Plot Overview http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/moby/shortsumm.

html The novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville is an epic tale of the voyage of the whaling ship the Pe uod and its captain! "hab! who relentlessly pursues the great #perm $hale %the title character& during a 'ourney around the world. The narrator of the novel is (shmael! a sailor on the Pe uod who undertakes the 'ourney out of his affection for the sea. Moby Dick begins with (shmael)s arrival in *ew +edford as he travels toward *antucket. He rests at the #pouter (nn in *ew +edford! where he meets ,uee ueg! a harpooner from *ew -ealand who will also sail on the Pe uod. "lthough ,uee ueg appears dangerous! he and (shmael must share a bed together and the narrator uickly grows fond of the somewhat uncivili.ed harpooner. ,uee ueg is actually the son of a High /hief who left *ew -ealand because of his desire to learn among /hristians. The ne0t day! (shmael attends a church service and listens to a sermon by 1ather Mapple! a renowned preacher who delivers a sermon considering 2onah and the whale that concludes that the tale is a lesson to preacher Truth in the face of 1alsehood. 3n a schooner to *antucket! (shmael and ,uee ueg come across a local bumpkin who mocks ,uee ueg. However! when this bumpkin is swept overboard! ,uee ueg saves him. (n *antucket! ,uee ueg and (shmael choose between three ships for a year 'ourney! and decide upon the Pe uod. The /aptain of the Pe uod! Peleg! is now retired! and merely owns the boat with another ,uaker! +ildad. Peleg tells them of the new captain! "hab! and immediately describes him as a grand and ungodly man. +efore leaving for their voyage! (shmael and ,uee ueg come across a stranger named 4li'ah who predicts disaster on their 'ourney. +efore leaving on the Pe uod! 4li'ah again predicts disaster. (shmael and ,uee ueg board the Pe uod! where /aptain "hab is still unseen! secluded in his own cabin. Peleg and +ildad consult with #tarbuck! the first mate. He is a ,uaker and a *antucket native who is uite practical. The second mate is #tubb! a /ape /od native with a more 'ovial and carefree attitude. The third is 1lask! a Martha)s 5ineyard native with a pugnacious attitude. Melville introduces the rest of the crew! including the (ndian harpooner Tashtego! the "frican harpooner Daggoo. #everal days into the voyage! "hab finally appears as a man seemingly made of bron.e who stands on an ivory leg fashioned from whalebone. He eventually gets into a violent argument with #tubb when the second mate makes a 'oke at "hab)s e0pense! and kicks him. This leads #tubb to dream of kicking "hab)s ivory leg off! but 1lask claims that the kick from "hab is a sign of honor. "t last! "hab tells the crew of the Pe uod to look for a white6headed whale with a wrinkled brow: Moby Dick! the legendary whale that took "hab)s leg. #tarbuck tells "hab that his obsession with Moby Dick is madness! but "hab claims that all things are masks and there is some unknown reasoning behind that mask that man must strike through. 1or "hab! Moby Dick is that mask. "hab himself seems to recogni.e his own madness. #tarbuck begins to worry that the ship is overmatched by the mad captain and knows that he will see an impious end to "hab. $hile ,uee ueg and (shmael weave a sword6mat for lashing to their boat! the Pe uod soon comes upon a whale and "hab orders his crew to their boats. "hab orders his special crew! which (shmael compares to 7phantoms!7 to their boats. The crew attacks a whale and ,uee ueg does strike it! but this is insufficient to kill it. "mong the 7phantoms7 in the boat is 1edallah! a sinister Parsee. "fter passing the /ape of 8ood Hope! the Pe uod comes across the 8oney %"lbatross&! another ship on its voyage. "hab asks whether they have seen Moby Dick as the ships pass one another! but "hab cannot hear his answer. The mere passing of the ships is unorthodo0 behavior! for ships will generally have a )gam!) a meeting between two ships. The Pe uod does have a gam with the ne0t ship it encounters! the Town6Ho.

