Asian Literature
1. Champoon the short story of thailand
The story Champoon is about the tragic love story of a beautiful girl named Champoon and a wellbred man named Nai Amnuey. It started with the narrator meeting Nai Amnuey in the hospital
who was told to have gone insane. Nai Amnuey then told their story. Champpon and Nai Amnuey
met by accident and fell in love with each other passionately but Taokae Soon, Champoon’s
father,
2. Shakantula from India
The play Abhijnana Shakuntalam is written by one of the greatest poets of India, Kalidasa. This
play is a beautiful tale of romance between King Dushyanta and Shakuntala. The title of the play,
which is originally in Sanskrit actually means “The recognition of Shakuntala” in English.
Abhijnanashakuntalam is the first Indian play to be translated into different western languages.
Kalidasa had extracted the story of Shakuntala from the great epic Mahabharata and painted it even
more widely in his play Abhijnana Shakuntalam. The two protagonists of the play are Dushyanta
and Shakuntala. The king of Hastinapur, Dushyanta is a noble and kind ruler who is respected by
everyone. Shakuntala is a beautiful maiden who is the daughter of Sage Vishwamitra and Apsara
Menaka. Shakuntala has grown up in the hermitage of sage Kanva since she was disposed by her
birth parents. Dushyanta visits the hermitage of Kanva after a day of hunting, where he first gets a
glance of the beautiful Shakuntala. He gets attracted to her from the very first moment when his
eyes meet her beauty. After Shakuntala’s consent, both get married in the Gandharva mode of
wedding. However soon after their marriage, Dushyanta leaves for his kingdom with a promise to
return and take Shakuntala back with him. Enchanted by love, Shakuntala keeps on thinking about
her husband the entire time, which affects her surrounding. The angry Sage Durvasa visits the
hermitage and begs for water at Shakuntala’s door. However, she is so lost in the thoughts of her
husband, that she fails to attend to the sage. Feeling insulted Durvasa incurs a curse on Shakuntala,
which completely erases the memory of Shakuntala from Dushyanta’s head. However, later he
modifies the curse on the request of Anasuya and Priyamvada. He tells them that the lost memory
can be revived if Shakuntala shows an ornament which is a token of their love. The token is
actually a ring that Dushyanta had gifted to Shakuntala. After months of waiting for Dushyanta,
Sage Kanva advises her to visit the court by herself. It is revealed that Shakuntala is heavily
pregnant with Dushyanta’s child by then. However while on her way to the kingdom, Shakuntala
loses her ring in a lake.In the court, Dushyanta refuses to accept Shakuntala as his wife, as he
completely loses his memory about their marriage, under the influence of the curse. He even makes
several disparaging remarks about her character, which infuriates her. She is then escorted by the
Apsaras into heaven, leaving everyone surprised. Eventually, after months, the ring is found by a
fisherman. Dushyanta revives his memory back about Shakuntala when he sees that ring and
breaks down in guilt. He becomes lovesick and curses himself for the adversity that he had caused.
Later, Dushyanta is reunited with his wife Shakuntala and their son Bharat in the hermitage of
Marica. Dushyanta begs for the forgiveness of Shakuntala and asks her to return back with him.
Shakuntala forgives him and they both move back to Hastinapur. By critically analyzing, it can be
said that Abhijnana Shakuntalam is one of the finest plays of Indian Literature. The theme of love
and romance is very well evident in the play. Not just love, but other types of emotions are reflected
as well in this play. Different bonds like friendship, love, fatherly love, etc are well established in
this play.It can be seen that all the eight types of Rasas are present in this play. ‘Shringar Rasa’ or
love/erotic is more commonly apparent in the play. The carnal attraction of Dushyanta reflects the
erotic form of love. Hasya Rasa is presented through the character of Madhavya who is a court
jester or through the characters of Shakuntala’s friends. Bhayanaka Rasa is not present strongly
like the others. In the court when Shakuntala and Dushyanta engage in an argument about their
marriage, it creates an environment of horror and fear among the people present there. This can be
related to the Bhayanaka Rasa, which means fear. Viram Rasa is presented through the character
of Dushyanta, who is a brave king. He fights bravely with the demons, and represents valour or
‘Veerta’. Advuta Rasa signifies Wonder. This Rasa is depicted through scenes like the cursing of
Durvasa or when Dushyanta agrees to keep Shakuntala at the palace till the birth of the baby. These
incidents cause a s ituation of wonder or surprise among the readers. Bibhistsa Rasa is found in
scenes like when Dushyanta refuses to accept Shakuntala as his wife and in return throws several
immoral allegaations. This builds up an emotional disgust among the readers. Karuna Rasa is
reflected through the act of Dushyanta’s refusal to accept Shakuntala as his wife, which builds up
sadness among the readers. Rudra Rasa is expressed through Durvasa, who reflects anger. In this
way, all the eight Rasas are perfectly presented in the play.Even though the characters of this play
are borrowed from Mahabharata, the characters of Anusuya and Priyamvad.
