Using these episodes as the base for your analysis, what did the Sumerians think were the defining elements of “civilization”?

HST 1101 First Paper Topics
These prompts are intended to help you form a thesis for a paper 2-3 pages in length. Please do not attempt to answer all of the sub-questions under any topic; they are suggestions to direct your analysis. Please use these prompts to develop an argument based solidly in evidence from our texts.
Note: please be careful as to how broad of a topic you are attempting to address in your paper. 2-3 pages does not allow much space for elaboration of a difficult topic or providing a nuanced answer to a complex question. It may be wisest to pick a small topic or a single question and focus on that. Because of the length of the paper, please keep introductions and conclusions to 4 or 5 lines.

Your 2-3 page paper MUST follow the following guidelines (if not, I reserve the right to penalize your assignment grade at my discretion):
-12 point Times New Roman font, double-spaced
-Default margins for Microsoft Word/Works/standard word processors
-Clear thesis sentence at end of 1st paragraph. If you need advice on formulating your thesis, ask! (this applies to almost any question you can make).
-No bibliography is necessary. Simply cite page numbers from the text like so (35). If you are using a translation other than the one assigned, make that clear.

Topic One: Wrestling with Civilization
In Gilgamesh, both of our main characters, Gilgamesh and Enkidu, transition between a civilized state and an original/uncivilized/barbaric state – Enkidu when becoming a human, Gilgamesh when lost in mourning. Using these episodes as the base for your analysis, what did the Sumerians think were the defining elements of “civilization”? What are the essential characteristics of “civilization”, and how does one pass over from nature to civilization? By what steps? What differentiates humans from their uncivilized predecessors? Are there any advantages that non-civilized people have over their civilized counterparts? How might we use this information to think about how Sumerians thought about their own history and their culture?

Topic Two: Wrestling with Immortality
Throughout Gilgamesh we experience numerous episodes which give us a peek into the world of the gods. Much like the human characters, some are helpful towards our heroes, while others are neutral or act in opposition to them. Using information in the text, construct an argument about how the Sumerians thought the gods behaved and how they were different from, or similar to, human beings. What drives their (Ishtar, Shamash, the gods creating the flood) interactions with people? What causes them to make decisions? Why do they care about the humans they do care about? How can human beings ensure that the gods will be on their side? What lessons about human existence and human relationships to the supernatural world does the text mean to teach the reader?

IT HAS TO BE BASED ON THIS VERSION : The Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Andrew George. Penguin