Gilgamesh's Quest Fulfilled

Does Gilgamesh fulfill his quest? Yes, he does. It is Gilgamesh that wrote his own story in a stone tablet and. Gilgamesh is narrating his own quest, therefore, its as if he was still alive when he wrote it. This basically says that Gilgamesh gained eternal life and was able to tell his story on the stone tablets of how he survived death. However, it is quite inexplicable how Gilgamesh "dies" at the netherworld or in a sense, accepts his death.

Gilgamesh Tablet XII: THE END

"It was the cry of the dead that seized and held him. He did not fall in battle. It was the cry" (p 88) With these words it is that we say our last farewells to Gilgamesh. As Gilgamesh desperately cries in vain to the gods to salvage him, the house of the dead slowly swallows him in. This ending surprised me. Gilgamesh, wanting to live eternally, ends up driving himself to his own death. However, since the the dead are still alive in the netherworld, according to the descriptions, Gilgamesh reunites with Enkidu. It took me some time to figure out this part. Because some events are skipped between tablets XI-XII, the beginning of tablet XI was little unclear. This, however, was all more comprehensible after the text stated that "The Cry has seized my servant,Enkidu,whom I sent to bring me back from the world down there" (p 89). This let me understand why it was that all of a sudden Gilgamesh was speaking with Enkidu and why he had end up in the netherworld. Returning to Gilgamesh getting consumed by the underworld, Gilgamesh's rebellious attitude towards what he was specifically told not to do, reminded me of how childish and immature he can be. Previously, Gilgamesh has changed thanks to Enkidu, yet he seems to have gone back to being his old self. So finally, Gilgamesh comes to an end trapped in the underworld without consolation. Gilgamesh went straight to the underworld without physically dying. The story of Gilgamesh was probably told throughout the ancient world and with time, it was modified into other similar texts.

Because this is one of the first texts in literature, it gives this piece an increased value. Texts like these not only let us look at the evolution of literature, but also they are like doors into the past. They allow us to have a closer look on the people who wrote it first and let us see the world the way that they saw it. In conclusion, the many stories in this ancient text and their similarity with texts after it are mind blowing. Studying these pieces allow us to see how civilizations have influenced further accomplishments.

Asking for Money

Yes, I have been asked for money before. Many times actually. There’s two types of people that have asked me for money. The first type are my friends. I usually lend or give them money because I trust them and I know that they will either pay me back or lend me whenever I need it too. Usually my friends go, “hey that looks so good only I don’t’ have any money… can you lend me some and I’ll give it back tomorrow?”. Other people, like beggars in the street go, “ I’m hungry and I don’t have anything to eat, please give me something” …. It is on very rare occasions that I do so.

Gilgamesh Tablet XI

As I read this eleventh tablet, it reminded me of other stories and similar divine behaviors. First of all, I observed how the gods acted in this tablet and the previous tablets. Whenever the gods were mentioned, I was reminded of Greek mythology and how the Greek gods dealt with situations similar to this one. The gods in the text seem to be very flawed, just like the Greek gods were never perfect either. If you highlight the fact that Mesopotamia came before than Greece, you can see the obvious influence from one civilization to another. Gilgamesh is one of the best examples to illustrate the effect one civilization can have on another and how a civilization begins to build up on the remains of the preceding. Another important aspect to focus on is the similarity between the man's story of the flood and Noah's arc and the flood. I found it unbelievable how two religions and civilizations so different from the other and with a huge gap between each other can have almost identical tales. As I went through this part of the tablet, it called my attention how it is basically the same tale. This is another justification for the importance of The Epic of Gilgamesh. It is not just a text, it is one of the oldest text in history that provides us with detailed descriptions of the behaviors and culture during that time. Gilgamesh serves as a time capsule for us.

