Examples Of Related Literature Of Moby Dick

Throughout this course, I have discovered that literature is more than just words being brought together by an author to form an emotionally charged story. Literature provides an engaging outlet into an imaginary realm to its audience. As the reader is captivated by the story, poem or play, a, emotional connection is established.

    One might say we are presented with two fish stories in looking at Ernest Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea and Herman Melville's Moby-Dick, a marlin in the former and a whale in the latter.  However, both of these animals are symbolic of the struggle their hunters face to find dignity and meaning in the face of a nihilistic universe in Hemingway and a fatalistic one in Melville.  While both men will be unable to conquer the forces of the universe against them, neither will either man be conquered by them because of their refusal to yield to these insurmountable forces.  However, Santiago gains a measure of peace and understanding about existence from his struggles, while Ahab leaves the

This is not the first time Ahab has spoken to himself as he often paranoidly talked to himself about what he would do if others tried to hurt him, then proceed to tell himself how crazy he is. These are Ahab’s last words. It’s funny how these are not only his last words, but the first time Ahab said anything with true feeling in the book. Though he may have not killed Moby Dick like he truly wanted, Ahab found the whale again and threw in a few last punches while cursing it and fate before his demise. I feel that, though Ahab did not kill Moby Dick, he was ready to die because he had closure since he found the whale again and was able to throw one final spear and give it his all. Following his death there was silence because the only

A vengeful man, a native, and a man seeking enlightenment board a whaling vessel; this isn’t a joke, this is the United States of America throughout history and the members of the Pequod. Moby Dick is not just a tale about a whaling venture gone awry, it is a metaphor for what America was and is. The Pequod represents the country and government, while the 30 crew members (Melville 430; ch. 126) represents the United State citizens. This would have not been possible to consider in Melville’s time, but it is a true testament to literature being a living text. Melville wasn’t only writing about America in the 1800’s, he was writing about the natures of humanity, and the future of our society.

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.

The current series of paintings that I am working on are all inspired from Moby Dick. I am intrigued by the cultural diversity of the crewmates, the journey from New England to Asia, the segregation from society, the mysticism of sea travel, and the different complex layers of context in the story; all of which are closely related to my experience of being an immigrant artist.

"Do human beings have free will or free choice and if not who or what shapes human destiny?" (McSweeney 9) Herman Melville utilizes Father Mapple's sermon in his nineteenth century epic novel Moby Dick, to illustrate the duality of mankind. Mortal man pursues his own singular interests with selfish intent; however, God has prevailing intentions, which are often beyond the comprehension of the individual. Melville expands and elaborates this theme throughout his epic work. The sermon is an omen for the dynamic action of the novel, which is revealed in Captain Ahab's megalomaniacal pursuit of the white whale. No person, ship or force of nature can sway Captain Ahab from his selfish ambition. He is willing to risk his crew, career, and even

Literature is used by authors to entertain and inform readers as well as to teach important lessons. Readers take pleasure in being swept away to varying worlds as the eloquent words and powerful characters transport them from the reality of one’s daily lives, into mysterious places that entice one to read on. Authors successfully captivate readers because of their dedication and inspiring words that help readers comprehend their beliefs and motives for writing. Lessons are also used in literature to teach readers about issues that could be applied generations later. Many times an author will not come out and tell one what these lessons are, they are embedded deep in the author 's characters and

Contained in the text of Moby Dick, Herman Melville uses many widely cultural symbols, stories and actions to tell the tale of a whaling ship bent on the desires of its captains abhorrence for a real, and also symbolic, creature in the form of an albino sperm whale named Moby Dick. The time is 1851 and civil unrest is looming just over the horizon: slavery is the main point of interest in American politics, the last major novel released was The Scarlet Letter, Millard Fillmore becomes the 13th president following the untimely death of then president Zachary Taylor; the Fugitive Slave Act legally mandates all runaway slaves to be returned to their owners (regardless of what state in the union they were found); and religion is a driving

Imagine an individual who reads a piece of literature. Somehow, this simple sheet which is composed of words quickly emerges from its pages and becomes a state of reality in the reader’s mind. In fact, the reader seemingly visualizes the events that he/she is reading. From this point, it has become apparent that the piece of literature has effectively captivated the reader’s attention and senses. Fundamentally, any piece of literature can do so, ranging from short excerpts to books that appeal to different age groups. However, the real driving force that engages the reader is the author. An author is an individual who writes many literary pieces with his/her own writing style. While this may seem simple, an author may incorporate many elements

“If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.” (Melville 17) There is an overwhelming amount of evidence to support Ishmael’s love for the sea and is emphasized and returned to Ishmael in an ironic and humbling way from the “watery world”. In this adventurous journey, a young man named Ishmael sets out on a voyage to see the world and become a harpooner. He does not only discover a fierce whale representing his external influences but also his own internal self-revelation.

The 1850’s were a sort of renaissance for religion in America. The Church of Latter-Day Saints was beginning to gain traction, and religions all across America were polarized with the growing issue of slavery, all the while people were becoming more and more pious. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick tells the tale of a crew destined for death by the hands of an invincible leviathan, and throughout the novel, the characters are cleverly named after biblical characters. Melville thus made Moby Dick in the way that he did in order to appeal to the growing number of religious people in the country. In Moby Dick, Melville uses the biblical narrative as a means to give a modernized parable about mankind’s superiority complex in order to illuminate his society’s

There are different forms and examples of exemplary and classic literature which have been deemed as significant works that are highly esteemed worldwide. These examples of literature would awe the world with how much literary skill they entailed when they were composed and written: attention to details as to formation of characters, the most crafty of plots, the most eloquent speeches and lines, the most astounding of twists of scenes, and most of all, the most universal and meaningful of themes. The theme of any literary work is what makes it great as it should be able to encompass the immense diversity of the world and as it would be able to transcend the boundaries of religion, age, race, gender, etc. Two examples of this great and

In the novel, A Moby Dick, Pip is a young African American boy, who has almost no power on the Pequod. Pip only makes a handful of appearances in the novel, which leads the reader to ask: why does Melville include him in this novel? Pip normally serves as an entertainer for the crew and cleans up the ship. However, after being left in the ocean for hours, he forms a special bond with Ahab. Through their time spent together Pip positively affects Captain Ahab, which is why he is included in the novel.

Many have the desire to control the uncontrollable, or change the unchangeable. This idea is shared through many novels and movies; one of those being Herman Melville’s Moby Dick-a narrated voyage of a whaling ship, the Pequod, and its captain, Ahab, whose one desire was to kill the great Sperm Whale, Moby Dick. As his whaling journey continued, still unsuccessful, Ahab’s character began to change. Many adjectives could be used to describe Ahab’s changing character, but three specific ones are as follows: obsessive, conceited, and manipulative. Ahab’s one desire changes him from an obedient captain to a madman.