Analysis of the Novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Essay

Ishmael begins when the nameless narrator finds a newspaper ad that reads: Teacher seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person (4). At first, he is angry, as it reminds him of the counterculture movement of the 1960s, which he participated in only to discover that there was no easy way to save the world. Nonetheless, he responds to the ad, and finds that the teacher is a gorilla. Behind the gorilla is a sign that reads With man gone, will there be hope for gorilla? (9). The gorilla, named Ishmael, can communicate telepathically. Communicating with him in this fashion, the narrator learns Ishmael’s background - in which the gorilla was stolen from the wild and displayed in a menagerie, then rescued by a†¦show more content†¦To hep understand how Takers pass along their story, Ishmael introduces a figure named Mother Culture, who he insists reinforces the story through every facet of Taker society. Takers assume that humans are the pinnacles of evolution, and that the world was made for man. This belief has led to catastrophic results, yet the Taker story allows man to blame to gods. They believe the gods wishes man to be in control, and so if man is fundamentally flawed, then the gods are responsible for engendering the situation. Ishmael refuses to accept this premise, saying that the only thing wrong with humans is that the story that they insist on enacting puts them at odds with the world. Ishmael and the narrator also work to establish some immutable laws of life and species that have allowed the world to survive for this long. They agree that a law of limited competition exists amongst all species on Earth, and only man has taken exception to that law. In short, this law suggests that any species may protect and look out for itself, but cannot wipe out another species. A natural food chain must persist. Ishmael next discusses the Genesis origin stories - of Adam and Eve, and of Cain and Abel - to explore the meaning of the Taker story, and how it historically worked against the Leaver civilizations. He claims that the Fall of Man story was actually developed by Leavers to explain why the Takers started