Reading Notes: Jataka Tales Part D

Jataka Tales Part D

Cartoon Wolf
Source: Google Image

Common Themes

A couple more common themes popped up from this part that weren't as prevalent in previous stories. First, in these stories, revenge and karma seem to be a prominent theme. For instance, in The Brave Little Bowman was about a big man who used a shorter man to his advantage, and then failed when he attempted to go to war without him. In the Foolhardy Wolf, a wolf became too proud due to his new strong body and decided to kill his food himself rather than taking handouts from the lion. He refused to listen to the lion and ended up dying at his first chance. These stories demonstrate how those who exhibit "bad" characteristics, such as greed and pride, are going to end up in a worse situation than they began. This brings me to the next common theme that was found in Part D. Many of the stories demonstrate the lack of seriousness around death. For instance, in the Foolhardy Wolf, the author describes the death of the wolf in one sentences. I think this illustrates the Indian culture's belief of an after-life and that the life on earth is not the only life an individual has. This would explain why many tales nonchalantly kill off a characters, whereas in American culture, deaths are drawn out and dramatic. This can be seen in other Indian stories other than the Jataka tales we read this week. For instance, in the Mahabharata there are many deaths in the epic that are not explained, detailed, or elaborated on. If someone believed that there is a better, happier after-life, than death on earth would not be nearly as scary as our culture tends to make it. It's refreshing and something I may need to start incorporating in my stories. I haven't made any stories that are that intense yet; however, the Jataka Tales in Part D are not serious or intense and still incorporate death and revenge.