Paper Topics | Fall 2017 | Paper 1
Paper Due: Saturday, September 9, at 5:00 PM in your conference leader's Eliot Hall mailbox
Maximum length: 1,500 words
Images of doors frequently appear in The Epic of Gilgamesh, for example on Tablet II, lines 111-17 (p. 16), and on Tablet VII, lines 37-63 (pp. 55-6). Consider how the image is used in these two passages, and, if you wish, other instances of door imagery in the work. How does this use contribute to the development of character, theme, and/or the narrative structure of the epic?
This question asks you to start practicing the skills of close reading. You should focus your discussion on the referenced passages, but you may also consider how these repetitions affect the poem as a whole. Structure your paper around a strong central argument, and use explicit, textual evidence to support that argument.
In Hum 110, you may not use generative AI tools. You may not use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or Gemini to brainstorm or generate ideas, to summarize or paraphrase the ideas of others, to compose content, or to revise or substantially correct your work. (Tools that automatically flag spelling or grammatical errors as you write are allowed, but not tools that offer suggested revisions or completions of your sentences.) Violations of this policy will be considered academic dishonesty and reported as academic dishonesty.