Week 2 Reading Anthology

Jatakas

I particularly liked two of the Jatakas we read, I enjoyed The Monkey who Gathered Lotuses and Goblin City. I liked them for two very different reasons, the writing in the lotuses story is much more interesting. The ending had an enjoyable twist, and the story itself was well-written. The other story I like primarily for the concept of the story, the antagonists and the setting are interesting. The problem I have with the goblin story is that the ending is abrupt and not well-written. The ending comes out of nowhere and it really takes me out of the story. I feel that if the ending was changed and better written this story would be my favorite hands down. It is a real Deus Ex Machina which ruins the ending for me. I wish the sailors' own actions could have had led to their escape, or even had their actions lead to their downfall instead of the current ending. This is why I like the lotus story, the ending arises from the monkey and his actions. The monkey exhibits the three qualities befitting a ruler and gains the respect/admiration of the ogre who decides to assist him. This ending is much more appealing as it comes from the character's actions and not a convenient plot device. 

Flying Horse by W. Robinson

The Flying horse was the Deus Ex Machina at the end of the Goblin City.

Bibliography

The Giant Crab, and Other Tales from Old India by W. H. D. Rouse. The Goblin City. https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/goblins?authuser=0

Tayodhamma Jataka in The Jataka: Volume 1 translated by Robert Chalmers. The Monkey who Gathered Lotuses. https://sites.google.com/view/jatakas/lotuses?authuser=0