Ishmael Section 1

Week:2 Ishmael Section 1 (pgs. 1-63 assignment questions)

1.) After reading the ad for the teacher seeking a student, we get some insight about why the narrator had his reasons for saving the world. He explains that during the 60s and 70s an era known as a time of "peace and love" he "expected to see that the new era had begun, that the sky was a brighter blue and the grass a brighter green. I expected to heat laughter in the air and to see people dancing in the streets, and not just kids-everyone." It is easy to assume that the narrator was hoping that the "revolution" of that time would have given the world the answers to its problems and fix what was wrong in the world. He also mentions later on the book his story about the Nazis. It appears that not only is the narrator looking for a teacher to help him solve the problem/s of the world but to also figure out what exactly is the problem. It is clear to him that something is wrong but he can't quite pinpoint what it is. This wrong is later referred to as a "lie." He is initially wary of finding a teacher because a) it appeared as if most "teachers" we're only interested I'm scamming people out of their money/"worldlies" in order to tell people that "all will be well if everyone will just turn round and give his neighbor a big hug." Also this ad seems a little too good to be true. After searching for a teacher for years there's FINALLY someone out there requesting a student. It just seems like someone is playing with the narrator's emotions. Ishmael has been an observer of the human race. He has many years of observation via the zoo, the circus and living with the family. He has he explains to the narrator is very knowledgeable in the topic of captivity which was what Ishmael originally started to study and then it led on to his study of mankind. Ishmael tells the narrator of mankind having bars around them just as he did when he was caged up however they a) don't know what the bars are and b) the bars aren't physical bars.

2) One of Ishmael's former students was interested in finding out about why people weren't excited? Why do they talk about the destruction of the earth "and they seem perfectly calm." Ishamael says that they are are calm because they believe what they have been told and goes on to explain to the narrator what exactly that is. He calls it an explaining story. "They've been given an explanation of how things came to be this way, and this stills their alarm." He goes on to say that the story "pacifies" them. "They put their shoulders to the wheel during the day, supefy themselves with drugs or television at night, and try not to think too searchingly about the world they're leaving their children to cope." Basically people do know what is wrong with the earth but they don't want to deal with it.

3) Ishmael compared the zoo with nazi Germany. He mentions that not only the Jews were captives under Hitler but everyone in Germany even his enthusiastic supporters. He goes on to described 'the story" that hitler had to feed to German people. "A story in which, under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the Aryan race would burst its bonds, wreck vengeance on its oppressors, purify mankind of its defilements, and assume its rightful place as the master of all races." He goes on to state that even if you weren't personally captivated by the story you were a captive anyway because the people around you made you a captive. "You were like an animal being swept along in the middle of a stampede.)" Basically mankind is like Nazi Germany because essentially the "Story" that is being told to mankind on a whole is flawed and unfortunately unlike Germany you cannot physically escape Germany if you don't like the "story" but you must release yourself from the warped thinking caused by our stories in order to see what we need to do in order to "save the world.'

4) Ishmael tells the narrator the story of the jellyfish. It's the story of creation from the point of view of the jellyfish. this story is told after the narrator told his own story of evolution from the point of view of mankind. As Ishmael later says mankind always uses man as the premise of their stories. They have also created their story to make it seem as if once man was created it was the end all be all of evolution which the narrator comes to realize isn't really true. Also he's trying to get the narrator to realize that just like man says the earth is theirs, other life forms are doing the same. Other life forms are not basing their lives on other species they are basing it off themselves.

5) Ishmael brings up Mother Culture. "it teaches you that this is as it should be. Except for a few thousand savages scattered here and there, all the peoples of the earth are now enacting this story. This is the story man was born to enact, and to depart from it is to resign from the human race itself, is to venture into oblivion. Your place is here, participating in this story, putting your shoulder to the wheel, and as a reward, being fed." This is why there are not more students in the class. Men have been blindly following this story and as mentioned before are now pacified by it. Others know that there is something wrong but just don't want to deal with it. As Ishmael mentions later on in the chapter- what difference does it make if only one person sees something wrong? It is only when a mass of people open up their eyes and influence others to follow that there will be a change.