August 30

August 25, 2019 /

Aug. 30

ATTENTION!!!!  We will do the plot chart for this book in class together and the character analysis.

  • Read Epic of Gilgamesh, pp. 29- end.
  • Answer and be prepared to discuss the following questions in class.
  1. What does Gilgamesh say about the gods?
  2. What does Gilgamesh say about man?
  3. What does Gilgamesh say about mortality?
  4. What does Gilgamesh say about salvation?
  5. What does Gilamesh say about the afterlife? 
  6. How does the author set Gilgamesh up to be a type of savior for the story?
  7. How does Gilgamesh succeed, and how does he fail? 
  8. From the reading, how much do you think the early Babylonian pagans understood about the state of mankind?
  9. Compare and contrast Shamash with Ishtar.  What roles did they play in the epic? In what way do they both fail as Gods?
  10. Compare the gods of the Babylonian pantheon with the God of Abraham.  You may want to look at Genesis 12, 15, 17, and 22. How does the use of a covenant make Yahweh different from the Babylonian gods?

 

We will spend the next 6 weeks on The Iliad by Homer.  In addition to reading The Iliad, we will read from Heroes of the City of Man for a Christian and literary perspective.

I have divided the reading assignments according to the sections in Heroes of the City of Man.  Please follow the reading schedule as assigned, and always read the assigned sections in the book before reading in the Heroes of the City of Man.

It is VERY IMPORTANT to stay current with each week’s reading.  I recommend dividing each week’s reading ( from both books) into 4 roughly equal sections for Monday-Thursday, but don’t divide a chapter of the book over 2 days.  Note that there is a glossary of characters beginning on p. 573. This will be a helpful reference.

We will not do a journal this year, but I will ask you to turn in a required analysis for each book once it is finished. I will give you the complete instructions for how this is to be done. It will be a compilation of specified information, but not required to be written in essay form. Do not stress about this portion of the class! 

Recommended but not required:  As you read each book (chapter), write a brief outline or summary of the main plot points.  Nothing detailed, just words, phrases, or sentences written to jog your memory as to the flow of the story. Think highlights.  This can help you keep up with the plot as you move ahead and will also serve as a useful review later on. If alright with your parents, I encourage you to underline important information or that which seems significant to you.  Circle unfamiliar words, and feel free to write notes or questions.