Why does Ishmael initially withhold his name from the narrator?

Why does eliminating the glass between them cause both narrator and Ishmael some discomfort?

Do you accept Ishmael's thesis that modern culture plants in human beings from birth the thesis they are divinely destined to control the world? If so, discuss what you find most compelling in his argument and cite examples not in the book. If not, explain why.

How can the poster in Ishmael's room, "WITH MAN GONE, / WILL THERE / BE HOPE / FOR GORILLA?" be understood? Which interpretation do you prefer? Does the reverse side of the poster, "WITH GORILLA GONE, / WILL THERE / BE HOPE / FOR MAN?" lend itself to such ambiguity?

Does Ishmael's exegesis of Genesis 1-4 help you understand the biblical stories? How would you critique Ishmael's approach?

Is Ishmael unnecessarily harsh with the narrator's slowness of wit and inability...