The Search for Immortality in the Epic of Gilgamesh Essay

The fear of death and the search for eternal life is a cultural universal. The ideology surrounding immortality transcends time and a plethora of cultures. The theme, immortality appears in stories from the Epic of Gilgamesh, which was composed by ancient Sumerians roughly around 600 B.C., to present day works of fiction in the twenty first century. Gilgamesh, a figure of celestial stature, allows his mortal side to whittle away his power after the death of Enkidu. Undeniably, defenseless before the validity of his own end, he leaves Uruk and begins a quest for Utnapishtim; the mortal man who withstood the great deluge and was granted immortality by the gods (Freeman 36). The search for immortality is a universal concept that has†¦show more content†¦Along these lines, even though Gilgamesh existed â€Å"†¦ thousands of years ago, he remains immortal in the sense that we still refer to him and his story† (Sadigh 85). The character Enkidu sets the pace for the ent ire epic. Enkidu plays such an important role in the story; it makes sense to begin with him. His transformation and death symbolize the natural cycle of life, signifying his links to the natural world. The animal to Gilgamesh’s divine, Enkidu becomes through a process of change, as larger than life as Gilgamesh himself. Keith Dickson summarizes this passage of Enkidu: Enkidu changes from a barbaric man to a civilized human being, thanks to the temple harlot Shamhat, thus crossing the remoteness between nature and culture, and then from human being into champion richly awarded with prominence and also with mortality (Dickson 39). Throughout the epic, the ideas surrounding immortality is constantly being put to question. The story puts to question mortality. Gilgamesh, a divine being that is two-thirds divine, and Enkidu that was created by the gods are unable to escape the fate of all humanity. Enkidu’s wild nature is the embodiment of the natural life cycle found in nature; henc e, his death represents a return to the ground, the substance from which he was made. It is Gilgamesh who is distressed over the death of his comrade; he now finds himself at oddsShow MoreRelatedSearch for Immortality Depicted in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey852 Words   |  4 PagesThrough the many of mankind’s tales of adventure the search for immortality is a very common theme. Many heroes have made it the objective of their travels and adventures. This is no different in The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Odyssey. The heroes in both are tempted by the offer of immortality, however each of them turns it down for their own reasons. In The Odyssey, Odysseus rejects the offer of immortality from the goddess Calypso long after he discovers the true nature of the afterlife afterRead More The Epic of Gilgamesh is Truely an Epic Essay1690 Words   |  7 PagesThe Epic of Gilgamesh is Truely an Epic An epic is an extended narrative poem in elevated or dignified language, celebrating the feats of a legendary or traditional hero.  Ã‚   The main characteristics of an epic as a literary genre is that it is a long poem that tells a story, it contains an epic hero, its hero searches for immortality (but doesnt find it physically, only through fame), gods or other supernatural beings are interested and involved, and it delivers an historical message.  Read MoreGilgameshs True Identity Essay1145 Words   |  5 PagesIdentity Gilgamesh, who was made perfect physically, with all of the wisdom and secrets of the gods, shows he is not perfectly made on the inside as he struggles to find his true purpose and identity in the Epic of Gilgamesh. He, who proves good at heart in the conclusion of the epic, does not know why he was created and is frustrated at his mortal third in his early life. Made to bring strength and prosperity to the mortals of Uruk as an honorable king, Gilgamesh must firstRead MoreThe Hero s Journey From The Epic Of Gilgamesh942 Words   |  4 Pages Gilgamesh was a powerful king of Uruk an ancient city in Sumer now known as Iraq. Created by the gods, Gilgamesh was 2/3 god and 1/3 man he thought of himself as undefeatable, and carried himself immorally, taking advantage of his people. Being tired of this the people of Uruk began sobbing, and the goddess Aruru heard their cries and created Gilgamesh s equal Enkidu. Together they would go on to venture into battles, one of which leads to the death of Enkidu that brings Gilgamesh to his veryRead More Death and Immortality in The Epic of Gilgamesh Essay1366 Words   |  6 PagesDeath and Immortality in The Epic of Gilgamesh The search for immortality has been a major concern for many men and women all throughout history. True love and immortality in life would be a dream come true to many. To spend time with a special someone, the person one feels closest to, and never have to say good-bye would greatly appeal to most people. But when death steps into the picture, even with all the pain and devastation, one starts to re-evaluate themselvesRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh And Analysis1436 Words   |  6 Pages The Epic of Gilgamesh –Summary and analysis Introduction The Epic of Gilgamesh is an excerpt of the original text of the Epic listed in the Sources of the