Ishmael - The Destruction ContinuesIshmael The biblical depiction of the "fall" of Adam and Eve lays the foundation for Daniel Quinn's novel, Ishmael. In this adventure of the spirit, a telepathic gorilla, Ishmael, uses the story of biblical characters to explain his philosophy on saving the world. Enticing his latest student, the novel's narrator, with an advertisement "Teacher seeks pupil. Must have a sincere desire to save the world. Apply in person," Ishmael counsels the narrator through a series of questions that force him to broaden his mind. . Diving straight into biblical allusions, Ishmael begins his lesson with the story of his evolution from “Goliath” (17) to Ishmael. He explains this evolution as a moment of realization in which he goes from blindly accepting the infamous reputation of Goliath, an evil giant of the Bible, to the quiet and thoughtful being of Ishmael. After his short story, Ishmael shifts his focus to creation. "A culture is a people who enact a story" (41), and the story of the Garden of Eden opened up new reflections on the transformation of man from being dependent to being independent. When Adam and Eve began their life on earth, they were completely dependent on the gods for all their needs. Like all the other animals in the garden, they followed the philosophy of "leavers" and left the question of who should live and who should die to the gods. However, the serpent, a member of the "taker" group, tempted Eve with the fruit of a tree that would give them knowledge of life and death. Eve, which in turn means “life” (179), tempted Adam with the fruit. Although forewarned that eating this forbidden fruit would kill man, Adam fell into temptation and his desire for life. Through this action, his eyes were partially opened to the vision of the gods. However, this knowledge would ultimately lead to the fulfillment of the gods' warnings that "[the world's] doom was assured" (166). After the realization of man, he placed himself in a separate category from animals and beasts who continued to rely on the situation of the world rather than themselves. An allusion to the biblical story of the descendants of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel continued the progression of man's transition from leavers, to what they now are, takers. The taker philosophy that "the world was made for man" (61), embodied their stubborn attitude that the universe must be conquered and exploited by humans.