Sleep is often a poetic euphemism for death; Utanapishtim even says as much when Gilgamesh finally catches up with him... "How alike are the sleeping and the dead..." In any event, Gilgamesh's foreboding deepens as they face the entrance to the forest.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu find and confront Humbaba, and Humbaba tries to pursuade Gilgamesh to make friends with it, but Enkidu advises him to kill it, for fearing the wrath of Shammash. Gilgamesh is having second thoughts about killing Humbaba, but Enkidu turns his ear and they do end up killing the monster. Of course, this angers all the gods except Shammash, who are finally provoked past the limits of patience when the duo kill the ull of Heaven which Ishtar petulantly lets loose on Uruk. However, unable to bring themselves to kill Gilgamesh, they focus on Enkidu instead and inflict him with a long terminal illness.
So it is…...
mlaBibliography
Abusch, Tzvi. (2001). "The Development and Meaning of the Epic of Gilgamesh: an Interpretive Essay." Journal of the American Oriental Society 121.4: 614-622.
Jager, Bernd (2001). "The Birth of Poetry and the Creation of a Human World: an Exploration of the Epic of Gilgamesh." Journal of Phenomenological Psychology. 13.2: 131-154.
Carnahan, Timorthy (ed). "The Epic of Gilgamesh." March, 2005 http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh
The characters in all of the literary works discussed here experience the elation of rising above whatever ails them on earth, but then being forced to fall back down to the harsh reality that they can never seem to fully escape. Additionally, in each of the works discussed here, ignorant bliss is portrayed is preferable to stark clarity. The primary difference between the poems and Keyes' novel, however, is that for Charlie, both ignorance and acumen are mixed blessings. For the poets, ignorant bliss is the prize waiting at the peak of their ascendance. For Henrik Ibsen, an entirely different journey life's ups and downs prevails.
Since the beginning of time, we have lived in a society in which women have been judged through the eyes of men. Commonly referred to as "the weaker sex," women have been told that they are different from men yet have been held to…...
mlaWorks Cited
Berryman, John, "The Curse" http://www.eliteskills.com/c/11530
Berryman, John, "The Traveller" http://www.americanpoems.com/poets/john-berryman/4278
Ibsen, Henrik, Four Major Plays: A Doll House, the Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, the Master Builder, Signet Book; Reissue edition, 1989
Keyes, Daniel, "Flowers for Algernon" Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 1995
Civilization and the ilderness -- Early American Literature
The collision of society against the wilderness in the early stages of the development of America was used often as a theme in early American literature. As "civilization" arrived in the New orld and immediately encroached upon the natural world and the Native Americans who thrived in that New orld there were stories to be told to reflect the conflicts and relationships that occurred. This paper explores the dynamics in the civilization vs. wilderness binary expressed in four stories -- Roger Malvin's Burial, The Pioneers, Hope Leslie and Edger Huntly.
Do "civilization" and the "wilderness" mean or signify the same thing in each of these four works?
In a general way, civilization and the wilderness do signify the same thing in each of the four works, because no matter the different themes, setting, characters and conflicts that are presented, the man v. nature sidebar story…...
mlaWorks Cited
Brown, Charles Brockden. Edgar Huntly, or Memoirs of a sleep-walker, Volume 3. London, UK;
Oxford University, 1803.
Cooper, James Fenimore. The Pioneers. Harvard University: G.P. Putnam, 1853.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Roger Malvin's Burial. Selected Stories. Ed. Brenda Wineapple.
.....space below to complete this section. Include the number and first sentence of the prompt you chose from the list of prompts.)
Prompt 2: 'In some stories, characters come into conflict with the culture in which they live.'
For this literary assignment, I have chosen Prompt 2, which explains that the characters of some tales enter into discord with their surrounding culture. Usually, a character may feel estranged and different from the society on account of his/her ethnic/racial group, sex, or social class.
What interests you most about this prompt and why?
The above prompt interests me as it addresses the subject of heritage and culture. Modern-day individuals depict greater cultural sensitivity and awareness and are more mindful of the distinctions between themselves and others, compared to their forebears. Humanity has now permitted its cultural disparities and backgrounds to guide its social interactions with individuals belonging to other backgrounds. Some, however, reject their personal…...
Racine's Phaedra -- Compared to Blake's "Lamb" and Melville's Billy Budd
As Bernard Grebanier states, Racine's Phaedra speaks "with the violence of life itself" (xiv). If one were to compare the French playwright's most famous female lead to the English-speaking world's most famous male lead (as Grebanier does), it would have to be to Hamlet, whose passionate assessment of life is likewise problematic. Indeed, Phaedra raises many themes, including the importance of origin, innocence, and sin -- themes that may be found in as seemingly disparate works as illiam Blake's "The Lamb" and Herman Melville's Billy Budd. hile Racine's Phaedra is the tale of a woman, torn by a passion that possesses her so cruelly that it destroys not only her life but the lives of others around her -- including the innocent man who is her obsession, Hyppolytus; Blake's poem deals with the triple theme of origin, innocence, and sin…...
mlaWorks Cited
Blake, William. "The Lamb." Songs of Innocence and Experience. UK: Oxford
University Press, 1992. Print.
