Epic of Gilgamesh Essay Example for Free

Epic of Gilgamesh Essay In the epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh ventures upon a quest seeking immortality as a result to peace and significance in life. In means of this journey, Gilgamesh undergoes a combination of grand adventure, of mortality and also of tragedy. He tries to reach immortality in unusual ways, each as unsuccessful as its predecessor. Gilgamesh suffers conflict due to being two-part god and one part man, in a preliterate time, when gods were seemingly to be replaced by mortals on the throne of the city-states. Gilgamesh tries first through his actions, but then undergoes a transformation which leads him to next attempt physical immortality. Through events of this process, Gilgamesh encounters whom is to be his counterpoint, his equal. Gilgamesh then learns, on his journey to immortality, the truth of a man who endures the wrath of a god, in which he has displeased, causing a stage of extermination of mankind. Gilgamesh gains mature knowledge among his quest. Uruk, his city, is his legacy and the key to his quest. The legends of the pursuit for immortality assembled in the Epic of Gilgamesh portray the conflict felt around Sumerian times. As urbanization swept Mesopotamia, the ethnic condition pivoted from an unsettled hunting society to that of a rural gathering society. Man found his relationship with the divine indefinite and insecure. From the gods, Gilgamesh possessed a perfect body, perfect beauty, restlessness and courage. From his father, Gilgamesh possessed mortality. This results in Gilgamesh having to face the ultimate conflict; conflict of the desires of the god and destiny of the man. Even the king, to whom all things were known, would have to confront commands of tragedy. Superior to all mortal, Gilgamesh finds no desirable match in love or in war. Intending to provide a companion, the gods create from Clay, Enkidu. â€Å"Enkidu, the ‘natural man’ reared with wild animals, and as swift as the gazelle† (Gilgamesh, 22). Gilgamesh and Enkidu seemed to equal out each other and quickly became partners. Gilgamesh was made by the gods so therefore has high self confidence, very smart, but extremely arrogant. He felt as if he had â€Å"supreme powers† and that nothing was impossible. Enkidu was raised by animals in the forest. He was brave, smart, and loyal to his new friend. Enkidu helped Gilgamesh discover his humble and kindhearted side by their newfound brotherhood. Even though the first time they met was a long brawl, the two became inseparable brothers. Not only have they fought against each other but they also fought against many other evils. This later concludes in Enkidu’s death and brings Gilgamesh into a sadness he thought he could only overcome if he was immortal. My hand’s strength, the sword in my belt, The shield before me† (Gilgamesh, 62), reveals the nature of Gilgamesh’s relationship with his soul mate, best friend, and loyal companion, Endiku. The gods in Gilgameshs epic are bestowed as being easily agitated and vindictive. Being two-thirds a god himself, Gilgamesh acts of defiance also speak to a bitter aspect of the gods among ancient Mesopotamians. The gods are depicted as being challenging to satisfy, sometimes penalizing without account or granting punishments that seem out of equivalence to violation. Both men face consequence by insulting Ishtar, but Gilgamesh is able to face his own mortality and Enkidu discover s great knowledge of the measure of life. Subsequently, the loss of Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s young brother and dear friend landed Gilgamesh in a pit of despair. His equal companion has been overtaken by mortality. On his journey in search of immortality, caused by this fear of death, brought him to Utnapishtim. The man who was blessed with everlasting life after surviving the great flood. Aroused by the outrageousness, Enlil, the god of air, felt, â€Å"In those days the world teemed, the people multiplied and the world bellowed like a wild bull†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The uproar of mankind is intolerable and sleep is no longer possible by reason of the babel† (Gilgamesh, 70). As the advocate of destruction towards human kind, Enlil dominates with his weapon of storm. To his care, Anunnaki, gods of the underworld, cast upon rising waters by lightening. A great flood that will exterminate all mankind has been cursed upon Utnapishtim. â€Å"I looked at the face of the world and there was silence, all mankind was turned to clay† (Gilgamesh, 71). Similar to Noah’s ark, like doves, a swallow and a raven were released. After land was promised, fed to the gods are sacrifices made by Noah and Utnapishtim. In turn, everlasting blessings were cast upon themselves and their families. Utnapishtim challenged Gilgamesh’s commitment to immortality by ordering Gilgamesh to prevail against sleep for six days and seven nights. Gilgamesh fails this request. This journey underscores his humanity, which he did not truly learn a lesson until he first erred in the wrong direction. Therefore, the society, by writing the story of Gilgamesh, guarantees not only his immortality, but the immortality of the new order being established. The Sumerians were the beginning literate culture of Mesopotamia. They carried the gift of language and ideas. In a time when gods were replaced by mortals, Archaic Sumerian civilization was the age. From the oldest of the tablets from Gilgamesh, language relates back to the one of the Sumerians. Through Gilgamesh’s desperate seek to find immortality, he eventually comes back to the point at which he began; however, now he realizes that the beginning point was always the object of his quest.

