Poems/Drama/Songs/Painting (Topic 7)

What is Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End about?

- It's a manga that portrays a 1000-year old elf with one regret:

- not getting to know her human companions better before they passed away

What's the plot story of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End?

- Frieren and friends (Himmel) defeated the demon king

- She promised to visit in 10 years time, but came 50 years later

- By then, all her human friends had died

What does Frieren plan to do in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End when she discovered her friends had all passed away?

- She regretted not visiting often and earlier

- She plans to meet Himmel in the resting place for souls

What is Michel de Montaigne's famous quotation in "To Philosophise Is To Learn How To Die"?

Death has us by the scruff of the neck at every moment

What is the other name for Michel de Montaigne?

- Michel Eyquem, Seigneur de Montaigne

- A French philosopher during the French Renaissance period

Name the literary history of this person with five Sumerian poems and was king of Uruk?

The Epic of Gilgamesh

What triggered Gilgamesh to seek for immortality?

After the death of his good friend Enkidu

What triggerred Enkidu's death in The Epic of Gilgamesh?

An illness planted by the "gods"

A part of this poem came from, "Humans are born, they live, then they die,

this is the order that the gods have decreed". Which poem is this?

The Epic of Gilgamesh

Who said "Life, which you look for, you will never find. For when the gods created man, they let death be his share, and life withheld in their own hands". Extracted from a ancient Sumerian poem.

This person is Utnapishtim, from The Epic of Gilgamesh

In the Leech Woman (1960) movie, how does the antagonist maintains her youth?

Kill men (ONLY man), extract their pineal gland and drain the liquid for usage

In the Leech Woman (1960) movie, does suing the pineal gland often helps to maintain one's youth?

- Only temporary

- Once the effects are over, aging speeds up

- She needs to repeat the process again

In HP Lovecraft's comic in 1928, "Cool Air", how does Dr Munoz who was a zombie, keeps his body from decaying?

- The air-con needs to run

- Temp must be between 55-56 deg Fahrenheit (not Celsius)

Immortality sounds nice, but if you keep living, eventually how do you withdraw money from banks when you have passed normal lifespan?

In the Sandman comic, Hob Gadling (ageless, immortal) has to fake his death, returns as the heir, to claim the money

In the movie, In Time (2011) starring Justin Timberlake as Will Sallas, how does one continue living in perpetuity?

- They stop aging at 25, and dies when a clock in their hands shows 0

- They can continue living as long as they can accumulate time

- Time is a currency

In Gulliver's Travels, humans in the nation of Luggnagg are born normal. They also DO NOT DIE. However, they continue to age. What is the term given to these people?

Struldbrugg

What was the author of Gulliver's Travels (by Jonathan Swift) trying to portray regarding the immortal BUT able to age population of Luggnagg island?

- Immortality is far from beautiful

- It can create a lot of socio-economic problems

How did the people of Luggnagg island treated those who are past 80 yo (who are considered immortal) in Gulliver's Travel?

- They do not own property

- They are considered dead, and their names removed from registry

- Their sustenance provided by the government

In the Highlander movie, every other "immortal" has to kill other "immortal" to receive a gift. What is this gift?

It's called Quickening, not to be confused with The Prize, which is given to the only surviving Highlander

In the Highlander movie, every other "immortal" has to kill other "immortal" to receive a gift which the final "immortal" is entitled to. What is this final gift?

The Prize, the collective power of all Quickening from other "immortals"

What is The Prize in Highlander movie?

- Grants the winner immense power, knowledge, and influence,

- Ability to connect with and influence the minds of others,

- Some interpretations suggest the winner has the ability to become mortal again and have children

Who wrote the novel“Eight Worlds”?

- John Varley

- Consist of 13 stories and 1 novel

What typically represents the humanity in "Eight Worlds" by John Varley?

- widespread boredom, depression,

- even suicidal tendencies, as highlighted in "Steel Beach"

Who wrote the "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy"?

- Douglas Adams

- a trilogy of 5 books

What happened to the MC in "The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy"?

Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged who becomes immortal due to a freak accident

Why Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged who is immortal decides to be insulting?

He experiences the downsides of immortality, like boredom, and decides to insult everyone in the universe alphabetically

Who composed the poem “Ode: Intimations of Immortality (1815)"?

