analyze The Ramayana

5 pages or more on the story of the ramayana, analyze the hero cycl withn the story

Assignment One:  I have provided two prompt choices for this assignment:

1. Instructions for using The Monomyth, a.k.a. the hero cycle developed by Joseph Campbell, to analyze The Ramayana
2. Write and introduction paragraph and thesis.  The body must mirror the thesis.  The body can be either essay or outline in form, though all MLA rules apply. You must use material from the readings to justify and support your claims (provide context) while using citation (parenthetical documentation). Every one of these points will result in grade reduction or failure if ignored.  All steps must make a cohesive structure, leading logically together, when you analyze the myth.  You may not simply put a step and a quote without context.
3. You need to tell me why you choose the character, either Sita or Rama, in The Ramayanato be an example of the hero. Remember to use key ideas, like dharma, which is found in the introduction in the textbook.
4. You also should make mention this structure is known as the Monomyth and that this structure was developed by Joseph Campbell. You need to work this into your essay in order to give the appropriate credit to the idea.  I suggest you use material from the introduction and class presentations to strengthen this point. I further suggest you mention the book in which this theory was first revealed, which is the subject of Chapter 15 in your textbook.
5. You should decide how you will construct your thesis.  If you decide to use a three-prong thesis statement, which I highly recommend, then you could use Departure, Initiation, and Return as your three prongs, which you will then mirror in the body of the assignment.  Youalso must list the eight steps you are using in the order that you will discuss these steps in the body. Just list them, saving the detail for the body. I suggest that at the end of your three prong claim you place a colon (:) and then list the eight steps you will use in the correct order. This listing should be done at the end of your thesis.  AGAIN, Do not go into any detail until the body please.   This would mean that you have three parts of the cycle, each part being discussed in a different body paragraph or section.  In these paragraphs you will go into detail and discuss the particular steps that fall under that particular section.  If you choose the outline or bulleted structure, then the three divisions could act like outline section headings.
6. If you make a radical choice then you are required to produce radical proof. Failure to list these steps, or failure to list them in the correct order in which you discuss them is an automatic letter grade deduction.
7. In your essay you must use at least one quote from Chapter 15 in the main textbook, at least one idea from the introduction to The Ramayana (Chapter 18), as well as one quote or summarized and documented concept from first essay “The Impact of Science on Myth” as well as one quote or summarized concept from “The Emergence of Mankind” from the Joseph Campbell book Myths to Live By.  These are required to illustrate your ability to use material to justify and support your claims.  In the Body you must use cite ALL summary, not just the quote from the narrative by putting the page numbers from which the material comes.  No quotes should be more than three lines of text AT MOST.  When dealing with a long quote use ellipses (…).  Every point you make in the body should be coordinated to the page numbers from which you draw the material.  In dealing with quotes, summary, paraphrased material, etc., use MLA parenthetical documentation.
8. In-text citation (parenthetical documentation) must be used in accordance with MLA rules when summarizing or quoting.

1. I am also extending you the opportunity to do the above assignment using a narrative other thanThe Ramayana.  You may use The Ramayana and The Epic of Gilgamesh as points of comparison, along with the Monomyth as discussed in part I.   If you choose to analyze another narrative structure you may still abide by all the previous instructions, but you will be looking at the plot structure of your choice in relation to the other material in the class we have discussed so far.  This choice must be clearly explained in your introductory paragraph.  This choice does not change the basic rules of this assignment.

2. You must use at least eight steps. Use all steps and correctly argue for their placement or lose a letter grade (or more).
3. Of those eight you must use:  the call to adventure, 1^stcrossing the threshold (movement into the unknown zone), the axis/apotheosis, and the 2nd crossing the second threshold (moving back to the known world) simply as a matter of necessity.  You need to line your steps in the correct order, reflecting your character’s development through the cycle in a linear fashion, even if this linear structure is not a match for the plot development. Please do not confuse this for a plot summary; THIS ASSIGNMENT IS NOT A PLOT SUMMARY.  If, for example, if you find out the reason for the extraordinary birth in some part of the chapter or narrative, then you will place this step first, no matter where in the narrative or some other source it is found.  
4. Other steps you may consider:
5.  Extraordinary birth,
6. Divine or supernatural aid typically by wise guide (person, god, etc.),

                                                            iii.     Helpers (this step is mobile and can occur in more than one place.  You may only use it once.),

1.  Road of trials (there may be many versions of this in a myth, you can choose more than one, but it will still only be one step.),