(shmael interrupts his narration to tell a story that was told to him by the crew of the Town6Ho! 'ust as he would tell it to a circle of #panish friends after his 'ourney on the Pe uod. The story concerns the near mutiny on the Town6Ho and its eventual conflict with Moby Dick. The Pe uod does van uish the ne0t whale that it comes across! as #tubb strikes a whale with his harpoon. However! as the crew of the Pe uod attempts to bring the whale into the ship! sharks attack the carcass and ,uee ueg nearly loses his hand while fending them off. The Pe uod ne0t comes upon the 2eroboam! a *antucket ship afflicted with an epidemic. #tubb later tells a story about the 2eroboam and a mutiny that occurred on this ship because of a #haker prophet! 8abriel! on board. The captain of the 2eroboam! Mayhew! warns "hab about Moby Dick. "fter van uishing a #perm $hale! #tubb ne0t also kills a 9ight $hale. "lthough this is not on the ship)s agenda! the Pe uod pursues a 9ight $hale because of the good omens associated with having the head of a #perm $hale and a head of a 9ight $hale on a ship. #tubb and 1lask discuss rumors that "hab has sold his soul to 1edallah. The ne0t ship that the Pe uod meets is the 2ungfrau %5irgin&! a 8erman ship in desperate need of oil. The Pe uod competes with the 5irgin for a large whale! and the Pe uod is successful in defeating it. However! the whale carcass begins to sink as the Pe uod attempts to secure it and thus the Pe uod must abandon it. The Pe uod ne0t finds a large group of #perm $hales and in'ures several of them! but only captures a single one. #tubb concocts a plan to swindle the ne0t ship that the Pe uod meets! the 1rench ship +outon6de6 9ose %9osebud&! of ambergris. #tubb tells them that the whales that they have van uished are useless and could damage their ship! and when the 9osebud leaves these behind the Pe uod takes them in order to gain the ambergris in one of them. #everal days after encountering the 9osebud! a young black man on the boat! Pippin! becomes frightened while lowering after a whale and 'umps from the boat! becoming entangled in the whale line. #tubb chastises him for his cowardice and tells him that he will be left at sea if he 'umps again. $hen Pippin %Pip& does the same thing again! #tubb remains true to his word and Pip only survives because a nearby boat saves him. *evertheless! Pip loses his sanity from the event. The ne0t ship that the Pe uod encounters! a +ritish ship called the #amuel 4nderby! bears news of Moby Dick but its crewman Dr. +unger warns "hab to leave the whale alone. :ater! "hab)s leg breaks and the carpenter must fi0 it. "hab behaves scornfully toward the carpenter. $hen #tarbuck learns that the casks have sprung a leak! he goes to "hab)s cabin to report the news. "hab disagrees with #tarbuck)s advice on the matter! and becomes so enraged that he pulls a musket on #tarbuck. "lthough "hab warns #tarbuck that there is but one 8od on 4arth and one /aptain on the Pe uod! #tarbuck tells him that he will be no danger to "hab! for "hab is sufficient danger to himself. "hab does relent to #tarbuck)s advice. ,uee ueg becomes ill from fever and seems to approach death! so he asks for a canoe to serve as a coffin. The carpenter measures ,uee ueg for his coffin and builds it! but ,uee ueg returns to health! claiming that he willed his own recovery. ,uee ueg keeps the coffin and uses it as a sea chest. ;pon reaching the Pacific 3cean! "hab asks Perth the blacksmith to forge a harpoon to use against Moby Dick. Perth fashions a harpoon that "hab demands be tempered with the blood of his pagan harpooners! and he howls out that he bapti.es the harpoon in the name of the devil. The ne0t ship that the Pe uod meets is the +achelor! a *antucket ship whose captain denies the e0istence of Moby Dick. The ne0t day! the Pe uod slays four whales! and that night "hab dreams of hearses. He and 1edallah pledge to slay Moby Dick and survive the conflict! and "hab boasts of his own immortality. "hab must soon decide between an easy route past the /ape of 8ood Hope back to *antucket and a difficult route in pursuit of Moby Dick. "hab easily chooses to continue his uest.

The Pe uod soon comes upon a typhoon on its 'ourney in the Pacific! and while battling this storm the Pe uod)s compass moves out of alignment. $hen #tarbuck learns this and goes to "hab)s cabin to tell him! he finds the old man asleep. #tarbuck considers shooting "hab with his musket! but he cannot move himself to shoot his captain after he hears "hab cry in his sleep 7Moby Dick! ( clutch thy heart at last.7 The ne0t morning after the typhoon! "hab corrects the problem with the compass despite the skepticism of his crew and the ship continues on its 'ourney. "hab learns that Pip has gone insane and offers his cabin to the poor boy. The Pe uod comes upon yet another ship! the 9achel! whose captain! 8ardiner! knows "hab. He re uests the Pe uod)s help in searching for 8ardiner)s son! who may be lost at sea! but "hab flatly refuses when he learns that Moby Dick is nearby. The final ship that the Pe uod meets is the Delight! a ship that has recently come upon Moby Dick and has nearly been destroyed by its encounter with the whale. +efore finally finding Moby Dick! "hab reminisces about the day nearly forty years before in which he struck his first whale! and laments the solitude of his years out on the sea. He admits that he has chased his prey as more of a demon than a man. The struggle against Moby Dick lasts three days. 3n the first day! "hab spies the whale himself! and the whaling boats row after it. Moby Dick attacks "hab)s boat! causing it to sink! but "hab survives the ordeal when he reaches #tubb)s boat. Despite this first failed attempt at defeating the whale! "hab pursues him for a second day. 3n the second day of the chase! roughly the same defeat occurs. This time Moby Dick breaks "hab)s ivory leg! while 1edallah dies when he becomes entangled in the harpoon line and is drowned. "fter this second attack! #tarbuck chastises "hab! telling him that his pursuit is impious and blasphemous. "hab declares that the chase against Moby Dick is immutably decreed! and pursues it for a third day. 3n the third day of the attack against Moby Dick! #tarbuck panics for ceding to "hab)s demands! while "hab tells #tarbuck that 7some ships sail from their ports and ever afterwards are missing!7 seemingly admitting the futility of his mission. $hen "hab and his crew reach Moby Dick! "hab finally stabs the whale with his