Purpose of this Quest

For my special research project, I choose to research the Ramayana by Valmiki and the Discovery Unit on Society and Identity.  It is my belief that the Ramayana is best understood through the “lens” of this Discovery Unit, as it has much to say regarding the societies of Ancient India and the characters in the epic.   Also, the Ramayana is influential and relevant today, as it is still revered and discussed by the people of modern India and East Asia as well.  To me, the Ramayana is more than just a collection of old myths and folklore to be passed on for amusement or entertainment, but the Ramayana is a complex epic narrative that address the issues of its day and important philosophical concepts, which I believe are meant to engage the reader in meditating on these matters.  In other words, the Ramayana is meant to teach as well as entertain or transmit culture.  While delving into archetypes and social structure of this story, I would also like to review the literary and historical elements of the Ramayana, and share the yields of my research.      I began my quest by reading the Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Ramayana, which is based on the Tamil version of the epic, in its entirety, as well as our assigned readings. It is my understanding that there are many different versions which vary by geographic regions.  Also, some versions have different presentations of the warrior hero Rama and different endings to the story.