This discussion should build your critical reading and analysis skills, as well as help prepare you for your essays later in the course.  Skills to Acquire This assignment will help you master important skills necessary to performing writing tasks

Purpose

This discussion should build your critical reading and analysis skills, as well as help prepare you for your essays later in the course.

 Skills to Acquire

This assignment will help you master important skills necessary to performing writing tasks in college and engaging with ideas and values that are foundational to a well-rounded university education. Two of these skills are to:

 LO1: Analyze themes and ideas pertinent to World Literature from ancient times through the early-modern period.

LO2: Demonstrate the ability to compare, contrast and understand diverse literary texts, authors, and genres.

Tasks

After carefully reading the materials in this unit and completing the quiz and discussion, respond thoughtfully to the prompt below in an essay with a minimum of 750 words.

 Prompts: Choose one of the three options below:

 In the epic Gilgamesh, we see the ancient Mesopotamian god Enlil interact with Gilgamesh and Enkidu. In Genesis, we see the god of that text, Elohim (אֱלֹהִים) in the original Hebrew, interact with Adam and Eve. What might happen if Elohim and Enlil switched epics? Consider how Enlil might respond to Adam and Eve and how Elohim would respond to Gilgamesh and Enkidu. What do you find significant about the similarities and differences between deities? Between creations? Between the relationships between deities and creations?

As he lies dying, Enkidu curses Shamhat, the sacred fertility priestess, but soon after, he revokes his curse and blesses her instead. Examine this scene. What provokes Enkidu’s initial response? Why does he change his mind? Support your opinion with specific examples from throughout the epic. What do you think the reader is intended to learn?

There are two underworlds in Gilgamesh: 1) the underworld that the character Gilgamesh visits seeking immortality and 2) the terrible underworld of death that Enkidu sees in a vision as he is dying. Examine each underworld closely and then try to explain why you think there are two such different “underworlds” in this epic. Do they have different purposes? What do we know about the populations of each?  Use at least three specific examples from each underworld to support your ideas.

Whichever prompt you choose, support your claims with quotations from the course materials. Use in-text citations in MLA format for the quotations, and be sure to include page numbers from the texts included in this course. Then draw some conclusions from your analysis. Remember to include a Works Cited page.

 Submission Format

Be sure to submit your assignment in MLA format: double-spaced and with the appropriate headings, parenthetical citations, and a Works Cited page.

 

File Submissions: Please submit your files as a .DOC, .DOCX, or .PDF file.

 

Grading Criteria

Your selection of passages to support your argument is thoughtful

Your analysis is specific and original

Your post responds clearly, specifically, and appropriately to the prompt you have chosen

Your writing is clear and well-organized

Your in-text citations, with page numbers, and Works Cited are correctly formatted in MLA style Note: This activity may use a different grading rubric than what was used in past activities. Be sure to check the Unit 1 Essay Rubric (LO1, LO2) before starting.

 

Due Date

This assignment is due by 11:59 PM Eastern on the due date listed in your syllabus.

 

Due on Jun 3, 2025 11:59 PM

 

Hide Rubrics

Rubric Name: Unit 1 Essay Rubric (LO1, LO2)

Criteria    

Excellent

Good

Acceptable

Needs improvement

Unacceptable

Cannot Be Assessed

Criterion Score

Creative and critical thinking and writing skills. Strong analysis of text(s). (LO1, LO2)

16.1–20.0 points

Student work demonstrates an exceptional understanding of the text(s) and a well-reasoned response to the assignment. The work also offers the student’s original analysis of the text(s), demonstrating strong critical thinking and writing skills. A clear, precise, and intriguing thesis statement outlines the main point and scope of the paper.

 

15.1–16.0 points

Student work demonstrates a solid understanding of the text(s) and provides a reasoned response to the assignment. The work includes some original analysis, demonstrating good critical thinking and writing skills. A clear and precise thesis statement outlines the main point and scope of the paper.

 

13.1–15.0 points

Student work demonstrates a satisfactory understanding of the text(s) and provides an adequate response to the assignment. While the work may lack some originality, it shows a clear attempt at critical thinking and writing. A clear thesis statement outlines the main point and scope of the paper.

 

11.1–13.0 points

Student work demonstrates an attempt at understanding the text(s) and responding to the assignment. Original analysis is limited, and the demonstration of critical thinking and writing skills is weak. The thesis statement is present, but is weak or is missing essential elements.

 

0.1–11.0 points

Student work demonstrates a clear misunderstanding of the text(s) and/or assignment and a

lack of critical thinking and writing skills. The thesis statement is missing or incoherent.

 

0.0 points

Work has not been submitted or is unable to be assessed.

