Reading Notes: Week 2 Jataka Anthology
Notes for "Goblin City"
Conflict dynamics:
-Good vs. evil
-Fantasy creatures vs. humans
-Can humans ever best the power of magical beings? In this story, the men who escape their fate as goblin food are the ones smart enough to listen to the warning of their comrade, who is alerted to their situation only because he happens to overhear the activities of his carnivorous wife. Even so, it is a fairy who actually helps the men escape; could they have gotten out alive on their own?
-Women vs. men
-Powerful females vs. weak males
-The idea of mystical feminine creatures seducing unsuspecting men and killing them is centuries old. I was reminded of the sirens in the Odyssey, whose singing persuades men to throw themselves into the ocean and causes ships to crash into rocks and capsize.
Formatting:
I like the use of many short paragraphs. It makes it easier to approach the text, and helps to facilitate the movement of the story. Using italics for the spoken words of the she-goblin was also a nice touch, as these words did not warrant quotation marks, but required some formatting to be set apart from the rest of the text.
Hollywood connections:
This story reminded me of a scene in the 4th Pirates of the Caribbean movie. In it, a group of sailors is attacked by a band of man-eating mermaids who eventually overtake their ship. These mermaids lure men into their cove with their intoxicating voices, singing songs of love. Just as it seems the mermaids are leaning in to kiss the sailors, they drag them into the water and proceed to drown and devour them. These men are doomed as soon as the songs of the mermaids enter their hearts; they cannot escape the watery coffin that awaits their cleaned bones. If I were to cast the she-goblins for a movie version of "Goblin City," I would choose beautiful actresses, highlighting the idea that external appearance can be deceiving, and that a beautiful face can hide a dark, ugly heart.
Conflict dynamics:
-Good vs. evil
-Fantasy creatures vs. humans
-Can humans ever best the power of magical beings? In this story, the men who escape their fate as goblin food are the ones smart enough to listen to the warning of their comrade, who is alerted to their situation only because he happens to overhear the activities of his carnivorous wife. Even so, it is a fairy who actually helps the men escape; could they have gotten out alive on their own?
-Women vs. men
-Powerful females vs. weak males
-The idea of mystical feminine creatures seducing unsuspecting men and killing them is centuries old. I was reminded of the sirens in the Odyssey, whose singing persuades men to throw themselves into the ocean and causes ships to crash into rocks and capsize.
Formatting:
I like the use of many short paragraphs. It makes it easier to approach the text, and helps to facilitate the movement of the story. Using italics for the spoken words of the she-goblin was also a nice touch, as these words did not warrant quotation marks, but required some formatting to be set apart from the rest of the text.
Hollywood connections:
This story reminded me of a scene in the 4th Pirates of the Caribbean movie. In it, a group of sailors is attacked by a band of man-eating mermaids who eventually overtake their ship. These mermaids lure men into their cove with their intoxicating voices, singing songs of love. Just as it seems the mermaids are leaning in to kiss the sailors, they drag them into the water and proceed to drown and devour them. These men are doomed as soon as the songs of the mermaids enter their hearts; they cannot escape the watery coffin that awaits their cleaned bones. If I were to cast the she-goblins for a movie version of "Goblin City," I would choose beautiful actresses, highlighting the idea that external appearance can be deceiving, and that a beautiful face can hide a dark, ugly heart.
A goblin dances merrily as it plans the tragic fate of its victims! Source: Wikimedia Commons
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