Themes Within the Novel

As Daniel Quinn's book has progressed, it has become evident that Ishmael's thesis, of which all of his meetings with the narrator are based around, is essentially that while the Takers (humans) see their population to be far more superior than those of the Leavers, they are truly held in their own kind of captivity. However, instead of being kept in places like zoos or menageries, we are captive to the way our society has come to operate. He points out that that we do this unknowingly because we are "captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live.” Using storytelling to emphasize the most prevalent theme in the story, which is captivity considering it is the subject that Ishmael states that he is "most qualified to teach," he claims that the mythology that has circulated throughout our culture has given us deceiving perceptions of ourselves and the world. These perceptions have lead us to believe that we are the dominant species and that, in essence, the world was made to prioritize our existence.

Another common theme is the concept of identity, a notion that Ishmael first became aware of when he was previously named Goliath. After being renamed Ishmael by Sokolow, Ishmael came to understand the significance of an identity, as well as the potential flaws that lie underneath one. For example, the Takers, who are born into a deluding sense of supremacy due to the ideologies practiced by their culture, conform to the enactment of their roles in a story. Ishmael asserts that the Takers "have this impression because there is enormous pressure on [them] to take a place in the story [their] culture is enacting in the world", and he thinks this pressure has caused the Takers to become enslaved to "Mother Culture" - a term that was compiled to describe the explanations given to members in a culture to help them comprehend their place in the world. She is the reason that humans are impelled to feel as if they as a group are entitled to domination over all other species, as she has begins influencing them from birth to think this way. By stressing major themes such as captivity, identity, and conformity, Ishmael shows the narrator how incoherent it is that, as our population has become increasingly colossal, we are constantly bringing the world closer to its demise. If we could change and become self aware of this impending destruction, and even give thought to the possibility of other species developing self-awareness, he thinks that the problem could be lessened substantially.

Daniel Quinn's Writing Style

Using first person narration, Daniel Quinn enables us as readers to experience the main character's encounters with Ishmael through his eyes, his thoughts, and their telepathic conversations. As the narrator is taught to think deeply about human culture, the philosophical and didactic approach used to communicate Quinn's perspective on civilization allows the reader to become enlightened about how our ways of life have taken a toll the environment.

For instance, to begin Ishmael's teachings, he starts by telling of two different groups of the world's individuals. There are the Takers (members within the speaker's culture; those who are civilized) and the Leavers (members of every other culture, typically viewed as primitive by the Takers). The first homework assignment that Ishmael allocates to the narrator is to come in next time prepared to tell the Takers' creation myth. He does this during their next meeting, where he expounds how after the universe and earth were formed, life evolved over the course of billions of years and ultimately ended with the creation of mankind.

Ishmael's sardonic response to his story reveals Quinn's notions on how humans have come to "regard the world as a sort of human life–support system, as a machine designed to produce and sustain human life.” Many other of the author's ideas are conveyed through Ishmael's endeavor to use the Socratic method, where he challenges the narrator's preconceived assumptions about the world. This drives the speaker to question his beliefs, to become aware of any flaws in his thinking, and to further open his mind. Using an eloquent, active voice, Quinn prompts the reader into doing the same so that insight can be given about the dilemmas within the subject matter. 

Characters in Ishmael

The Narrator - It isn't clear what his name is or if his name will ever be given to us. One day while reading the newspaper, he stumbles upon an advertisement that states, "TEACHER seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person." Under the impression that the ad is simply a scam, the narrator travels to the address listed, to an office building, and is stunned to find a gorilla in one of the rooms. He then learns that the gorilla is in fact the teacher in the advertisement and has the ability to communicate with him telepathically. 

Ishmael - The gorilla is named Ishmael and tells the narrator that he came from some area in West Africa. When he was still growing, he was taken to a US zoo where he was held in captivity. Eventually, the zoo sells him to a menagerie and he is given the name Goliath. However, one day he is visited by a middle aged man. This man approaches him and tells him he is in fact not Goliath, and then he leaves. Within a few days, Ishmael falls into a deep sleep after unknowingly drinking from water that was infused with some sort of sedative. When he wakes up, he finds himself in a gazebo and learns that the man took him away from the menagerie and onto his property. The man tells him that he is Ishmael instead of Goliath.

Walter Sokolow - He is the man who took Ishmael out of captivity. Walter is a Jewish merchant whose family had recently been killed in the Holocaust when he first became acquainted with Ishmael. Before he and Ishmael discovered that they could communicate their thoughts to one another, Sokolow would speak to him thinking that he was not being understood. However, Ishmael was able to prove that he actually could understand him, so Sokolow tried to teach Ishmael to speak. They were unsuccessful but realized that Ishmael didn't need to speak for Sokolow to be able to understand him. Sokolow marries sooner or later and has a daughter named Rachel. He then dies in 1985 so Rachel becomes his guardian.