ari's creative space

According to Ishmael , how did things come to be this way? In your opinion, how did things come to be this way? The novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn tells the tale of ‘how things came to be this way’. The narrator sees an ad in the newspaper: “teacher seeks student”. He answers the ad to find the teacher is a gorilla, Ishmael who can communicate telepathically. The narrator learns from Ishmael ‘how things came to be this way’ through Socratic questioning. In this paper, I will explain Daniel Quinn’s writings of ‘how things came to be this way’, as well as elaborate on my own ideas. According to Ishmael, there are two groups, the Takers and the Leavers. He begins with the story of the Takers by asking the narrator to explain his culture’s creation myth. The narrator first insists he does not know of such a thing, until he comes to the realization that there is a story told and accepted by the takers. He starts the story with the big bang and evolution, stating that “s...

What is Freedom? Are we free? The concept of freedom is one that has prevailed as a popular debate topic for years. The very foundation of countries was built on the concept of freedom. In addition, the idea of free will and fate are highly discussed in mostly religious aspects. In this paper I will explore the topic of freedom and free will.              Freedom is defined as “the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action” as well as “liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another”. The essence of freedom according to these definitions appears to lie in the ability to act as one pleases to their fullest extent. Many people would consider someone such as myself, the typical college student to be free. I agree with the claim that I am, to some extent, free, but I do not think I am completely free. I do not think anyone can ever be completely free.      ...