Grebanier, Bernard. Phaedra: An English Acting Version. NY: Barron's Educational
Series, 1958. Print.
Robert Bolano is the writer of the novel "By Night in Chile" published in 2000. Urrutia is the narrator of the novel and entire novel is narrated in the first person. Starting lines of the novel are "I am dying now, but I still have many things to say," and from this point the novel starts describing how Urrutia was able to enter the Chilean literary world.
The narrator of the novel, Urrutia Lacroix used the image of "the wizened youth," for himself which showed how much he struggled with his conscience, during the time when he was trapped in Opus Dei. The narrator has described his life as distorted because of the struggle he made throughout his life.
Narrator has used different styles to engage the readers. At time it was simple, lofty, intense, and believable however on occasion the narrator used harsh and imposing style to describe the story. This…...
Strength of the Human Spirit know why the Caged Bird Sings is an autobiography by Maya Angelou. It is the first book of the five volumes of the author's autobiography covering her life from the early 1930s up till 1970. This particular volume "I know why the Caged Bird Sings" is one of the most popular of the five volumes as it talks about her initial years as a child up to the time when she turns sixteen. The autobiography is based on her life as a black child, teenager and woman; it covers all elements of her family and their trials and tribulations.
Although the book is based on Angelous' life, it basically talks about the development of the human self and the impact of various experiences in life on the strength of the human spirit. As Angelou herself describes the reason for writing this book "somebody needs to…...
Shakespeare
Macbeth and the Struggle between Good and Evil
Like all of Shakespeare's tragedies, the action of Macbeth is based around the fatal flaw of the man who would otherwise be a hero. For Macbeth, his flaw is his ambition. He allows his ambition to drive him and this overcomes his reason. In doing so, he chooses the path of evil over the path of good. In the end though, he cannot live with his own choice and his good side becomes his underdoing. In this way, Macbeth is not only the story of a man choosing evil, but also the story of a man who cannot be driven to ignore his good side. This makes Macbeth a unique play because it shows both sides of the struggle between good and evil and makes it a human struggle. This major theme in the play is expressed in several ways. This will now…...
mlaWorks Cited
Bradley, A.C. "The Witch Scenes in Macbeth." England in Literature. Eds. John Pfordesher, Gladys V. Veidemanis, and Helen McDonnell. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1991: 232-233.
Lamb, M.E. "Engendering the Narrative Act: Old Wives' Tales in The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, and The Tempest." Criticism 40.4 (1998): 529-553.
Shakespeare, W. Macbeth. New York: Penguin, 1999.
ole of Women in Othello
The Conflicting Female ole in Shakespeare's Othello
In Shakespeare's Othello, women are in a state of turmoil. On the one hand, the women in the play have to remain obedient to the subservient standards of life as a female in the 15th and 16th centuries in Europe. Yet, on the other hand, there are signs of a new, strong and independent female emerging within Shakespeare's characters. In Othello, Shakespeare juxtaposes the characteristics of the traditional, obedient woman with a new, more independent one. Desdemona's willing death at the hand of her husband illustrates Shakespeare's suggestion that strictly following these outdated gender norms will only lead to individual destruction; while Emilia, and her more independent ways stands up against her husband's ill will.
To understand the role of women in the play, it is first important to see how they are viewed by the men in Othello. From…...
mlaReferences
Evans, Ed. "Gender and Race in Othello." University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 2011. Web. http://www.unc.edu/~edevans/othello.html
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Saddleback Educational Publishing. 2011.
Essay Prompt
A literary critical analysis is not merely a summary of a literary work. Instead, it is an argument that expresses an interpretation, judgment, or critical evaluation of the work. This is accomplished by examining specific literary devices (symbols, themes, metaphors, tone, point of view, diction, structure, etc.), within the work. The purpose of a critical analysis is to demonstrate how these elements convey meaning. In your analysis, you will most likely discuss how certain literary techniques are used to convey specific ideas. You will discuss what a literary piece means and how it achieves its effect. To write critically, you must provide analysis of specific evidence from the text (words and phrases; avoid long quotes). The goal of this assignment is to give the audience an interpretation of the literature.
