For Monday: Narayan, The Ramayana, Prologue-Chapter 2

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: What makes Rama a unique hero, even more so than Gilgamesh? Both are somewhat divine, but how does Rama’s origin make him unique among Western heroes—and difficult to translate into our world/stories? Is it even fair to call him a hero given his unusual pedigree?

Q2: On page 16, Ganga explains to Rama that “Even after the participants have vanished, every inch of earth still retains the impress of all that has gone before. We attain a full understanding only when we are aware of the divine and other associations of every piece of ground we tread on.” Why is this quote significant in this work—and for what you might know of Indian/Hindu culture in general?

Q3: The Ramayana places a strong emphasis on duty or dharma, which can be translated as “the essential order of things, an integrity and harmony in the universe and in the affairs of life that cannot be disturbed without courting chaos. Thus it means rightness, justice, goodness, purpose” (Easwaran). Part of dharma is doing one’s duty and keeping’s one word at all costs. How does the story (so far) dramatize the struggle of doing one’s duty and obeying one’s station in life, even when to do so might otherwise seem ‘wrong’? Why is this notion of duty particularly tricky for Western readers?

Q4: Another often-translated Hindu concept is that of karma, which “can be translated as deed or action. The law of karma states that every event it both a cause and an effect. Every act has consequences…and every act, every karma, is also the consequence of some previous karma” (Easwaran). Related to question 3, how does the work dramatize the concept of karma in action? What characters are punished or rewarded according to their karma? Why might this, too, be a difficult concept for Western readers to grasp or appreciate? 

For Monday: Tables X-XI of The Epic of Gilgamesh

For Friday. finish The Epic of Gilgamesh (the last 2 tablets) for our final discussion of the book. I'll give you an in-class writing response over a significant passage/idea from these chapters (so there are no blog questions this time). Also remember that the Short Paper #1 is due on Wednesday, and I've posted it below in case you misplaced it. We'll briefly discuss integrating literature into your paper on Monday as well. See you then...

Short Paper #1: The Mysteries of Gilgamesh

The short papers in this class are a way to explore a single, focused idea while the reading is still fresh in your mind. It’s designed as a kind of warm-up for the longer, critical papers, and should be approached as a first draft rather than something to endlessly stress over. That said, think about each option carefully before starting and remember to get right to the point; don’t waste time with a lengthy introduction that dances around the subject. Hit the ground running by directly responding to the ‘conversation’ of the questions below...

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

Option 1:            As you’ve noticed reading Andrew George’s edition of Gilgamesh (or another version), the text is full of omissions and other lacunae that only hint at what might have been. If we could find one or more of these missing pieces, the story might change dramatically—or at least become more clear and understandable. To that end, I want you to choose one significant blank passage (of a few lines or no more than a page) and complete the passage in a way that is artistically satisfying or illuminating. Imagine not only what might have been there, but what should be there to satisfy a modern audience. Explain what lines/ideas are missing and explain why this is a significant and meaningful completion. Don’t make it too simple, either: consider how a hidden character motivation or a cosmic plot point might have been buried away in a crumbled tablet. In other words, help us (21^st century English speakers) read the ‘hidden’ Gilgamesh lost to the ages.

Option 2:           When Enkidu recounts his dream about the Underworld, he notes, “I looked around me, saw the “crowns” in a throng,/there were the crowned [heads] who’d ruled the land since days/of yore” (VII.61). This seems to state that the fate of every man—king or commoner—is to sink into the darkness of death for all eternity. However, this is a dream, and might not represent the true destiny of mankind. From what we have of Gilgamesh, is the poem optimistic or pessimistic about the nature of death? Does Gilgamesh find an answer to its mysteries, or a new way of looking at it? Is this poem supposed to make its listeners more comfortable or satisfied about the life to come? Or is it a grim admission that life is all we have, so enjoy it? Use a passage or two to support your response to this question.

REQUIREMENTS

* 3-4 pages, double spaced

* Quote passages from the text (don’t just summarize)

* Follow MLA Format when doing so (we’ll discuss this in class)

* DUE WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27th BY 5pm [in my box, HM 348]

For Friday: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablets VII-IX (pp.54-75)

Answer TWO of the following…

Q1: According to Enkidu, what is the true nature of the Underworld? How does this complicate the idea of kings/servants, as well as the quest for immortal deeds and victories in life?

Q2: Enkidu’s speech in Tablet VII against death is one of the first ‘existential’ speeches in literature. What is the nature of his anger, and why is it particularly poignant and ironic? Related to this, why does Gilgamesh call it “profanity” (not meaning curses, necessarily, but maybe more like blasphemy)? 

Q3: If you were a member of Sumerian/Babylonian society, and this was actually your culture and your gods, would you feel comforted by the will of the gods? Do their actions in these tablets seem just? Does the poem explain why Enkidu deserves to die and Gilgamesh to suffer? Do the gods seem to be embodiments of eternal truths…or heroes and tyrants in a larger form?

