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.