Organization?:
1. Introduction (explore the subject? of your analysis and end with a thesis statement).
2. Body Paragraphs 2-3 (explore the main…...
Not of the Same Feather: Cultural Appropriation in The Invention of Wings As problematic as it may be for a white Southern author to presume understanding of the psyche of a slave, Sue Monk Kidd embeds enough nuances in The Invention of Wings to make the fictionalized account of the Grimke sisters compelling and enlightening. Alternating between the voices of Hetty (Handful) and Sarah is the literary device Kidd relies on to demonstrate different perspectives and points of view, while also showing what Hetty and Sarah have in common too. In fact, Kidd shows how Sarah and Hetty develop the courage to rebel against social norms and even the law in order to make the world a better place. Symbolism also helps tie together the disparate worlds in which Hetty and Sarah live. Thick with symbolism related to the theme of flying and the freedom flight implies, The Invention of Wings…...
Portrait of the Artist of a Young Man by James Joyce traces the development of Stephen Dedulas as a writer from infancy to young adulthood. While Joyce shows the maturation of Stephen Deduals, he is also painting a vivid image of Dublin, Ireland and Stephen Dedulas' world. One literary device that Joyce uses throughout his novel is the repetitious appearance of numerous images. Stephen's fascination with women, both real and imaginary, is prevalent from childhood and is used by Joyce as a common strain of imagery throughout the novel.
Stephen's main love interest in the novel is Emma Clere. Emma is a girl who has such an effect on Stephen's life that he relates many events of his life back to Emma. For instance, Stephen feels guilty for his involvement with prostitutes not because it is immoral, but because of what Emma would think of him if she found out.…...
John esley Before Referencing
Supernatural tales of death and jealousy: Edgar Allen Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" and Robert Olen Butler's "Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot"
Both Edgar Allen Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" and Robert Olen Butler's "Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot" use supernatural plots to highlight the intense emotions human beings often feel about common and ordinary subjects, namely death and the loss of a loved one to someone else. Poe's tale is written in the style of American Romanticism, and uses highly ornate language and a European setting to create an atmosphere of death, misery and decay. Poe's tale begins strangely, and becomes even stranger as the narrative wears on. The final appearance by death as a masked figure at a costume ball makes the allegorical theme of the story horrifyingly real -- not even the wealthy can escape…...
mlaWorks Cited
Butler, Robert Olen. "Jealous Husband Returns in the Form of a Parrot." Fiction from Web Del Sol. 22 Feb 2008. http://www.webdelsol.com/butler/rob-5.htm
Poe, Edgar Allen. "The Masque of the Red Death." Online Literature. 22 Feb 2008. http://www.online-literature.com/poe/36
Shop on the Main Street
Continental European film producers were slow to focus on political and social injustices as the dominant themes after World War II. Heroism in America and Soviet World War II movies was not a significant theme, primarily because, with the exclusion of Switzerland and Sweden, other countries' dwellers either were part of the Nazi regime or collaborated with the rule. Therefore, the filmmakers, when making films, focused on the societies' immersion in the totalitarian ruling systems. Similar to other countries of Europe, excluding Switzerland and Sweden, all other countries in central Europe lived under Authoritarian and totalitarian regimes in the period between the Second World War. However, after the war, the continent split, and this influenced how the filmmakers made films. Germans, Slovaks, Czechs and Hungary embraced the Nazi regime, whereas Austria and three quarters of Germany embraced democracy. This is partly a contributing factor as…...
mlaReferences
Crowther, B. (1966). The Shop on the Main Street (1965). Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF1730E270BC4D51DFB766838D679EDE
Votruba, M. (2011). The Shop on the Main Street: The holocaust in context. Retrieved from http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/11635/3/Martin_Votruba-The_Shop_on_Main_Street_The_Holocaust_in_Context.pdf
Banovac, S. (2005). JanKadar and Elmar Klos: The Shop on Main Street (Obchod na korze),
1965. Retrieved from http://www.kinokultura.com/specials/3/obchod.shtml
Social Activism and Literature
Two of the major themes in 20th century American literature are war and social protest. The United States has been engaged in a steady series of wars since the beginning of the 20th century. With the carnage of the First World War, the horrors of the Second, the futility of Vietnam, many writers and artists contributed to the literature of protest with respect to war, and America's involvement in it.
Amy Lowell's September, 1918 is a good example of how writers reacted to the First World War. Its presentation of a wistful era where there is no war, juxtaposed against the current "broken world," illustrates the yearning that many had for a world without war. The First World War had essentially eliminated any romance that there was of war in society, and its brutality would spark this sort of response across the world. For the first time, it…...
mlaReferences
Parini, J. & Cutter, M. (2009). Themes in Contemporary American Literature. Cengage.
Oral Tradition:
Epic Poems: Ancient societies passed down stories of heroes, battles, and cultural myths through epic poems like the Iliad, Odyssey, and Mahabharata. These narratives laid the foundation for literary forms such as drama and novels.
Folk Tales and Legends: Oral storytelling also included folk tales, fables, and legends, which often contained moral lessons and reflected cultural values. These narratives inspired later literary genres such as children's literature and fantasy.
Written Records:
Cuneiform and Hieroglyphics: The development of writing systems in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt enabled the recording and dissemination of stories, religious texts, and historical accounts. These written records....
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