Reading: Sita Sings the Blues Part B

For part B, I liked that the narrators had a discussion about Rama's motivation in banishing Sita. Their discussion humanized Rama more and it showed that he did indeed show conflict over banishing his beloved wife. He wanted to gain the respect of his subjects, so he showed them that he was not above the rules of man either. However, viewing this decision in a contemporary lens, it still seems like the wrong decision to me. It wasn't Sita's fault that she was abducted or gazed upon with lust by another man. She was taken against her will and is most likely traumatized by this event. Despite this, I think I'll try to incorporate Rama's moral conflict in my "interview" so the reader understands Rama and Sita's sides to the same story. 

I also like that this story shows a more melancholy side of Sita that wasn't really explored in the first part of the Ramayana. The movie shows her sorrow and heartbreak after she is banished by her husband. You can see how her pure and faithful character is broken as someone that she trusted most in the world betrays her. She is going through one of the most emotionally trying times in her life, but she doesn't really have any support from anyone. As a result, I might try to convey Sita's loneliness, sadness, and anger in my "interview" to explore a different side of Sita. Throughout the story, she has a quiet strength as she supports her husband throughout his exile. However, I also want to show Rama's hypocrisy. Sita stayed with him whenever he was banished, showing her commitment to him. However, he betrays her just as his father did, so I want to explore how this could be a certain point of tension and conflict for them. To rub more salt into the wound, he demands that she prove herself, but he is not satisfied. I don't know if I would want to explore a route where Rama tries to prove himself and rectify his past mistakes in my story or change the ending and show a more empowered Sita in which she frees herself from her guilt and sorrow. I think I would have to explore Rama and Sita's story further to determine what to do. 

Source: Sita Sings the Blues. Nina Paley (2008)

Sita in Exile 

Source: Wikipedia