Q4: If Gilgamesh is the hero of our tale, and this tale is about the triumph of civilization/humanity over beasts and barbarians, why does Gilgamesh begin his wanderings clad in lion skins, foraging for water, and chasing the winds? In a sense, why does Gilgamesh reject society and humanity after Enkidu’s death? Is this, too, ‘heroic,’ or is it part of his journey toward heroism and reason? 

For Wednesday: The Epic of Gilgamesh: Tablets IV-VI, pp.30-54

Answer TWO of the following...

Q1: There’s so much about the customs and values of Sumerian/Babylonian culture we simply don’t know, so it’s hard to figure out what is right/wrong in this poem. However, do you think raiding Humbaba and stealing the cedar trees is a heroic act—one befitting a king/hero—or is it a sacrilege against the gods? We know the cedar trees are sacred, and both Enkidu and Gilgamesh lose courage at different stages of the journey. Is this a transgression of the natural order? Or a triumph over it?

Q2: Related somewhat to the above, when Humbaba is defeated he bargains with Gilgamesh, saying “Spare my life, O Gilgamesh…let me dwell here for you in [the forest of Cedar!] Trees as many as you command…” (V.42). Is it shameful/unheroic that Gilgamesh and Enkidu slay him at this moment, beheading him and ripping out his lungs? Or does the poem depict him as an evil and duplicitous creature? How does the poet want us to read this pivotal episode?

Q3: Based on Gilgamesh’s speech to Ishtar, what kind of goddess is she? What relationship does she (an immortal) have with the mortals on earth? Does this have parallels with other gods from the more familiar Greek or Norse traditions? What might this say about the Sumerian/Babylonian view of gods and their place in the world?

Q4: The poem seems to place enormous importance on dreams and the manner in which they are interpreted. Enkidu’s coming is foretold in a dream, and Gilgamesh has many, many dreams before facing Humbaba. Do these dreams have a significant purpose in the poem, however? Are they merely placeholders, a repetition that makes it easier for the poet to recite the poem (since it was originally oral)? Or does it set up or establish themes or ideas that are developed later in the work? 

For Friday: Translations of the Epic (video link below for those interested)

Remember for tomorrow's class, there is no extra reading: catch up to Tablet/Chapter III if you haven't already, or feel free to read ahead.  I'll post new questions for tomorrow. We'll discuss translations of the Epic of Gilgamesh tomorrow and what is gained--and lost--in the jump from an ancient non-Western language to English. As something else to consider, remember, too, that poetry is song--and was meant to be sung/recited. So here's a possible reconstruction of part of the Epic set to music in the original language. Sounds cool even if you don't follow the words...

For Wednesday: The Epic of Gilgamesh, Tablets I-III

NOTE: Answer two of these questions in a short paragraph, at least a few sentences and be specific. Don’t give one word or one sentence responses and avoid the easy answer. There are multiple ways of looking at each question, and answering them carefully will not only help our class discussions, but will serve as pre-writing for your short and critical paper assignments.

Answer TWO of the following:

Q1: Does the poet consider Gilgamesh a good king? Though he is clearly a “great” king (powerful, almost a god, etc.) is he wise, noble, virtuous? Where do we see this, or where might we question this?

Q2: This poem is very concerned with the difference between humans and animals; in essence, the question of what makes one “human.” In the first three tablets, what does separate a man from a beast? How does Enkidu become a creature of “reason” rather than a beast of the wild? Why might this be such an important distinction for ancient man/writers?

Q3: The Epic of Gilgamesh is full of holes and omissions, requiring a translator to fill in the gaps with what he/she knows of the culture and from other related documents. Where did you feel the story was the most incomplete and why is this important? Where could the story change significantly based on what we don’t see and what we don’t know?

Q4: Why does Gilgamesh decide to slay the great giant Humbaba who lives in the treacherous forest? What might this say about him as a hero and/or a king? Is his decision universally celebrated? Why or why not?

Welcome to the Course

Welcome to our class blog for EQ2, which I have given the subtitle "Gods, Heroes, and Devils." Here's a blurb about the course via your syllabus:

The 19^th century poet Rudyard Kipling once wrote that “East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet.” So what makes the “non-Western” world so different than the West? Is it geographic location, a system of belief, a language, or something else? In this class, we’ll approach this question by examining the most universal stories of all: tales of gods and heroes, myths and legends, saints and devils. Every culture tells stories of heroes who have to take on supernatural battles to save the world, and the Eastern world is no different. But how do those stories compare to “ours”? What values and ideals do they express? Do they offer an ideal bridge between cultures…or are they the great wall which separates Eastern and Western thought? Stay tuned! 

Make sure to get the books for class as soon as possible--we start reading next week!

Required Texts:

• The Epic of Gilgamesh, trnsl. Andrew George (Penguin Classics)
• Narayan, The Ramayana (Penguin Classics)
• Akutagawa, Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories. trsn. Jay Rubin (Penguin Classics)
• Yang, Boxers and Saints (two books in one series)
• Naipaul, The Mystic Masseur

See you in class!