Boundaries In Beowulf, Gilgamesh, And The Mahabharata

The Need to Create and Cross Boundaries
In the human family, there are numerous universal feelings and tendencies. One of these tendencies is very evident in the texts that we have read and analyzed for our Honors Humanities I course. This is the human tendency to crave order. Human beings like to have things in their place, and they like these places to be impermeable, safe from harm, and securely positioned. To satisfy this desire, human beings create boundaries, both physically and mentally. As we turn to literature, we see these boundaries being created, as well as trespassed upon. In ancient texts including Beowulf, Gilgamesh, and The Mahabharata, as well as modern texts, such as Visit Sunny Chernobyl, the elements of boundaries are discussed
First, there are social and cultural boundaries that exist currently and have existed throughout history. In the story Gilgamesh, societal boundaries are much different than they are at present. Gilgamesh lives in a time when sexual activity and sexuality is vastly more open and free than in many other cultures through history. There also does not exist boundaries to keep the king in check and acting acceptably, yet we can see that such boundaries have been in place since then. Societal boundaries are completely dependent on the time period, place, and people in question. This is why we see such a variety between boundaries and, as a direct result, actions in each unique
They might introduce their Islamic beliefs into Christian communities. Such rhetoric has been used by certain factions in a political debate that fuels a malignant type of xenophobia that dehumanizes and traumatizes the already traumatized, outsiders marginalized as aliens who threaten the very fabric of their society. Varvin attempts to analyse the dynamics underlying these attitudes. Collective memories of past traumatization and humiliation may fuel various fantasies: of revenge or rectification of wrong-doing; the demand for sameness and purity being threatened by elements that endanger cohesiveness and unity; the other being cast in the role of unwanted, projected parts of the self; or, competition for scarce jobs by desperate refugees. (342)
Koritar’s words help us better understand how these feelings of otherness and disconnect can occur between people, in this case between refugees and inhabitants of the home country. As Koritar is introducing the work of Varyin, the powerful point, which I would like to emphasise, that is made is this; human attitudes stem from memories of past wrongdoings, revenge, and fear, to name a few. These feelings and prejudices create boundaries between relationships and opportunities that could result in positive