Is Perfect Possible?

Why do unfortunate events happen? Well, no body knows but it’s certain that they happen for a reason. They have an effect on the world, this effect changes the world forever, leaving a big opening in peoples harts. “The attempt by a group of desperate and marginalized Catholics renegades and romantics - terrorists is the word we would use – to blow up the king, queen, princes, peers, and other members of the parliament on its opening in November 5.”(pg 105) This line reflects how terrorists not only want to kill people but are also in the search of something else, they want change, which might be good or bad. They compare this actions with September 11, 2001 catastrophe made by the Muslims. This would continue a barrier that has been there for many years, the one between Islam and Catholicism.

These two different religions have had their misunderstandings and their wars to settle their problems, which are always, lead by their religions. Besides this separation of religion, there has always been a rivalry between European countries, especially between England, Spain, and France. Although all of them had their differences, they have now settled down. Anyways England was always superior to the other countries, or at least they believed that. “England was the white country, the king a magical miracle worker, a source of light himself who could turn black into white, who could bring happiness and the kind Protestant truth to the sad, blackened and benighted.”(pg 108) The white color here represents good, while black represents the opposite. This would then mean that England was the perfect, happy, and correct country. But still some unfortunate events happened. Why?

As One Dies, One Lives

The process in which you go through out life is pretty obvious, you are born, live, and then die. This is the process that every human being goes through, not only human being but also cities and cultures go through this process. Religions, even conflicts do the same thing that humans do which are live and die. “At last the old, hesitant, querulous and increasingly unapproachable Queen Elizabeth was dying.”(pg 1) This line shows us how a period of time in England’s history was about to end with the death of their present queen who was Queen Elizabeth.

The same happens to all of us, we die but we leave a legacy behind us, maybe not as big as the one Queen Elizabeth’s legacy but similar. We write, we make things, we help, we even create knew ideas. When we die we leave a mark, we leave a good mark. Wars mark is peace, and a Cities mark is nature. Things die and then create better things. “The country felt younger and more vital than its queen.”(pg. 2) As Queen Elizabeth died she left the throne of England to some one else, this person could generate a positive or a negative effect on England. Of course this person would be in the search for peace with Spain.
Finally I can say that as things die, they die to become better. As we die we make the world a better place for our loved ones, we generate the Best environment for them. No matter how bad life turns out to be, we will find a way for it to become better. Even if it means to die and leave a legacy behind you for your loved ones to see.

Anxiety, Wait for the Moment

You always want good things to happen, and you don’t want to wait for them. This is what impatience and anxiety are. They hurry you up wanting you to do things very fast so a good thing happens in little time. “Orpheus was permitted to take her away with him on one condition, that he should not turn around to look at her till they should have reached the upper air. Under this condition they proceeded on their way, he leading, she following, through passages dark and steep, in total silence, till they had nearly reached the outlet into the cheerful upper world, when Orpheus, in a moment of forgetfulness, to assure himself that she was still following, cast a glance behind him, when instantly she was borne away.” In this long quote we can see how Orpheus is beaten by anxiety and so he turns around, not following his orders and the good thing that was happening for him goes away. Sometime this happens for us. We wait for a good moment and when it comes time goes very fast and you don’t get to have fun in it. This is something similar to what happened to Orpheus, he was beaten by anxiety and his good moment was very short. You should wait for the good moment and when it comes have the best of it.

Cliche Titles

The Empire Strikes Back
The Perfect Storm
Boys Don’t Cry
Dude, Where’s My Car?
Scary Movie

Some cliché movie plots are:

His enemy kills the hero’s family. He then goes on a quest to find the villain and kill him for what he did.
Movies in which characters are killed one by one, slowly, creating terror. Finally one survives but is traumatized.
The villain fights the hero, finds his weak spot and almost kills him. The Hero then makes a last second comeback.
The main character looses his girl, and after a long time they come back together and live happily ever after.
In Sport movies the team is loosing, a player makes a inspiring speech and so they have a incredible come back.

Becoming Jealous

We find jealousy in almost every place in earth, every human being has this feeling, and it is one that is very bad. People who are jealous are ones that think that one person is taking the spotlight off of them. “That mortal was Arachne, a maiden who had attained such skill in the arts of weaving and embroidery that the nymphs themselves would leave their groves and fountains to come and gaze upon her work. It was not only beautiful when it was done, but beautiful also in the doing.” This shows how beautiful this person does and the perfectionism of her work. Any person who is also beautiful and perfect wouldn’t be jealous of her, but in this case Minerva is. “Let Minerva try her skill with mine,” said she; “if beaten I will pay the penalty.” Minerva heard this and was displeased.” This shows how any person can become jealous.