Gilgamesh Tablet IX-X

Out of what we have read so far, I had not found anything philosophical in these pages. These last tablets stood out however. After thinking about what I had read for a while, I realized that the entire lesson the man gives to Gilgamesh on life and death is actually very accurate. The man explains this matter so beautifully to Gilgamesh it even seems poetic. Another detail I noticed from these tablets was how death is perceived by the people Gilgamesh encounters and even himself. Gilgamesh is now on a quest, no longer for glory but for eternity, for he fears he might share Enkidu's fate. The woman at the tavern basically shuts Gilgamesh down and I assume this was because she didn't want to let death into her establishment. In this case, the woman is avoiding the subject almost as if she was scared that death would be contagious. Next, Urshanabi who is not as scared of death, goes with Gilgamesh and makes the perilous journey with him. Finally, the last person Gilgamesh meets is the wisest from my point of view. This old boatman is at peace with himself and with death, he gives Gilgamesh advice and reminds him that "The day of death is set, though not made known."(64) I found this sentence the most revealing and truthful yet. The importance of this sentence is not how it impacts Gilgamesh, but the fact is, this is something that troubles all human beings. Some want to live longer, others less, while others don't even know what to make of themselves. I find this the most honest sentence anyone can ever tell somebody else. Everyone is, at some point, scared of death, but if that person is told this, it's like if you can be at peace with yourself and your surroundings. Going back to Gilgamesh: he has never been told this and I just wonder what he will say or do about this; not being able to stop death.

Gilgamesh Tablets VII-VIII

These were very important tablets to the story. These two tablets are more emotional than eventful compared to the previous ones. Tablet VII is like Gilgamesh's last farewell to his loved companion and tablet VIII is how Gilgamesh is dealing with the loss. I found it very important to point out what Gilgamesh does while he mourns. Gilgamesh is visibly outraged and wastes no time. He lets us know that everyone will mourn Enkidu, almost as if he claimed to the gods what grave trouble they have caused. This to me, was a like a warning that just leaves us pending and wondering what will come next. The focus of these two tablets is directed mainly to the death of Enkidu and how Gilgamesh dealt with it. Another very important aspect of these tablets are the dreams. In previous tablets, dreams have proved to be prophecies according to Enkidu's interpretations. In his deathbed, Enkidu dreams of the House of dust and fears he will have to spend the rest of eternity in it. Because Enkidu's descriptions of this place are so frightful, Gilgamesh fears his companion's same fate. Dreams have played a big role in this story since they usually anticipate what is coming. The following is a video/cartoon I found in youtube that shows how Enkidu described his dreams before he died. I hope this cartoon helps to illustrate better both the importance of dreams, and as I mentioned in my earlier posts, the bonds between Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

Gilgamesh Tablet VI

There are many things that come to mind once you're done reading tablet six from Gilgamesh. For one, it is not until you finish the reading that you realize how spoiled and immature Ishtar can be at a certain point. Ishtar has a history of getting what she wants which ends up favoring only her and still, her father Anu complies with her longings. This was interesting since Ishtar takes the spotlight which belongs to Gilgamesh for a brief moment before it is quickly returned back to him. Also, the fact that Gilgamesh rejects the goddess's persistent proposals reminds us once again of his strong-mindedness. Second, the conclusion of the situation in which Enkidu and Gilgamesh see themselves in while fighting the bull brings to mind the previous events when they defeated Huwawa and defied the gods. In this case, defying the bull seemed as an impossible task since it was like defying the gods one more time. However, the two companions relieve the city of Uruk from this beast and triumph in front of everyone to see. Although they are explicitly described as heroes in the text, their deeds are obviously heroic although they did bring it upon themselves to some level.

