The Struggle of Perfection Most religions look up to their Gods as if they were the epitome of all things right. In the Ramayana, the Gods are often portrayed as perfect beings that show a standard of what humans should strive for. Despite the story constantly reminding the readers that the Gods can do no wrong, we see throughout the novel Rama repeatedly showing his faults and mistakes. These lapses in perfection guide the readers to identify with Rama even if he is divine, and therefore are more likely to learn the lessons that Rama does, throughout the novel. Perhaps the biggest lesson Rama displays is the lesson that everyone makes mistakes, even gods. Rama shows three of the most important attributes of the Gods: patience, love, and
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As we see Rama getting judged for every decision he makes by gods and mortals alike, we realize that being perfect is a struggle but that is his battle for claiming to be one who commits no faults. I see this fear of failure and mistakes everyday at school. Overachieving kids becoming depressed because they don’t quite fit the image they have of perfection in their mind. Whether this is body weight, intellect, or talent, my peers and friends lose themselves as they try to achieve an unattainable goal. When I was in third grade, I struggled with reading and writing. Comparing myself to my classmates, I felt like an embarrassment. I used to sit for hours after school, trying to understand the words on the page or rewriting cursive lettering over and over so it resembled my friends’. I was unhappy and I felt like a failure. My mistakes, shortfalls, struggles are all part of who I am today. I now love reading, but never forget that little girl who through a book across the room because she couldn’t understand it. That little girl is still a part of me. I realized I don’t have to be perfect because perfection is overrated. At some point in my life, I was done with never being happy with who I was and I gave up on the pursuit of perfection. Everyone makes mistakes and has faults, even gods. This is how the readers and I connected with Rama, not through his heroic
As we see Rama getting judged for every decision he makes by gods and mortals alike, we realize that being perfect is a struggle but that is his battle for claiming to be one who commits no faults. I see this fear of failure and mistakes everyday at school. Overachieving kids becoming depressed because they don’t quite fit the image they have of perfection in their mind. Whether this is body weight, intellect, or talent, my peers and friends lose themselves as they try to achieve an unattainable goal. When I was in third grade, I struggled with reading and writing. Comparing myself to my classmates, I felt like an embarrassment. I used to sit for hours after school, trying to understand the words on the page or rewriting cursive lettering over and over so it resembled my friends’. I was unhappy and I felt like a failure. My mistakes, shortfalls, struggles are all part of who I am today. I now love reading, but never forget that little girl who through a book across the room because she couldn’t understand it. That little girl is still a part of me. I realized I don’t have to be perfect because perfection is overrated. At some point in my life, I was done with never being happy with who I was and I gave up on the pursuit of perfection. Everyone makes mistakes and has faults, even gods. This is how the readers and I connected with Rama, not through his heroic