Write an essay that compares and contrasts "the nose" by nikolai gogol to another
magical realist story focusing mainly on the tone of the two stories. how does their
tone differ? what does their tone have in common?
your second story should be one that you find through research, but make sure it fits
the magical realist genre. look back over the lesson and ask yourself if it has the
appropriate tone and subject matter. consider what evidence from both stories best
supports your claim (or thesis), and make sure you present this evidence in the form
of quotes and paraphrases. also make sure you avoid plagiarism,
your essay should include the following elements:
• a claim that explains how you're comparing and contrasting your two stories in
the essay
an introduction paragraph that grabs the reader's attention, gives background
information, and presents the claim
• body paragraphs that give reasons and evidence for why readers should believe
your claim
• evidence in the form of quotes and paraphrases from both stories
• a conclusion paragraph that reminds readers of your claim and reasons, and
leaves readers with a lasting impression

throughout the ancient epic of gilgamesh, the protagonist, gilgamesh of course, exhibited many character traits that made him a true epic hero. one great trait that gilgamesh acquires of an epic hero is that he's a courageous and confident leader. in the text enkidu is too afraid to fight, but he's positive that gilgamesh has the ability to triumph against humbaba. gilgamesh tells enkidu to not be afraid and then continues on to remind him of all the victories he's had against similar foe. gilgamesh proves that he's confident by encouraging enkidu and shows he's courageous when enkidu ask gilgamesh to battle humbaba alone because he knows that gilgamesh will reign victorious.

another characteristic that makes gilgamesh an epic hero is that he's brave and takes risks. "dread surged through gilgamesh, terror flooded his muscles, his heart froze, his mouth went dry, his legs shook, his feet were rooted to the ground. / gilgamesh felt his courage return. they charged at humbaba like two wild bulls." when reading the first part of the quote you see that gilgamesh is terrified of humbaba, and realizing that humbaba is the antagonist he's about to battle is taking a big risk. gilgamesh soon shows how brave he is by not letting his fear of humbaba overtake him, instead he went charging into the face of fear and triumphs.