Effects of CTelevision Broadcasting :: Essays Papers

Effects of CTelevision Broadcasting The television is one of the most widely known and utilized inventions of the twentieth century. As its popularity has grown, its effect on how people, especially children, view the world around them has become more prominent and recognized. â€Å"To suggest that children growing up in the 1990s live in a different world than the one their parents or grandparents experienced is not only to state the obvious, but to understate the obvious.† Increasing popularity of television between the generations is partly responsible for the changes. Television is at the center of a multimedia society. Television is especially prominent because it reaches children at a much younger age than other mediums. (Asamen 9) Television becomes a firm staple in most children’s lives a considerable amount of time before formal education begins. Children as young as six months react to television’s sights and sounds. â€Å"For young children, a major determinate of what... they view is w hat... their parents view.† This measure of coviewing decreases with age â€Å"as does the time spent with parents in other activities.† (Bryant 231) Television and Time Control It is generally recognized that television dominates a lot of children’s time, more than any other waking activity. TV watching is often paired with other activities, such as talking, reading, and studying though. The effects of television on children vary, depending on the programs watched and â€Å"when and with whom† they watch it. It also depends on how often and how much the child watches television. (Bryant 227) Research on the effect has been sparse. "Recently, some investigators have taken account of the role played by television in family as planned or default activity, as subject matter for discussion and argument, as the occasion for parental regulation and for children's assumption of increasing responsibility for controlling their own time use." The media has taken on a partial role in raising children, just as church and school did in the past. (Bryant 227) "Children's use of television is influenced by structural factors in their lives." Children who attend day care, for example, are less likely to watch large amounts of television than those who are home all day long. Other factors of how much television children watch are if they have access to all stations or a VCR, education, social class, and ethnicity. "[Researcher's] efforts to analyze family influences on viewing rest on some general assumptions about television use.

