Something that I found interesting about
this reading section was the Valakhilyas.
While I really didn’t find the Valakhilyas interesting, I did find their
descriptions about the demons and their actions intriguing. The language that Buck used really struck
me. I thought it was beautiful and fascinating. While I often find that too much descriptive
imagery takes away from the plot or action within the scene, I found these descriptions
to add to the action and keep me intrigued through this section of the
story.
Some of my favorite descriptions are:
“‘Rakshasas prowl for flesh by
night. They overshadow the darkness as
though they would crush the mountains down.
We must endure demons and submit to them. We have seen mountains of bones from the
victims they have slaughtered, white bones, Rama, white bones...,’” (Buck 143).
“‘We hide from the Rakshasas of Lanka
walking abroad through Dandaka, in form like hideous charred corpses from some
cremation ground,’” (Buck 144).
These
descriptions of the Rakshasas from the Valakhilya are very disturbing. By saying that they create mountains of white
bones, Buck is inferring that they are killing so many of the Valakhilyas and
other creatures that their bones create mountains. Furthermore, the fact the bones are described
as being white says that the Rakshasas have cleaned the bones so thoroughly by
eating that they have turned white. Another
thing that I liked about this section was that Sita had a voice and actually
stood up to Rama about starting a war. However,
Rama and Lakshmana quickly correct her thinking.
Rakshasa. Source: Wikipedia
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