harpoon but the whale again tips "hab)s boat. However! the whale rams the Pe uod and causes it to begin sinking. (n a seemingly suicidal act! "hab throws his harpoon at Moby Dick but becomes entangled in the line and goes down with it. 3nly (shmael survives this attack! for he was fortunate to be on a whaling boat instead of on the Pe uod. 4ventually he is rescued by the 9achel as its captain continues his search for his missing son! only to find a different orphan. Character List Ishmael 6 The narrator! and a 'unior member of the crew of the Pe uod. (shmael doesn<t play a ma'or role in the events of the novel! but much of the narrative is taken up by his elo uent! verbose! and e0travagant discourse on whales and whaling. Ahab 6 The egomaniacal captain of the Pe uod. "hab lost his leg to Moby Dick. He is single6 minded in his pursuit of the whale! using a mi0ture of charisma and terror to persuade his crew to 'oin him. "s a captain! he is dictatorial but not unfair. "t moments he shows a compassionate side! caring for the insane Pip and musing on his wife and child back in *antucket. Moby Dick 6 The great white sperm whale. Moby Dick! also referred to as the $hite $hale! is an infamous and dangerous threat to seamen! considered by "hab the incarnation of evil and a fated nemesis. Starbuck 6 The first mate of the Pe uod. #tarbuck uestions "hab<s 'udgment! first in private and later in public. He is a religious man who believes that /hristianity offers a way to interpret the world around him! although he is not dogmatic or pushy about his beliefs. #tarbuck acts as a conservative force against "hab<s mania. Queequeg 6 #tarbuck<s skilled harpooner and (shmael<s best friend. ,uee ueg was once a prince from a #outh #ea island who stowed away on a whaling ship in search of adventure. He is a

composite of elements of "frican! Polynesian! (slamic! /hristian! and *ative "merican cultures. He is brave and generous! and enables (shmael to see that race has no bearing on a man<s character. Stubb 6 The second mate of the Pe uod. #tubb! chiefly characteri.ed by his mischievous good humor! is easygoing and popular. He proves a bit of a nihilist! always trusting in fate and refusing to assign too much significance to anything. Tashtego 6 #tubb<s harpooner! Tashtego is a 8ay Head (ndian from Martha<s 5ineyard! one of the last of a tribe about to disappear. Tashtego performs many of the skilled tasks aboard the ship! such as tapping the case of spermaceti in the whale<s head. :ike ,uee ueg! Tashtego embodies certain characteristics of the =noble savage> and is meant to defy racial stereotypes. He is! however! more practical and less intellectual than ,uee ueg: like many a common sailor! Tashtego craves rum. lask 6 " native of Tisbury on Martha<s 5ineyard and the third mate of the Pe uod. #hort and stocky! 1lask has a confrontational attitude and no reverence for anything. His stature has earned him the nickname =?ing6Post!> because he resembles a certain type of short! s uare timber. Daggoo 6 1lask<s harpooner. Daggoo is a physically enormous! imperious6 looking "frican. :ike ,uee ueg! he stowed away on a whaling ship that stopped near his home. Daggoo is less prominent in the narrative than either ,uee ueg or Tashtego. Pi! 6 " young black boy who fills the role of a cabin boy or 'ester on the Pe uod. Pip has a minimal role in the beginning of the narrative but becomes important when he goes insane after being left to drift alone in the sea for some time. :ike the fools in #hakespeare<s plays! he is half idiot and half prophet! often perceiving things that others don<t. e"allah 6 " strange! =oriental> old Parsee %Persian fire6worshipper& whom "hab has brought on board unbeknownst to most of the crew. 1edallah has a very striking appearance: around his head is a turban made from his own hair! and he wears a black /hinese 'acket and pants. He is an almost supernaturally skilled hunter and also serves as a prophet to "hab. 1edallah keeps his distance from the rest of the crew! who for their part view him with unease. Peleg 6 " well6to6do retired whaleman of *antucket and a ,uaker. "s one of the principal owners of the Pe uod! Peleg! along with /aptain +ildad! takes care of hiring the crew. $hen the two are negotiating wages for (shmael and ,uee ueg! Peleg plays the generous one! although his salary offer is not terribly impressive. #il"a" 6 "nother well6to6do ,uaker e06whaleman from *antucket who owns a large share of the Pe uod. +ildad is %or pretends to be& crustier than Peleg in negotiations over wages. +oth men display a business sense and a bloodthirstiness unusual for ,uakers! who are normally pacifists. ather Ma!!le 6 " former whaleman and now the preacher in the *ew +edford $haleman<s /hapel. 1ather Mapple delivers a sermon on 2onah and the whale in which he uses the +ible to address the whalemen<s lives. :earned but also e0perienced! he is an e0ample of someone whose trials have led him toward 8od rather than bitterness or revenge. Ca!tai$ #oomer 6 The 'ovial captain of the 4nglish whaling ship the #amuel 4nderby. +oomer lost his arm in an accident involving Moby Dick. ;nlike "hab! +oomer is glad to have escaped with his life! and he sees further pursuit of the whale as madness. He is a foil for "hab! as the two men react in different ways to a similar e0perience. %abriel 6 " sailor aboard the 2eroboam. Part of a #haker sect! 8abriel has prophesied that Moby Dick is the incarnation of the #haker god and that any attempts to harm him will result in disaster. His prophecies have been borne out by the death of the 2eroboam<s mate in a whale hunt and the plague that rages aboard the ship. A$alysis o& Ma'or Characters Ishmael Despite his centrality to the story! (shmael doesn<t reveal much about himself to the reader. $e know that he has gone to sea out of some deep spiritual malaise and that shipping aboard a