3. God Stealer by F.sionel Jose
A Marxist Analysis of Jose Francisco Sionil’s The God Stealer Introduction Sam Christie and
Philip Latak were best of friends and that was possible because they worked in the same office.
On one December dawn, Sam Christie was on his way to Ifugao with his native assistant. It was
his last month in the Philippines and in a matter of days he would return to Boston for that leave
which he had not had in years. During their journey, they talked about the grandfather of Philip
and the different views in the Ifugao. Philip encountered an acquaintance that he did not want to
recognize because the latter called him by his native name. When they had arrived on the village
of Philip Latak, they met Sadek, Philip’s brother. From there, Philip told Sam how his brother, as
well as all the others in the village, disliked him. After staying for quite some time in the house of
Sadek, they went to Philip’s grandfather; but only Philip went inside to meet and talk to the elder.
They visited the Mission the following day after having hiked to the villages. And there Reverend
Doone invited them for lunch. He told them how he reminisced San Francisco and how he feels
like home. Going down the hill, Sam told Philip that he would not leave Ifugao without a god
because it’s more than a souvenir and it would remind him of Philip. Philip then told Sam that he
would steal a god for him since he made the vacation and the raise possible. They hiked to the
village and this time it was not as difficult as it had been the previous day. When they reached the
village, they went to the grandfather of Philip. Sam was pleased with the prospect of being inside
a native Ifugao house for the first time. He was able to see the Ifugao god for the first time, and he
witnessed the rite wherein the blood of the slaughtered pig was poured on the head of the idol, and
was returned to where it was kept. The feast began. For some time, Sam Christie was entertained
by the dances and the songs, but soon he was bored. He told Philip that he would like to return to
the boarding house. Philip Latak went to the boarding house past midnight carrying his
grandfather’s idol and he handed it to Sam Christie. They argued if it was better that Philip returned
the bloodstained god back to his grandfather. When Sam Christie woke up it was already daylight.
It was Philip Latak who had stirred him, his voice shrill and grating. He told Sam that his
grandfather is dying. The next day, Sam was told by Sadek that their grandfather is dead and that
Philip would not return with Sam to Manila. Philip told Sam that he would not be going back to
Manila and that he was the reason his grandfather is dead. From that moment, their friendship was
broken. Philip Latak did not, even once, face Sam. He seemed completely absorbed in his work.
Sam knew then that Philip was determined to stay and break his bonds with Sam. Sam realized
that Philip was carving a new god to replace the one he stole from his grandfather.After visiting
Philip’s grandfather, the pair tour around the village with matches and candies to offer to the
villagers. People treat Sam amiably, and Philip with sullen silence. They ask the villagers where
they could purchase an Ifugao God but their search is futile. They then visit the American reverend
in the village. After exchanging stories about America, Sam and the Reverend converse about
Ifugao religion. The reverend states that Ifugao religion is based on fear and retribution and that is
why Ifugaos are so attached to their gods. Sam observes that it is very similar to Christianity, which
annoys the reverend. He explains that Christianity is based on the belief of souls. He adds that a
man can lose his soul in the city when people are corrupted by easy living, the pleasures of sense
and the flesh, and mass corruption. When Sam asks him how a man can regain his soul, the
reverend says that it takes “cataclysm, something tragic to knock a man back to his wits, to make
him realize his loss”. Upon leaving the reverend, Sam reiterates that he must have an Ifugao God,
stating that it would help remind him of Philip and of the Ifugaos. Philip then answers that he can
steal a god for Sam. Sam is horrified but Philip assures him that they can just make another god.
He convinces Sam that he can do this as thanks for everything Sam has done for him.Before the
welcome party for Philip, he takes Sam to see his grandfather. The grandfather allows him to enter
his house, but does not welcome him warmly. The old man then takes out his Ifugao God, the
pours pig’s blood over it while reciting a prayer. After that, he picked up the god and returned it
to its niche. Sam quickly got bored of the party and returned to the room he shared with Philip to
get some sleep. He is awakened by a drunken Philip, who triumphantly tells him that he has stolen
his grandfather’s god. Sam is aghast and urges Philip to return the stolen god. Philip drunkenly
rants that his grandfather is wrong to love.
