Reading Diary A Week 6: Sinhika

            Out of this reading section, the part that really struck me was Hanuman’s encounter with the Rakshasi Sinhika.  I know that this section is very short (less than a page which ranges between 226-227), but I liked that so little was told about her such as her back-story, which would make a possible storytelling blog.  Where did she come from?  How did she become this horrible sea monster?  What does her body look like?  Does she have any possible redeeming qualities?  Was she really that hungry to risk her life?  The part that I love about this section was the beautiful imagery that Buck uses.  Of course, this imagery that I have just described as beautiful is actually describing Sinhika as an ugly sea monster, but I love it.  As a writer, I gag when people use such creative imagery.

Some of my favorite quotes:

“...holding Hanuman’s shadow in her claws and looking at him with tiny red eyes,” (Buck 226).

“She opened her ugly mouth and bared her yellow scaly teeth,” (Buck 226).

“...with a long tongue,” (Buck 227).

            I felt that by describing her teeth as scaly was so creative.  I mean I would have never thought to describe teeth in such a way.  Overall, I love the descriptions that Buck gives about Sinhika.  I also really enjoyed Buck’s imagery of Hanuman and other parts of this section. 

Some of these quotes include:

“...his sharp fingernails,” (Buck 227).

“Her blood burst and spread throughout the water, and the fish came quickly to eat her,” (Buck 227).

            Essentially, this section caught my eye because of the wonderful descriptions.  I think it would make a great storytelling post.

Hanuman and Sinhika.  Source: Wikimedia