to be king by others instead of ruling by force
Unruly Monks

  • Stories inside a story format
  • Ruses? Maybe use rules or ways instead
  • Twice four hooves?
  • By seven tricks he's saved himself?
    • The seven lessons he was supposed to have learned?
    • "I'll teach him only after he's saved himself"
A rakshasa or goblin.
(Source)


Goblins
  • Could do with a more complete physical description
    • Apparently pass as human
  • Motivation of sailors to marry them? Just to take pity on them?
  • Need more back story and motivation for fairy
  • Want a more satisfying ending or moral
Compiled by Laura Gibbs

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