Daniel Quinns Ishmael - Transformation of Will Weston from Taker to Le

Daniel Quinn's Ishmael - Transformation of Will Weston from Taker to Leaver The seceded Ecotopian nation and the country it came from can be categorized into two groups, "Takers" and "Leavers". These terms are derived from Daniel Quinn's novel, Ishmael. "Good. So henceforth I'm going to call the people of your [American] culture Takers and the people of all other cultures Leavers." "You call your self civilized and all the rest primitive." Upon entering Ecotopia, Will Weston is impressed, horrified and overwhelmed by the practices of Ecotopians. "Can things be as weird as they sound" and will he be able to "keep his sanity" among the madness he encounters? What Will does not know is that the longer he stays in Ecotopia, this "Leaver" society is going to challenge his "Taker" beliefs and mindset and ultimately change them for good. Will is very cautious and defensive upon going into Ecotopia. He's an American "Taker" traveling off into unknown "Leaver" territory and he is very suspicious of the Ecotopians. "Something peculiar is going on in this place. Can't yet exactly locate the source of the feeling. The way people deal with each other -with me- keeps reminding me of something -but I don't know what. Always takes me off guard, makes me feel I was confronted with some fine personal opportunity -a friendship, learning something's important, love -which by then has just passed Will's first impression of the Ecotopians is mixed. On one hand he thinks that they have very novel ideas in regards to the way they live and when he thinks of them as savages because of many of their different practices. "Woke up sweating, hands clutched tight on dream spear. Wished I was home safe in New York. Savages!" Many experiences wit... ... and live out in these past six weeks. He sees the horrible person that he used to be and instantly wants to part of it any more. He knows now that his place is right here in Ecotopia. For the past couple weeks he knew deep down that he should stay here, but couldn't bring himself to admit it openly. Not until he is shown is former self, does he admit his true feelings and decide to stay in Ecotopia. The one thing Will Weston never expected to happen as he went on assignment in Ecotopia did happen. He was influenced and changed by these so- called savages. He was changed from a typical American "Taker" into an Ecotopian "Leaver". His ideas about love, life and friendship were all changed in a matter of six weeks. He learned what it meant to live in harmony with nature and to be one with your fellow Ecotopians. We should only hope that Americans could do the same.