whaler is his version of committing suicide@he believes that men aboard a whaling ship are lost to the world. (t is apparent from (shmael<s fre uent digressions on a wide range of sub'ects@from art! geology! and anatomy to legal codes and literature@that he is intelligent and well educated! yet he claims that a whaling ship has been =AhisB Cale /ollege and AhisB Harvard.> He seems to be a self6 taught 9enaissance man! good at everything but committed to nothing. 8iven the mythic! romantic aspects of Moby6Dick! it is perhaps fitting that its narrator should be an enigma: not everything in a story so dependent on fate and the seemingly supernatural needs to make perfect sense. "dditionally! (shmael represents the fundamental contradiction between the story of Moby6 Dick and its setting. Melville has created a profound and philosophically complicated tale and set it in a world of largely uneducated working6class menD (shmael! thus! seems less a real character than an instrument of the author. *o one else aboard the Pe uod possesses the proper combination of intellect and e0perience to tell this story. (ndeed! at times even (shmael fails Melville<s purposes! and he disappears from the story for long stretches! replaced by dramatic dialogues and solilo uies from "hab and other characters. Ahab "hab! the Pe uod<s obsessed captain! represents both an ancient and a uintessentially modern type of hero. :ike the heroes of 8reek or #hakespearean tragedy! "hab suffers from a single fatal flaw! one he shares with such legendary characters as 3edipus and 1aust. His tremendous overconfidence! or hubris! leads him to defy common sense and believe that! like a god! he can enact his will and remain immune to the forces of nature. He considers Moby Dick the embodiment of evil in the world! and he pursues the $hite $hale monomaniacally because he believes it his inescapable fate to destroy this evil. "ccording to the critic M. H. "brams! such a tragic hero =moves us to pity because! since he is not an evil man! his misfortune is greater than he deservesD but he moves us also to fear! because we recogni.e similar possibilities of error in our own lesser and fallible selves.> ;nlike the heroes of older tragic works! however! "hab suffers from a fatal flaw that is not necessarily inborn but instead stems from damage! in his case both psychological and physical! inflicted by life in a harsh world. He is as much a victim as he is an aggressor! and the symbolic opposition that he constructs between himself and Moby Dick propels him toward what he considers a destined end. Moby Dick (n a sense! Moby Dick is not a character! as the reader has no access to the $hite $hale<s thoughts! feelings! or intentions. (nstead! Moby Dick is an impersonal force! one that many critics have interpreted as an allegorical representation of 8od! an inscrutable and all6powerful being that humankind can neither understand nor defy. Moby Dick thwarts free will and cannot be defeated! only accommodated or avoided. (shmael tries a plethora of approaches to describe whales in general! but none proves ade uate. (ndeed! as (shmael points out! the ma'ority of a whale is hidden from view at all times. (n this way! a whale mirrors its environment. :ike the whale! only the surface of the ocean is available for human observation and interpretation! while its depths conceal unknown and unknowable truths. 1urthermore! even when (shmael does get his hands on a =whole> whale! he is unable to determine which part@the skeleton! the head! the skin@offers the best understanding of the whole living! breathing creatureD he cannot locali.e the essence of the whale. This conundrum can be read as a metaphor for the human relationship with the /hristian 8od %or any other god! for that matter&: 8od is unknowable and cannot be pinned down. Themes( Moti&s ) Symbols (Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in a literary work.)

The Limits o& *$owle"ge "s (shmael tries! in the opening pages of Moby6Dick! to offer a simple collection of literary e0cerpts mentioning whales! he discovers that! throughout history! the whale has taken on an incredible multiplicity of meanings. 3ver the course of the novel! he makes use of nearly every discipline known to man in his attempts to understand the essential nature of the whale. 4ach of these systems of knowledge! however! including art! ta0onomy! and phrenology! fails to give an ade uate account. The multiplicity of approaches that (shmael takes! coupled with his compulsive need to assert his authority as a narrator and the fre uent references to the limits of observation %men cannot see the depths of the ocean! for e0ample&! suggest that human knowledge is always limited and insufficient. $hen it comes to Moby Dick himself! this limitation takes on allegorical significance. The ways of Moby Dick! like those of the /hristian 8od! are unknowable to man! and thus trying to interpret them! as "hab does! is inevitably futile and often fatal. The Dece!tive$ess o& ate (n addition to highlighting many portentous or foreshadowing events! (shmael<s narrative contains many references to fate! creating the impression that the Pe uod<s doom is inevitable. Many of the sailors believe in prophecies! and some even claim the ability to foretell the future. " number of things suggest! however! that characters are actually deluding themselves when they think that they see the work of fate and that fate either doesn<t e0ist or is one of the many forces about which human beings can have no distinct knowledge. "hab! for e0ample! clearly e0ploits the sailors< belief in fate to manipulate them into thinking that the uest for Moby Dick is their common destiny. Moreover! the prophesies of 1edallah and others seem to be undercut in /hapter EE! when various individuals interpret the doubloon in different ways! demonstrating that humans pro'ect what they want to see when they try to interpret signs and portents. The +,!loitative -ature o& .hali$g "t first glance! the Pe uod seems like an island of e uality and fellowship in the midst of a racist! hierarchically structured world. The ship<s crew includes men from all corners of the globe and all races who seem to get along harmoniously. (shmael is initially uneasy upon meeting ,uee ueg! but he uickly reali.es that it is better to have a =sober cannibal than a drunken /hristian> for a shipmate. "dditionally! the conditions of work aboard the Pe uod promote a certain kind of egalitarianism! since men are promoted and paid according to their skill. However! the work of whaling parallels the other e0ploitative activities@buffalo hunting! gold mining! unfair trade with indigenous peoples@that characteri.e "merican and 4uropean territorial e0pansion. 4ach of the Pe uod<s mates! who are white! is entirely dependent on a nonwhite harpooner! and nonwhites perform most of the dirty or dangerous 'obs aboard the ship. 1lask actually stands on Daggoo! his "frican harpooner! in order to beat the other mates to a pri.e whale. "hab is depicted as walking over the black youth Pip! who listens to "hab<s pacing from below deck! and is thus reminded that his value as a slave is less than the value of a whale. Moti&s (Motifs are recurring structures, contrasts, or literary devices that can help to develop and inform the texts major themes.) .hite$ess $hiteness! to (shmael! is horrible because it represents the unnatural and threatening: albinos! creatures that live in e0treme and inhospitable environments! waves breaking against rocks. These e0amples reverse the traditional association of whiteness with purity. $hiteness conveys