Jealousy can lead a person to do things they don’t want to, even do things that will hurt others. This happens because they want all the attention on them, all the glory for them. They are usually selfish people who have a very big ego. They don’t want competition so who ever challenge them must fall. “Minerva could not forbear to admire, yet felt indignant at the insult. She struck the web with her shuttle and rent it in pieces; she then touched the forehead of Arachne and made her feel her guilt and shame. She could not endure it and went and hanged herself.” This demonstrates how jealousy will turn us into people we don’t want to be. Or do you want to be like that.

Perfection

What would happen if the best offensive team in soccer played the best defensive team? I don’t know, probably it would be a great game in which the offensive team would do great goals. But if the defense is so good why would they make them goals? Its like if to perfect teams played each other. No one would win because every player was perfect but at the same tame the other teams perfection would make the players look imperfect. “The fox tried every art; he ran in a circle and turned on his track, the dog close upon him, with open jaws, snapping at his javelin, when suddenly he saw both dog and game stop instantly. The heavenly powers who had given both were not willing that either should conquer.” This shows how to perfect things are imperfect when they face each other. In this case it is the uncatchable fox and the dog that catches everything. The dog has to catch him but the fox can’t be caught. This means that they both become imperfect and have to stop. “In the very attitude of life and action they were turned into stone.” In this case they both were turned into stone. This can explain to us why nothing is perfect. In reality everything is perfect but because of that everything become imperfect, the perfections cancel each other out. Or are we not perfect and think we are?

Treason

Treason is a crime that today in some parts of the world is paid with death. Since ancient Greece treason has been seen bad. “Creon, the uncle of the fallen princes, now become king, caused Eteocles to be buried with distinguished honor, but suffered the body of Polynices to lie where it fell, forbidding every one on pain of death to give it burial.” In this sentence we can see how the treason that Polynicles gave to his home city was paid with death and even worse for Greeks, not being buried. I believe that the decisions that any person takes becomes their problem, no one should preoccupy about his problem unless the person ask them to. In other words I can say that one persons problem is none of your business. So if I decide to switch sides, as Polynicles did, no one should judge me as a traitor because its my problem, if I felt attacked in one side I have all the right to go to the other side.

Of course that there are some cases in which treason is a very bad action. This one is when you want to kill or damage someone after being his friend. “Polynices fled to Adrastus, king of Argos, who gave him his daughter in marriage, and aided him with an army to enforce his claim to the kingdom.” This shows how Polynicles decides to flee from his brother and plotted to take over his brother’s kingdom to make it his own. We can see that his treason is a really bad one, which at the end makes him pay as a bad person should pay.

Dishonesty and Disbelief

Today in the modern day we find liars very dishonored people who aren’t very intelligent and weren’t educated. I believe that in Ancient Greece they felt the same about people, thinking that they deserved to be killed. “Be gone! Or neither your false claims of glory nor parentage shall protect you.” This shows how some people react against dishonest people. These people loose the confidence of everybody having nobody to help them when they are in problems because of the fear of it all being a lie.

In the other hand we have those who judge liars to fast, this means they don’t give chances to the humble and honest people. “I come as a guest. If you honor illustrious descent, I claim Jupiter for my father; if mighty deeds, I plead the conquest of the Gorgon. I seek rest and food” We can see that the voice of this person seems true. Anyways the other person in this scene judges the person as a liar and makes him feel unwelcome. Usually for these people the honest person shows them their error in judging him so early. “Since you value my friendship so little, deign to accept a present;” and turning his face away, he held up the Gorgon’s head. Atlas, with all his bulk, was changed into stone.” This shows how the honest person makes the judging person pay.

Not Being Humble

The image that men have of their selves is one that depends on how they were thought and if they are good in the social aspect. There are some people who have a very big and especial view of them selves like Narcissus. “He fell in love with himself. He brought his lips near to take a kiss; he plunged his arms in to embrace the beloved object.” This shows how some people think very good about themselves. These people aren’t very humble. An example of a people who are like that are: David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and in this case Narcissus. These kinds of people usually end up bad, or at least that is what the Greeks tell us. “He pined away and died.” Anyways some people are impacted by those men and so mourn them. “The nymphs mourned for him, especially the water-nymphs.” If David Beckham died I imagine many people would cry for him not because of what he did for them but for what he did for himself. This shows that some people dont do much for others and are loved then. Instead some others are humble and are forgotten easily.

Scared of Monsters?

