Love and Loneliness

As a human, there are a lot of characteristics a human should have, but, what does it mean to be human? The most part of being human is loneliness. Humans must understand that loneliness is a part of everyone’s life, humans must learn how to cope with loneliness, and, finally, the only way to get rid of loneliness is to have love in your life. There is a book, which name is Gilgamesh, and it is written by Herbert Mason. In this book, the author teaches people how to be human from an old story, about a man who loved and lost a friend to death. This man is named Gilgamesh, his friend is named Enkidu. First of all, a human should understand that loneliness is a part of everyone’s life, and only someone goes through the loneliness, he/she can be called a human. So, Gilgamesh is a person who went through the loneliness in his life, and then he becomes a real human. In this book, Gilgamesh said â€Å" I am alone and I have longed/ For some companionship. My people/ Also have grown tired of my solitude. † (20). According to these sentences, Gilgamesh was a king of Uruk, he had a lot of power, but he was lonely, he didn’t have any friends. Also, people thought Gilgamesh was the God, he was not a human. But he was becoming a human, because he was going through loneliness at that time. Loneliness is a part of everyone’s life, especially for a human. So, at that time, Gilgamesh was going through loneliness, he was becoming a human. Besides, Herbert Mason writes â€Å" Gilgamesh’s fear at the thought of his own solitude:/ I can’t imagine being left alone,/ I’m less a man without my friend. † (47). So this sentences suggests, after Gilgamesh lost his friend Enkidu, he was lonely, and he was fear. He was going through the part a human should go through. He was becoming a real human, he was knowing that loneliness is a part of everyone’s life. So, he was not a God any more, he was trying to become a real human and learn to understand loneliness. On the other hand, human should know how to cope with loneliness also. Loneliness is a gift from God, real human can cope with loneliness and gain the courage. After lost the best friend, Gilgamesh must learn how to cope with loneliness. Herbert Mason writes â€Å" I have been through grief! Gilgamesh screamed. / Even if there will be more of pain,/ And heat and cold, I will go on! / Open the gate to the mountains! † (57,58). Well, Gilgamesh decided to find his best friend, and tried his best to get him back. To begin with, Gilgamesh was lonely because he lost his best friend, but now, he decided to get him back, he was not afraid of the heat or cold, he just wanted his friend back. He wanted to cope with loneliness, so he went to find his friend. A real human must learn how to cope with loneliness, and Gilgamesh did that, he was coping with loneliness now. Also, Herbert Mason added â€Å"He entered the Road of the Sun/ Which was so shrouded in darkness/ That he could see neither/ What was ahead of him nor behind. † (59). Obviously, Gilgamesh was finding his friend, there was darkness in front of him only, but he was not afraid. He got rid of loneliness, he was thinking of his friend back at that time, he was coping with loneliness. Humans must learn how to cope with loneliness, so now, Gilgamesh was learning that, he was not a God any more, he became a real human, because he can face the loneliness with courage. Finally, the only way to get rid of loneliness is to have love in your life. Humans’ hearts are filled with love, so they can get rid of loneliness. Gilgamesh was becoming a real human, he had love in his life. Herbert Mason writes â€Å" In the silence of the people they began to laugh/ And clutched each other in their breathless exaltation. (24). Gilgamesh was laughing at that time, as a king and a God in people’s hearts, he never felt happy before, but now he laughed, with Enkidu. He felt happy, maybe at that time, Gilgamesh’s heart was filled with love of friendship, also Enkidu’s heart also was full of love of friendship. They both had love in their life, and at tha t time, Gilgamesh did not feel lonely any more, because he had a new friend. Friendship is an important part of people’s life. So, Gilgamesh became a real human, he was an ordinary person as others, he became a human, because he had the love of friendship in his life, also in his heart. After Enkidu died, Herbert Mason added â€Å" Many years ago through loss I learned/ That love is wrung from our inmost heart/ Until only the loved one is and we are not. † (74). According to this sentences, Gilgamesh thought highly of his friend, he would not forget him, and their friendship was eternal. Love of friendship is in Gilgamesh’s life forever, even if there is no his friend in his rest life, he can cope with loneliness by himself, because the friendship is always in his heart. Gilgamesh is alone, but he is not lonely. At the end of the story, Herbert Mason said â€Å" To keep the names of friends/ Whom we have lost. (92). Well, Gilgamesh will remember his friend forever, he has love of friendship in his whole life. Now, he is a real human, he has an eternal friendship, which a real human should have. Entiku is dead though, he is alive in Gilgamesh’s heart. To sum up, in the book Gilgamesh, which is written by Herbert Mason, the man whose name is Gilg amesh becomes a real human finally. To begin with, Gilgamesh feels lonely because he is a king, no friends, no love in his life, then he loses his best friend, he is lonely still, but then he learns how to cope with loneliness, finally, he gains an eternal friendship and love. So, Gilgamesh becomes a real human, he understands that loneliness is a part of everyone’s life, he learns how to cope with loneliness, and, finally, the only way to get rid of loneliness is to have love in his life, and he gains an eternal friendship and the love. In a word, after he knows loneliness and he has love in life to cope with loneliness, he is not a God or a king any more, he becomes a real human, a human likes others.