both a lack of meaning and an unreadable e0cess of meaning that confounds individuals. Moby Dick is the pinnacle of whiteness! and Melville<s characters cannot ob'ectively understand the $hite $hale. "hab! for instance! believes that Moby Dick represents evil! while (shmael fails in his attempts to determine scientifically the whale<s fundamental nature. Sur&aces a$" De!ths (shmael fre uently bemoans the impossibility of e0amining anything in its entirety! noting that only the surfaces of ob'ects and environments are available to the human observer. 3n a live whale! for e0ample! only the outer layer presents itselfD on a dead whale! it is impossible to determine what constitutes the whale<s skin! or which part@skeleton! blubber! head@offers the best understanding of the entire animal. Moreover! as the whale swims! it hides much of its body underwater! away from the human ga.e! and no one knows where it goes or what it does. The sea itself is the greatest frustration in this regard: its depths are mysterious and inaccessible to (shmael. This motif represents the larger problem of the limitations of human knowledge. Humankind is not all6seeingD we can only observe! and thus only ac uire knowledge about! that fraction of entities@ both individuals and environments@to which we have access: surfaces. Symbols ( ym!ols are o!jects, characters, figures, or colors used to represent a!stract ideas or concepts.) The Pequo" *amed after a *ative "merican tribe in Massachusetts that did not long survive the arrival of white men and thus memoriali.ing an e0tinction! the Pe uod is a symbol of doom. (t is painted a gloomy black and covered in whale teeth and bones! literally bristling with the mementos of violent death. (t is! in fact! marked for death. "dorned like a primitive coffin! the Pe uod becomes one. Moby Dick Moby Dick possesses various symbolic meanings for various individuals. To the Pe uod<s crew! the legendary $hite $hale is a concept onto which they can displace their an0ieties about their dangerous and often very frightening 'obs. +ecause they have no delusions about Moby Dick acting malevolently toward men or literally embodying evil! tales about the whale allow them to confront their fear! manage it! and continue to function. "hab! on the other hand! believes that Moby Dick is a manifestation of all that is wrong with the world! and he feels that it is his destiny to eradicate this symbolic evil. Moby Dick also bears out interpretations not tied down to specific characters. (n its inscrutable silence and mysterious habits! for e0ample! the $hite $hale can be read as an allegorical representation of an unknowable 8od. "s a profitable commodity! it fits into the scheme of white economic e0pansion and e0ploitation in the nineteenth century. "s a part of the natural world! it represents the destruction of the environment by such hubristic e0pansion. Queequeg/s Co&&i$ ,uee ueg<s coffin alternately symboli.es life and death. ,uee ueg has it built when he is seriously ill! but when he recovers! it becomes a chest to hold his belongings and an emblem of his will to live. He perpetuates the knowledge tattooed on his body by carving it onto the coffin<s lid. The coffin further comes to symboli.e life! in a morbid way! when it replaces the Pe uod<s life buoy. $hen the Pe uod sinks! the coffin becomes (shmael<s buoy! saving not only his life but the life of the narrative that he will pass on.

Themes 0&rom other sources1 http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/moby/themes.html Ahab as a #las!hemous igure2 " ma'or assumption that runs through Moby Dick is that "hab)s uest against the great whale is a blasphemous activity! even apart from the conse uences that it has upon its crew. This blasphemy takes two ma'or forms: the first type of blasphemy to prevail within "hab is hubris! the idea that "hab thinks himself the e ual of 8od. The second type of blasphemy is a re'ection of 8od altogether for an alliance with the devil. Melville makes this point e0plicit during various episodes of the novel! such as the instance in which 8abriel warns "hab to 7think of the blasphemer)s end7 %/hapter FG: The 2eroboam)s #tory& and the appraisal of "hab from Peleg in which he designates him as an ungodly man %/hapter GH: The #hip&. The idea that "hab)s uest for Moby Dick is an act of defiance toward 8od assuming that "hab is omnipotent first occurs before "hab is even introduced during 1ather Mapple)s sermon. The lesson of the sermon! which concerns the story of 2onah and the whale! is to warn against the blasphemous idea that a ship can carry a man into regions where 8od does not reign. "hab parallels this idea when he compares himself to 8od as the lord over the Pe uod %/hapter GIE: "hab and #tarbuck in the /abin&. Melville furthers this idea through the prophetic dream that 1edallah tells "hab that causes "hab to conclude that he is immortal. *evertheless! a more disturbing type of blasphemy also emerges during the course of the novel in which "hab does not merely believe himself omnipotent! but aligns himself with the devil during his uest. "hab remains in collaboration with 1edallah! a character rumored by #tubb to be the devil himself! and when "hab receives his harpoon he asks that it be bapti.ed in the name of the devil! not in the name of the father. The .hale as a Symbol o& 3$!arallele" %reat$ess2 $hen Melville! through (shmael! describes the #perm $hale during the many non6narrative chapters of Moby Dick! the idea that the whale has no parallel in e0cellence recurs as a nearly labored point. Melville approaches this theme from a variety of standpoints! whether biological or historical! in order to prove the superiority of the whale over all other creatures. During a number of occasions Melville relates whaling to royal activity! as when he notes the strong devotion of :ouis J5( to the whaling industry and considers the whale as a delicacy fit for only the most civili.ed. (n additional! Melville cites the (ndian legends of 5ishnoo! the god who became incarnate in a whale. 