 

Score of Creative and critical thinking and writing skills. Strong analysis of text(s). (LO1, LO2),/ 20

Compares, contrasts and understands diverse literary texts, authors, and genres (LO2)

13.1–15.0 points

Writing articulates key themes and concepts of the primary text(s) and makes clear and compelling connections between texts, authors, and/or genres.

 

11.1–13.0 points

Writing articulates key themes and concepts of the primary text(s) and makes strong connections between texts, authors, and/or genres.

 

9.1–11.0 points

Writing mentions some key themes and concepts of the primary text(s) and makes some connections between texts, authors, and/or genres.

 

8.1–9.0 points

Writing misses sight of the key themes and concepts of the primary text(s) and makes few or no connections between texts, authors, and/or genres.

 

0.1–8.0 points

Writing shows obvious lack of effort or comprehension.

 

0.0 points

Work has not been submitted or cannot be assessed.

 

Score of Compares, contrasts and understands diverse literary texts, authors, and genres (LO2),/ 15

Writing, grammar, and organization

16.1–20.0 points

Uses graceful language that skillfully communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency, and is virtually error-free.

 

Writing is well-organized.

 

15.1–16.0 points

Uses straightforward language that generally conveys meaning to readers. The language in the essay has few errors.

 

Writing is organized.

 

13.1–15.0 points

Uses language that generally conveys meaning to readers with clarity, although writing may include some errors.

 

Writing could be better organized.

 

11.1–13.0 points

Uses language that sometimes impedes meaning because of errors in usage.

 

Writing lacks some organization.

 

0.1–11.0 points

Language use significantly impedes readers’ ability to understand and be informed by this work.

 

Writing is unorganized.

 

0.0 points

Work not submitted or cannot be assessed.

 

Score of Writing, grammar, and organization,/ 20

Focus and Specificity and Development

13.1–15.0 points

Writing makes highly specific, vividly clear references to relevant course materials/primary text(s) and demonstrates thorough comprehensive knowledge of them. Textual evidence (quotations and details) is well-chosen and strengthens the claims being made throughout the paper. Claims are logical and well-developed.

 

11.1–13.0 points

Writing makes specific, solid references to relevant course materials/primary text(s), demonstrating knowledge of them. Textual evidence (quotations and details) is provided and supports the claims being made throughout the paper.

 

9.1–11.0 points

Writing makes some reference(s) to relevant course materials/primary text(s), demonstrating some knowledge of them. Some textual evidence has been provided, but some quotes and details provided do not fully support the claims made throughout the paper or some claims are left unsupported.

 

8.1–9.0 points

Writing makes vague or generalized reference to relevant course materials/primary text. The paper lacks sufficient textual evidence (quotations and details) to support the paper’s claims.

 

0.1–8.0 points

Writing is irrelevant or off-topic and makes no reference to readings/primary text(s), strongly suggesting that reading assignments have not been fully completed. No textual evidence has been provided.

 

0.0 points

Work not submitted or cannot be assessed.

 

Score of Focus and Specificity and Development,/ 15

Basic Requirements

16.1–20.0 points

Work surpasses requirements for this assignment.

 

15.1–16.0 points

Work meets all requirements for this assignment.

 

13.1–15.0 points

Work meets most requirements for this assignment.

 

11.1–13.0 points

Work meets some requirements for this assignment.

 

0.1–11.0 points

Work does not meet requirements for this assignment.

 

0.0 points

Work has not been submitted or cannot be assessed.

 

Score of Basic Requirements,/ 20

MLA formatting and citation

9.1–10.0 points

MLA formatting contains all required items, including running header, block header with MLA formatted date, and appropriate indentation, line spacing, and font.

 

Citation usage is excellent, with few or no minor errors in both in-text citations and in works cited entries.

 

8.1–9.0 points

MLA formatting contains most required items, including running header, block header with MLA formatted date, and appropriate indentation, line spacing, and font, but some items may be weak in form.

 

Citation usage is good, with few to no major errors, and only a few minor errors in in-text citations or in works cited entries.

 

7.1–8.0 points

MLA formatting contains some required items, including running header, block header with MLA formatted date, and appropriate indentation, line spacing, and font, but multiple items may be weak in form.

 

Citation usage has major errors, or is missing in-text citations or  works cited entries.

 

6.1–7.0 points

MLA formatting is poor, with few required items, including running header, block header with MLA formatted date, and appropriate indentation, line spacing, and font or most items present are weak in form.

 

Citation usage is poor, or is missing either in-text citations or  works cited entries.

 

0.1–6.0 points

MLA formatting is lacking, with few required items, including running header, block header with MLA formatted date, and appropriate indentation, line spacing, and font or all items missing or in another format.

 

● Citation usage is missing both in-text citations or  works cited entries.