Week 3 Story: Misguided
Rama was the son of a King. He had brothers who were also sons of the king. The king was a beloved man, and when he passed away of a broken heart, a son was to replace him. No one in the kingdom, nor in the surrounding kingdoms ever questioned who the next king would be. For everyone knew, Rama will be King. The peasants, while walking or working could be heard singing songs they learnt as children “Rama will be King, Rama will be King, what luck it will bring, what luck it will bring!” Yes, almost the whole world assumed Rama would be King, and with eager anticipation they awaited that moment! What is interesting about this story is that there was no jealousy. Rama’s brothers wanted him to be their King, not wanting the glory all for themselves. There were no planned uprisings from the people of their kingdom, nor surrounding villages. Well, good news traveled faster than bad news, and eventually, it reached the ears of a misguided, self-important man half a world away. His name was Pumrt, and he was a selfish man, who tried as hard as he might to portray himself as loving, intelligent, and kind. However, Pumrt treated his employees and underlings viciously, commandeering through terror. Despite this, Pumrt still had status and a place of regard in the community that was prestigious. He came from a long line of merchants, and his family had prospered for many generations even before he was born. Yet, Pumrt cheated and lied in business, making even more money. When he heard the news, he could not, and would not believe that a man could be so beloved, because if it were possible, that man would be he! He murmured, “Impossible! I dare not believe this story, for how can it be? If a man were loved this much by the world, then I would also be loved that much. One man cannot be loved like so! For Pumrt did not realize how much others hated him. He didn’t realize Rama was loved for many reasons. He was kind, and patient. He treated everyone fairly, and with respect. He spoke calmly, and put much thought into his words before speaking them. He earned the respect of every single person he met, and that is why he was revered.
Author's Notes: I wanted to stay true to the story of Rama. I fear changing his morals, because it seems that India still very much values Rama, and perhaps I feel it would seem disrespectful if I reversed his morals, and made him a bad guy. But I needed a bad guy, so I pulled from a character I have read of often. It seems I like character development. I deleted a lot of this story that explained their looks, and character. Well, more than it already does. I am actually not good at developing a plot. I keep imagining the reader, and how bored they must be with the amateur story, and I clam up. So, I took the story of Rama's father passing, and him becoming King. Rather than be exiled because of his stepmother, he became King, and had a different opponent.
Bibliography: Title: The Ramayana: A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic
Author: Kamban / R. K. NarayanYear: 1972
When I read the original story of Rama's father passing away, I too was shocked that his brother's wouldn't try to take the throne! I like how you kept Rama's morals and integrity and added a villain to the story. One thing that I think really could have added to the plot is if Pumrt would have made a claim for the throne and Rama had to fight him for it. Thanks for sharing the story, it was fun to read!
ReplyDeleteMeranda,
ReplyDeleteI was also shocked how his brother showed no signs of jealously towards Rama and he threatened to kill himself if he did not take the throne. I appreciate you mentioning your insecurities when it comes to story telling because I felt the same way. I am not a very creative person, so I have found it difficult to come up with a story that I find interesting that isn't verbatim from one of the epics. I liked your description and think it leads up to a very good story in the making. For your next story, you should have Pumrt start plotting his way to royalty that could include magic and spells!
Meranda,
ReplyDeleteI, "Rama", really enjoyed your retelling of this story! I appreciated how you wanted to stay true to my good nature as it is portrayed throughout the entirety of the Ramayana. It was very creative how you thought to bring an additional character into the storyline. I liked how much depth you gave to this terrible Pumrt, even just his name sounds so evil. He truly sounds like someone who would be evil enough to come and wreck the wonderful relationships and kingdom that my father has created. I am very anxious to see what would come next after Pumrt would take over the kingdom! Hopefully I would be able to return with my brother and take the kingdom back once and for all. Maybe this would be the terrible villain that would try to steal Sita from me and I would have to win her back from him. Anyways! Very interesting read and I appreciate how I was portrayed in this story!