Week 4 Lab: Learning about Microfiction

As I have already written microfiction for extra credit in this class, I already knew a bit about it before this StoryLab. I have never done research on them before, so I thought doing that for this StoryLab would be interesting.

My first introduction to microfictions was Pre-AP English II my sophomore year of high school, when my teacher taught us Ernest Hemingway's 6-word story. So, when I read about how that story was the inspiration for the anthology discussed in the NPR interview "'Hint Fiction' Celebrates The (Extremely) Short Story" hosted by Scott Simon, I thought it was very fitting. I particularly enjoyed during that interview how the editor of the anthology, Robert Swartwood, talks about hint fiction being more than just a one- or two-sentence excerpt of a larger story. Instead, hint fiction is in and of itself a complete story. Sure, it could be expanded on, but my favorite part about these short stories is that they are complete stories that leave you thinking. Every example of a hint fiction piece discussed in the NPR interview had me thinking about the possible meaning or just about the scenario in general.

This stood out to me, as well as how the editor talked about how one of the good pieces in his anthology took the author hours to write, despite it being less than 25 words long. I think reading that part was helpful because most people likely think of microfiction as a way to get through an assignment quickly. However, true microfiction can take as long as a full-length essay to write.

For the reading on the Ramayana, I read Laura's Tiny Tales from the Ramayana, so through there I had extensive exposure to tiny tales. I really enjoyed the format as it made for quick reads and it felt like each word was carefully chosen to advance the mini story as well as the overall story. Reading an entire novel of microfiction was a great experience, and I think that it definitely inspired me to write more microfiction this semester.

Photo with a Book's Pages Arranged into a Heart.

No Changes Made. Uploaded 02-14-2019. Source: pixy

Bibliography: 'Hint Fiction' Celebrates The (Extremely) Short Story, podcast hosted by Scott Simon with Robert Swartwood on NPR on 11-13-2010. Link: NPR Transcript

Reading Notes: Tiny Tales from the Ramayana, Part D

Okay, up until this final part, I was really enjoying this epic. I thought it was interesting, funny, and a great story. However, the moment Rama started acting like the idiot Gautama and made Sita prove she was faithful to him while she was kidnapped, and then exiled because of gossip while she was pregnant, I immediately lost all respect for him and did not enjoy the ending. I also thought Lakshmana had a bad ending--he killed himself just for trying to save the kingdom from a self-righteous rishi? How ridiculous.

As imagined, the tales that stuck out to me the most in this reading were Tale 166, Tale 167, Tale 180, Tale 182, and Tale 194.

Tales 166, "Vibhishana Fetches Sita", and 167, "Sita Rebukes Rama", stuck out to me because of the ridiculousness of Rama planning to send away the woman he (supposedly) loves because she was "in another man's house". Like, she was kidnapped by an evil man because of YOU, so maybe get down on your knees and grovel for her forgiveness? If this was modern day, the tables would definitely be turned and Sita would be contemplating banishing Rama. Also--he ordered Sita to "bathe and adorn herself" before seeing him?! Ridiculous!

Tales 180, "Gossip Spreads", and 182, "Lakshmana Takes Sita to the Forest", stuck out to me because of Rama's idiotic act of banishing the wife he loved so much that he spent every afternoon with her just do to simple dumb gossip that he, as king, should be above. If anything, as king he should punish the people speaking wrong about his wife! To me, the fact that he banished Sita would have be admitting he was at fault, or that Sita was. I know times were different then, but that is still ridiculous.

Finally, Tale 194, "Kala Comes to Rama", stuck out to me because I was annoyed at the bad ending Lakshmana got from the hands of Kala. Even though Kala is a god, the fact that Lakshmana died just from admitting a rishi who threatened the entire kingdom into a room. He was with Rama throughout his whole exile, never sleeping, and he was a hero of the story! Yet, his death was his own beheading. I was sad.

Maybe with all of this I'll rewrite the ending where Sita dumps her husband for his horrible behavior and lives the rest of her days best friends with Lakshmana, who got saved as he and his wife left with Sita after she was freed.

Artwork of Sita in Exile.

No Changes Made. By: Raja Ravi Varma. Source: Wikipedia

Bibliography: Part D, Pages 17, 18, 19, and 20, Tales 166, 167, 180, 182, and 194 of the Tiny Tales from the Ramayana by Laura Gibbs. Links: Tale 166, Tale 167, Tale 180, Tale 182, and Tale 194.

Reading Notes: Tiny Tales from the Ramayana, Part C

When reading Part C of Tiny Tales from the Ramayana, there were two tales that stuck out to me the most.

The first that stuck out to me was Tale 139, "A Squirrel Wants to Help". I enjoyed this tale because I have a fondness for all stories involving the efforts of the "little guy", which this one surely seemed to be. I like how the squirrel was able to make a difference just by rolling in sand and then shaking the sand out on top of the bridge to fill the gaps. Surely if the squirrel had not done this then the bridge could have collapsed. I think it also shows something about Rama's character that he was able to appreciate the squirrel's efforts.

The second tale that stuck out to me was Tale 144, "Ravana Summons a Magician". The reason this story stood out to me was because the ending seemed like something that could be in Romeo and Juliet. In this, Sita is attemptedly fooled into thinking Rama was dead, and she responded by telling Ravana to kill her too. I imagine if he had gone through with her request, we could've had an ending to the story similar to Romeo and Juliet in that one of the couple thinks the other is dead, they then kill themselves, and then the other finds them actually dead and also kills themself. I might rewrite the ending of this tale to something along the lines of the ending to Romeo and Juliet.

In the actual ending to Tale 144, however, all that is stated is that the conjured head vanishes and Ravana's plan failed. But, what did Ravana actually want to accomplish with his plan? Is he so idiotic to think Sita would fall in love with the man who killed her husband?

Artwork of Juliet Awakening to Romeo's Dead Body in Romeo and Juliet.

No Changes Made. By: Colechap on 10-06-2017. Source: Wikipedia

Bibliography: Part C, Pages 14 and 15, Tales 139 and 144 of the Tiny Tales from the Ramayana by Laura Gibbs. Links: Tale 139 and Tale 144.