Nature and Gilgamesh

In Gilgamesh, both Enkidu and Gilgamesh have many interactions with nature, starting where Enkidu was born in the wild. As this text was written many centuries ago, most of the story has a relationship with nature, and fewer relationships with civilization, other than with gods. At the beginning Enkidu has more interactions than Gilgamesh, but as the story goes on, Gilgamesh starts interacting more with nature. There are certain parts that make the reader be very clear about human's relationship with nature.

When they started out their first journey together to the Cedar forest, that was consider the first interaction they both had together with nature. At this point, they both were Takers and wanted to have control over the forest. When they killed Huwawa, the guardian of the forest, it just meant that humans had control over the forest, "Enkidu steered the raft and Gilgamesh carried the head of Huwawa, the guardian of the Forest."(pg.28), when they showed the head of Huwawa, they were going to be remembered for their courage. When Enkidu died, was another part of interaction with nature, people die and their friends grieve, this same thing happened with these two companions. Gilgamesh's interaction with nature was mainly after Enkidu died, he went through the "Cavern of the Earth" this place was very dark and Gilgamesh had to go through this place to be able to get to Utnapishtim, the man that was part of the god community. When he got there the only thing Gilgamesh wanted to know was how to escape from death, something that was probably going to happen to him. this long journey to get there was a challenge for him, it is a very complicated pass way that humans couldn't do, but once again, humans started proving that they can accomplish many difficult things that gods thought humans couldn't do.