More than anything, death illustrates this notion of impermanence. No living organism survives for eternity. When a tree is formed it will inevitably either be cut down one day or be conquered by other forces whether it’s an invasive plant or a forest fire. Even when a child who is beaming with life is born, that child is guaranteed a death whether it is sooner or later. Material objects also demonstrate the impermanence of our world: a chair is made and in the future it will break either under the weight of a person or by decay over time. The first example of death in the Epic of Gilgamesh occurs when Enkidu passes away. His death makes not only the reader, but Gilgamesh extremely aware of and suddenly very sensitive to the concept of death. He immediately begins to realize the fact that much of his youth is gone and this bothers him so much that he strips himself of his worldly goods and heads into the wild.
So the question is why do people bother at all to live? Strictly from a biological point of view, we have an instinct to simply live. Our gut screams to us to do whatever it takes to extend our life on Earth and not take into account the fact that we can’t live forever. Putting aside this basic behavior, perhaps it is simply the fact that we CAN live that we go on living. Since we are alive and we are capable of experiencing life, even a supposedly meaningless one, we just do and try to make the best of it. One could go so far to say that it is from this “trying to make the best of it” that mortal humans try to derive meaning.
I personally believe that the meaning of life is simply to be happy, and happiness is the goal of many. However, this doesn’t satisfy many people’s desire for immortality. Because to live forever is truly impossible, glory and fame represent the few manifestations of immortality that many search for. If people remember and know my name for the rest of time, am I not immortal? The knowledge of my character and my accomplishment are still known to others. A contemporary and real-life example of this is Lady Gaga. She has said multiple times that all she wants is fame. Her Fame Monster album and songs have reiterated this desire. Her incessant desire for fame and attention culminates into a desire for immortality. If nothing else, Lady Gaga probably wants to be remembered for her fame.
So much of self-value is placed in the judgments of others and so long as other remember me, I live on. Gilgamesh, after grieving Enkidu’s death, begins this search for immortality. He originally seeks to physically live forever, but when a serpent steals his plant of youth Gilgamesh fails. However, on his way home Gilgamesh comes to the realization that he will live on through the greatness of Uruk, his city. In essence, the serpent frees Gilgamesh from the idea of physical immortality and gives him the gift of immortality through others. Today we read his story and talk about his greatness – he is indeed immortal. He had won this when he slew the forest guardian and the Bull of Heaven and when he went on his quest for immortality. His story will likely continue to be read or talked about until the end of humanity. However I must repeat that for so many or at least myself, order and meaning of life derives from happiness. I live to enjoy life.
