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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What temptation does Ishmael say Adam succumbed to when he took the fruit from Eve in the Bible story?

2. How does Ishmael describe civilization’s progress in Chapter 7?

3. What new name for the Leavers do Ishmael and the narrator arrive at in their discussion in Chapter 12?

4. What knowledge does Ishmael say the early flyers would have fond useful in their attempts?

5. Where does Ishmael say, in Chapter 7, they should look for a set of laws about how to live?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Ishmael characterize the debate among the gods about an equitable way to take care of the animals?

2. What surprising behavior does Ishmael describe for the narrator in an imaginary hospitable city?

3. What does Ishmael say is the benefit of what he calls the peace-keeping law?

4. How do Ishmael and the narrator say that culture changed when the agricultural revolution took place?

5. Why does the narrator say that he is depressed when he does not see Ishmael for a few days?

6. How does Ishmael says man becomes man?

7. How does Ishmael say the Takers are fulfilling the story in which creation came to an end with them?

8. What are the three tricks Ishmael says the gods played on the Takers?

9. The narrator says that he wants to know the Leavers’ story so he can stop the destruction of the Takers’ story. Why does Ishmael say this is insufficient?

10. What objection does Ishmael make to the narrator’s questions at the beginning of Chapter 11?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Aside from the dialogue they conduct, Ishmael and the narrator seem to have a tense, and sometimes adversarial relationship. What is the role of their personal relationship in the novel, and how does it affect the narrator’s developing understanding of Ishmael’s teachings?

Essay Topic 2

In what ways is Ishmael relevant to contemporary readers? What contemporary issues are in play in the book, and how would the book contribute to contemporary discussion? Cite specific discussions from contemporary sources, and cite specific instances from the book that describe its contemporary relevance.

Essay Topic 3

How do you think times have changed since Daniel Quinn published Ishmael in 1992? Is Ishmael’s story still applicable? Have Ishmael’s teachings been learned anywhere? Where are people advocating Ishmael’s views, and what influence are they having?

(see the answer keys)

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