Naghma Ahmed

World History
Ishmael Summer Assignment

Book 1: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Read the book completely.

 

Answer the following questions:

1. On page 89 Mr. Quinn describes "how things came to be this way." Explain how this
occurred.
Mr. Quinn explained that “things came to be this way” by the flaw of mankind which is man not knowing
how to live. If man knew how to live the world wouldn’t be this way, a world slowly dying by all the
mistakes of the human race. Man doesn’t know how to fix all the mistakes he had made so he continues
making those same mistakes.
2. Describe the 3 dirty tricks God played on humans.
1) The first trick that God played on humans as it says in the book is that God didn’t put the
world in the center of the Universe, where humans/ Takers thought it belonged, but they
got used to it
2) The second trick played on the Takers is t hat man evolved from the common slime, just
like any other species in this world. Takers expected to be produced in a separate manner
which would suit the Takers importance in this world but man also got used to this.
3) The third trick played on the Takers is considered the worst out of all three. It is that God
did not exempt man from the law that applies to all other living things and it is the worst
trick because man can’t adjust to it but he can adjust to the other 2 tricks.
3. Describe the "4 things Takers do that are never done in the rest of the community".
1) The first thing that Takers do that’s never done in the rest of the community is
exterminate their competition. Meaning that the rest of the community kill for food or for self
defense but they don’t search their competition to kill them like the Takers. The Takers kill for
revenge or to just destroy our competition unlike the rest of the community.
2) The second thing that is done by Takers is the destruction of the competitor’s food to
make room for the Takers food. The Rule, “Take what you need and leave the rest alone”, as
said by Daniel Quinn seems to apply to the rest of the community but not to the Takers.
3) The Takers, as a third thing that is never done in the rest of the community, deny
competitors access to food, unlike the rest of the community whom only lay claim to the
things they kill and leave the rest alone for other. Takers believe that every square feet of this
world is theirs so they could deny access to anything.
4) The fourth thing that Takers do that none other have done is store food but Daniel Quinn
is not sure about this because every living creature can store food in their bodies but animals
don’t take a whole tree or herd for their selves so they can have it for later they take the food
as needed.
4. Explain how the peace keeping law promotes diversity and the Taker's way promotes
ecological fragility.
The peace keeping law would promote diversity because when peace is kept then many of the different
creatures would survive so when a natural disaster occur at least some of the creatures in that species
would survive through the whole ordeal so the whole species wouldn’t die out. The Taker’s way promotes
ecological fragility because the Takers try to kill of their competition so when a natural disaster occur the
species wouldn’t have many animals to recreate that species so it can keep on balancing out the world.
5. Why is the Story in Genesis of Adam and Eve a Leaver story about the origins of Takers?
 Naghma Ahmed
World History
Ishmael Summer Assignment

The story in Genesis of Adam and Eve is a Leaver story about the origins of Takers because the Takers were
forbidden to eat from the Tree of Knowledge. If it was a Taker story then the Takers would be forced to eat
out of the tree of knowledge because they would think it is essential for their success and so they think that
they know if everything is right or wrong and so since the story is told from the Leavers point of view the
fruit from the tree is forbidden to mankind.
6. Explain the origins of Cain and Abel according to Ishmael.
Cain and Abel were the two sons of Adam and Eve. Cain as told by Ishmael is known as the unworthy one
and the first born and Abel is known as the worthy one and known as the second born. Cain is the leader of
the Takers and the reason all of the Takers came to be this way. Abel is the leader of the Leavers/ Semites.
Cain thought that all of the people should be killed off who aren’t like his people, who think that they don’t
have any limits and so he sets out to kill his brother Abel. As he does this he expands agriculture outside of
the Fertile Crescent and kills off the Leavers. In the end he is not truly successful in killing off all of the
leavers but he did end up slaughtering Abel. The Semites or the Leavers were the ones who have told this
story and so the Takers adopted it.
7. What is Eve a metaphor for according to Ishmael?
Eve is a metaphor of life. Adam wasn’t tempted by sex or women after eating the fruit from the tree of life
he was tempted by life.
8. What is culture as defined by Takers and Leavers?
Culture is the sum total of information accumulated over the lifetime of one generation such as techniques,
beliefs, assumptions, theories, customs, legends, songs, stories, dances jokes, superstitions, prejudices,
tastes, and attitudes. These things are passed on from generation to generation and added to.
9. At this point, you have gathered enough information to identify the thesis of this book. 
A thesis is defined in the Oxford unabridged dictionary as "1. a proposition stated or put
forward for consideration, especially one to be maintained against objections, 2. a
subject for a composition or essay."  What is Quinn's thesis?
Daniel Quinn’s thesis is that man has been enacting a story since the beginning of time in which we believe
we are the rulers and by enacting this story we are destroying the world.
10. What is Mr. Quinn's point of view?
Mr. Quinn believes that in order to stop destroying the world man must change and not just wait for the
world to be better.
11. How does he defend his thesis?  (What evidence does he give to support his theory?)
He shows us the contents of the book of Genesis and shows us that man, instead of trying to save the
people around us, is killing off people and other members of the community of life to make room for their
lifestyle.
12. Bias is defined as "a particular tendency or inclination, especially one that prevents
unprejudiced consideration of a question."  Can you identify bias in this story?  Give
examples defending your position.
In this story the Takers believe that the Leavers way of life is savage but the Leavers don’t believe this
because they are able to live a carefree life in which they are at the hands of the gods but they don’t
believe that the Takers way of life is bad but they would rather stay the way they are. Takers feel they
have control over their lives and the surrounding area so they continue to try to convert the Leavers way or
kill them.
 Naghma Ahmed
World History
Ishmael Summer Assignment

13. Undoubtedly, you now recognize Ishmael as an alternate view of Man's history with a
suggestion for the future.  Write a 3 paragraph essay in which your thesis either defends
or attacks Ishmael.
We all know that we are destroying the world in some way and we might just end up at this final
point in which there is no world to destroy. Some people know this is true but they continue ignoring this so
they can go on and live their lives how they please and others strive to find out how to save the world. In
Ishmael, Ishmael puts the Leavers as the people who aren’t destroying the world and the people who carry
wisdom. Takers go around the world trying to find one right way to live but there is not any one right way
to live. This is how Leavers live and so Ishmael shows us that we must find a way in which we don’t kill off
the animals that are not in our favor but try to live with them so we do not kill off the entire community of
life in our pursuit of space for the growing population. By doing this we will keep the balance of life.
Ishmael tells us that we are destroying the world in our pursuit to rule the world and in order to
stop we must change for the better. We do not have to go back the Leavers way but we must invent a way
in which we are able to keep the worlds balance and at the same time find comfort. From the time of Cain
and Abel man is trying to cultivate the land in order to fit the growing population and at the same time man
kills off the creatures that are not useful to man’s way of life. Instead of killing them off Ishmael tells us to
find a way to live with them and so Ishmael is telling us to stop and find a way of life that does not destroy
the world. Ishmael says that we don’t have to go back to the Leavers way but we can find a new way of
life.
The story of Ishmael is not a story that attacks our way of life but it shows us what we are doing
wrong. We might not know how we have to live but Ishmael gives us a guideline in which we may better
our society. It shows us what we have been doing for our entire lifetime. Change is needed and we must try
to find a better way of life. Ishmael opens our eyes to our mistakes and gives us much to think about in our
struggle to find how to live in this world.

You must highlight your thesis and you must use quotes from the book to support you
thesis.