4ven when discussing the whale in mere aesthetic terms Melville lauds it for its features! devoting an entire chapter %KL& to the whiteness of the whale! while degrading those artists who falsely depict the whale. The theme of the e0cellence of the whale serves to place "hab)s uest against Moby Dick as! at best! a virtually insurmountable task in which he is doomed to failure. Melville constructs the whale as a figure that cannot be easily van uished! if it can be defeated at all. The .hale as a$ 3$"e&i$able igure2 $hile Melville uses the whale as a symbol of e0cellence! he also resists any literal interpretation of that e0cellence by refusing to e uate the species with any concrete ob'ect or idea. 1or Melville! the whale is an indefinite figure! as best shown in 7The $hiteness of the $hale7 %/hapter KL&. Melville defines the whiteness as absence of color and thus finds the whale as having an absence of meaning. Melville bolsters this premise that the whale cannot be defined through the various stories that (shmael tells in which scholars! historians and artists misinterpret the whale in their respective fields. (ndeed! the e0tended discussion of the various aspects of the whale also serve this purposeD by detailing the various aspects of the whale in their many forms! Melville makes the

whale an even more inscrutable figure whose essence cannot be described through its history or physiognomy. The recurring failed attempts to find a concrete definition of the whale leave the #perm $hale! and Moby Dick more specifically! as abstract and devoid of any concrete meaning. +y allowing the whale to e0ist as a mysterious figure! Melville does not pin the whale down as an easy metaphorical parallel! but instead leaves a multiplicity of various interpretations for Moby Dick. " more personali.ed interpretation for the thematic significance of the inability to define the whale relates to "hab)s comparison of Moby Dick to a mask that obscures the unknown reasoning that he seeks. (n this interpretation! the inability to define a whale is significant not in itself! but because it stands in the way of greater reasoning and understanding. Moby Dick as a Part o& Ahab2 Throughout the novel! Melville creates a relationship between "hab and Moby Dick despite the latter)s absence until the final three chapters through the recurrence of elements creating a close relationship between "hab and the whale. The most significant of these is the actual physical presence of the #perm $hale as part of "hab)s body in the form of "hab)s ivory leg. The whale is a physical part of "hab in this instanceD it is literally a part of "hab. Melville also develops this theme through the uncanny sense that "hab has for the whale. "hab has a nearly psychic sense of Moby Dick)s presence! and more tragically! the idea of Moby Dick perpetually haunts the formidable captain. This theme serves in part to better e0plain the depth of emotion behind "hab)s uest for the whaleD as a living presence that haunts "hab)s life! he feels that he must continue on his uest no matter the cost. The Co$trast betwee$ Civili4e" a$" Paga$ Society2 The relationship between ,uee ueg and (shmael throughout Moby Dick generally illustrates the prevalent contrast between civili.ed! specifically /hristian societies and uncivili.ed! pagan societies. The continued comparisons and contrasts between these two types of societies is often favorable for Melville! particularly in the discussion of ,uee ueg! the most ideali.ed character in the novel! whose uncivili.ed and imposing appearance only obscures his actual honor and civili.ed demeanor. (n this respect! Melville is fit simply to deconstruct ,uee ueg and place him in entirely sympathetic terms! finding the characters from civili.ed and from uncivili.ed societies to be virtually identical. *evertheless! Melville does not include these thematic elements simply for a lesson on other culturesD a recurring theme e uates non6/hristian societies with diabolical behavior! particularly when in reference to "hab. "hab specifically chooses the three pagan characters) blood when he wishes to temper his harpoon in the name of the devil! while the most obviously corrupt character in Moby Dick is conspicuously the Persian 1edallah! whom the other characters believe to be #atan in disguise. $ith the e0ception of ,uee ueg! e uating the pagan characters with #atan does align with the general religious overtones of the novel! one which presumes /hristianity as its basis and moral ground. The Sea as a Place o& Tra$sitio$2 (n Moby Dick! the sea represents a transitional place between two distinct states. Melville shows this early on in the case of ,uee ueg and the other (solatoes %Daggoo and Tashtego&! who represents the transition from uncivili.ed to civili.ed society unbound by any specific nationality! but in an overwhelming amount of cases this transitional theme relates to the precarious line between life and death. There are a number of characters who teeter at the brink between life and death! whether literally or metaphorically! throughout Moby Dick. ,uee ueg again proves to be an e0ample: during his illness he prepares for death and in fact remains in his own coffin waiting for illness to overtake him! but it never does %/hapter GGI: ,uee ueg in his coffin&. The coffin itself

becomes a transitional element several chapters later when the carpenter converts it into a life6buoy and it thus comes to symboli.e both the saving of a life and the end of one %/hapter GLH: The :ife6 +uoy&. #everal of the minor characters in Moby Dick also e0ist in highly transitional states between life and death. "fter Pippin 'umps to his death from the whaling boat and is saved only by chance! he loses his sanity and behaves as if a part of him! the 7infinite of his soul7 had already diedD essentially! the character becomes a shell of a person waiting for death. Melville further elaborates this theme through the blacksmith! who works on the sea primarily as a means to escape life. He came on his 'ourney to escape from the trappings of life after his family had died! and e0ists on sea primarily as a passage before his eventual death. 5arbi$gers a$" Su!erstitio$2 " recurring theme throughout Moby Dick is the appearance of harbingers! superstitious and prophecies that foreshadow a tragic end to the story. 