Ax Ishmael

Seung-Hui Cho had this drew on he's arm the day he killed himself.
It's from a poem, but does anybody understand it's meaning and why he would want us too find it.

Callsign

There's a picture of "Ax Ishmael" on his arm. I have that picture and I would put it here, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to because in a way it's a picture of Cho's corpse. PM me if you want the picture. It's not graphic but I can't be too careful.

InsaneIntruder wrote:

There's a picture of "Ax Ishmael" on his arm. I have that picture and I would put it here, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to because in a way it's a picture of Cho's corpse. PM me if you want the picture. It's not graphic but I can't be too careful.

I would like the picture.

For Christs sake. Here.

Photo:

sitnwatchitburn wrote:

For Christs sake. Here.

Photo:

maybe i'm tired so i'm not seeing things right, but did he carve that into his arm?

See page 64 of "Seung-Hui Cho’s Fiction and Poetry," found at schoolshooters.info.

Seung-Hui Cho's character, Ax Manson, is the subject of ridicule from his classmates and derision from his abusive father. Cho's professor comments on the character's name: "Deliberate allusion to Charles Manson?"

Given Cho's apparent penchant for literary allusion, "Ishmael" may be a reference to the Abrahamic Ishmael, who is viewed as an outcast and/or martyr, depending on religious tradition. Given that Seung-Hui Cho was an English major, it could also be a reference to the literary Ishmael of Moby Dick--a character who is also likely an allusion to the Abrahamic Ishmael.

Cho sent his manifesto to NBC using the name "A. Ishmael." In his manifesto, he references "Children of Ishmael": "I say we take up the cross, Children of Ishmael, take up our guns and knives and any sharp objects, and take no prisoners and spare no lives until our last breath and last ounce of energy."

By the time Cho authored his manifesto, he had no money, no meaningful social relationships, no significant other, and no future prospects. When he attempted to publish a novel, it was rejected. When he attempted to approach a girl by anonymously texting her, Cho was contacted by police and was forbidden to make further contact. When he expressed suicidal thoughts to a friend, his friend had him committed involuntarily for psychiatric treatment. These events all happened in succession to Seung-Hui Cho, who as is apparent from his writings alone, was dealing with severe anxiety to begin with.

As Cho was enduring these various punishments, coupled with severe anxiety, he witnessed everyone around him blissfully enjoying all the things he was denied--friends, relationships, and prosperous futures. Every attempt Cho made to escape his situation was met with punishment.

But Cho knew he was not the only one who had dealt with such severe pain. He was aware of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, both of whom Cho references in his manifesto.

On page 27 of the aforementioned Fiction and Poetry document, one of Cho's characters thinks to himself: "I wish I was a psycho, though. It would be so much easier."

It seems Cho managed to fully inhabit a character he created--Ax Ishmael. In Cho's mind, Ax Ishmael would sacrifice himself and lead a revolution, where "weak and defenseless people"--those like himself, Eric, and Dylan--would take any weapons at their disposal ("take up our guns and knives and hammers") and revolt.

pessimist wrote:

sitnwatchitburn wrote:

For Christs sake. Here.

Photo:

maybe i'm tired so i'm not seeing things right, but did he carve that into his arm?

He drew it in red marker in my opinion.

Nate22 wrote:

It seems Cho managed to fully inhabit a character he created--Ax Ishmael. In Cho's mind, Ax Ishmael would sacrifice himself and lead a revolution, where "weak and defenseless people"--those like himself, Eric, and Dylan--would take any weapons at their disposal ("take up our guns and knives and hammers") and revolt.

And really this is pretty close to what Eric and Dylan themselves did. They felt weak, so they created the personas of Reb and VoDKa.

Nate22 wrote:

See page 64 of "Seung-Hui Cho’s Fiction and Poetry," found at schoolshooters.info.
[...]
On page 27 of the aforementioned Fiction and Poetry document, one of Cho's characters thinks to himself: "I wish I was a psycho, though. It would be so much easier."

I wonder if that was a purposeful reference to Eric Harris. The line "I wish I was a fucking psychopath so I wouldn't have any remorse for this" has been attributed to the basement tapes before.