Final answer:
Ishmael's expression reveals a sense of enlightenment as he perceives the myth of mankind's earthly dominion, challenging standard societal beliefs and asserting our role as part of a larger universe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The narrator characterizes Ishmael's expression with a sense of revelation and illumination as he understands that the idea of man's dominion over the earth is a myth. Ishmael's views challenge the conventional thinking depicted in the passages, suggesting that the societal constructs of authority and governance are not concrete truths but rather interpretations that can be questioned.
By invoking the allegorical dialogue of Socrates and the perspective on the astronomical insignificance of human endeavors, the narrator presents an alternative understanding in which man is not the ultimate ruler but a part of a vast universe with a more complex order.
The narrator characterizes Ishmael's expression as a mixture of awe, fascination, and realization. When Ishmael gets the narrator to see that the idea of man ruling the earth is a myth, the narrator describes how a realization slowly evolves within Ishmael, blinding him with the recognition of the underlying madness of progress and revolution.
This realization is portrayed as both a source of enlightenment and a cause for loathing, as Ishmael starts to question his own aspirations and ambitions.