Indian Epics Spring 2018

        On one mid-summer morning, a naked woman emerged from the woods from behind Mr. Whittaker's home. She crouched in his little garden to gorge on strawberries. When Mr. Whittaker saw this through the window, he immediately called for the police. The juice from the strawberries dripped down her face, making it look like she'd been drinking blood. Long black hair flowed down her back, unbound and matted. The police came to take her to a hospital, but she fought them intensely, clawing and biting. She screamed and growled like a wild beast.         The consensus at the hospital was that she was a physically healthy young woman, likely in her early 20's. Her mental health, however, could not be estimated due to her utter and complete lack of cooperation. She had to be restrained or sedated at all times or else she wreaked havoc on the hospital. Later, she was transferred to a mental hospital where a psychiatrist took special interest in her cas...

        One way to take the ideas in these videos quite literally would be to write about a female character capable of altering the material realities of our world. This woman would be able to control things with her mind, both by moving objects and creating material items out of thin air. The opposing side of this would be a male character able to control the minds of those around him. As a couple, these beings would be unstoppable and very much in control of the world. They would use these powers for both good and bad things. She might produce money for the poor while he might manipulate someone's mind into doing favors for him.         A story that piqued my interest was the one of Brahma trying to be with his own daughter. This would've been horrible for her. I'd like to write about a girl becoming a woman and discovering that her father lusts after her and intends to marry her. He'd be some sort of highly respected figure in the community, ...

        I like the idea of Kali. On the Ramayana and Mahabharata, women are expected to be tame and obedient to their husbands no matter what. Kali is everything that an Indian woman from this time was not supposed to be. To focus on one aspect of Kali that goes against the societal norm, I might write about a female character displaying a greater interest in sexual activities. This character might enjoy sleeping with several different men. She would be viewed harshly by her community and shunned by other women. But, perhaps this woman would start a social revolution to change the way the people in her village view women and sex.         Another aspect of Kali is her violence and rage. I might write a story about a woman who is created to be a weapon for war. She would be a wild force to only be unleashed on one's greatest enemies. I've never written an in-depth battle scene so this would be a challenge for me. But, I think it would be intere...