Why does Enkidu lose the ability to understand and roam with the animals?
Quote from text
"For seven days Enkidu in his wonder//lay with her in pleasure, and then at last/went to seek out the company of the creature//whose hearts delight in feeding upon the grasslands,/ and visiting the watering places, and//ranging the hills. But seeing them, they fled"(Ferry 8).
Explanation
After Enkidu chooses to lie with a human woman, he gives up his connection to the wild beasts of nature. The temple prostitute teaches him the ways of civilized man, and the animals are afraid of him because he has become more like a man, so they flee from him. This represents the change that occurs in Enkidu from "wild man" to domesticated man, where he loses his special connection with nature, but gains an understanding of humanity and human society. Ultimately, this switch leads to his meeting Gilgamesh and their subsequent adventures.
Source
Gilgamesh by David Ferry, page 8
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Sarah Bland