- English poet William Wordsworth

- Credited with launching romantically themed poems in England

What is the theme behing William's poem “Ode: Intimations of Immortality (1815)"?

- Immortality of souls, descended from heaven and shall return to heaven

- As children, they are closest to heaven, hence experiences the greatest joy

- As one age, connection to eternity diminishes

What is the consolation to William's poem “Ode: Intimations of Immortality (1815)"?

- He recall beautiful memories when he was young

- Recalling the beautiful moments reminds him of heaven in which he came from

Who composed the monologue “Tithonus (1833)"?

Alfred Lord Tennyson

What is the plot story behind “Tithonus (1833)"?

- About Tithonus, a mortal prince of Troy in love with

- Eos, the goddess of dawn

What did Eos do for Tithonus in “Tithonus (1833)"?

- Eos asked Zeus to grant immortality to Thitonus

- Eos forget to add eternal youth in the request

- Tithonus becomes immortal, but ages with time

What was the plight of Tithonus in “Tithonus (1833)" after receiving immortality?

Though immortal, yet he ages, hence he despaired life

What finally happened to “Tithonus (1833)" after receiving immortality?

- Turned into a cicada

- Still cared by Eos

- A myth that explains why cicadas are so noisy in the morning

What is the moral of the story to “Tithonus (1833)"?

- The poem explores themes of mortality,

- the nature of time,

- and the futility of an existence without the possibility of death

- the arrogance of humanity against the mandate of death

What prompted Alfred Lord Tennyson to composed “Tithonus (1833)"?

Shortly after the death of his close friend Arthur Henry Hallam in 1833 who was only 22 yo

Who wrote the short story, “The Mortal Immortal (1833)"?

English novelist, Mary Shelley

Who wrote "Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus"?

Mary Shelley

What is the plot story behind “The Mortal Immortal (1833)"?

- About Winzy who has lived 323 years

- Became immortal after accidentally drinking an immortality potion

- While perpetually young looking, he feels the effects of old age

How did Winzy came into contact with the immortality potion in “The Mortal Immortal (1833)"?

- He worked for Professor Cornelius Agrippa

- Accidentally drank the prof's potion in a state of despair

- Despair because he thought Bertha left him for another man

What happened to Winzy and his love, Bertha in “The Mortal Immortal (1833)"?

Winzy has to endure the pain of Bertha aging and finally dying while he remains immortal, yet feels the effects of aging

Who composed the short story, “Hail and Farewell (1948)"?

American author and screenwriter, Ray Bradbury

What is the plot story behind “Hail and Farewell (1948)"?

- About a boy perpetually stucked at 12 yo

- Unable to find job since he is 12 yo

- Ends up being a foster child for childless couples

- Has to leave every few years to prevent being discovered

Who wrote the short story, "The Island of the Immortals (1998)"?

American author, Ursula K. Le Guin

What is the plot story behind "The Island of the Immortals (1998)"?

About a lady who decided to visit a remote island that has Immortals

What other sources inspired the author to compose "The Island of the Immortals (1998)" ?

- Gulliver's Travel

- Laputa anime from Studio Ghibli

How did the people in the island of Yendi in "The Island of the Immortals (1998)" becomes Immortal?

- After being bitten by a sandfly

- Termed udreba as disease

Why less and less Immortals are found in the island of Yendi in "The Island of the Immortals (1998)"?

- A scientist said that if you bury Immortals, they will eventually turn to diamonds (like thousand of years)

- So a lot of the locals buried them

The one Immortal that the lady had the chance to visit in "The Island of the Immortals (1998)" was taken care by the Roya family as caretaker. Why did the Roya not bury the Immortal to be made diamond?

- The Roya caretaker told the lady it will take many thousand of years, and it will be pure suffering for the Immortals

- The Roya family decided to take care of it, passing the baton to the next generation

What is the similarity of the Immortal in "The Island of the Immortals (1998)" and the ones in Gulliver's Travels?

- They are immortal but they age

- Society has no use for them

"The Island of the Immortals (1998)" where is it located?

An island called Yendi

How does the Roya family cares for their immortal relative / family member in "The Island of the Immortals (1998)"?

The immortal survives on milk and barley broth