PRISM 2001/insides backup  10/2/01  4:01 PM  Page 20

T

HE

C

HAPTER

T

HAT

S

HOULD

H

AVE

B

EEN

I

NCLUDED

|  L

INDA

S

AMARZIA

Linda Samarzia is a secondary English and International Baccalaureate teacher at the International

School of Curitiba in southern Brazil. She received her Master's degree in English education from the

University of Wisconsin in 1991 and now enjoys taking summer classes in areas of interest outside her

teaching field. This chapter was a creative project as part my World Religions course taught during the

summer of 2000.

Ishmael, a thought provoking novel by Daniel Quinn, examines the history of "civilization" and its neg 

ative sociological and ecological impact on humanity. What makes this novel unique is the perspective:

a non human view that objectively presents criticism without offense. Ishmael notes that we are "cap 

tives of a system of civilization that more or less compels one to go on destroying the world in order

living." This novel pierces the illusions of "civilization," and it sounds an alarm that demands a response.

Richard J. deGrood

Professor of Religious Studies

The Chapter That Should Have Been Included      Linda Samarzia

20