Week 9: Narayan's Mahabharata (pp. 1-83)

Assignments - Reading Guide A - Reading Guide B - Mahabharata Resources

Character

Your assignment is to write a Character Essay about one of the characters listed at the bottom of this page. If you want to write on a different character, contact me first (make sure you do that at least one day before the deadline so that you can receive an answer back in time). Each week you can take one of two approaches to writing your Character Essay:

Quotations. If you are doing the traditional analytical essay, you may quote a key phrase or a few words from the text, but do NOT quote anything longer than a few words. The words of the essay should contain your thoughts and ideas, not quotes from the book.

Title. You need to include the words "Character Essay for Week ___" in the title you give to the post, along with a title for your actual story (for example, "Character Essay for Week 2: Rama, My Hero")

Length. Your Storytelling post needs to be a minimum of 300 words long (maximum 1000 words). Make sure you do a spellcheck and a word count, and that you proofread your post by reading it out loud.

Image. You are required to include at least one image with the story, along with a link to the webpage where you found the image, plus information about the image. You are free to re-use the images you find at the course website, or you can choose some other image to use that you find on the internet. Remember: even if you are re-using an image from the course website, you need to provide image information about it.

When you are done, complete the Gradebook Declaration.

PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

I have published a blog post with the words "Character Essay for Week ___" in the title, along with a specific title for my essay.

My post is between 300 words minimum and 1000 words maximum.

I have spellchecked and proofread the post.

I have included an image, along with Image Information.

LIST OF CHARACTERS FOR THIS WEEK:

Bhishma
Traditional Essay Option: Bhishma is going to be an important character throughout the epic. Even just in the opening pages you have seen him interacting with many people: his father, his stepmother, the brides of his brother. Discuss what you learn about Bhishma's character from the way that he interacts with others. What kind of role do you expect him to play in the plot of this epic, based on what you have seen about him in the opening scenes?
or
Creative Writing + Analysis Option: Instead of drowning Bhishma in the river, Ganga takes him away and only returns him to his father when he is fully grown. All we are told here is that he was trained by Vasishtha. Based on what you know about Bhishma's later actions, and what you know about the upbringing of kshatriya princes, what do you think went on during those years of Bhishma's boyhood, his education and his training? After you tell your story, don't forget to include some analysis of Bhishma's character: what exactly are the consequences of his boyhood experiences for his actions and the choices that he makes as an adult?

Duryodhana:
Traditional Essay Option: Duryodhana is going to be the main antagonist in this story, much as Ravana was the main antagonist in the Ramayana. Obviously, Duryodhana and Ravana are very different kinds of characters! Based on what you have learn about Duryodhana so far, write a brief comparing and contrasting him with Ravana. How do you think the character of Duryodhana will influence the way that the plot of the epic will develop.
or
Creative Writing + Analysis Option: Since it is just provided in a very brief version here, give a full account of the time when Duryodhana drugged Bhima and tried to drown him in the river. Make sure you included some dialogue in your version, along with some vivid physical description about the struggle that took place. After you tell your story, don't forget to include some analysis of Duryodhana's character. What aspects of his character did you try to bring out in your writing?

Kunti
Traditional Essay Option: Although Pandu and Madri will not be recurring characters throughout the epic, Kunti will be an important character to watch. It is not so much that she will be involved in the action, but she will be an important witness to future events. What have you learned about Kunti as a character from this week's reading? What are her character traits and motivations? What choices has she made that reveal those motivations to you? What are the attitudes and behaviors that you expect will guide the development of her character in the rest of the epic?
or
Creative Writing + Analysis Option: Put yourself in Kunti's mind at the moment that Karna walks into the assembly in order to challenge Arjuna. With as many specific details as possible, show us what Kunti sees, how she feels, what she is thinking when Karna challenges Arjuna. After you tell your story, don't forget to include some analysis of Kunti's character. What aspects of her character did you try to emphasize the most in your portrait of her?

Drona
Traditional Essay Option: Drona is a surprising character because his background is not what you would expect: he was born a brahmin, not a kshatriya, and at a certain point he was a destitute father trying desperately to take care of his son. He plays a role here similar to the role you say played by Viśwamitra in the early training of Rama in the Ramayana. Write an essay in which you compare and contrast these two gurus (remember: Viśwamitra was born a kshatriya and became a brahmin! Interesting, yes?). Make sure you include specific details and references to specific incidents in your essay.
or
Creative Writing + Analysis Option: Narayan does not give a lot of detail about the incident when Drona is seized by a crocodile an rescued by Arjuna. Provide a detailed version of this event, with lots of vivid physical description along with dialogue between Arjuna and his guru. After you tell your story, don't forget to include some analysis of Drona's character: how does Drona look at Arjuna? How would you describe the relationship between this guru and his star pupil?

 

Modern Languages MLLL-4993. Indian Epics. Laura Gibbs, Ph.D. The textual material made available at this website is licensed under a Creative Commons License. You must give the original author credit. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. If you alter, transform, or build upon this work, you may distribute the resulting work only under a license identical to this one. No claims are made regarding the status of images used at this website; if you own the copyright privileges to any of these images and believe your copyright privileges have been violated, please contact the webmaster. Page last updated: January 15, 2005 1:35 AM