Ishmael, An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
Terms and Concepts: In this first reading you are introduced to the rather fantastic premise of this book; we are going to listen in on a conversation between a young journalist and his teacher/mentor who happens to be a gorilla. Your first challenge is to get beyond the obvious implausibility of this situation and understand why the author has put you in this position. The gorilla, Ishmael, gives a brief history of how he came to this place from a young captive zoo exhibit to the conversant, intelligent teacher he is now. Important points to keep in mind are how his early experiences with humans, positive and negative, influence his world view. Spend some time reviewing your biblical history to help you understand that connection with his name. Ishmael informs us that the subject of this lessons will be "captivity." Don't let the obvious fact that he has spent most of his life in captivity mislead you into thinking that his plight is the object of his teaching; rather it informs his perspective to a much larger issue. The journalist who is becoming the student will be Ishmael's fifth student. From what you have read in this first section, speculate on why this student may be the first success in Ishmael's efforts.
- Reading Due: 12 May
-
Final Draft Due: 13 May
Abraham Casting Out Hagar and Ishmael by Rembrant from Windsor Fine Art.
Essay: Answer two questions. First, why did the author select a gorilla to play the role of the teacher in this story? You will need to use examples from this reading to support your answer. Second, what is the function of the glass that separates teacher from pupil during this meeting? Again, use examples to support your point.
Photo of Western gorilla from GreenOptions.
