Analysis of Ishmael
The novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn presents a unique look at the history of man’s
interaction with the planet. Quinn presents a teacher and a student, who through discourse
become enlightened as to the downfall of the planet and the necessary actions to save it.
You must either purchase or find you own copy of this book
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Part 1:
1. Design and fill out a Reading Diary Journal
You are to read Ishmael on your own time.
 Date your entries as you read and number the pages.
 As you read, take notes of the facts, information and situations that you are reading about.
 Write down vocabulary and/or information that you don't understand.
 Write any questions you may develop as a result of your reading. You are encouraged to write
any kind of response, positive, negative or otherwise, to the work you are reading at the time.
 As you read, indicate the page number or chapter you are responding to.
2. Write an overall summary of the book.
 Start with an introduction. Identify the title of the book and its author in the first sentence.
Distinguish the purpose or the main ideas of the chosen book, presenting only the essential
highlights. Use your own words and do not inject any personal opinions or comments.
 Build the body of the summary. Be concise. Organize paragraphs according to the flow of the
story in a consistent sequence. Include important specifics and omit minor details.
Encapsulate the intention of the author and his narrative using precise examples from the text
to give credence and support to any statements you made in the introduction. This section
should be four to five paragraphs long.
 Write a one-paragraph conclusion. Close the summary with key points from the previous
paragraphs. Do not add new material. Remain impartial throughout.
Part 2:
Your next part of the assignment is to write argumentative paragraphs, which address each of the following
questions. Unlike Quinn, I expect you to use concrete details to back up all of your ideas with quotes from the
text, or real life examples. Remember, an argumentative discussion is trying to persuade the audience that your
point of view is correct, so provide evidence and explain weaknesses in your argument and why they are not
important enough to prove you wrong. Be able to argue your responses in class…
3. Do you agree with what Ishmael (Quinn) is saying in the following statement?
“Yes. I no longer think of what we’re doing as a blunder. We’re not destroying the world because
we’re clumsy. We’re destroying the world because we are, in a very literal and deliberate way, at war
with it.” (p. 130)
What is Ishmael (Quinn) saying in the above quote?
Use evidence from the book to support your view, with at least two examples.
Explain how these examples support your view of Quinn’s statement.
Also, use at least two real life examples that support your view. So that’s four examples total for those
of you counting.
4. Quinn used an ape as the teacher. Do you think this the best way to tell the story?
Why do you think Quinn used an ape as the teacher?
What is Quinn suggesting by pairing a human with an ape?
How does this pairing affect the story?
Would another animal have been more effective? If so, what animal and why?
5. Do you agree with the following quote, “The Leaver life-style isn’t about hunting and gathering,
it’s about letting the rest of the community live – and agriculturists can do that as well as huntergatherers….Your task is not to reach backward but to reach forward.” (p. 250)
What does Ishmael (Quinn) mean by this quote?
6. Do you agree with Quinn?
In terms of getting across Quinn’s environmental message, what few quotes or passages best emphasize
what Quinn believes are happening to our world?
What is Quinn’s message to the reader?
Why is this quote so important to Quinn’s ideas?
7. What is the law that Ishmael refers to as the peace-keeping law?
State the law.
Who is breaking the law and what are the consequences?
What is their excuse for breaking the law?
8. What do you think the statements on Ishmael’s poster mean? (both front and back of poster)
9. What does the peace-keeping law promote and why is it important to a community?