Ishmael - The End

Final post about Ishmael folks! It is a bittersweet ending for me. On the one hand, I'm sad to be ending this book that we've spent so long on. On the other hand, I'm glad to be moving onto new material. I honestly don't think that I could get through this class if then entire semester was spent on Ishmael.

Anyways, this book begins its ending chapters by interrupting its normal pace of Ishmael talking at the narrator to bring us some plot. Ishmael has vanished and the narrator spends the better part of a chapter hunting him down, finally finding him at a circus. And then, strangely enough, the pair just continue their lessons as usual. Personally, I feel that, as we reach the end of this book, a change is pace was bound to happen. I think it was Quinn's way of making sure we were still paying attention.

Don't be this guy.

Ishmael continues with his lesson, further emphasizing the differences between the Leavers and the Takers.  Quinn writes that "the Takers accumulate knowledge about what works well for things. The Leavers accumulate knowledge about what work well for people." Regarding this, Leavers, Ishmael argues, value the past and evolve from it, figuring out what works well for their people, taking into account where they live and their outlook on the world. Takers, on the other hand, arbitrarily decide what works well for them without a basis in the past, and think this applies to how everyone ought to live. There is no right way to live, as Quinn very clearly illustrates. But, he also argues that living as we do now, putting ourselves above the laws of nature, treating other animals as if they're below us for simply not being human, destroying the Earth through our behaviors and doing little to nothing to fix it is not the right way to go about things. (Side note, if you're interested in the ways we treat animals, check out the documentary Earthlings. It's a bit graphic at times, but I think really worth the watch. Watch the whole thing on YouTube here.)

So, what do we take away from the journey of mind and spirit? Ultimately, I believe we are left with the same fate of the narrator. We have been tasked to teach others what we have learned, just as the narrator has been. And, by time of Ishmael's death, I think the narrator is almost forced to continue teaching, as it is what Ishmael would have wanted. Perhaps this is a bit too optimistic for the overall tone of this book, but I'd like to think that, in the world of this novel, the narrator continues Ishmael's legacy and tells his story.

That's all for now.

Danielle K.