4ven before (shmael boards the Pe uod! the *antucket strangers 4li'ah warns (shmael and ,uee ueg against traveling with /aptain "hab. The Parsee 1edallah also has a prophetic dream concerning "hab)s uest against Moby Dick! dreaming of hearses %although he misinterprets the dream to mean that "hab will certainly kill Moby Dick&. (ndeed! the characters are bound by superstition and myth: the only reason that the Pe uod kills a 9ight $hale is the legend that a ship will have good luck if it has the head of a 9ight $hale and the head of a #perm $hale on its opposing sides. "n additional harbinger of doom found in Moby Dick occurs when a hawk takes "hab)s hat! thus recalling the story of Tar uin and how his wife Tana uil predicted that it was a sign that he would become king of 9ome. The purpose of these omens throughout Moby Dick is to create a sense of inevitability. 4ven from the beginning of the 'ourney the Pe uod)s mission is doomed by /aptain "hab! and the invocation of various omens serves to endow this mission with a sense of grandeur and destiny. (t is no suicide mission that "hab undertakes! but a grand folly of hubris. T5+M+S A-AL6SIS http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmMobyDickFG.asp Herman<s Melville<s Mo!y "ick is by far his best literary work as it is not 'ust another sea adventure. (n the story! the author has a message for his readers. +ut he suggests his message through a fascinating array of symbols and imagery. The moral message comes across through the biblical story of 2onah and the whale. (n the biblical story %3ld Testament& 2onah does not heed the word of 8od and conse uently! he has to face 8od<s wrath and go on a ship to Tarshish where he is stopped by a terrible storm at sea. 1inally when the crewmembers find out that it is because of the sinner 2onah that this storm had been engineered he is thrown into the sea. 9eali.ing his mistake! 2onah prays for forgiveness. The result is that 8od forgives 2onah and asks the whale to release him. The story as part of the /haplain<s #unday #ermon gives the reader an inkling of the events to occur later in the book! namely the 'ourney on the #e$uod and its tragic end. 2ust as in the story! 2onah strays away from the path of 8od! so does the evil /aptain "hab in his single mindedness try to avenge the whale! Moby Dick. +ut while 2onah repents for his sins and is forgiven! "hab does not pay heed to the warning signal given out by the terrible storm that damages the #e$uod<s sails. "nd he dies while trying to strike a harpoon into Moby Dick. The author deliberately makes a veiled reference to the novel<s message! for it is something that goes against the tenets of /hristian philosophy that says that 7man<s life is but a shadow on earth.7 Though man suffers on earth he attains heavenly bliss after death. +ut Melville does not agree with this and instead states through symbolism and the 'ourney of the Pe uod that there is

only one life.! and man pays for his deeds during his lifetime and not after death. This view seems to agree with the religious revivalism in the GMNIs! which spoke of instant or immediate salvation. Though the book has a lot of depth and symbols for the reader to unearth! the one striking theme which appears again and again is about man<s struggle against the forces of nature. (t is evident in /aptain "hab in his pursuit of Moby Dick. (t is also evident in all the crewmembers as they strive to con uer the hardships both physical and psychological that are faced on their 'ourney to the Pacific. The author definitely sees something positive in this struggle. 1or mankind has progressed through its struggle against and con uest of its physical environment. 2ust as "hab brings about his and his ship<s destruction in his mad pursuit of Moby Dick! today we are destroying the delicate balance of the earth by trying to gain mastery over it! and we all are aware where it will lead us 6 a ma'or ecological disaster. (n the conte0t of man and the environment! time and again in the story! the author uses various symbols of the sea to give his views on man<s life vis6a6vis the vast! comple0 universe around him. Through various symbols of the whale and the oceans! the author reflects on man<s position! his role in the ;niverse as well as his lack of understanding the comple0 world he is living in. 9ather than seeing the world in black and white! one must see it in shades of gray as (shmael does. Melville uses the world of the whale to reveal this theme. ;sing the whale as an e0ample! the writer makes profound observations such as how whale<s eyes are placed on both sides of his head so he can see more than one ob'ect. However! while the whale can see several aspects in life! man can see one and understand only one because both of his eyes see ahead of him only. Moby Dick2 A critique o& the whali$g i$"ustry7 The whaling industry in the ;.#. during the GEIIs was both an essential as well as a profitable industry. (ts products such as the sperm oil! made from the upper layer %'ust below the skin of the whale& of fat in the sperm whale was used to light lamps in the nineteenth century. (n the book! Melville provides a lot of factual information on the types of whales! their si.e and anatomy. +esides! he also informs us of the si.e of the industry 6 which employed GM!III men and FII vessels and the profits that this industry brought to the country 6 OLI!III!III per annum. Cet! the whaling profession is considered to be a lowly one and was scorned by people in general. (n other words! the book reflects the ideas that GEth century society in "merica held: that the whaling profession had Pno dignity<. The author counters all these ideas in the book. +ut while he e0tols the whaling industry! he also reveals its darker side. "lthough there were lots of profits and adventure! there was also high risk involved. 1or sailors have lost their lives in innumerable accidents that occur on the sea. 1urther! he also makes several suggestions that could improve working conditions of the sailors 6 especially the harpooner66in reducing the chances of accidents on the boats. (n doing so! the author not only reveals his e0pertise on the sub'ect of whaling! but also his skill in putting difficult and technical sub'ects in a simple and interesting manner. "fter reading the novel! the reader is left with nothing less than awe and admiration for ordinary courage and strength in whalemen and their struggle against the vast and perilous seas. Melville gives a new dignity to the labor and sweat of the whaling ships. Thus! Mo!y "ickis a vivid descriptive commentary on blood! sweat and hard physical labor that went into the profit6making whaling industry that it was in GEth century "merica. +ssays The Attack o$ Tra$sce$"e$talism by *eega$ Lerch

