Moby Dick Reflection

Whatever expectations that Ishmael may have had for his journey, it seems that another, perhaps divine force, has other plans for him. It is clear from the very first chapter of Moby-Dick – aptly titled “Loomings,” which is a word that inspires a feeling of fear and smallness – the only appropriate expectations are that Ishmael is headed

“What is Moby Dick about?” the librarian asked, and I gave the best response a stuttering 8-year-old could. “No no. What is it about? What’s the lesson that you learned?” My response was

In the novel Moby Dick by Herman Melville, there is an untold truth about racism. The “whiteness of the whale” and Ishmael’s relationship with Queequeg suggest more than what meets the eye. Moby Dick was written approximately 10 years before the Civil War in America, a time when the fight over race was more relevant than ever. Although some may argue that race cannot be argued in Moby Dick, an article from The Massachusetts Review says, “the novel is a a floating Babel of racial types” (Bernard). The order of the Pequod demonstrates the hierarchy of race in the world at this time. Due to the focus on the “whiteness of the whale”, the broad-mindedness of the characters, and the secondary position of the colored characters.

First off, Oedipus and his family had really rough times. Oedipus’ sons killed each other for the throne, his daughter killed herself, he killed himself, so it was a very weird family. To start off, Eteocles Oedipus’ son he was heroic because he saved his family and country from the enemies who tried to kill the people of Thebes. Eteocles of course saves them from the ruthless and ferocious Argive army. “Against our seven gates in a yawning ring the famished spears came onward in the night; but before his jaws were sated with our blood, or pine fire took the garland of our towers, he was thrown back, and as he turned, great Thebes no tender victim for his noisy power rose like a dragon behind him, shouting war.” This shows that the priest and chorus were talking about the war and how Thebes won at the end of the battle and Eteocles died with honor fighting for his country men and family. He was brave because he went into war against his own brother and he was not afraid that in the end of the battle he would probably kill his brother. “For God hates utterly The bray of bragging tongues; and when he beheld their

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.

Edward Bloom was a story teller. He would tell elaborate stories to his son since he was born. Not only were the stories exciting, they were told to bring life and excitement into Edwards life. Growing up, William enjoyed his father’s stories. As time goes on, the stories began to become more and more uneventful and less entertaining. This was because William has heard the same stories his whole life. He did not know what was true and what was fake. On his death bed, Edward reconnects with William by getting him to see that he was not lying his whole life, just telling his life story in a much more interesting way. Yes, some details were changed but that does not mean they were all lies. William just did not see that until the end.

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

In literature, the truly memorable characters are those special individuals that arouse powerful emotions in the reader. Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick presents a man who is undoubtedly among the unforgettable characters of literature: Ahab, sea-captain of the whaling ship the Pequod. At first, Ahab is a mysterious figure to Ishmael, the narrator of the tale. Despite the captain’s initial reclusiveness, Ishmael gradually comes to understand the kind of man that Ahab is and, most importantly, the singular obsession he possesses: finding the white whale, Moby Dick. The hunt for Moby Dick (and, correspondingly, the idea that Moby Dick represents) is the critical component of Ahab’s personality, and Melville makes that all-important idea known to

Moby Dick, written by Herman Melville, is believed by some to be the greatest literary works of all time. The book takes place in the 1840s and seems greatly advanced for its time. Herman Melville uses many literary techniques that bring about severe imagery as well as insight and education to the readers. One concept that is conveyed in Moby Dick is the journey itself. This is broken into the physical journey, the spiritual journey, and life’s journey.

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.

Analysis: Returning to his theme of respecting, even revering whales, Melville gives an image of opulence when he references creamy milk and marble in connection with the white whale. The trunk was made of marble, not flesh or any less expensive stone. The imagery here is purposefully placed to make the reader see Moby Dick as more then just a whale or a monster. He wants to show the white whale as something great and almost beautiful. Ishmael’s image of the whale, in all of its glory, is shared with his audience. This helps readers to understand the greatness this whale in particular commands.

While the topic of slavery is never discussed explicitly in Herman Melville’s Moby Dick, racial disparities and Melville’s attitude towards them are portrayed both subliminally and prominently throughout the novel. By creating a parallel to the slave industry with the whaling industry, Melville is able to indirectly criticize the injustice of slavery. Moby Dick was published at a time where the country was on the brink of the Civil War and whaling and the slave trade were the most profitable industries. The narrator of the novel; Ishmael, openly mocked white and Christian supremacy in America. It can be understood by a modern reader that the novel entails a metaphor comparing slavery to the whaling industry and gives insight to Melville’s standpoint on racial inequalities. Throughout the entirety of the novel, the inhumane tactics of whaling is used as an extended metaphor of slavery and the pursuit, capture, and killing of runaway slaves to help readers understand the brutal and unethical nature of slavery.

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.

Herman Melville, in his renowned novel Moby-Dick, presents the tale of the determined and insanely stubborn Captain Ahab as he leads his crew, the men of the Pequod, in revenge against the white whale. A crew mixed in age and origin, and a young, logical narrator named Ishmael sail with Ahab. Cut off from the rest of society, Ahab attempts to make justice for his personal loss of a leg to Moby Dick on a previous voyage, and fights against the injustice he perceived in the overwhelming forces that surround him. Melville uses a series of gams, social interactions or simple exchanges of information between whaling ships at sea, in order to more clearly present man’s situation as he faces an existence whose meaning he cannot fully grasp.