4. Kabuliwala by Rabindranath Tagore
The opening of the story immediately establishes the close connection the narrator has with Mini
in her early childhood. Mini’s constant chatter, especially starting from such a young age, reveals
a natural curiosity with the world that can also be seen in her father, who takes as much pleasure
in talking with Mini as she does in talking to him. Mini is not just a curious child, but an intelligent
one. As such, her mind makes one leap after another, leaving her father scrambling to keep up with
her train of thought. Mini obviously takes pleasure in learning and knowing, and is proud of the
fact that she knows the “right” word for a crow and isn’t taken in by Bhola’s myth of an “elephant
in the sky.” The narrator is also eager to share, but he wants to teach her more and correct her
mistakes. This innocent exchange—probably one Mini’s mother would have scolded Mini for
bothering her with—highlights the kind of playful, loving relationship they have with one another.
The narrator is working on an adventure story, which takes on new significance later when he
reveals how much he wants to travel the world. The narrator explores and goes on adventures
through his writing. The narrator only sees “trouble” in the Kabuliwala, meaning he is already
slightly biased towards him and will treat him as an inferior rather than an equal. The curious and
enthusiastic Mini suddenly becomes quite shy here, and her fear of the new overcomes the curiosity
she displayed earlier when she started yelling about the Kabuliwala. The narrator’s desire to
“dispel” what he recognizes as “groundless fears” also reveals his desire to teach her more about
the world so that she won’t be so afraid of it. He wants her to be curious—but more than that, he
wants her to be brave when faced with the new, so she can move forward with more confidence.
Cleary Mini and the Kabuliwala have forged some sort of connection with each other, which is
surprising given her earlier fear of him. In this interaction, the Kabuliwala also seems to be taking
a fatherly role, shown by the narrator’s ability to draw parallels between how he listens to Mini
and how the Kabuliwala is listening to her. However, the narrator still only sees the Kabuliwala as
a fruit seller trying to make money, which is why he gives him the half-rupee Once again, the close
relationship between the narrator and his daughter—and the distance between Mini and her
mother—is shown in his decision to “rescue” her from trouble to let her talk to him. The narrator
might enjoy seeing Mini and the Kabuliwala together, but it is something that he, personally, is
outside of and has no part in. This seems to foreshadow the distance that will sprout up between
them as they get older. What’s interesting about both the narrator’s reluctance to talk to Mini about
her future wedding (which will happen sooner than Mini likely realizes) and Rahamat’s half-joking
pleas with her not to go away to her śvaśur-bāṛi, is that it betrays the fear both men have about
Mini growing up (as revealed later, for Rahamat, Mini growing up signifies that his own daughter
will have grown up) and leaving them. They do not want to be replaced by a father-in-law, which
will inevitably happen when Mini gets married. The narrator’s unfulfilled desire to travel is
reflected in the adventure book he was writing earlier in the story. Something very close to
friendship is established between Rahamat and the narrator because Rahamat can satisfy the
narrator’s curiosity about faraway lands, people, animals, and cultures. Additionally, Rahamat’s
description of deserts and the people in them is one of the early clues that his homeland is
Afghanistan, a long way away from where he’s selling fruit in India. However, for the narrator this
further establishes the seemingly insurmountable differences between himself and Rahamat,
preventing them from forming a meaningful connection to one another. On one level, the narrator
understands his wife’s concerns—and they both certainly do believe they are looking out for Mini
and making decisions based on what they each think is best for her—but on another level, the
narrator does not want his daughter to grow up to be as afraid out the outside world as her mother
is. Furthermore, he sees how happy Mini is in her friendship with Rahamat, something which he
is beginning to enjoy, as well. Their disagreement about Rahamat’s visits reveals the two different
ways Mini’s parents show their love for her: Mini’s mother tries to protect her from the world,
while her father wants her to experience more of it. Despite assurances to his wife that Mini is safe
with Rahamat, the narrator betrays his own fear of the new by describing the sight of Rahamat at
night as “frightening.” This fear reflects some of the same trepidation he has towards actually
traveling outside of Calcutta himself, which has “condemned” him to his home for his entire life.
Submitted by: Norhamed B. Codarangan
Submitted to: Evan L. Villarido ,LPT