In ancient Greek mythology there were many monsters, which made great stories. I believe the people to scare others invented these monsters. This might have kept all the people scared at the time, making society act in a certain way. As we have seen in other works, people act in a way that has been thought since their parents, so if the men learned that monsters existed they would live scared of them in a unconsient way. “At one time they put the gods to such fear that they fled into Egypt and hid themselves under various forms.” This shows us how even gods were scared of them showing people how strong and bad the monsters were. Of course, there were some heroes who fought against the monsters; making themselves become knew stories for the Greeks. Among more Monsters or strange creatures were the Sphinx, Centaurs, and Griffins and much more, most of them were the combination of animals. “The body of a lion, the head and wings of an eagle, and back covered with feathers.” This describes how the Greeks made up the monsters so others could imagine them in a specific way. I can know say that men created these monsters to imagine powerful beings that were bad, not like gods.

Good vs. Bad

We are always making other people be mad at us by helping others. It is nonsense because when we help others we are trying to make them be better. When we do this people should respect us. Instead some persons see that you are helping people, maybe because of jealousy, they become to not like you. “The garment became warm on the body of Hercules the poison penetrated into all his limbs and caused him the most intense agony.” This shows how Hercules, a man who helped others was caught in a plot that centaur Nessus had planed. He was one of the people who hatred helpers.
Of course that there are not only people who don’t like helpers but people who help them. “Hercules descended into Hades, accompanied by Mercury and Minerva.” This show how Mercury and Minerva were two men that wanted to help Hercules do a good thing that would affect others. Obviously, we know that bad people hate good people and that good people help good people. This tells us a lot because we now know that the jealous people are bad and that supportive people are good. Why is this? I think because jealousy will make men do bad things wile supportiveness will give people positive ideas therefore they will help others.

How did we Get Here?

How did we get here? This is a question that most of the men have tried getting an answer to. I now know that there are many theories, one that has always attracted me is the one the Greeks propose. They say that it al lead to the creation of man. “But a nobler animal was wanted, and Man was made.”(Part 2, per 4) This shows how they believe that when man was created it was so noble that gods stopped creating more animals. Anyways there is an incomplete part that no one tells. Why is it than man became the “perfect” creation? I think that we say that because you always say you are the best and that’s what we have done. Of course we couldn’t have become this great without tools, also without fire as said in the Greek myths. Our civilization flourished thanks to the help of God, he might have wanted us to become great, or maybe it all was causality. With our life also came bad ideas. “War sprang up, using both as weapons; the guest was not safe in his friend’s house;”(Part 2, Per 10) One of the greatest enemies was war and hatred. Still life kept flourishing and even today it is a great gift. I believe that we must do all we can to have fun in our live, not knowing if we will have a second chance, maybe only one chance.

Finding Enkidu

The search of some one who you love is a search that most of all humans do. It is a very hard search and once done people don't want to separate from there loved ones. In the example of Gilgamesh and Enkidu they are very good friends and when one dies the other feels very bad. "Gilgamesh weeping mourned for Enkidu."(pg 44) The opposite is the feeling of a person who finds his loved one after many years of looking for him. This is how Gilgamesh feels after seeing Enkidu. "The spirit of Enkidu, a puff o breath, came forth from the nether world into the Upper. Then Gilgamesh and Enkidu, companions, tried to embrace and kiss one an other, companions."(pg 90) This is how some people salute the people they love.

Gilgamesh vs. nature

During the book we can see how Gilgamesh is constantly in a fight with nature. The want of people to conquer nature leads them to kill many parts of nature. In this story one enemy of Gilgamesh is the cedar forest and its guardian or demon which represent nature. "Then the two of them together seized the demon and by the tongue pulled all the insides out."(pg 28) We can also see that nature is used for the creations of humans and their buildings. "Then Gilgamesh built the gate made from the cedar taller than all the rest of the cedar trees that grew in the cedar forest. They built a raft and floated the gate to the city."(pg 28) At last we can see how the innocence of nature is seen wrongly by humans. They may be scared of it, and so feeling better than it. "Enkidu, now you are as beautiful as a god, why do you seek the company of beasts?"(pg 9) This is how in the story of Gilgamesh nature is used and conquered by men.

A Life saving Journey?

I believe that people always do what is convenient to them. That is how they act, they talk, and they think. Not many people sacrifice things for others, these people are a kind of heroes. They act thinking more on other people than on themselves. Corruption, in the other hand, is how other people think only about them. Gilgamesh is a hero. "Tell me the way to find the only of men by means of whom I might find out how death can be avoided."(pg 57) This is how good, caring people act and give an example normal people should follow. Friends care on their friends, and also family cares for family. So helping those people is what we do and if not we should do it. "Enkidu, the companion, whom I loved."(pg 59) This teaches me how love is a big motivator and makes some people do things they don't want to. Would Gilgamesh do the same if the dead on was a person he had met last night? I believe not, he is looking for someone he loves and is risking it all for him.

