What is being said by this narrative about these two fundamental elements of Indian culture and the Hindu religion?

Instructions:

Assignment: For your midterm exam, please choose one of the following prompts and write a 4-5 paragraph essay that includes an introductory paragraph, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. All body paragraphs must be well developed and include a minimum of one quote.

1. The Ramayana focusses on cosmic order and the notion that all individuals must be aware of their place in this order. A person’s righteous path is inextricably linked to their role in the cosmic hierarchical system, as well as a person’s inherent divinity. What is being said by this narrative about these two fundamental elements of Indian culture and the Hindu religion? For example, how are the concepts and practices of dharma and social hierarchy in the form of a caste system reconciled and used to demonstrate the path of righteousness?

Definition of term: Dharma is a key concept with multiple meanings in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Janism, Sikhism and others. In Hinduism, dharma signifies behaviors that are considered to be in accord with Rta, the order that makes life and the universe possible, and includes duties, rights, laws, conduct, virtues and “right way of living”. In Buddhism, dharma means “cosmic law and order”, in Jainism, dharma refers to the body of doctrine pertaining to purification and moral transformation, for Sihks, the word dharm means the path of righteousness and proper religious practice.

2. In R.K. Narayan’s introduction to his translation of The Ramayana, he explains that, “Far from representing a straightforward battle between good and evil, [The Ramayana] raises uncomfortable ethical questions about human motivation; it shows how greed and desire rule human beings and often make them arrogant and prone to self-deception. Even the idealized figure of Rama hints paradoxically at the difficulty of leading an ethical life” (ix).

Although this story is driven by Hindu beliefs in dharma and the importance of people knowing their place (caste), where do “ethical questions about human motivation” appear and what do they say not only about the human condition, but about Hinduism and Indian culture? For example, how are such contradictions reconciled and what does reconciliation show?

Definition: The human condition is a broad term that refers to the characteristics, key events, and situations that compose the essentials of human existence, such as birth, death, moral conflicts, growth, emotionality, aspiration, and mortality.

3. “The Book of Genesis” and The Ramayana both show how in ancient times, people, through their understanding of God, or many gods and goddesses, and sacred texts came to organize social structures that helped them develop constructs of right and wrong, relationships, legality, worship, community, accumulation and division of wealth, leadership, justice, social hierarchy and patriarchy. How are these seen in “The Book of Genesis” and The Ramayana? Are there similarities? Differences? Is it important for people to know about similarities and differences in religious practices? Why or why not?

4. “The Book of Genesis”, Gilgamesh, and The Ramayana are all ancient texts from very different parts of the world that include women. How are women viewed in each text? Are there differences and/or similarities? What does this say about the status of women throughout human history? Are there differences and/or similarities today? For this prompt, consider Susan Ackerman’s essay “Liminal Women in The Epic of Gilgamesh” or Aastha Tiwari’s essay “Revisiting Ramayana and its Relevance Through a Feminist Lens.”

5. How are the themes of land, earth, landscape, and planet earth important in “The Book of Genesis”, Gilgamesh, and/or The Ramayana? How are the ways in which these themes treated in the texts relevant today?

6. What are 2 archetypal characters in The Epic of Gilgamesh or The Ravayana? Using Carl Jung’s concept of archetypes, show what characterizes this character or characters as archetpy(s). How do your chosen archetypal characters fit into Joseph Campbell’s framework of the Hero’s Journey for literary analysis. Is this framework relevant today?

Requirements:

Introduction:
1. Introduce your topic—begin with a sentence that acts as a “hook” to draw your reader’s attention. Your introduction should be short—2-3 sentences.
2. Introduce the author and title of work you will be writing about.
3. Provide a 2-3 sentence summary of this work as it relates to your essay topic.
4. Offer an explicit and concise thesis statement (last sentence of your introductory paragraph).
5. Do not include quotes in your introductory paragraph.
Body:
1. Everything in your body paragraphs must help develop and support your thesis statement.
2. Always begin each body paragraph with a topic sentence that will lead to the support and
Never begin a body paragraph with a quote or a question.
3. Include 1-2 short quotes in each body paragraph. All quotes must include: 1) a context, 2) a signal phrase, 3) a meaningful quote, 4) source, and 5) an analysis.
4. Use your last body paragraph to provide your own response to the reading. This is the only place where you may use first person point of view I, one, we, us, me, our.
development of your
Conclusion:
1. Must be a fully developed paragraph.
2. Reinforce your essay’s main ideas.
3. Offer a reflection (for example, something that you learned from the reading).
4. Do not introduce new information.
More Requirements:
1. 4-to-5 well developed paragraphs.
2. MLA format/conventions for in text citations.
3. Double space entire essay (no other kind of spacing).
4. Use Times New Roman #12 font and 1” margins all the way around.
5. Create a title for your essay (do not use Midterm or the title of a source for the title of your work).
6. Highlight in yellow, your thesis statement and topic sentences.

Below is an example of an introductory paragraph for Prompt #4. Each part, as it relates to the requirements for introductory paragraphs is introduced with bold text.

AP English
29 June 2021

Sita as the Embodiment of Naari Dharm

Hook: The patriarchal belief that women are inferior to men is as ancient as Aristotle, a Western
exemplar of truth and reason. Introduction of topic: Aristotle portrayed women as morally, intellectually and physically inferior to men; saw women as the property of men; claimed that women’s role in society was to reproduce and serve men in the household; and saw male domination of women as natural and virtuous. As shocking as this may seem today, it should be even more shocking that these patriarchal ideas are evident worldwide in ancient times, as seen in the Introduction and definition of term to be used in analysis: Hindu concept of Narri Dharm that held the ideal woman in endless servitude to her husband, and authority at large. Introduction of author and title: In R.K. Narayan’s shortened prose version of the Indian epic poem The Ramayana, the ideals of patriarchy are clear. Short summary of literature to be written about: Rama, the hero, is portrayed as the embodiment of righteousness and morality, or the Hindu concept of Dharma, while his wife Sita, is portrayed as the embodiment of Naari Dharma, the concept of the ideal woman who is subservient to her husband. Thesis statement: While the characterizations of Rama and Sita are examples of religious and cultural idealization in an ancient world, they clearly represent what today is referrcixed to as the sexist subjugation of women.

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