Western Tradition, 5th edition, by Perry, Peden and Von Laue (2003). The Epic of Gilgamesh is the story of King Gilgamesh who is the powerful king of Uruk, the incidents in his life, the associations he makes, the encounters he has, and the transition that occurs in his life in relation to his gainingRead MoreReview Of The Epic Of Gilgamesh 1301 Words   |  6 Pagesby the protagonist. The Epic of Gilgamesh, a story written thousands of years ago by the ancient Sumerians, follows the same archetypes as any modern day quest story. Gilgamesh begins his quest when he is separated from his normal life in Uruk and meets Enkidu. He then loses Enkidu and leaves on another journey in search of immortality. He succeeds in finding immortality but ultimately loses it a short time later, and ends his quest when he returns to Uruk. While this epic tells an interesting storyRead MoreEssay On Gilgam esh And Fear Of Death1115 Words   |  5 PagesIn The Epic, Gilgamesh’s understanding of his mortality is almost dismissive; he argues that since all men die anyway, that then they might as well risk their lives to make a name for themselves. Gilgamesh does not question the value of â€Å"making a name for himself† in a world where all great heroes are forgotten-it is enough to use his allotted years to achieve fame and glory. In this case, Gilgamesh believes that the value of life is to be remembered after death. Gilgamesh’s mortality and fear ofRead MoreAthanasia: Human Impermanence and the Journey for Eternal Life in the Epic of Gilgamesh1740 Words   |  7 PagesImpermanence and the Journey for Eternal Life in the Epic of Gilgamesh â€Å"Will you too die as Enkidu did? Will grief become your food? Will we both fear the lonely hills, so vacant? I now race from place to place, dissatisfied with whereever I am and turn my step toward Utnapishtim, godchild of Ubaratutu† (Jackson â€Å"Gilgamesh Tablet IX† 4-9) Gilgamesh so much feared death that he threw away his honor as a warrior in order to obtain immortality. For centuries there have existed individuals who yearnRead MoreGilgamesh Essay Paper728 Words   |  3 PagesEnglish 3, 4 7 October 2012 The Quest for Immortality In the â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh† translated by N.K. Sanders, Gilgamesh completes a series of many challenges and obstacles, fulfilling the conditions of an archetypal quest story. In order to fulfill an archetypal quest story, the hero or protagonist must complete a series of hurdles, on their way toward achieving their goal. In the â€Å"Epic of Gilgamesh†, Gilgamesh hunts for his main obsession, immortality, while he battles off monsters, with the help

Howard University - 1418 Words

Prior to the Civil War, higher education for African American students was nearly nonexistent. The small percentage who did receive education, such as Thurgood Marshall, often studied in informal and sometimes aggressive settings. Some were forced to educate themselves completely. Some schools for elementary and secondary training existed, such as the Institute for Colored Youth, a school started in the early 1830’s by a group of Philadelphia Quakers. A college education was also offered to a limited number of scholars at schools like Oberlin College in Ohio and Berea College in Kentucky. Between 1861 and 1870, the American Missionary Association (AMA) founded seven black colleges and 13 normal (teaching) schools. Many of these†¦show more content†¦Howard who had been a student from the famous West Point Military Academy, which is still active today and producing many of our current military leaders. As Major General Oliver O. Howard was listed as one of the early presidents of this exemplary school for blacks, but he was not a black man at all. I wanted to research others that had also held the leadership for this University along with Major General Howard and what their leadership philosophy was. The University was chartered on March 2, 1867, and then later amended in 1928.(www.howard.edu) Howard University is one of the oldest schools in the United States to primarily serve the freed people. Many of the people long ago that were in charge of educating all these freedmen (and women) through Howard University were diligent and seemed to want to do the best that could be done for these newly freed people. Many of them but not all were reported irregularities in the Freedmen’s bureau that temporarily oversaw Howard in the early beginnings. The culture and nightlife of DC’s famous areas such as U Street, fascinated many well-known entertainers and scholars. This was the perfect place for Howard University to become prominent to a distinguished academic status, partly because of its proximity to the seat of government and partly for the presence of immeasurable bountiful foundations, policy organizations and for the existence of an outsized, vigorous and affluent black population. Students within the universityShow MoreRelatedDecreasing the Wait Time for Cafeteria Food at Howard University1020 Words   |  5 Pagesoperate on a schedule with the same food options every week. Another recommendation would to be expanded the cafeteria as a whole. As of now Howard University as roughly 10,000 undergraduate students, the cafeteria can barely hold 800 students comfortably. This will also cause the cafà © to have better