Herman Melville! the author of Moby Dick! attacks the views of the Transcendentalists by portraying Moby Dick! the white whale! as the personification of evil. This completely opposes the Transcendentalist idea that there is only good in the world. Throughout the story! Melville also incorporates the "nti6Transcendental principles that the truths of e0istence are illusive and that nature is indifferent! unforgiving! and often une0plainable. Moby Dick and /aptain "hab both refute the Transcendentalist principle that there is no evil! there is only love. The Transcendentalists feel that the world is filled with goodness! however! the "nti6Transcendentalists believe in the more reasonable idea that man has the potential to be either good or bad. Moby Dick is portrayed as evil in the story as "hab tells of how he lost his leg to the white behemoth. "fter "hab loses his leg to the white whale he /reates himself as the 7race6 hero7D moving against the presence of evil! "hab vows to kill the source of evil: Moby Dick. %#tern! FK& "hab! therefore! unconscientiously casts his own evil onto Moby Dick. The whale also personifies the evil that e0isists within "hab. The evil "hab possesses is the result of his obsession with e0tinguishing the evil in the whale. The very evil that e0ists in "hab is that which the transcendentalists deem to be non6e0istent. Melville is therefore striking heavily upon the ideals of the Transcendentalists. "hab also seeks to control nature! which goes against Transcendentalist views that man and nature are e ual before 8od. "hab)s passion to dominate nature gives him an evil persona and counters Transcendentalist views. 7He! "hab! is evil! Melville seems to say! because he seeks to overthrow the established order of dualistic human creationQ7 %#tern! FK& *ature)s indifference is shown by Moby Dick as it pays sparse attention to "hab! regardless of how much time "hab puts into the whale. 7the great white whale that is essentially indifferent to him.7 %#tern& "ccording to Transcendentalist views! nature is supposed to be good and loving! but this is disproved by Melville)s blatantly obvious portrayals of the malicious sides of *ature. The Transcendentalist principle that nature is good and rational is tackled by the "nti6 Transcendentalist ideal that nature is indifferent! unforgiving! and often une0plainable. Melville presents this in Moby Dick by using the sea as a setting. The sea is a vast and often times une0plainable phenomenon. The damage that the whale does to the boats and crew members is how Melville shows the true nature of the sea. 7+ut as the oarsmen violently forced their boat through the sledge6hammering seas! the before whale6smitten bow6ends of two planks burst through! and in an instant almost! the temporarily disabled boat lay nearly level with the waves7 %Melville! NLF& The story! Moby Dick attacks the rosy6cheeked ideals of the Transcendentalists by introducing the characteristics of evil and indifference. The Transcendentalists believe that there is no evil! however! it is shown in Moby Dick that Man has the potential for good and evil! as does nature. (n "nti6Transcendentalism nature is not portrayed as a wonderful! rational thing! but realistically as an indifferent! unforgiving! and une0plainable wonder. Melville deals heavy blows against the optimistic views of the Transcendentalists by portraying characteristics of evil and attacking nature. Melville weaves "nti6Transcendentalist principles by using images of destruction and ini uity. These images show the true nature of the world and do not attempt to hide it in an attempt to make the world seem happy. S6M#OLISM 8 MOTI S Mo!y "ick is not 'ust another book based on the writer<s own e0periences at sea. (t is a deeply symbolic story of the conflicting forces of good and evil. The symbols used in the book are linked to the sea! sailors and the thriving whaling industry of the nineteenth century. The author! through the use of rather mundane images and events related to life at sea! reflects on life! the universe! morality and death. 1or instance! the ocean in the novel represents the world or life where man struggles and plays his role. Thus the #e$uod with sailors from varied nationalities and alien lands! is a microcosm of the world we are living in.

Through the physical features of the whale! the author makes profound observations on life and man<s position vis6a6vis the comple0 universe. To cite an e0ample! in the chapter where the narrator pauses to talk about the whale<s skeleton and how one cannot figure out where the skull %of the whale& ends and the tailbone begins. This relates to however hard one may strive! it is not possible for one to understand the comple0 universe. The author<s deep philosophical statements through common sights and events at sea reveal his skill as a writer as well as his understanding of the sub'ects he is discussing. (n Melville<s novel! almost all the characters are 'ust as important as the events and situations that are depicted. Therefore through the sensitive portrayal of ,uee ueg! the aborigine from *ew -ealand who becomes a close friend of (shmael! the author comments on the so6called Pcivili.ed< /hristian world as opposed to the world of the savage. Moreover! the bond that formed between (shmael and ,uee ueg is significant for through them! the author seems to suggests that in the uncertain and difficult world! a trusted and loving friend can help human beings. "lso! the friendship between (shmael and ,uee ueg suggests that a bond can be formed between people cutting across national boundaries and cultures. 1inally! through the elusive white whale Moby Dick! the author suggests that there is a supreme spirit controlling our world and destinies. #o 'ust as in the biblical story of 2onah and the whale! in the book also! the white whale is used to punish the evil in the world manifested in "hab. Moby Dick also represents something that is uncon uerable by man! suggesting that man cannot control or destroy everything. There are some things that are beyond human control. Thus! in the novel! each event! name or character reveals some aspect of life! morality! or human nature. 2ust as (shmael reflects over these images and symbols! the reader too is caught in the spell of the fascinating array of symbols and reflects upon the sub'ects they represent.