Ishmael

Ishmael is a gorilla, captured as a child in the early 20th century, and then moved from the jungle to a zoo, from the zoo to a carnival, and from the carnival to Walter Sokolow’s home. Ishmael is telepathic, meaning he can communicate through his thoughts, and he is specifically intelligent, having studied all manner of fields with Walter Sokolow, though he quickly surpassed Sokolow’s understanding. He was a close friend to Walter’s daughter, Rachel, who was his benefactor until her death near the end of the novel. Ishmael, beyond his mysterious nature as a telepathic gorilla, has uncovered some critical truths about humanity and ecology, and he has taught a variety of students, most of whom he considers failures. The narrator seems to be the first successful student that Ishmael has taught, but there is no definite conclusion on this front, as Ishmael dies before he can evaluate the narrator’s actions following the lessons he gives.

Ishmael fits neatly into the archetype of the sage or mentor, as his primary role in the novel is to act as a teacher for the narrator. Ishmael has already taught a series of pupils, but the novel frames the narrator as the first true student that Ishmael teaches, and Ishmael makes it clear, through comments about the narrator pretending to not understand, that he has faith in the narrator’s ability to receive and apply Ishmael’s instruction. Ishmael is essentially a mystic sage because of his connection to nature and the implication that he has a broader understanding of nature and humanity that humans cannot or are not likely to acquire on their own. Ishmael is a necessary component in the narrator’s journey, and he is an embodiment of the knowledge and wisdom that Daniel Quinn, himself, wants to communicate to the reader. In the split between the narrator and Ishmael, the narrator is Quinn’s inner cynic, hoping for enlightenment, while Ishmael represents the already enlightened, or instinctively aware, portion of Quinn. As the author of the book, Quinn is to the reader what Ishmael is to the narrator, meaning the lessons Ishmael teaches are most likely Quinn’s own perspectives.

Though the Takers are not individual characters, they are characterized in the novel to encourage a better understanding of Taker culture and the Taker narrative as Ishmael presents them. In other words, while the Takers are not a homogenous group, Ishmael treats them as members of a singular belief system in his worldview, which allows him to characterize Takers as greedy, selfish, and arrogant. These characterizations are often explicit, with both Ishmael and the narrator regularly expressing their disappointment or disgust with Taker culture. Initially, the narrator considers himself a Taker, but by the end of the novel, he associates more with the Leavers. Early in the novel, when Ishmael asks if the terms “Taker” and “Leaver” are neutral, the narrator says that they are, but each term has a clear positive or negative connotation. Takers, by virtue of their name, take things away and keep them for themselves, which is generally viewed as selfish or even cruel, and the choice of the name “Taker” for the anthropocentric culture is intentionally pointed toward egotism and arrogance.

The primary issue with Taker culture, and with Takers, themselves, is that they perceive humanity as the pinnacle of creation in the universe, meaning that the universe is designed and devoted to human existence. As a result, they use the Earth’s resources without regard for sustainability, killing off and restricting other species to perpetuate human dominance. Ishmael often imitates or speculates the perspectives of Takers, which generally form a picture of the Takers as uncaring and self-absorbed, such as the Taker couple that Ishmael pictures burning acres of rainforest so they can have another child. The Takers, though, are meant to represent broad, “civilized” culture, meaning any culture that is focused on settlement and expansion, and Ishmael acknowledges that this is most of humanity.