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Norms Of Society Exposed In Ishmael By Daniel Quinn

1423 Words6 Pages

The novel Ishmael by Daniel Quinn addresses various human principles, and conveys an alternate view of the undisputed norms of society. Quinn displays this theme to the audience by explaining the story of mankind through humanity’s history, behavior, and evolution as a species. Within this explanation of mankind, Quinn uncovers that the world is mainly consisted of two types of people: The Takers and The Leavers. Although these two categories of man are important to mankind’s story, Quinn mainly focuses on The Taker’s self-proclaimed superior philosophies of living and how it reflects on human nature. According to the story, it was The Takers that enabled mankind to conquer and rule the world. The reason why The Takers were able to do …show more content…

One of them is called the dominants while the other half is referred to as subordinates. As the name suggests, the dominants are the superior group, and the subordinates are the inferior group. The relationship between these two groups can seen as tyrannical in terms of how the dominant group treats the subordinates. Often times, the dominant group will put labels on the subordinates which would place the subordinates in a much more inferior place; in fact, “dominant groups usually impede the development of subordinates and block their freedom of expression and action”(Miller 113). Because of this behavior, the dominant group has a great impact of influence in shaping a society’s …show more content…

Instead of following the law of competition in order to aid the natural world, mankind are killing everything in its path which in this case is mother nature and all the other species of animals. In this scenario, mankind believes that it is the dominant group while everything else in the world are the subordinates. This type of tyrannical behavior as stated before is common within permanent inequality.
Throughout the course of general inequality, particular roles were implemented and solidified among men and women. Overtime, these roles lead to the development of patriarchal society. According to Allan G. Johnson’s article on Patriarchy, “a society is patriarchal to the degree that is male-dominated, male-identified, and male-centered ” meaning that it was a system where men were in authority over women which could be considered as a variation within The Takers philosophical supremacy (153). The practice of patriarchy or male dominance benefitted men of all races and class, but in turn, placed women at a disadvantage. With patriarchy, the society became centered on men, which overshadowed women. Prestigious professions were given to men, and even laws were lenient towards supporting men over women. Although the past was much worse for women, they are still somewhat living behind the glorified lives of

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