Ishmael, An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit Revies

The novel Ishmael, An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit was authored by the acclaimed Daniel Quinn is a well-articulated book that expounds on various aspects of human social and political environments. From the first page, the directly delves into the negative aspects of the education system that fails to fill the emptiness of the narrator, the search leading him to gorilla teacher, Ishmael, that he can uncannily communicate with telepathically. Thereafter, in a series of meetings between the two characters, they talk about various aspects of the human history and culture, highlighting the dominating characteristics of takers and simplistic lives of leavers. As is discussed below, the two allegories are used to explain issues such as education, religion, and politics. In the end, the narrator tracks Ishmael to a travelling carnival after losing contact for a few days due to sickness, who unfortunately dies before the rescue attempt.

The first theme that resonates with the reader from page one, is the narrator’s view on the education system and the lack of qualified teachers. We learn of the narrators yearn to impact the world in a positive light, contrasting the revolutions he had witnessed as a child that had not yielded any meaningful change in society. However, in this endeavor the narrator fails to find the perfect teacher to guide him in this journey. The author writes (1995), “…and in my innocence I thought there had to be someone out there with an unknown wisdom who could dispel my disillusionment and bewilderment: a teacher.”