organization of lines in order to decrease confusion. Howard students have been complaining about the cafà © for some time now. Talking to upperclassmen whom had prior knowledge on the subject, they observedRead MoreFinancial Summary : Howard University1552 Words   |  7 PagesInstitutional Summary Howard University (HU) is a private, not-for profit Historically Black University. HU was founded in 1867 (US News and World Report, 2016). With an enrollment of over 10,000 students (approximately 7,000 undergraduate students), HU grants bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees from 106 majors. According to the Carnegie Classification, it is considered an RU/H (high research activity university) at the level of four-year and above (US News and World Report, 2016). HU’s academicRead MoreMy Letter At Howard University868 Words   |  4 Pagessupervisor, an astute college professor, and the Department’s Chairperson. I left the Law School (in March 1998) and got a new job upon main campus. I worked inside the School of Education, Department of Educational Administration Policy (EAP) at Howard University. I worked as the only liaison between graduate students, the Department Chairperson, and seven other faculty professors. At the beginning of the fall semester 1998, my boss, and I exchanged educational views concerning theRead MoreThe Establishment Of Black Greek Lettered Organizations976 Words   |  4 Pagesstonemasons during the fourteenth century. They would form lodges located in different regions in which the members would seek membership. This idea runs parallel to present day Black Greek-lettered organization as there are chapters at different universities where an upstanding gentleman would seek membership. Also, the behavior of developing code language and grips to identify true members of the organization was also adopted from Masonic tradition. Where the Masons enter the conversation of BlackRead MoreExperience the Sound: Pep Rally Experience999 Words   |  4 Pagesundergraduates in all different forms, whether they were speaking slang to connect to the younger folks or if they were speaking intellectually with vast vocabulary. However, any way these words were delivered, these words triggered in many minds, except mine. Howard University’s homecoming was October 22nd thru the 27th, 2013. A day after my eighteenth birthday was proclaimed to be turn up time for Howard’s students as well as graduates, celebrities, and especially local District of Columbia, Maryland and VirginiaRead MoreThe Decision Of My Academic Suspension966 Words   |  4 Pagessuspension I was deeply saddened, but understood completely the circumstances under which the decision was made. My low GPA failed to meet the requirements of the University to remain an active student on campus, which as a result led to my temporary dismissal. In the beginning of my freshman year, I was very excited about coming to Howard University because I had fell in love with the school. Into my first year I took on 18 credit hours convinced that college would be similar to high school. My first semesterRead MoreErnest Everett Just1129 Words   |  5 Pagesbotany and history. In 1909, he bega n teaching at Howard University. Well respected at Howard University, he had the opportunity to play many roles which would include head of the Zoology Department in 1912, head of the Biology Department in 1920, professor in the School of Medicine, and head of the Physiology Department until his death in 1941. During his time at Howard University, he also met Ethel Highwarden, who taught German at the University. In June of 1912, they married; together, theyRead MoreA Life Of A Healthy Life881 Words   |  4 Pagesto being put down all at the same time. An alumni from Howard University who also happened to be a member of my church had an interesting point of view. â€Å"If you have other Universities offering you money, go where you can get the most financial aid,† she said. I simply responded, â€Å"Attending a school where I would be ‘settling for the money’ didn’t fulfill my needs if I didn’t truly want to be there.† I knew settling for an in-state University would not only lower my advantages, but lead me to a stateRead MoreBiography Of Ernest Everett, The Son Of Charles And Mary1768 Words   |  8 Pagesclass, and also received honors in botany, sociology, and history. After graduating he had to decide whether he would go on to become a teacher at Howard University or Morehouse College. With Morehouse being in the heart of the south where Jim Crow laws were still being practiced, he made the move to Washington to become a teacher at Howard University. Ernest began by teaching simple English and rhetoric courses. 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Drug Testing Essay Example For Students

