Reflection essay
Write a reflection essay based on the following prompt:
In both “Descent of Inanna” and “Winnebago Tales,” we have a hero held captive in a strange Otherworld. What is the significance of this captivity motif? Is the purpose or meaning of the motif the same for both tales, or does it have a different function in each story?
ANSWER
Captivity Motif in Descent of Inanna and Winnebago Tales
The captivity motif in both Descent of Inanna and Winnebago Tales is used in the same way and to represent a phase that every human must go through. For instance, in the Descent of Inanna, the captivity of Inanna occurs in such a way that she loses everything, including her possessions and pride in the underworld, and even loses her life. But then she emerges after some time and can be observed to have achieved some sort of wholeness. It is the same with life, the troubles of loss, confusion, and sadness that one must go through to discover who they are and to achieve wholeness. During this period, the choices are three; to accept the journey and take in the lessons, to deny and ignore the changes and suffer the consequences or wallow in misfortune and forget that it will all come to an end.
In Winnebago Tales, the trickster also passes the same message through the captivity motif, only that he takes the opposite side of arrogance, denial, and dishonesty. It often costs him greatly, but he is adamant to submit to the will of nature on various accounts. However, he teaches us about the potential inbuilt in every human being and trusting in our own capabilities while at the same time being careful not to fall prey to the will of others with bad intentions with us. Regardless, at the end of the day, the bad parts of life are phased out, and the challenges diminish as we begin to rediscover ourselves, our individual potential, and the ability to withstand adversity.
