Tag Archives: Gilgamesh

2023-2024

Assignment Two
September 21– September 27
Utnapishtim Replies

 

Utnapishtim replies to Gilgamesh’s painful search for immortality with simplicity: 

“There is no permanence” (106).

What does this mean for humanity? Specifically, how does our world illustrate this notion of impermanence? How do people even get up and go about their business in a world that is fleeting and ephemeral? If we all die, what ultimately gives us meaning in life? Finally, how do we, as mortal humans, create a sense of order and eternal life? Cite strong and thorough evidence to support your analysis, both from the text and also from your understanding of the world at large.

“The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time.” James Taylor

2023-2024

Assignment One
September 7- September 11
Thinking About the Hero

Many of you have read Beowulf, The Odyssey, and/or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Most of you have seen the Star Wars or Harry Potter films or Raiders of the Lost Ark or The Lord of the Rings. What do all of these works have in common? Many people would say that the protagonists in all of these could be considered heroes. But are they? What is a hero? How do we define heroic actions or behavior? And can a woman be a hero(ine)? If so, why are there no women in that list above? If heroes serve as models of particular conduct, how would you define that conduct? Secondarily, what purpose do heroes serve to us as humans? Do we need them? Why? Bertolt Brecht once said, “Unhappy the land that needs heroes.” What does this mean, in light of your understanding of what a makes a hero?

In your own blog, explore the idea of the hero, making sure that you address all relevant questions.