“There is no permanence.” Although simple and declarative, this statement is indicative of an ominous fate. As humans, we often have a tendency to ignore, whether purposefully or not, the inescapable nature of our destinies. However, eventually, all men and women are forced to acknowledge the fleeting nature of life.
In reality, death is not a one-time event. The fact that “there is no permanence” does not only apply to the physical existence of a person, but to the developmental phases of his or her entire lifespan. Life can be represented as a series of stages. From childhood and adolescence to adulthood and old age, life essentially exists as a progression of multiple different lives. Thus, in a way, people undergo several deaths during their lifetimes. As they age and become increasingly aware of the world around them, they also gradually lose their innocence. The process of maturity and development grant us more worldly wisdom, but simultaneously erase our blissful ignorance, signifying the death of a stage in life. Death itself is merely the final stage of human maturation – the realization that one will cease to physically exist.
The progression of human existence is made evident in The Epic of Gilgamesh through the character of Enkidu. As the epic begins, he is essentially non-human, living in the wild amongst the beasts of nature. However, he soon undergoes a series of transformations – he becomes human after having sex with the harlot, becomes a member of society after the shepherds’ feast, and becomes a meaningful component of society upon the commencement of his companionship with Gilgamesh. With each development comes a greater level of maturity for Enkidu: “…wisdom was in him, and the thoughts of man were in his heart.” (65) Paired with the growth of his wisdom is his loss of innocence as he evolves from an ignorant beast into an established member of human society. No longer is he unaware of humanity as he is as a beast, but he is a human being experiencing life’s progression.
The experience of Enkidu serves as an archetypal example of human life in general. As humans age, they constantly mature and become increasingly wise regarding society. On a daily scope, however, they are unaware of their constant growth. Not until months or years later, when they reflect on their past selves, do they become conscious of any changes that have occurred within them. Therefore, although people constantly undergo mental maturation, they become cognizant of change only through hindsight. Each small step in the process of human development can thus be viewed as a small death of innocence, but people only recognize the cumulative effect of the deaths after the fact.
This logic provides insight into how a human can persist sanely while being aware of his or her own mortality. Because people can only observe their own mental maturation after the accumulation of many mental developments, their minds at any one point in time appear to be static. Nobody undergoes substantial changes over the course of a week, but reflecting on previous years can reveal dramatic mental evolution. If developments occurred at a more rapid rate, one’s self concept would be ever-changing, preventing humans from truly understanding themselves as people. However, gradual growth allows us to experience the world from within a stable state of mind, allowing us to be aware of our own identities and giving us a certain ability to shape them over time. Therefore, humans know that they are mortal, but the seeming standstill of time prevents them from truly understanding mortality.
Although humans are unaware of their development on a daily basis, the awareness of mortality in general can also give people a sense of purpose in life. This sense of purpose manifests itself in different ways among people of different maturity levels. In order to understand the motivational effect of mortality, we can examine the character development of Gilgamesh. In his adolescent state of mind, Gilgamesh brazenly seeks immortality through glory, aiming to slay the infamous Humbaba to achieve fame: “I will set up my name where the names of famous men are written….” (72) After Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh’s quest for immortality becomes more earnest. With a better grasp over the imminence of death, he seeks the secret of physical immortality from Utnapishtim, hoping to avoid the suffering he witnessed within the dying Enkidu. However, finally, Gilgamesh comes to terms with his mortality. Rather than seeking to evade his fate, he accepts his future and embraces the accomplishments he was able to achieve during his finite lifetime.
Gilgamesh’s goals resulting from his awareness of mortality are reflected in the attitudes of society as a whole towards death. Teenagers, like Gilgamesh in his adolescent state, have only a fleeting knowledge of mortality – they are aware that they will die, but they have little concern for their mortality at such a young age. Rather than attempting to understand mortality or worrying about death, they openly ignore their fates. Through fame, they believe, they can achieve immortality within society as a whole. As people age, however, they develop a greater concern for their futures. No longer able to ignore death, they instead attempt to defy it. While Gilgamesh denied the death of his younger self by attempting to obtain Utnapishtim’s immortality, modern society denies death through “midlife crises,” as middle-aged adults attempt to resurrect their past lives through lifestyle. At older ages, people tend to accept the fact that death is inevitable, reflecting on their past lives with gratitude or regret. Similarly, Gilgamesh eventually accepts mortality as he gazes upon Uruk, which was beautified though his own accomplishments.
Of all these stages of life, the old person is the only one who is truly understands the value of “enjoying the passage of time.” Their accrued wisdom of life brings them to comprehend the importance of appreciating the bliss of youthful ignorance. However, this wisdom also led to his or her loss of youth and innocence. The aged may wish that they had appreciated the level of ignorance they had during youth, but this same ignorance makes it impossible for children and teenagers to comprehend the simplicity of their lives. Therefore, each age group finds meaning in life and a sense of order based on its own specific level of “human knowledge.”
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