Gilgamesh Tablets IV-V

These tablets continue to develop the characters. We see how the bond between Enkidu and Gilgamesh is stronger as time passes and how this bond helps them in rigorous moments. When Gilgamesh motivates Enkidu to fight Huwawa “Two people, companions, they can prevail together against the terror” it is clear that their relationship is now at another level. This relationship is the base of the narrative owing to the fact that from this point on, both Enkidu and Gilgamesh begin to compliment and depend on each other. The protagonists’ relationship is also a result of how they have matured and evolved into wiser more submissive men. Enkidu starts off with wild habits and as the story progresses we see him as humble and patient towards Gilgamesh. An example of this is Enkidu’s interpretations of Gilgamesh’s dreams. The impression we get of Gilgamesh is of a big, powerful, arrogant man who is too worried and focused on his glory. Gilgamesh becomes more tolerant and selfless. Although, the character’s previous conduct does come back at the end, “Enkidu steered the raft and Gilgamesh carried the head of Huwawa, the guardian of the forest” its almost as if Enkidu had to stay behind steering the raft because Gilgamesh had already taken all the glory even though they worked together as a team to defeat the demon. In conclusion, Enkidu and Gilgamesh do change to a certain degree but not enough to keep from recurring to their previous habits.

Gilgamesh Tablets II-III

In these tablets, Gilgamesh appears as the mighty, enormous, powerful, son of Ninsun, that knows he is going to do something big. At the same time, Enkidu is shown as a wiser, more sensitive man who has a similar build to Gilgamesh. As the plot develops, tension rises between the two characters. Although both men are very differing, they are pretty much the same. As soon as they realize that they're both after the same objective they begin to bond. Enkidu tries to stabilize Gilgamesh by advising him but Gilgamesh is still thinking about his glory and triumph. The fact that Enkidu grew up in the forest makes less materialistic than Gilgamesh. Again, Enkidu raised himself and has better survival skills than Gilgamesh. Both characters backgrounds are fundamental to the development of the story. The backgrounds not only give Gilgamesh and Enkidu a social status but also a reputation. The way others perceive them has a lot to do with their background. Another important aspect of the background is how Gilgamesh and Enkidu are described. Gilgamesh, coming from an urban, royal environment is described as mighty from the start. In contrast, Enkidu is described as a beast and wild.

What is a Blog?

A. According to the author, where does the word blog come from?
- According to the author, this is where "blog" comes from. The word web-log was born in 1997 after Jorn Barger, the administrator of Robot Wisdom, merged the two words into Weblog. Later, in 1999 Peter Merholtz, author of his own Weblog, divided the word into We Blog. This eventually was shortened into a Blog.

B. Why might the writer object to a book about blogs? What is the difference between a blog and a book?
- The writer objects to a book about blogs because she says both books and blogging have their own different language. A blog allows you to use links and random references while a book doesn't. Blog writing has evolved into its own language, and according to the author, this language does not apply to books and does not look good on books.

C. Have blogs changed recently?
- Blogs today are alot more different than from what they used to be. They began as being spaces for We blogs. Now, blogs range in hundreds of different topics. Also, since bloggers have an easier access to blogging, there are different types of bloggers as well. Blogs have become spaces for all kinds of people to share anything they want with the world, blogs have become more personal.

D. Why might you read a blog rather than a book, a magazine, or a newspaper?
- Blogs are very different from books. Bloggers have alot more freedom than an author in the sense that bloggers can blog about anything they feel like blogging while authors have to stick with their stories. Blogs will always be new and fresh while books or magazines are just narratives or continuations of stories. Also, blogs can be more intresting than books because if there is anything you want to comment about, you can ad it will go directly to the blogger. If you would like to comment on an author, you would have to wait for your fanmail to be answered.

E. Is there reason to doubt the objectivity of a blog? Why? Why not?
- There is always reason to doubt the objectivity of a blog. In many cases, blogs are either anonymous or the blogger lies about the personal information they share. Obviously, all blogs are done with a purpose and an objective, however, if the blogger is not clear on what the objective is, the reader could doubt it. Also, if the blogger keeps changing the blog's topics, then the blog will not have a coherent target.

F. If you kept your own blog, what would you title it?
- I would call my blog "Globe-trotting Behind the Screen".

G. Find three blogs that mention our summer reading.
- http://www.berkeleypubliclibrary.org/content/
-http://www.beyond-ishmael.com/members/beyondishmael
-http://steve-mollmann.livejournal.com/155319.html

About This Blog

By reading this blog you will have a closer look at what my english class consists of. You will notice my posts will be a little random since what I will be posting here are responses and reflections to my assignments.