Eye Opener to the
Real World
Throughout the last couple of weeks, Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael provided us with an insight into
the evolution of culture through the lens of people who come from different
backgrounds. The way that Quinn brought us the message was very eye-catching. The
fact that he uses a gorilla was enough to draw my attention to something I wouldn’t
normally consider spending my time with. Even though this is a reflection of
the book itself, Quinn did a great job capturing readers with the "Teacher
seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person,"
line early on in the book.
I ask myself, what are we necessarily
trying to save in the world? How ARE we going to save the world? These are a
few of the questions that I wanted to be answered. Just reading the book wasn’t
enough for me. The discussions we had in class opened my mind up to the deeper meanings
embedded in the book. It helped me embrace the ideas of Takers and Leavers and
the effect they have on shaping the worlds history for all creatures.
Some people complain that the human
race is over exceeding its boundaries set by nature. They argue that Earth is
not solely inhabited by humans and we must respect that. We are supposedly “destroying
the earth and wrecking the natural ecosystem”. Others say that us humans were
created to dwell on this Earth and to do whatever we want since we are the
superior race. This takes us back to the Taker/Leaver principle that Ishmael
the gorilla was so adamant about. He teaches the narrator that the Taker ideology
isn’t necessarily a bad thing but it’s just different.