Drug Testing Essay Drug testing in the United States began with the explosive use of illegal drugs,in order to curb drug abuse. This began during the Vietnam War with drug use ata climax. In general, Drug testing is a way to detect illegal drug use and deterit, usually by Urinalysis. Drug testing in the United States violates acitizens right to unreasonable search and seizures along with jeopardizingones freedom. Drug testing is not only an unreliable invasion of a personsprivacy but it assumes that one is guilty before submitting to the test. Drugtesting began to take place in the mid 1960s when drugs like Marijuana,hallucinogens and other drugs were becoming widespread (Stencel, pp.201). Themilitary implemented mandatory drug testing because of the widespread use andthe number of Vets that were returning home because of addiction. Ronald Reaganpushed for employers to implement drug testing and even had himself screened forillegal drugs to encourage employers and to reduce opposition to testing (Stenc el,pp. 200). The increased concern about drug abuse has, in part, ben the resultof the early 1986 appearance on the streets of crack-a new, powerfully addictiveform of cocaine-and the growth of cocaine addiction (Berger, 12). PresidentReagan later called for a second war on drugs campaign. In October of1986, President Reagan signed into law a 1.7 billion dollar antidrug bill,called the Drug-Free Workplace Order. In addition to the bill, Reaganinstructed his cabinet officers to create a plan to begin drug testing forfederal civil employees (Berger, 14). Drug testing thus begun a sharp climb intothe area of private employers. In November of 1988 Congress passed an Actrequiring grant recipients or federal contractors to maintain drug-freeworkplaces. Most of the employers set up voluntary testing programs and manyemployees began to sue, claiming that individual testing is a violation ofprivacy rights. The argument is that the employees are being deprived of theirFourth Amendment protect ion. Many believe that government testing programsshould be unconstitutional unless the authorities have either reasonablesuspicion or probable cause that the individuals being tested are on drugs. Tojustify the use of private employer testing, President Bush said in 1989 thatDrug abuse among American workers costs businesses anywhere from $60 billionto $100 billion dollars a year in lost productivity, absenteeism, drug-relatedaccidents, medical claims, and theft (Horgan, 19). This claim was derivedfrom a source that interviewed families that were 28% lower in overall incomethan the average household. This was used in an effort to promote Bushswar on drugs forum into the private sector (Horgan, 21). Many behaviorsof lower income people often differ statistically from upper-income people,therefore the statement of Bush never establishes a clear or accurate statistic. In 1989 President George Bush unveiled his National Drug Control Strategy,encouraging comprehensive drug-free workplace policies in the private sector andin state and local government (Stencel, 201). This created many controversieswithin the American workplace and in National Treasury Employees Union v. VonRaab decision, the Supreme Court upheld that drug testing was legal as long asit outweighs privacy rights (James). Then, in 1991 Congress passed the OmnibusTransportation and Employment Testing Act, which would extend drug testing inthe United States. Throughout the rest of the 90s drug tests were extended tothe outermost sectors of society causing drugs to become a significant issueduring election times, although politicians are never tested themselves. TheFourth Amendment of the Constitution was created because of the rough treatmentof colonists by the British. The British restricted trade and travel and thisgave way to smuggling. British soldiers frequently conducted unrestricte dhouse-to-house searches. People were forced to keep their private records andother personal information on their person or hidden in their home or businessto avoid exposure and possible arrest (Berger, 102). The Fourth Amendment waspart of the Constitutions Bill of Rights to protect ones privacy andmaintain search and seizure guarantees. The right to privacy was described bySupreme Court Justice Louis D. Brandeis as the right to be let alone-the mostcomprehensive of rights and the right most valued by civilized men. TheFourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right of the peopleto be secure in their person, houses, papers and effects against unreasonablesearch and seizure except upon probable cause. Random drug testing threatensthe Fourth Amendment and has been called suspicion by association. This is tosay that it is not possible to justify a search of one person because they aresimilar to another. Suppose a certain neighborhood has a high incidence ofviolent crime . The police cannot defend a blanket search of all residents byclaiming that there were many armed individuals among them, they say (Berger,52). Random drug testing assumes that every student is using drugs until theyprove to the contrary by submitting a urine sample, (ACLU, 1) In general, thegovernment cannot search a person without reason to suspect that he or she isguilty of wrongdoing. There is an exception, however, in limited circumstances,where the search is in special need, the government has a compelling interest inthe search or the privacy interests affected by the test are minimal. In RandomDrug testing there are no Fourth Amendment rights to be maintained. The rightto privacy is, as determined by the Supreme Court to be an implicit guarantee ofthe Constitution (Holtorf, 132). Drug tests reveal many areas of ones lifewhich may want to be hidden to their employer or to the outside world. Drugtests can reveal the use of contraceptives, pregnancy, or