At several points in Ishmael, Ishmael points out that Taker culture is self-contradictory and self-annihilating. One consequence of this is that Takers feel the need to forget about their contradictions. One strategy that Takers use to forget is to escape into drugs and intoxication. We see evidence of this first-hand in Ishmael: when the narrator is overcome by the complexity of his lessons with Ishmael, he often turns to bourbon or other alcoholic beverages for relaxation. (He even turns to painkillers after getting a tooth removed.) Alcohol and painkillers symbolize the hedonism and sensuality to which Takers—indeed, most humans—turn in the vain hope of fighting their depression and anxiety.
Alcohol and Painkillers Quotes in Ishmael
The Ishmael quotes below all refer to the symbol of Alcohol and Painkillers. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 7
Quotes
There was more to it than this, however, because I still felt depressed. A second bourbon helped me to it: I was making progress. That’s right. This was the source of my feeling of depression.
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Alcohol and Painkillers Symbol Timeline in Ishmael
The timeline below shows where the symbol Alcohol and Painkillers appears in Ishmael. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5
...there is no way to fight these flaws. As a result, people turn to crime, drugs, and many other things to fight their depression about this mythology. Ishmael suggests that there...
(full context)
Chapter 7
...so distressed by what he’s learned about humanity that he decides to go have a drink. As he drinks, he thinks that Ishmael’s latest assignment seems impossible, or at least tremendously...
(full context)
Chapter 10
...goes to a dentist, and ends up having one his molars removed. The dentist prescribes painkillers, which the narrator consumes along with bourbon. As a result of his dentist appointment, the...
(full context)
The narrator has dinner and a drink at a nearby restaurant. He returns to the carnival around 9 pm. He bribes a...
(full context)