Overweight Risk Essay

In the United States, increasing use of sugar in foods has led to an increase in obesity levels. Many manufactured foods have sugars that have been added. These include jams, jellies, yogurt, peanut butter, soups, candy, bars, soft drinks and many other snacks. The National Health and Nutrition examination survey indicated that the United States population has decreased its intake of fat but increased its intake of sugary and energy giving foods, while the incidence of obesity has increased (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2006). The implication here is that there is a greater likelihood of developing obesity with the consumption of sugar than with the consumption of fat. The sugar, when consumed by humans is stored as glycogen. When this glycogen becomes excessive it is converted to fats which when in excess results in the high fat deposits common in obesity. Artificial sweeteners have various advantages over sugar and these make them the preferred choice for individuals who want to avoid the health risks of natural sugar. To begin with, sugar substitutes do not have the problem of lactic acid production, consequently tooth decay is not a health hazard associated with sweeteners. The sweeteners do not undergo the fermentation process like natural sugars. The difficulty of regulating blood glucose levels is easier to manage using artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners allow the individual with diabetes to enjoy a great variety of foods while maintaining close control of their sugar intake. Further, some of the artificial sweeteners even though they have a small amount of energy calories, are slowly metabolized. This means that the levels of blood sugar have some degree of stability over time and so the danger of frequent build up of glucose is overcome. Reactive hypoglycemia is common when foods with high glycemic indices are eaten. Reactive hypoglycemia is a condition where excessive insulin is produced when glucose has been rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream. This results in levels of glucose in the blood falling between the required amount for brain function (WHO Technical Report, 2006). Artificial sweeteners general have low glycemic indices making them a better alternative. Despite the advantages associated with artificial sweeteners, those are certain side effects that have led to controversy concerning their use. Some of the claimed side effects include headaches, behavior changes, seizures, cancer and respiratory difficulty as well as dermatological problems. The safety of artificial sweeteners use is a great bone of contention because many studies have findings that differ greatly, with some studies concluding that sweeteners are ‘safe at any dose’ while others conclude that sweeteners are ‘safe in all conditions’ (Pizzorno et al, 2005). Generally, most people are of the view that when sweeteners are used in moderation, the risk of adverse effects is minimal. The more important issue of risk-benefit ratio is however, still unclear. Several studies show that weight-loss is not an effect which can be directly associated with artificial sweeteners . On the contrary, people using artificial sweeteners may increase weight. This is because the knowledge that one is reducing calories intake by using artificial sweetener may cause them to ‘compensate ‘ and thus eat foods that have high energy values resulting in weight gain rather than weight loss (De Noon, 2005). Sucralose is an artificial sweeteners about 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is produced when sucrose has three of its hydroxyl groups removed and replaced with three chlorine atoms. It is commonly found in chewing gum, baked goods, frozen desserts and is usually absorbed only minimally by body and leaves the body without any changes occurring to it (Renwick et al, 2000). Sucralose has been approved by the FDA and much of the controversy associated with it has more to do with marketing than with safety. Its marketing slogan makes it appear as though it really is a sugar where in actuality it is a raffinose, a carbohydrate made up of three different sugar molecules. Saccharin was created from derivatives of toluene. Its sweetness was discovered as is the case with several other sweeteners. The substance is also made form phthalic anhydride. It is about 300 to 500 times sweeter than sucrose and is commonly used in toothpaste, dietary beverages and foods. It however has a bitter aftertaste which is minimized through blending it with sweeteners (Pizzorno et al, 2005). Reports from a study that associated saccharin with causation of cancer of the bladder led to controversy surrounding the use of saccharin. Some countries like Canada banned the product while the USA was considering an FDA ban. Further research however, revealed that it could not be dangerous to human beings, causing the threat of an FDA ban to be lifted (Pizzorno et al, 2005) Aspartame, a white, odorless, crystalline powder whose derivatives are aspartic acid and phenylanine is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It can be utilized as a table sweetener or it can be used in frozen desserts, changing gum, gelatins and beverages. It however has the shortcoming of reacting with other flavors of food resulting in a taste that is slightly different from sugar. Aspartame undergoes metabolism to form the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It has considerably low energy values. Safety tasting of the sweetener however resulted in findings that showed that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats. The sweetener was however, FDA approved following deliberation and results o a study done in Japan (Whitmore, 1996). There has been debate on the value of extrinsic sugar to the health of an individual. Extrinsic sugar enhances the taste of food but as it does so it also increases the amount of calories resulting in negative effects to the health of an individual. The nutritional advice by the United Nations following a report compiled by two of its agencies (Food and Agriculture organization, FAO, and World Health Organization (WHO) ) is that free sugars should account for only as much as 10% of the total intake in a diet that is considered to healthy. The free sugars in this case include simple sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides) that manufacturers add to foods, as well as those added by consumers themselves and cooks. It also includes sugars that occur naturally like fruit juices, syrups and honey (WHO technical report, 2007). The report goes on to recommend a range of between 55% and 75% of carbohydrates for total energy intake (WHO technical report, 2007). The food industry generally favors artificial sweeteners or natural sugar sweeteners. This is because of the high profit margin realized with the use of artificial sweeteners as they are more cost effective than both corn syrup and sugar. The sweeteners however should be used by consumers with great caution to ensure that the sweeteners do not end up becoming more of a health hazard than a means of achieving good health. References DeNoon J,2005, Drink More Diet Soda, Gain More Weight? Overweight Risk Soars 41% With Each Daily Can of Diet Soft Drink,Reviewed by Charlotte Grayson Mathis MD, WebMD Medical News

Violet Smoke Chemistry Demonstration

There are many chemistry demonstrations that produce smoke, but violet smoke is quite a lot more interesting! Here are two ways to produce violet smoke. Violet Smoke Safety Info iodine Violet Smoke Method #1 1 part powdered zinc 4 parts powdered iodine wash bottle or dropper bottle filled with water Separately powder the zinc and iodine, using a mortar and pestle.Mix the ingredients in a shallow dish.Perform the demonstration by spraying a stream of water onto the powdered mix. Violet vapor will immediately form. You may wish to place a white board behind the dish to make the violet smoke more visible. Violet Smoke Method #2 4 grams powdered ammonium nitrate4 grams powdered zinc1/2 gram iodine crystalswash bottle or dropper bottle of water Powder the materials separately, then mix them together in a shallow dish. Initiate the reaction between the zinc and ammonium nitrate by spraying water onto the powdered ingredients. Iodine will sublimate in the heat of the reaction. White Smoke Chem Demo | Easy Violet Fire