Tablet XI is mostly about Utnapishtim, the son of Ubartutu, telling his story of how he was admitted to the company of the gods and was granted eternal life. But, the most important thing in this tablet is how Gilgamesh, after hearing the story and trying out the challenge of being awake for a week, realizes that life and death is how it's meant to be. By knowing this, Gilgamesh finally turns back to his normal self and returns back to the city of Uruk. When he falls asleep while he tries the challenge, he notices that it is really hard to stay awake for a full week. By this, he understands how it is also very hard to be alive for such a long time.
What caught my attention the most was the story that was told to Gilgamesh because it was very similar to Noah's Ark: "...abandon your house and build a boat instead. Seek life instead of riches, save yourself. Take with you, on the boat you build, an instance of each thing living so that they may be safe from obliteration in the flood." It's interesting how this story has its own version of Noah's Ark just with different characters. Even in different religions and cultures, there are some similar beliefs and characteristics that we can notice while reading the book.
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