The Epic Of Gilgamesh: How Does Culture Influence The Way A Story

Ava Garrett

Professor Gilchrist

English 201

19 February 2023

Annotated Bibliography Research Question: How does culture influence the way a story is presented?

Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. “Gilgamesh.” Encyclopedia of the Literature of Empire, Second Edition, Facts On File, 2014. Bloom's Literature, online.infobase.com/Auth/Index?aid=100535&itemid=WE54&articleId=35849. Accessed 19 Feb. 2023.

Snodgrass informs how The Epic of Gilgamesh is a conventional Greek epic that emphasizes the cultural aspects associated with Mesopotamia, an ancient civilization. The author is unknown, but Mesopotamia is illustrated in a culturally enriched approach. Gods and goddesses are present throughout the story and possess certain roles relevant to the plot

Mythological creatures derived from Greek customs contribute to the story as well, implementing adversity into the plot, which enforces the growth of the main character. In this source, the author asserts that the epic is a product of historic cultures and is based on a historic Mesopotamian King recognized as Gilgamesh. The author informs how the King’s influence was mediated and spread through traders and colonists who, “... spread his influence north of the Persian Gulf and built satellite cities with slave labor along the alluvial fan of the Fertile Crescent between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers” (Snodgrass np). The article debriefs about how myths provided the basis for the epic and the story it tells. Snodgrass says, “The narrative reflects elements of the Perseus myth in which a young challenger escapes the plots of the Babylonian king to overcome a prophecy promising a hero of great strength and daring” (np). She also advocates how, “... the epic salutes ancient

The author says how the epic, “... surely provides a Mesopotamian formulation of human predicaments and options... the work grapples with issues of an existential nature.”(Abusch np). The article is essentially an argumentative essay that constructs valid points associated with the potential lessons the epic conveys to its audience. Abusch also devotes a section of the essay to explain the variations of the epic, including the “Old Babylonian” version. He discusses its differences and how it contains different themes. In terms of relating to a research question, the varying themes and interpretations are directly associated with the culture present within the region. This verifies how culture has a profound impact on the way a story is presented and, consequently,