Characterization and Identity in Mesopotamian Literature: The Gilgamesh Epic, Enuma elish, and Other Sumerian and Akkadian Narratives

Karen Sonik

Jump to Content

Chapter 10 Characterization and Identity in Mesopotamian Literature: The Gilgamesh Epic, Enuma elish, and Other Sumerian and Akkadian Narratives

In: Contemporary Approaches to Mesopotamian Literature

Author:

Karen Sonik

Karen Sonik
Search for other papers by Karen Sonik in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed

Type:: Chapter

Pages:: 255–295

DOI:: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004697577_012

Purchase instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

€42.00€35.00 excl. VAT

Add to Cart

Redeem Access Token

Abstract

Mesopotamia’s rich and complex literary corpus encompasses stories that circulated in and shaped—and were shaped by—the world’s first urban civilization. As we look to the future of the study of these narratives, it is important to examine some of the issues we encounter when we analyze them as literature. Prominent among these, and deeply rooted in some influential approaches to literary analysis, is the elision of difference—particularly as it pertains to narrative structure and character. This has promoted the reduction of a diverse range of characters and narrative structures to types, stripping them of their individual features and points of interest. The future of Sumerian and Akkadian narrative analysis, however, lies not only in typological and intertextual studies but also in the close consideration of individual narratives (and their characters) as unique and coherent. This essay looks to approaches developed to analyze the novel, with an emphasis on Alex Woloch’s work on character, as it reconsiders the narrative structures, meanings, and characters of some of Mesopotamia’s best known literary works.

Citation Info

Save
Cite
Email this content

Share link with colleague or librarian

You can email a link to this page to a colleague or librarian:
Email this content
or copy the link directly:

https://brill.edhh.ma/abstract/book/9789004697577/BP000011.xml
The link was not copied. Your current browser may not support copying via this button.

Link copied successfully

Collapse
Expand

Contemporary Approaches to Mesopotamian Literature

How to Tell a Story

Series: Cuneiform Monographs, Volume: 56

Cover Contemporary Approaches to Mesopotamian Literature

E-Book ISBN:: 9789004697577

Publisher:: Brill

Print Publication Date:: 08 Aug 2024

Subjects
- Ancient Near East and Egypt
  - Authors, Texts, Literature
- Literature and Cultural Studies
  - Comparative Studies & World Literature

Front Matter

Part 1 Issues, Theories, and Methods

Part 2 Sumerian Narratives: Narratological Approaches

Part 3 Akkadian Gilgamesh Narratives: Contextual and Intertextual Approaches

Part 4 Assyrian Royal Narratives: Contextual and Intertextual Approaches

Part 5 Sumerian and Akkadian Narratives: Novel Approaches

Back Matter

ProCite

RefWorks

Reference Manager

BibTeX

Zotero

EndNote

Metrics

	All Time	Past 365 days	Past 30 Days
Abstract Views	2294	868	29
Full Text Views	47	13	0
PDF Views & Downloads	47	17	0

African Studies	Education	Media Studies
American Studies	History	Middle East and Islamic Studies
Ancient Near East and Egypt	Human Rights and Humanitarian Law	Musicology
Art History	International Law	Philosophy
Asian Studies	International Relations	Religious Studies
Biblical Studies	Jewish Studies	Slavic and Eurasian Studies
Biology	Languages and Linguistics	Social Sciences
Book History and Cartography	Life Sciences	Theology and World Christianity
Classical Studies	Literature and Cultural Studies

Subjects

Authors

Open Access

Product Information

Company

Contact

Chapter 10 Characterization and Identity in Mesopotamian Literature: The Gilgamesh Epic, Enuma elish, and Other Sumerian and Akkadian Narratives

Abstract

Citation Info

Share link with colleague or librarian

Contemporary Approaches to Mesopotamian Literature

How to Tell a Story

Table of Contents

References

Metrics

Metrics