Topic Research: Sita

Really, with the way that Sita, Rama, and Lakshmana interact, they would be a lovely Star Trek bridge crew, like Kirk, Spock, and Uhura. They could be lost, or exiled, on some planet somewhere.

Or, they could live in modern day New York, and have weird adventures in Central Park.

Either way, Sita is going to be the POV.

Story one: Sita saves herself from Ravana, because she's awesome. If I go with Star Trek, she can defeat her alien captors through pure cleverness, whether she knows how to hack their system to trigger her release or she can speak their language and talks her way out of it. If they're in modern day New York, Ravana will be her stalker, and she'll mace him in the face then kick him in the crotch.

Story two: Sita refuses to undergo some test to prove her purity. If Star Trek, then Sita refuses the medical scan and berates Rama for not trusting her. If New York, then Rama suggests she go to the clinic and she refuses, and they yell at each other. They kind of make up, but things are still tense.

Story three: Sita gets tired of Rama not defending her and leaves him. If I go with Star Trek, when they get rescued, people keep making comment and Rama says nothing, so Sita gets herself transferred to another ship. If they're in New York, Rama's friends and parents won't leave her alone about it and she asks Rama to make them stop but he won't, so she leaves him and goes off to become a rockstar or something.

I like this:

According to Swami Vivekananda, Sita is typical of India – the idealized India. Swami Vivekananda assured that if world literature of the past and world literature of the future were thoroughly exhausted, yet, it would not be possible to find another Sita, because Sita is unique; the character was depicted once for all. Swami Vivekananda felt there may have been several Ramas, perhaps, but never more than one Sita.

Vivekananda said:

"All our mythology may vanish, even our Vedas may depart and our Sanskrit language may vanish for ever, but so long as there will be five Hindus living here, even if only seeking the most vulgar patois, there will be the story of Sita present."

Sita was a true Indian by nature, Vivekananda concluded, who never returned injury. (Source)

Alternately, I'd like to do a Shadowhunters crossover, though that's just the beginning of an idea so far. I culd still use the core stories. Story one, Sita could get kidnapped by vampires or demons or Circle members. Story two, Rama could suggest that she undergo trial by Mortal Sword, which compels Shadowhunters to tell the truth, and she could tell him he's being stupid. Story three, she could get tired and transfer to a different institute to get away from Rama.

This is also interesting, but it is what I'm contradicting:

Popular culture sees Sita as an abla naari or a helpless woman. She is portrayed as someone who needs support and assistance of the male folk in the myth. However, this would have to be balanced with Sita's steadfast demonstration of honour and dignity, compelling her to both enter the fire and to ask Mother Earth to take her from a setting filled with pain and misunderstanding. In this light, Sita becomes a complex figure of what it meant to be a woman in ancient India. (Source)

My Sita will not be helpless. She should totally have some fire powers, though, as a reference to Agni. 

Then I went with the right cross

by play4smee