medication fordepression , epilepsy, diabetes, insomnia, schizophrenia, high blood pressure,and heart trouble (Holtorf, 132). The disclosure of this type of informationcan be both embarrassing and harmful to ones social and professional career. Pearl Harbor Attacked EssaySome tests have shown that coarse hair shows much higher concentrations ofdrugs than lighter hair after ingestion at the same amount of drugs (Stencel,199). There have been numerous studies conducted that show that when twoindividuals ingest the same amount of drugs, the darker complected, darkerhaired one will show greater concentration of the drug. In two different casestwo African-American women were tested positive to Drug use through hair testingand now are pending investigations. Last August, Althea Jones and AdrianMcClure, along with six other Chicago African-Americans who say they receivederroneous hair test results when applying for the Police Academy, filedcomplaints of racial discrimination with the Equal Employment OpportunityCommission. The group is considering suing both the city of Chicago andPsychemedics (Kean, 1) Many scientists have confirmed that there is no truedistinction between the drug being smoked or being in the same area or room fora great duration of time in the result of the hair test. Also, because of thelow level of tolerance in the testing even a second hand experience to a drugsuch as Marijuana can cause a positive result in a drug test. Dyeing of hairalso has different effects for types of hair. Using bleach, perming or excessiveUV exposure can decrease the chance of testing positive in a Hair test. Forthese reasons, the ACLU strongly opposes hair testing. Every reputablescientific organization in America rejects the use of hair testing foremployment purposes, (Stencel, 199). The Food and Drug Administration, theDepartment of Transportation, the National Institute of Drug Abuse, and theSociety of Forensic Toxicologists all raise serious questions about the accuracyof hair testing. The consensus of scientific opinion is that there are stilltoo many unanswered questions for it to be used in employment situations,said Edward Cone, the National Institute of Drug Abuses leading researcher onthe test, in June 1998. In a recent interview, Cone said that hair testing isnot ready for use yet, where peoples lives are at stake (Kean, 2). OurPoliticians in the United States are not tested for Drugs. This is quitealarming that the idols that we vote into office and make out laws are somehowabove the law when in comes to Drug testing. In late September, the WhiteHouse refused requests from congressional investigators seeking informationabout the jobs held by those in the special drug testing program. Yourrequest amounts to asking us to be complicitous in a methodical, broad scaleinvasion of privacy, White House Counsel Jack Quinn wrote in a letter toHouse Civil Service Subcommittee Chairman John Mica. (York, 7). Even the manwho the leader of our great nation. The one man who holds the greatest power andreceives the most respect in the world has fallen into drugs. There isevidence that Bill Clinton himself attended some of Lasaters parties. Id never seen the governor around coke unless he was around Lasater.Brown told Tyrell that he saw Clinton stoned but never actually witnessedthe governor ingesting drugs (York, 7). While Congress pushed for moresmall businesses to do drug testing, it refused to submit to drug testing, itrefused to submit to drug testing for congressmen and their staffs, claiming itwas too undignified and possibly unconstitutional (Stencel, 205). It isntfair for a Congress that enacts laws to require the people to undergo drug testsnot submit themselves to the same level of testing. Drug testing in our countrydoes have its benefits. Yet there are so many disadvantages and holes in Drugtesting that it costs our country billions of dollars every year. EmploymentDrug testing is a proven failure, the only gain is the gain of public funds andreputations that politicians have gained through their active role in Drugtesting. Drug testing is not decreasing drug abuse, it is being used todiscriminate thousands and ruin lives of millions of others. The FourthAmendment is a cornerstone of our counties Democracy, Drug testing needs to beremoved from our everyday lives to ensure that we maintain this Democracy andcontinue to live our lives the American way as the framers of theConstitution intended. BibliographyAmerican Civil Liberties Union. New Jersey judge blocks drug testing ofstudent athletes. New Jersey, 1997. Berger, Gilda. Drug Testing. New York:Impact book, 1987. Holtorf, Kent. Ur-ine Trouble. Scottsdale: StephanieCartozian, 1998. Horgan, J. Test NegativeA look at the evidencejustyifying illicit-drug tests. Scientific American, March 1990; 262(3):18-22. James, Jeannette C. The constitutionality of federal employee drugtesting. The Amerifcan University Law Review, Fall 1998. Kean, Leslie. More than a hair off. The Progressive. 63 no.5, 32-34. May 1999. McBay, AJ. Drug-analysis technology-pitfalls and problems of drug testing. Clin Chem. 1987;33:33B-40B. Stencel, Sandra L. Issues for Debate in American Public Policy. Washington D.C.: Congressional Quarterly, 1998. York, Byron. Fast times atwhite house high The American Spectator. V29, pp.20-26. 1996.