After thinking more I believe that more people each time think more on themselves. This make them evade problems but sometimes they are lead into problems. The same as for good, honest, and giving people. They always are the ones who loose it all and give it all. "for whom has my hearts blood been spent? For whom? For the serpent who has taken away the plant."(pg 80) This shows how some people try there hardest and get not a prise but a bad result. Anyways some way or an other Gilgamesh or good people will be recognized for their efforts and be given a prize. Still you cant always count on it.

The Start of a Quest

Death makes most of the people think about things they usually don't. Besides their sadness they begin to think of hoe they could have saved them and in the case of Gilgamesh, he thinks of saving him after death. Though the worse part of death is thinking about it, all people do is regret all they did, convincing themselves that they could have done it better. Also we only think of those dead who were influential to us, friends, family, and others. "Its Enkidu, the companion, whom I weep for."(pg 45) This sentence indicates us how sad Gilgamesh is for his friends death. He is, as all humans, recognizing the pain he feels for his death. Would people be happier if they never died? I believe so, death is a big problem but its part of life. Can Gilgamesh make Enkidu overcome that part of his life?

A journey to save Enkidu started as Gilgamesh thought of making him violate the law of death. We all want to do that but it is impossible. Only the gods can do that. of course that for all challenges there are warnings that tell you how hard they will be. "No mortal has ever journeyed through this mountains."(pg 50) This shows a warning they give to Gilgamesh. Saying indirectly that he will most probably die. Why is Gilgamesh risking his life for a friend who is already dead? I believe he wants to be with him, dead or alive.

Enkidu is Doomed

The love of the goddess Ishtar falls in love representing the perfection of Gilgamesh. Even Gods fall in love with him showing his part like god. As though then comes the wrath of Ishtar we can see how Gilgamesh is not afraid if the gods. Specially when Enkidu is at his side. "Two people, companions, they can prevail together."(pg 34) I can see how the two characters care a lot for each other, you can almost say they are dependent on on the other. When seeing this union I remind myself of all the Colombian families and how unified most of them are. The actions committed by both Gilgamesh and Enkidu are challenging towards the gods. Any ways Gilgamesh demonstrates a lot of self confidence. "I´m the strongest."(pg 36) I can see how he believes that nothing can hurt him, but is this self confidence going to protect him or make him more vulnerable?

I answered my question when Enkidu got sick. Gilgamesh then finds a weak spot inside himself which is his love towards him. "Why am I left to live wile my brother dies? Why should he die and I be spared to live?"(pg 38) I then saw how the disbelief of Gilgamesh was such that he even questioned the decision of the gods. I could also see that there was some repetition in the words. Sometimes the characters said two different worded sentences that actually meant the same. Enkidu begins to have many incredible thoughts and finally I could realise he was in love with life and was cursing the people that had caused hi death.l Anyways he was thank full for being with Gilgamesh. Or he wasn't? "Two people, companions, they can prevail together, Gilgamesh is afraid and doe not help me." (pg 43) This showed me that Enkidu wasn't completely thankful with Gilgamesh. Is my prediction true? Or is Enkidu saying something disguised in those words?

Answers

1. There was no question that John's painting, a huge, colorful, and ugly mural, was the worst entry in the art exhibit.
2. Werner von Braun, Willy Ley, and Edward Teller, noted authorities in the field of rocket development, have done much to guide the missile program of the United States.
3. Mr. Cready's ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time is, I believe, amazing.
4. Running, around the house, the dog was abruptly stopped by a fence.
5. If the opposition should win, our candidate would never have any political future.
6. Gracefully, lightly, and daintily, the ballerina moved across the stage.
7. Glamour the, the woman's fashion magazine, recently incorporated with Charm , another fashion journal.
8. Joe was born on May 7, 1955, and his best friend was born exactly two months later on July 7, 1955.
9. Mr. and Mrs. Kwon , my parents' best friends, sat in front of us at the football game.
10. November 11, 1918, the armistice ending World War I was signed.

The Forests Conquest

Does the constant repetition in the Gilgamesh mean something more? I believe it does because I have seen many parts of the book have repeated sentences and thoughts. The dreams the Gilgamesh has in these tablets are very repetitive. Most of all the way they are told. "The two of them sheltered against the wind and a shower of rain that passed across the mountain. After a time the oblivion of sleep poured upon the king. He slept, but at midnight he awoke, and said to his companion:"(pg 24) This sentence compound was repeated very frequently during the beginning of these tablets. Why did the book repeat this so often? Maybe there is a message under those line which the author wanted us to see it but not make it very obvious.

There is also a lesson in this tablet which also is repeated several times. "Two people, companions, they can prevail together against terror."(pg 26) This lesson means that being with someone at you're side will bring you positive things to your outcome. This sentence gives us some indicators of being very old because it gives us ideas that these were lessons to promote teamwork. This meant that the book was directed to the people of that time giving them advices of how to live. I can also perceive that the two characters are becoming each time more confident on their partner, trusting each other.