Moby-Dick is Herman Melville’s masterpiece, a purposeful novel that acts both as a documentary of a sea voyage but also a philosophical allusion on life as a whole. Moby-Dick is far beyond its time in reference to its use of allusion within its text. In this novel, Herman Melville frequently uses biblical and mythological allusions. With these strategic allusions, the reader is able to begin to understand the topics of discussion within the book and is also exposed to the wisdom and potential knowledge Melville possesses. Melville uses many Biblical and mythological references in the form of character stories, which I found beneficial in helping interpret the texts meaning (Howard, 27). This paper will discuss the Biblical and Mythological allusions that Melville’s use in Moby-Dick in the hopes to develop a deeper understanding of the issues Melville was hoping to address. An Allusion is a brief and indirect reference to a well-known person, place, thing, cultural, historical, or literary work (Delahunty, 24). As Described by Andrew Delahunty in the Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion, allusions form a colorful extension to the English language, drawing on our collective knowledge of literature, mythology, and the Bible to help us connect and interpret literature (26). Though an allusion is used to reference something significant, it does not describe in detail the person or thing to which it is referring too. Writers often use allusions as just a passing comment
Throughout the first chapter of Moby-Dick, a theme of inevitability is brought up time and time again. In a contest of free will and fate, it seems that fate has – and always will – win; this lack of control, though interestingly not viewed by Ishmael as distressing, sets the stage for future events.
Allusions are used in literature for multitudes of reasons; usually to foreshadow an event in the novel, or to give the piece a deeper meaning. Sometimes, allusions are used to prove authorial purpose. In The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck uses allusions to prove the resiliency of the human spirit and how hope can persevere through even the worst of situations.
An allusion is a reference, either direct or indirect, to a well-known person, place or event.
An allusion is a expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference.Allusions to saints,miracles and religion in the novel Fifth Business by Robertson Davis is imperative in the character development of Dunstable Ramsay. Robertson Davies allusions to Saint Dunstan ,Dunstan's life long quest to prove that Mary Dempster is a saint and religious allusions are a very important component in the novel.
Throughout his novel, Moby Dick, Herman Melville will often devote entire chapters to the thoughts and actions of specific characters. Two specific examples of this type of chapter are Chapter 36, The Quarter-Deck, and Chapter 42, The Whiteness of the Whale. The first of these chapters depicts Ahab addressing his crew for the first time in order to convince them to hunt down Moby Dick. The second offers insight to the fear that is brought upon by the mere mention of Moby Dick The significance and effectiveness of each of these chapters are enhanced by Melville’s use of rhetoric and style respectively.
First and foremost, allusion is a well known rhetorical device, its purpose being to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly. Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty,
Allusions are widely used in many famous pieces of literature. To Kill a Mockingbird, Old Man in the Sea, and Frankenstein are just some of the many books in which allusions play a substantial role. By analyzing allusions and symbolism in these books, the reader can connect fiction with real life. Although numerous people are oblivious to allusions, they play a large role in establishing the bigger picture of a story. Allusions within literature give the reader insight to what the author is really trying to get across because every story has a deeper meaning.
As the world of literature has continued to grow over the last few centuries, many writers have begun to incorporate several allusions within their works to enhance meaning and provide a deeper context in relation to their novel. These allusions can pertain to historical events, mythological tales, and even stories within the Holy Bible. Specifically, within John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, the profound useage of biblical allusions work throughout the entire book to create a deeper meaning and establish a context for which readers can explore.
Allusions distinctly impacts text in numerous ways. Biblical and historical allusions are often the most recognizable in literature and each have their own significance. Allusions are very beneficial in the text because they give new meaning to the text and how it is represented throughout time; allusions in literature can also show new interpretations of the other works as well. In The Jungle, by Upton Sinclair, Sinclair uses biblical and historical allusions create an embellishment of imagery, characterization, and the manifestation of government.
saving Ishmael from the sharks, Queequeg was able to save himself in a sense. Ahab, on the other hand did not have a similar fate, he dies devoured by both mental and physical sharks.
As the story of Moby Dick starts, Ishmael our narrator immediately establishes a direct relationship with the reader through the famous line, “call me Ishmael.” And as the story begins to unfold, the opening chapters paint us an image of who Ishmael is: a stoic young man, full of sadness, and consumed by wanderlust. Yet this information only scratches the surface of who our character truly is and the question can still be asked, “Who really is this character that is asking us to refer to him by his first name?” By doing a close reading of chapter 68 The Blanket, we are given examples of how Ishmael thinks about and views his surroundings, which help give us insight to who he really is. Ishmael is more than just a friendly narrator, but rather a very deep and perceptive character.
A Search For Meaning Within the Biblical Context of Moby Dick. The Bible is the most sold, and read book in all of history, and its stories and messages permeates through many aspects of our culture. Herman Melville used the Bible as one of the key influences for the content of his magnum opus, Moby Dick. There are varied uses of the Bible within the work, as it used in the names of characters, events in the plot, and allusions to biblical characters and lessons. The bible contains stories of epic proportions, and all of those stories are meant to contain deeper meanings.
Ahab’s actions and personality convey Melville’s theme of duality in human nature because of both the madness and the innocence portrayed in his character. As a sea captain, Ahab comes off as crazy and psychotic, and he is frequently described as monomaniacal. When he says “Talk not to me of blasphemy, man; I’d strike the sun if it insulted me” (203), Melville uses Ahab as an example for all humans and their innate evilness, for they are vindictive, vengeful, and easily combative. Though humans are shown as unforgiving, Melville also uses Ahab as a way to show the good side of people. At the peak of his monomania, Ahab has an epiphany where he understands the feelings of those he loves, and his moment of regret shows his true innocence as a person. “Aye, I widowed that poor girl when I married her, Starbuck; and then, the madness, the frenzy, the boiling blood and the smoking brow, with which, for a thousand lowerings old Ahab has furiously, foamingly chased his prey-more a demon than a man?-aye, aye! what a forty years’ fool-fool-old fool, has old Ahab been”(621)! Melville uses this moment as a way to show not just the innate goodness of man, but also the innate evil of nature and God. Ahab was a pure man before being corrupted by Moby Dick, the whale who he believed was the “pasteboard mask” (203) of God, and this concept of humans being innately good but corrupted by outside forces reveals Melville’s views on duality in human nature. Melville uses Ahab to manifest the duality of all
Satire represents a perfect literary mode for illustrating revolutions, mirroring not only the craziness of insurgency but also the moral (d)evolution of Melville’s society. Ahab’s imaginary struggle with the whale stems from speculations concerning both Melville and America as a nation. Melville created his tale of a mimed and deranged captain in pursuit of revenge against his frightening adversary, the White Whale, parallel to the South’s weighing of revolt against the North. By giving the satirical frame to this ideological conflict, Melville tried to unmask the reality, thus casting aside traditional narrative forms that would conceal the truth and cover up for what he thought was one of many major historical inconsistencies: the concurrence of democracy and slavery in America. Accordingly, Melville’s claim that Moby Dick was illustrated by his own experience as a harpooner appears rather unseemly, since it is questionable that he ever held a harpoon. It could be Melville’s fictive depiction of himself as a different kind of harpooner - a writer who wanted to unmask the
Allusion are often used in literature to hint or reference a famous work or person. A well known user of allusion is Shakespeare, who alludes to major