The Norton Anthology of World Literature not only makes available valuable lessons
and words of wisdom, but it shares experiences from around the world. These ageless
writings allow generations to encounter a heritage of tradition and culture all within the
confines of its pages. The anthology’s variety offers multiple characters and ideas to
explore, while each selection contains notable and impressionable material. The
collection’s most memorable content presents larger than life characters and priceless
lessons in Gilgamesh, astute ideas and guidelines to live by in Confucius, and the
universal experience of an impassioned relationship outlined in Lyrics. In The Epic of Gilgamesh, the
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He exemplifies this in
Book I as he demonstrates a way of detecting a man’s true conviction to his moral and
ethical principles. Confucius attests that by comparing a man’s actions before and after
his father’s death, eventually the true measure of his character comes forth (Book I: 11).
Confucius means to convey that to self-govern, by knowing your core values and holding
fast to them at all times, defines integrity in its purest form. By this, he implies that
integrity exemplifies a notable concept to strive towards through a lifetime.
The memorable content of Book II provides valuable words for guidance through life.
The Master offers advice for the teen years, mid-life, and for the later years (Book II: 4).
He first recounts how he spent his younger years learning. He then states that in his
middle years, he developed a conviction which, in return, rewarded him with confidence.
Finally, in his later years, he comes to understand that Heaven brings the process to an
end and he makes peace with that recognition.
Further along in the anthology, Catullus’ Lyrics shares an entire cycle of a romantic
involvement that ends badly, the same type of relationship universally witnessed first-
hand or through acquaintances. Catullus demonstrates the highs and lows of his
impassioned emotions as he asserts that he loves and hates simultaneously (85: 1-2).
he begins to realize he is not worthy to be a god or have everlasting
cleanse his sins and pursue his path to nirvana, the self-salvation, the protagonist reintroduces this
Integrity implies that actions are to be “straightforward and honest in all professional and business relationships”
As soon as it came towards the end of the book he found his father to be someone, more like something that kept him from
“No one in the family was unmindful of the dangers, yet no one would have him stay because of them” His life before the tragedies was already quite abominable. The expedition to the North Pole was a turning point in his life. Although his relationships with his wife has never been joyful, it’s about to get much worse. He felt completely invisible after his return. Mother learned all about his business. He even cried. Even his son realized that “His Father, the burly self confident man who had gone away, and came back gaunt and hunched and bearded” (98). Changes in the family ruined him mentally and physically. The author additionally demonstrates his resentment towards of changes through the way he reacts to a full baseball team of immigrants: revulsion. The involvement of his family with Coalhouse Walker was another turning point. Father hated him. His appearance indirectly killed him with the chain of unfortunate events. Father claims that it’s ridiculous to let a car take over everyone’s life (157). He also blames Mother for taking Sarah. He even attempts to threat Conklin. He tries everything to turn his world in the reverse direction. Nonetheless he is doomed with an unstable life.
He goes from being a trusting, positive young man to a mistrusting individual by the end of his journey. He starts out with “strong legs and a smile on my face,” but by the end he says “I was going to die and the birds would pick me clean” extremely pessimistically. When the narrator writes he has already went on his journey and
Realizing that all of this is leading to the jeopardy of his afterlife he thinks to himself what he can possibly do. He realizes what he has done has already been done and cannot be reversed. He is forced to live with the regrets and problems and he soon sees his life could be on the
The same idea is echoed by the Father of the narrator, who later passes on in the same
In the beginning the narrator is haunted by a warning which makes him question most of his actions when he first steps into society, “It was as though he had not died at all, his words caused so much
Throughout these four pieces of world literature, it really shows the uniqueness of each culture that was represented in each film or text. These pieces of world literature have shown how each culture have developed a sense of hybridity in response to cross cultural exchange. For example how in “Kony2012” and in “Mulan” was both a film but they were films that were told from a different point of view, not only that but also the purpose of the two films were different. Both of these films were told from America aspect of life but it focused on another culture. It is also evident in each of the four pieces of world literature because in each of the four pieces it is told from someone else point of view that isn’t from that part of the world
Therefore a big point that Confucius was trying to get across was, jen, that every human is born good and pure. When you are born, you are innocent and have no bad bone
Franz Kafka, in his novella “The Metamorphosis”, and Harry Mulisch, in his novel The Assault, uses dark, lonely diction and imagery to create the isolation within the protagonists. The setting symbolizes how the protagonist’s isolation continues to enlarge throughout the book. At the beginning of both the novels, the setting is more open and light, which is compared to the characters’ isolation that is less bordered and complex. As the settings grow smaller and the characters become lonelier, Anton and Gregor’s isolation become more pronounced. Gregor is gradually becoming isolated by his family causing his transformation to progress rapidly, while Anton’s family is growing, but his isolation is conflicted upon himself, causing the setting
believe in the beginning and the end of his life, he was searching for that feeling of comfort; using
Within the Analects, one specific line stands out showing Confucius’ stance on a less active government. When asking about what they would do if given a political office, Confucius only agree with the following statement ushered by Tseng His, “In the late spring when the spring dress is ready, I would like to go with five or six grown-ups and six or seven young boys to bathe in the I River, enjoy the breeze on the Rain Dance Altar, and then return home singing” (Chan p. 38). By agreeing, Confucius is noting the preferred method by which an office holder should act, one which amplifies their connection with inner harmony and helps the people enhance their own. This extends into the ruler himself as well, with Confucius noting that “If a ruler sets himself right, he will be followed without his command. If he does not set himself right, even his commands will not be obeyed” (Chan p. 41). Confucius also notes the superiority of filial piety and respect towards one’s family over loyalty to the state, stating that in his (hypothetical) country upright men conceal the misconduct of their children and fathers even when against the law (Chan p. 41). Confucianism in relation to government shows the belief that the inherent goodness in men must be allowed to flourish, even when against
Drama."3 These changes led to the development of more actors in a play and the