Myth: Where the Ancient Meets the Modern 2017 Summer Reading Assignment

Pandora and her box. Adam & Eve and the Tree of Knowledge. George Washington and the cherry tree. Myths like these are classic stories that express insight into the human condition. At their best, myths mirror back to us ideas about human nature that ring true beyond any specific time and place. Myths also convey important ideas about how various cultures have made sense of the world and our place in it.

Our summer reading is Gilgamesh, a story of heroic exploits, friendship, loss, and the quest to defy death. One of the world’s oldest tales, Gilgamesh provides a window into the hearts and minds of people who lived over 3000 years ago. You will need to order Gilgamesh: A New English Version translated by Stephen Mitchell. The ISBN number is either: ISBN13: 9780743261692 or ISBN10: 0743261690 Please buy this specific paperback copy as you will need to annotate the text as part of the assignment.

Instructions for reading: 1) Skip the author’s introduction and read the poem, which begins on page 69. Consider the following questions:

• What universal human emotions are expressed by the characters at various points? • What does the story tell us about what people in ancient Sumer valued? (By the way: where is

ancient Sumer?) How are they similar and/or dissimilar to us? • To what extent do the main characters control their destiny? What is the role of gods in their lives?

2) After you have read the poem, read the Stephen Mitchell’s Introduction (p. 266) and make note of five key interpretive ideas that he conveys about the meaning of the poem.